by McKayla Box
Trevor Robinson is standing there in a black T-shirt, cargo shorts, and a pissed off expression. Even in the dark, his tan glows.
“No one fucking asked you, Robinson,” Derek snarls. “Go jerk off in the ocean.”
Trevor laughs and shifts his eyes to me. “You alright?”
I nod, not able to find the words.
Derek makes a little waving gesture, signaling for Trevor to go. “Take a walk, dickhead.”
Trevor rolls his shoulders forward like he's just gotten out of bed. He shakes his arms loose at his sides. He smiles again. “Make me.”
It's a simple phrase a middle schooler might use, but the way he says it, there's something violent behind it.
Derek feels it too because he pushes off the wall and no longer seems so sure of himself.
Trevor takes a step toward us. “Seriously. Make me. Right now.”
Derek takes an awkward step backward and it's just like it was at lunch. Derek seems smaller and younger in Trevor's presence. Derek glances at me, his eyes narrow slits, then looks at Trevor. “You aren't worth it.”
Trevor snorts. “Right.”
Derek looks at me, then points an index finger at my chest. “We're not done yet. Not even close.”
“Fuck you,” I say.
“You will,” he says, leering at me. “Don't worry.”
He hesitates, then walks toward Trevor. Trevor holds his spot, his eyes locked on Derek, his fingers wiggling at his sides, like they are itching to do something. Derek stops in front of him for just a moment, then moves around him, and walks back toward the beach, disappearing into the dark.
Trevor's eyes are now locked onto me. “I think you owe me now.”
I roll my eyes. “What is it with every guy in this school thinking they are entitled to shit?”
He gives me a small smile. “Come on. I just saved you from the asshole. That's not entitlement. I earned it.”
“Earned what exactly?”
His smile gets bigger. “What do you want to give me?”
I fight off the smile trying to force it's way onto my face. The way he says it, it's different than Derek's innuendos. There's more flirting behind it, less threat.
And goddamn if he doesn't look astounding standing there in the dark.
“A pat on the back seems fair,” I say.
It's his turn to roll his eyes. “Not even close, New Girl.” He walks toward me and takes my hand before I can pull it away. “Come on.”
His hand is warm and soft and I hate that I like it. I yank it away. “I'm going back to my friends.”
He's standing right in front of me and he smells like smoke and soap and the ocean. Now my heart is thumping inside my chest, but for a different kind of wrong reason. He licks his lips, the corners of his mouth flickering into that cocky, half smile.
Then he bends down, picks me up, and puts me over his shoulder. “Wrong, New Girl. You're going with me.”
NINE
I'm kicking and writhing as he carries me. “Put me the fuck down!”
He chuckles, his arm around the backs of my knees like a vice. “I will. In a minute.”
He's got my waist on his shoulder and it's the perfect position to keep me from getting any leverage. I pound on his back and he just laughs some more.
He carries me across the road toward the beach and he's trudging across the sand, down to the water. The beach is dark, save for the random bonfire further up the shore. The water is loud as it rushes in and then backs out. I, of course, can't see it because I can only see where we've come from.
Finally, his arm loosens around my waist and I seize the moment, pushing off his shoulder and launching myself off his body. I land in ankle deep water, the cold water shocking me, and I let out a shriek.
Trevor laughs. “New Girl. Your shoes are soaked now. So impatient.”
I look down and he's right. I'm standing in the ocean in my sandals. I stare at him for a moment, then let out a strangled yell, and kick water at him. He shields his face as he laughs, but he doesn't back up.
It occurs to me that I've never seen Trevor Robinson back up.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I ask, slipping off my now soaked sandals as the ocean ebbs and flows around my feet.
“I was just trying to take you for a walk. Not my fault you jumped off me into the water.”
His refusal to admit he's done anything wrong is maddening.
“Where'd you learn to surf?” he asks, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“The fucking ocean,” I say, still furious that I'm standing in the water.
“Yeah, but what ocean?”
“None of your business,” I say, stepping out of the water.
He puts his hand on my arm as I try to pass. I start to say something to him, something full of anger and fury, but he's looking at me with this half smile and sparkle in his eyes and it just freezes the words in my throat.
“I'm making it my business,” he says, his voice low like a purr. “Not sure how else I can get this across to you, New Girl. You and I are gonna happen.”
I yank my arm free of his grasp and stare at him for a moment. “Okay. Well, let's get it over with then.”
“Get what over with?”
Before I can think better of it, I pull my top off over my head and throw it to the sand. “If we're gonna happen, let's get it over with.” I point at the sand. “Let's just do it and get it over with.” I smile. “I'm sure it won't take long.”
For the first time in two days, Trevor Robinson seems unsure of himself. “That...that's not what I meant.”
I shimmy out of my shorts, now standing there in my underwear. The air is cool and I can feel the goosebumps popping on my skin. “Yeah, it is. Don't lie. Let's drop and go for it.” I spread my arms out wide. “Here I am. Take me now, lover boy.”
The cocky smile is gone, replaced with an expression somewhere between irritation and anger.
I raise an eyebrow, fueled by the idea that I've caught him off guard. “Oh. Now I get it. You're all talk. I sort of guessed that.”
“Doesn't have to be like this,” he says, his voice barely audible over the ocean behind me.
I bend down and pick up my clothes from the sand. I take two steps toward him so I'm right up against him. I stare at him for a long moment and his eyes don't leave mine.
“Leave me the fuck alone then,” I say.
I walk past him up the sand before he can say anything else.
TEN
I pull my clothes back on as I walk. I'm shaking but I'm not sure if it's because I'm cold or because I'm rattled from what I just did. I half-expected him to take me up on my fake offer and I wasn't sure what I would've done if he did. It was a stupid move on my part and I feel lucky to have gotten way with it as I shake the water from my still wet shoes.
I spot Bridget sitting at the bottom of The Hump and she's waving at me. Maddie is with her and they both have that happy, lazy look you get when you're in the middle of a good buzz.
“Where did you go?” Bridget asks.
“Nowhere,” I say.
“Your sandals are wet,” Maddie says, looking me up and down. “And there's sand all over you.”
I sigh. “I went down to the ocean.”
“To pee?” Maddie asks.
“Yeah. No. I mean, that's where I went first,” I tell them. “To the bathroom. But I got...interrupted.”
“Peeing?” Bridget says, wrinkling her nose. “Gross.”
I laugh even though I don't feel like laughing. “No. When I came out. Derek was there.”
They both lean forward, their eyes widening.
“I guess he followed me over there,” I say. “I don't know. He was...persistent. And drunk.”
“Jesus,” Bridget says. “You should've screamed or something.”
“I was going to,” I say. “I mean, I think I was going to. But then Trevor showed up.”
They lean forward again, like they can't believe what they'
re hearing.
“Did they fight?” Maddie asks. “God, I hope they fought.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Derek walked away. But then Trevor took me down to the beach.”
“You went with him?” Bridget says. “Didn't I warn you?”
“I didn't go with him. He literally took me down to the beach. He carried me and wouldn't let me go.”
Bridget covers her open mouth with her hand.
“Jesus, what an asshole,” Maddie says. “What happened?”
“I took my clothes off,” I tell them.
“What?” they both cry at the same time.
I laugh and sit down next to them on the grass, suddenly feeling exhausted. “He carried me down there and then tried to talk to me. Then he started, I don't know, flirting with me? I don't know what he was doing. And I got fed up.” I shrug. “So I took my clothes off and called his bluff.”
“Holy shit,” Bridget whispers. “You have to be kidding me.”
“I'm not,” I say.
“What did he do?” Maddie asks.
“Nothing,” I say. “He totally backed off and didn't know what to do. I was standing there on the sand in my underwear, telling him that we should just drop to the sand and get it over with, and he didn't know what to do.” I shrug again. “So I grabbed my clothes, told him to fuck off, and left.”
“I need that on video,” Maddie says, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”
“Are you okay?” Bridget asks, touching my foot.
I nod. “I'm fine. It was stupid. If he'd taken me up on it, I'm not sure what I would've done.”
“You'd probably be underneath him in the sand right now,” Maddie says. “I suppose there are worse places to be.”
Bridget smacks her in the arm.
“Ow!” Maddie says, rubbing where she hit her. “Look, we can acknowledge that Trevor Robinson is both an asshole and someone we'd like to be underneath. There's nothing wrong with that.” She looks at both of us. “He is the best looking human being I've ever seen in my life and if presented with the opportunity, I might take the ride one time just to see what it's like.” She shrugs. “I'm not above that.”
Bridget and I both burst out laughing and a small twinge of something that feels like jealousy sparks in my head, which I quickly push out of my thoughts. There's nothing to be jealous of. I didn't even like Trevor and I was pissed at him for what he'd done to me.
But Maddie is right.
He is the best looking person I'd ever seen in my life.
“I can't believe he let you walk away,” Bridget says, shaking her head. “All talk and no action, I guess.”
“I don't know,” I say. “I just wanted to get away from him.”
They both nod and I spy Gina coming over the top of the hill. She's a bit wobbly, but not to the point that she can't walk. She's careful coming down the hill and gets to us, out of breath. “Couldn't find my bitches. What are you guys doing over here?”
“Listening to Presley tell us how she stripped naked in front of Trevor,” Maddie says.
Gina's eyes widen.
“I had my underwear on,” I say. “And it's not what you think.”
“I'm thinking so many things,” Gina says. “I'm also thinking that Shanna Becker wants to kick your ass.”
“That's not really news,” I tell her.
“Yeah, well, she's putting the word out there,” she explains. “She's telling people you hooked up with Derek tonight.”
I frown. “I didn't hook up with him.”
“I'm just telling you what she's saying.”
I bite my lip. It's been a long first day. I've met some good people and some not good people. And the not good people are really pissing me off.
I look at Bridget and point at her cup. “Can I finish that for you? I lost my cup...somewhere.”
“I can get you another one,” she says, but holds her cup out to me.
I take it from her and down everything in it, feeling the burn of the vodka burn its way into my body. I hand the cup back to Bridget.
“Wow,” she says, raising her eyebrows. “That was...fast.”
I look at Gina. “Where's Shanna?”
She jerks her thumb over her shoulder. “She was over by one of the fires with her crew.”
“She has a crew?”
“Cheerleaders,” Maddie says. “They run in a pack. Like skinny, bitchy wolves.”
I let the vodka settle into my gut and take a deep breath. The music is still thumping across the lot and I can feel it in my chest. I look past my new friends and the massive hill, thinking about who and what is on the other side. I don't feel like the timid girl I was in Virginia.
That girl is gone.
I smile at my friends. “I'd like to go meet the skinny, bitchy wolves.”
ELEVEN
We walk to the top of the hill and it's like a whole other world on the other side.
The sand is filled with people and it resembles a mosh pit more than a party, people pressed together, around the fires from the grass to the water. There are more shadows and silhouettes in the dark now, the only lighting coming from the bonfires and people's phones. The crowd extends about as far as I can see in either direction, running out to the point where the bay meets the ocean.
“They were down there,” Gina says, pointing out to her right in the direction of the point. “We'll find them.”
Bridget grabs my hand. “Hey. Are you sure you wanna do this? You don't have to.”
She was wrong, though. I did have to do it. If I didn't, I was going to get buried under an avalanche of gossip and lies. If I was going to stick up for myself and save my reputation before it was blown to pieces, I did have to do it.
I look at her. “I'm sure.”
She squeezes my hand and lets go.
We descend the from the grassy hill down to the sand and Gina nudges me, nodding toward one of the fires. I don't see Shanna, but I see the wolves. One has long, blonde hair and the kind of skin you see in magazines. Her legs are long and tan and she's standing next to the fire like she's giving everyone a chance to observe her. The Sunset Beach cheer T-shirt she's wearing is a size too small, showing off her boobs and her perfectly flat stomach.
Next to her, a girl with flowing red hair is emptying a plastic cup into her mouth. She's all muscle and athleticism, like an Olympic gymnast. She's wearing the same T-shirt, but the sleeves are cut off, exposing her shoulders and biceps. Her shirt is too small, as well, and I immediately envy the six pack I spot just above the waist of her way too short denim shorts. She squeezes the plastic cup into a pancake and chucks it into the fire. She says something to the blonde, who laughs. Then she looks in my direction and pokes her much taller friend in the arm. The blonde turns in our direction, too.
“Well, well,” the red head says as we approach, crossing her arms. “Look what the bitches dragged in.”
Maddie rolls her eyes and Bridget laughs.
“Looks like you gained a few pounds this summer, Lisa,” Gina says, looking her up and down. “Looks good on you.”
Lisa's face immediately goes crimson. “It's muscle, Gina. You should try it some time.”
“Call it what you want,” Gina says, unfazed, still looking her up and down. “I'll bet you went up a whole size, right? More of you to love, I guess?”
“Fuck you,” Lisa growls.
The blonde wrinkles her nose at us. “Maybe just crawl back to where you came from.” Her eyes settle on me. “Especially you.”
“If anyone knows what it's like to be on your hands and knees, it's most definitely you,” Maddie says, smiling at her. She turns to me. “There were some unfortunate pictures that made the rounds last year involving Jessica, this troll who graduated from PB two years ago, and...” She looks at Jessica and lets her smile get bigger. “Some compromising positions.”
Jessica's face goes red like her friend's. “You're such a bitch, Maddie.”
Maddie keeps smiling. “I'm aw
are.”
“Who the fuck are you anyway?” Lisa asks and I realize she's talking to me.
“Someone who's looking for your friend,” I say. “Shanna. Where is she?”
Lisa screws up her face in irritation, like it's the most insulting thing she's ever been asked. “Why is that any of your business?”
“Because I'm making it my business,” I say. “Where is she?”
“Are you looking for Derek?” Jessica asks. “So you can give him another hand job in the bathroom?”
It's my turn to turn red. I can feel the heat in my face. “What?”
“What?” Lisa says, mocking me. “What?”
“Everyone knows you're after him,” Jessica says.
“No one could know that because it isn't true,” I say.
Jessica raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Not what we've heard.”
“Because Shanna is a lying bitch,” Bridget says. “Do either of you ever think for yourself or do you just let her tell you what to think?”
They look at each other, not sure what to say, and I burst out laughing, enjoying the irony of their inability to say anything.
They both look at me with hate in their eyes.
I don't care.
“Where is she?” I ask again.
Lisa just looks like she wants to fight me, but there's something in Jessica's expression that makes me wary, like maybe I don't want the answer to that question.
“Where are you from anyway?” Jessica asks, like I just crawled out of a hole.
“You're so fucking boring,” Gina says, rolling her eyes.
“Or too stupid to answer a question,” Maddie chimes in.
“Or just a first class bitch,” Bridget says.
My friends are standing up for me, with me, and I want to hug each of them.
“Jealous much?” Lisa asks.
“Of your weight gain?” Gina says. “Don't think so.”
Lisa's face goes red again.
“I heard you're into Trevor, too,” Jessica says, still looking at me, ignoring the conversation. “Way to announce your arrival at a new school by going after two guys at once.”
“I'm not going after either one,” I tell her. “The only person I'm going after is Shanna.”
