by K. D Clark
“Holy shit,” Sabrina mumbled
Wendy laughed. “I told you. Don’t act like you got all dressed up for nothing. Let’s go.”
Her heart was pumping fast and she felt eyes on her as she and Wendy pushed through the crowd. She had to keep telling herself to breath as she brushed past bodies of people. Once they’d made it to a spot on the bleachers towards the back corner, Sabrina let out a big breath.
“Not a fan of crowds huh?” Wendy asked.
She shook her head.
“Noted. Hey you want something from the concession stand, I’d rather go before the game starts.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
Wendy stood up and squeezed past people’s knees before disappearing into the crowd. The cheerleaders on the sideline threw someone up in the air, warming up for the game. Most of the girls had dressed in blue and white T-shirts with jeans or yoga pants. Sabrina spotted Jayce standing by the concession stand with his hands in his pockets. He had on a black leather jacket and he was talking with another guy as he hit a packet of cigarettes against his wrist. He looked exhausted like he had for the last couple days and Sabrina was burning with questions. Jayce caught her eye as if he could feel her watching him. He smirked at her, and she quickly turned away. She focused her attention back to the football field. The guys were lining up on the field getting ready to start. She knew nothing about football but she had to admit it was kind of entertaining to watch men fight over a ball. A girl with straight blonde hair and blue eyes walked over to Sabrina and sat backwards on the bleacher in front of her so that they faced each other.
“Sabrina, right?” the girl asked, her voice high pitched. She looked like she should have been down with the rest of the cheerleaders.
“Yea,” Sabrina said. She was still getting use to the fact that apparently everyone knew her name just because she rode to school with Jayce.
“I’m Alison. That over there is Mackenzie and Erica.” She pointed a few bleachers over where two other blonde lookalikes sat staring at the two of them. Sabrina wasn’t sure what to say so she just nodded her head.
Alison cleared her throat. “So you’re Jayce’s new girlfriend right?”
Sabrina’s eyes widened. “What… I… No he’s just my neighbor.” She snuck a quick glance at Jayce who was still standing by the concession stand.
“So you two aren’t together?” the girl asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, no just old friends.”
Alison smirked. “Good to know.”
She got up and went back over to her friends. Wendy had to have been right. That’s why all the girls were shooting daggers at her. They thought she was dating Jayce. Wendy came back a few minutes later with nachos in her hand and two white cups in the other. She handed one of the cups to Sabrina as she took her seat.
“Hot chocolate,” Wendy said.
“Thank you.” Sabrina took a sip and felt the drink warm her throat.
“What did I miss?” Wendy asked as she balanced the nachos on her lap.
“Do you know who Alison is?” Sabrina asked.
Wendy groaned, “Unfortunately.”
Sabrina went on to tell her about the weird interaction she’d had with Alison.
Wendy rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about Alison, she’s been trying to get with Jayce since junior high. Since we’re all going off to college soon it looks like she’s getting desperate.”
“Jayce doesn’t have a girlfriend?”
Wendy smiled. “Nope he’s open-game.”
Sabrina shook her head. “No that’s not what I meant…”
“I’m just messing with you. I don’t remember him ever having a girlfriend but I did hear he’s hooked up with some girls from Lakeshore.”
She just hoped Alison would set the record straight and she could stop getting the evil eye from all the girls.
“By the way we're going to a party after the game,” Wendy said popping a Sour Patch Kid into her mouth.
“Say what?” Sabrina asked.
“Yea I heard a couple guys talking about it by the concession stand, it’s at this guy Luke’s house, apparently his parents are loaded.”
Sabrina was already shaking her head before Wendy could finish.
“Please, Sabrina?” Wendy begged. “We can just go for a little while and then leave.”
She’d never gone to any parties at her old school and there was a reason for that. A bunch of drunk teenagers cramped into a house put her on edge. If it was going to be as crowded as this football game she was more worried about having a panic attack. She looked at Wendy’s face—her lips were pushed out in a pout. Sabrina let out a sigh.
“Fine, I’ll go,” she said. She wasn’t excited about it but she didn’t want to let down her new friend.
Wendy smiled and reached out to squeeze her hand. “We’ll have fun I promise.”
Sabrina doubted that but didn’t say anything. They watched the rest of the game. Sabrina wasn’t really sure what was going on considering her lack of knowledge about sports but she had to admit she liked the energy the crowd gave each time Falcon Haven scored a touchdown. The team won and Sabrina was in a better mood as they left the school and drove to the party.
*****
Luke’s house was actually a mansion that sat on several acres of land. Cars lined the circular driveway and fanned out onto the street. The flames of a huge bonfire in the backyard were visible from the front of the house. Music blared from the house and people spilled out from the front door and onto the manicured lawn, most standing around talking with red cups in their hands. Wendy had parked a few houses up the street. The houses surrounding the mansion were just as huge and spaced further apart than Sabrina’s own neighbors. They walked the short distance to the house. Inside, it was packed with people milling around with more cups. Two marble staircases were on each side of the foyer leading to what she assumed were bedrooms. Sabrina was certain it was a beautiful house but with all the people she couldn’t focus on its beauty. She imagined whosever house this was, their parents wouldn’t be too happy with the sheer volume of underage drinking taking place. Wendy took her hand and led her to a large kitchen. A keg was set up in the corner and several types of alcohol and cans of beer lined the island. Sabrina wiped her clammy hands on her jeans, suddenly feeling very hot.
“You need a drink!” Wendy yelled over the music as she grabbed two red cups and started to make some concoction out of the alcohol.
“You haven’t gone to many parties have you?” Wendy asked.
Sabrina shook her head. “Is it that obvious?”
“Well, ever since we pulled up you’ve been chewing on your fingernails so I would say yes.” Wendy handed Sabrina a cup and took a sip of her own.
“Now, don’t set that down anywhere and stay by my side. This place is huge and the last thing I want to happen is for you to get lost at your first Falcon Haven party.” Wendy nudged her cup, and Sabrina took a sip expecting it to burn her throat. It tasted like spicy orange juice.
“This isn’t bad,” she admitted.
Wendy rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s not. I made it.”
Sabrina laughed. Wendy was the only friend she had made at Falcon Haven so far besides Jayce and at the moment she was really happy to have found a friend so quickly. Although the party scene wasn’t her thing she was glad she wasn’t sitting at home alone. As she looked around the party, she spotted a beer pong table in the living room, and it looked like two football players were playing against two girls. People were gathered around cheering them on. She tried to spot Jayce but couldn’t see him in the crowd.
“He wouldn’t be over there,” Wendy said.
“Huh?”
“Jayce. It’s not exactly his crowd. He’s probably off somewhere with Luke and some wannabe cheerleaders,” Wendy said.
“Enough talk about Jayce. What do we do now we got our drinks…”
Wendy spread her arms wide, almost knocking the girl
next to her in the head. “Now we enjoy!”
They watched the beer pong game for a while before getting refills on their drinks and heading outside to the huge bonfire. The alcohol had relaxed Sabrina enough that she started to actually feel comfortable around the crowd of people. A couple of Wendy’s friend that she had been introduced to earlier in the week were sitting by the fire, and she and Wendy pulled a couple chairs up to them.
“Thanks for the invite, guys,” Wendy said sarcastically as they sat down.
The guy next to Wendy, who she thought was called Chad, said, “Oh yea we didn’t want you to come.” He laughed.
Wendy pushed his shoulder, making his chair tip back a bit as he laughed.
A petite girl with bright red hair peeked her head around Chad to look at them.
“Sorry, Wendy, we figured you already knew.” The girl stuck her hand out to Sabrina. “I’m Alyssa.”
She shook her hand. “Sabrina.”
“Nice to meet you. I heard Wendy found someone new to take under her wing. That’s what she did to us.” Alyssa indicated to herself and Chad.
Chad was a big guy probably 6’5 at least with broad shoulders. His blond crew cut hair was wet as if he’d recently gotten out of the shower.
Wendy scuffed. “And you see what I get for it.”
“Do you play football?” she asked Chad.
“Yes, but please no photos,” he joked.
“He thinks most of the other football players are jerks, that’s why he hangs out with us.” Wendy said.
“Correction I don’t think they’re jerks, they are jerks, and maybe I hang out with you guys because you’re cool to hang out with.”
“What school did you come from?” Alyssa asked her, ignoring Chad.
“It’s a couple hours away, much smaller then Falcon Haven,” Sabrina said.
“Did they have a good art program?”
Sabrina tried to think back. She’d never taken art or had much of an interest in it. “I don’t remember, actually.”
She and Alyssa talked for a long while. Alyssa lived closer to downtown and spent her free time taking free art classes at the local community college. She claimed that Falcon Haven’s art program wasn’t going to get her anywhere.
The air had gotten colder but the fire kept them warm. It had to be at least one o’clock in the morning by now and she was glad her mom was working tonight so she wouldn’t have to face her when she got home. Wendy leaned over and whispered something in Chad's ear. He nodded his head and then they both got up and headed towards the mansion leaving Alyssa and Sabrina by the bonfire.
“Where’d they go?” Sabrina asked, nodding towards their empty chairs.
Alyssa took a sip of her drink. “Probably to bone.”
Sabrina coughed, almost choking on her drink. “What? They’re together?”
Alyssa shrugged. “Not really. I don’t think they’re official and I’m pretty sure Chad sleeps around so I don’t know. I don’t ask questions.”
She made a mental note to ask Wendy about it. The party seemed to have quieted down a little bit. It looked like almost everyone was outside now, either huddled around the bonfire or standing by the keg on the porch. Two football players carried it out of the house an hour ago.
Alyssa scuffed. “Look at them.”
On the patio off in the corner was Jayce and a couple other guys, a cigarette dangled from his fingers. A skinny-looking kid approached Jayce. Jayce dug in his pocket before slapping his hand with the guy and then sliding his hand back into his pocket. Sabrina’s curiosity had piqued. It was such an odd exchange and if she hadn’t been laser focused on him she might have missed it. The blonde from the game, Alison, walked over to stand next to him. It was obvious she was trying to get close to Jayce. He had no interest as she touched his arm. He shook her off and continued his conversation with one of the guys.
“He’s my neighbor,” she said to Alyssa.
Alyssa’s eyes widened. “Oh yea I heard about him driving some girl to school every day.”
Sabrina smiled. “Yep that’s me.”
She didn’t know why she’d admitted that to Alyssa. All she wanted was for people to stop staring at her because of her morning rides with Jayce and then here she was telling Alyssa. Maybe it was the alcohol but the sight of Alison rubbing her hands against Jayce’s biceps it made Sabrina jealous even though she had no reason to be. He was just her neighbor.
“I dare you to go over there!” Alyssa said as an excited smile spread across her face.
“What? Why?”
“It would be so funny. Someone needs to put Alison in her place, she’s been all over him since freshmen year. It’s never going to happen. Jayce is too smart for that.”
Sabrina stared at the group. She was in the same car with Jayce just this morning but yet in a matter of a few hours she was scared to go say hello to him.
She took a deep breath. “Ok I’m going to do it.”
Alyssa’s eyes widened. “Really?”
She nodded her head. “Yep I’m just going to go over there and say hey.”
“OMG. I wish Wendy was here to see this.”
Sabrina took another deep breath and got up from the plastic chair, feeling a little wobbly on her feet. She made her way through the grass and arrived at the porch sooner than expected. Things were spinning a little bit and she couldn’t remember clearly how many red cups she’d drunk. Jayce spotted her before she could make it up the porch steps.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” He looked around as if trying to find someone. Jayce walked over to her and reached his hand out to help her up the stairs.
Alison’s arms went across her chest and she huffed.
“Have you been here a while?” he asked. He seemed tense as he continued to look behind her as if expecting someone to show up.
She nodded. “Yea, since after the game.”
He steered her over to a couple of his friends and introduced her to the guy he’d just been talking to, Luke. He had curly blond hair that he kept pushing out of his face.
“Ah so this is the childhood friend?” Luke asked.
She looked up at Jayce, and he looked slightly embarrassed as he took a sip of his beer that he had apparently replaced his cigarette with.
She cleared her throat. “Yea that’s me.”
“Jayce told me to look out for you. How’s it going so far?”
The statement made her feel like she was Jayce’s little sister and brought her back to reality. Alison huffed, turned around and walked over to where her friends had congregated. Jayce didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were trained on Sabrina, waiting for an answer, but she was starting to lose the liquid courage she’d had when she’d first decided to walk over.
“It’s been good, thanks.”
Luke nodded, finishing his beer and throwing it in a nearby trash can before someone tossed him another one. Sabrina swayed a bit on her feet.
“You wanna go sit somewhere?” he asked, quiet enough that the other guys wouldn’t hear.
She nodded, sitting sounded good. Jayce guided her over to the other side of the porch where some bright-green outside furniture was set up, and she sank down on the couch before Jayce joined her. She was cozy. They were far enough away from the bonfire that it was quiet, and sitting next to Jayce at 1am felt right. Her eyes were focused on the table in front of her but when she looked up his eyes were fixated on her.
“Who’d you come here with?” he asked before taking a final sip of his beer then sitting the empty container on the table in front of them.
“Wendy. You know her?”
“Yea, kind of. I’ve been going to school with her since we were kids. Where is she at now? You shouldn’t be out here by yourself,” he said.
She smirked. “I heard you’re a pretty big deal around Falcon Haven. Who knew you’d grow up to be so popular,” she said, ignoring his question.
He frowned. “Who told you that?”
“Told me w
hat?”
He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“I thought you weren’t going to the game?” she slurred.
“Changed my mind.”
She couldn’t figure out why he looked so annoyed. She’d come to have a good time just like everyone else and now she felt like she was being scolded like a child.
“Do you have a problem with me being here?” she asked.
He ran a hand threw his short hair. “Yea, you shouldn’t be drunk at a party by yourself. It’s not safe.”
“I’m not by myself, I told you I’m with Wendy,” she argued.
Jayce lifted his hands in the air. “Oh yea, then where is she?”
She stayed silent and crossed her arms over her chest. She had no idea where Wendy had gone and she didn’t know why Jayce was being such a jerk about it.
He shook his head. “I don’t want to argue with you.”
“Just sit here and wait with me for Wendy then,” she said. If he wanted to act like big brother then fine. They sat there for a while in silence watching the party around them. She started to get tired and rested her head on Jayce’s shoulder. He smelled like the ocean with a hint of alcohol.
He cleared his throat. “Maybe we should get you home, huh?”
She nodded, keeping her eyes closed. Her body felt heavy and although she was perfectly comfortable where she was, crawling into her own bed sounded amazing.
Chapter Three
Jayce
Seeing Sabrina at Luke’s house had pissed him off. She was beautiful and completely drunk and by herself in a crowd filled with kids he had just sold a whole lot of dope to. It was not a place she should have been. He was mad at the situation but he was also mad at himself. She said she had been there awhile and he hadn’t even noticed. He’d managed to get both her and Wendy home safely before going back to the party and selling as much stuff as he could. The coke that he had spent all night mixing up was selling fast and he realized it was just what he needed to get things moving. He just hoped that no one found out what he was doing. It could turn out very bad if Lucas found out he was messing with the product. He finally left Luke’s party around 4am and headed home. He hadn’t slept in over 24 hours and his body was dragging.
