by Dyble, S R
Dinner-time couldn’t come quickly enough and after gathering my bag, I rushed out of class before anyone else could.
“Shame you didn’t get any late-night shots of your model, if you know what I mean,” Chris chuckled as I left the classroom. I stopped in my tracks and clutched onto my bag strap as I considered going back.
“What?” I heard Kit ask and just as I was about to turn around and confront Chris, I heard a table scraping across the floor followed by a huge roar of commotion. Then Nick shouting for Kit to calm down,
“What the fuck is your problem, man?” Nick yelled at Chris as I rushed back to the door. As I did, a riled-up Kit yanked himself free from Nick’s grasp and walked into me after he’d stormed from the classroom. His face was set like thunder and he pushed me backwards with him until I was pressed against the wall. I was about to say something but kept quiet under his deep stare because he looked into my eyes and I saw them soften a little, his body relaxed as he took my hand and started pulling me down the corridor with him.
“What are you doing?” I pulled my arm back.
I looked around to see if anyone could see us, I didn’t need any more attention today. Thankfully everyone had left in a hurry for dinner and we were left in the hallway alone.
He didn’t answer and I pulled back again.
“Kit!” I hated not having control over my body. Ever since having my hands bound together, I’d never really let anyone touch me and as Kit let go of my hand, I brought my hands together and rubbed against the scar on my wrist.
To my shock, Kit took my hands and parted them just as he pushed into me and caged me against the wall. My breath hitched as his face stopped centimetres from mine and he looked me in the eyes before they closed and he kissed me hard.
I found my lips answering his before I could even think about it and my arms lifted around his neck whilst his arms scooped around my back. He held me close, dangerously close, as if he couldn’t get me close enough. My bag dropped to the floor with a thud as Kit’s scent clouded my mind and I lapped it up as he continued to kiss me passionately. A tutor clearing his throat interrupted us and I naturally hid my head into Kit’s shoulder in embarrassment. I couldn’t help but laugh a little and Kit lifted my head from his shoulder, and holding my cheek in his palm he smirked before kissing me again.
“You drive me insane, Eve.”
The way my name rolled off of his tongue sent a funny wave through my stomach that I tried to ignore.
“I can’t fight it any longer, I’m gonna explode.”
“Fight what?”
“You! I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you as if those tight skinny jeans hugging your ass aren’t enough to taunt me every day, your smart mouth drives me crazy. Just go out with me, okay? Be mine so I don’t have to think about assholes like Chris getting to touch you.”
I thought about what he’d said and frowned,
“I’m not interested in Chris.”
“Chris is only one of a million guys just like him.”
“You wanna go out with me just so that no one else can?”
“Yes, I want you. Thinking about them getting to touch you is infuriating.”
I sighed, “Kit, you don’t want me...”
“What?” he frowned. “Aren’t you listening to me? I just told you I do!”
“You may want me, but you want every other girl you take a fancy to as well...”
“You’re not understanding me."
“I’ve heard about all the other girls you’ve slept with. You’ve slept with half of the girls in our class- including Maddison. I’m not gonna try and change you. You don’t really want me, you just want to fuck me. I’m not interested in that.”
“Look, I haven’t worked out the details, I don’t know if...”
I smiled, “It’s really flattering, but let’s just leave it, yeah?”
My chest was hurting, I didn’t know why but it hurt like a bitch. I kept on a smile like a winner, though.
“You don’t want me?” he asked as if he couldn’t quite understand me.
I didn’t wanna be a one-night shag.
I didn’t answer him and I saw the fury building in his face, in one quick move, he pushed himself off of the wall that he’d had me pressed against and stalked off without giving me a second look. I remained there, trying to comprehend what the hell had just happened. As I stared up at the ceiling I took a deep breath as a single tear fell down my cheek. I quickly rubbed it away and cursed myself for even being upset. I didn’t even understand my own emotions.
Over dinner, I told Lilly everything, although first I had to explain why the hell she’d been waiting half an hour for me. After I started explaining she started wolfing down her food and listening to every little detail.
With no real advice for me, we both sat in silence and I relived what the hell I’d just allowed to happen with Kit. Around him, I had no control. I never let anyone touch me, I never let anyone get close apart from Lilly, who forced herself into my life and I loved her for it.
“We need to go out, have some drinks, dance and just forget all of this.”
For once, I agreed. I needed a chance to let my hair down and just forget about Kit. It was time I moved on and lived for my parents. I decided this in only a few seconds.
Who knew eating chips could bring on such a revelation.
We planned to go out the following Saturday night, and if it killed me, I was determined to have fun.
I wasn’t surprised to not see Kit that afternoon. Nick offered me a smile and took his seat before Chris even arrived, we each separated off into our own groups. I sat feeling lost as Maddison did most of the work.
“Are you sure there’s nothing going on with you two?”
“Who?” I looked at Maddison and played dumb.
“You know who I mean, Eve, I don’t care if you do. I just wanted to ask because If you are, I’ll respect you both and back off Kit.”
I shook my head, “Nothing is happening between me and Kit, but thank you.”
I appreciated that Maddison respected me like that, but I made sure to tell her that me and Kit weren’t going anywhere. That much had been clear at dinner after I’d rejected him, but I didn’t tell Maddison about that. Instead, I sat confused, wondering if I’d done the right thing. Then it dawned on me that my confusion wasn’t needed, I knew what Kit was like. He was a player and girls who thought they were different – the ones to change him were batshit crazy, in my opinion.
“The printer is out of paper,” Maddison said and I nodded. I needed the short walk to the supply room to get more printing paper.
How else were we going to print off the large amounts of half-naked men working out that we’d found for our collage?
I got up and headed for the supply room where I searched for a while for the right paper. It wasn’t where it usually was and I bent down to look into a different drawer when I heard the door opening.
I expected to see Maddison and was shocked to see Chris.
“You need help?” he asked.
I shook my head, remembering the trouble he’d caused earlier with Kit and the things he’d said about me.
“You know, I heard what you said about me earlier.”
“What?” he chuckled. “Come on, Eve, I was only joking.”
“It was like you said it on purpose to get a reaction from Kit.”
He shook his head and smiled whilst moving closer. The storeroom was already so small, I had no idea why he felt he had to move closer.
“Kit just can’t stand that I like you, he thinks he owns you or something and he’s wrong.”
“Excuse me?”
“Come on, Eve, I’m only four years older than you. I’m allowed to like you too.”
“What?” I needed to hear him say it again because I couldn’t quite believe my ears.
“It’s obvious isn’t it, you’re beautiful. If it wasn’t against the rules, I’d have asked you out ages ago.”
<
br /> “If it’s against the rules then why are you telling me?”
He shrugged, “Guys like Kit just want to fuck you, at least I have good intentions.”
“You do?”
He smiled and moved even closer, which meant I moved further back and my legs hit against the desk.
“It’s against the rules like you said.”
“Yeah, but I won’t tell if you don’t…”
Chris moved away at the speed of lightning as a shocked Maddison opened the door and stopped before it was fully open.
She looked from me to Chris and then back again, knowing full well that Chris was standing too close to me.
“I was just coming to look for you,” Maddison said quietly and I nodded before rushing past Chris and finding my escape.
I wanted to kiss Maddison for ending what had just happened and as we walked together, I rubbed my head as Maddison looked at me.
“Are you okay?” she asked and I nodded.
“I just hate confined spaces and talking to Chris is just awkward.”
“Yeah, it looked like that. What was he talking to you about?”
As much as Chris had pissed me off earlier and how uncomfortable he had made me, I wasn’t going to start telling people that he was harassing me, because he wasn’t.
“We were just trying to find the paper for the printer.”
She nodded and I was thankful that she didn’t press any further.
I changed the subject quickly by asking Maddison if she wanted to go out that Saturday night, with me and Lilly.
She seemed a little shocked that I’d asked but beamed before accepting and we started talking about what we were both going to wear like a set of typical girly girls.
By Saturday I was eager to get out and I seriously needed it. Kit hadn’t been at college all week. I couldn’t hide the hurt that built in my chest since we’d last kissed. I was determined to just forget about him and at Lilly’s house, I sat on a stool as she faffed about with my hair. She was a beautician and travelled a lot for work, attending a lot of weddings to pretty up the wedding party. We always spoke about becoming a team and travelling together like a duo- the photographer and the makeup artist. She knew me well and I didn’t even have to tell her not to overdo it on my makeup. Looking at myself in the mirror, I admired the way she’d made my eyes look naturally smoky whilst the rest of my face had been left plain. I loved the way my eyes stood out, too. They looked huge despite not using fake eyelashes. With my hair she started by plaiting a section to the side of my head, it was a braid and it sat amongst the rest of my hair. It was only small but it looked so effective. The ending of the braid flowed with the waves in my hair and I’d left it down but Lilly used some products that smelled amazing so it didn’t frizz. As Lilly got ready, I picked up my dress. The night before we’d met in town so I could buy a new outfit and we’d settled on this beautiful black lace number. It was a skater style dress and it hugged my waist and flowed simply down my thighs. It stopped just above my knees and I pulled on some black tights because unlike Lilly, I was wearing flat shoes as there was no way I was prepared to damage myself in heels.
I smiled as I read a text from Maddison, we planned to meet at the club and I whined at Lilly to hurry up so we didn’t miss the taxi I’d ordered.
She was super impressed that I’d managed to invite someone along with us, like a mother figure she was proud that I was branching out and allowing someone else to get to know me.
* * *
By the time we got to the club, we were late. I’d told Maddison we’d meet her at 11pm but it was well on the way to 11:30pm and we waited for the bouncer to check our ID so we could get in. Once we got passed them and the crowd of people occupying the stairs, we opened a set of doors and were nearly knocked off our feet by the booming music. I reminded myself of an old woman, wanting the music to be turned down because it was so loud because I couldn’t even hear Lilly talking.
She finally gestured to the bar and I nodded, looking around for Maddison.
I couldn’t see her and mouthed a curse as I turned back to the bar, then I suddenly felt hands on either side of my hips and I turned around quickly to see a beaming Maddison.
“Hey!” she smiled.
I smiled back at her and introduced her to Lilly and to my shock she pulled me into a hug and I froze against her shoulder as I stared behind her.
Before he could see me, I turned around and pulled Maddison closer.
“What is Kit doing here?” I questioned.
She glanced around and I wanted to ask her not to.
“Remember last week, we planned to go out as a group? I figured seeing as we didn’t get the chance, we’d make it this weekend. You don’t mind, do you?”
Maddison was totally innocent in inviting Kit because she had no idea what was going on between him and me. Then it dawned on me that nothing was going on between us, but I still just didn’t want to see him.
Lilly listened in on our conversation and glanced around to where Kit was standing with Nick and she quickly looked back at me.
“Oh, he’s looking,” she said into her drink and Maddison eyed me like she was wondering what the big deal was and what the hell was going on but I shook it off. Instead, I invited her to get a drink with us.
To my shock, Lilly had already managed to order a tray of shots and she handed them out between us. Her and Maddison both clinked their tiny shot glasses together and waited for me to do the same.
I really didn’t want to drink a lot but the way Maddison and Lilly looked at me and waited, I didn’t want to disappoint them.
I picked up the drink Lilly had ordered and downed it just like they did before Maddison pulled me to the dance floor. I didn’t get time to object and I grinned as I caught Lilly’s hand and pulled her with us.
At first, I was really paranoid but after watching every other girl dance, and feeling the buzz from the alcohol, I started dancing too. I became one with the music and I shook my hips like Lilly and Maddison. I regretted it because I felt a guy pressing up behind me and I shifted away quickly. He smirked as if he was just having harmless fun and Lilly shook her head in disapproval, pulling me behind her in a protective manner.
Shortly after a girl approached Maddison and they hugged – “This is Alison, my best friend,” Maddison shouted and I gave Alison a wave whilst smiling.
There wasn’t much else we could do because the dancefloor was packed and I moved back over to where Lilly was dancing so that Alison could move in.
I watched as both Maddison and Alison made a show of themselves - glancing back I saw both of their hands extended to Kit who was walking through the crowd towards them. Alison took it upon herself to wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her to dance. I tried to ignore his clear staring at me. I looked at Lilly, she not only looked pissed but gave me a sympathetic look before pulling me towards her and parading me. I knew what she was doing, she was trying to show me off and as much as I appreciated her efforts, it was pointless. Kit being with Alison was a clear reminder of how much of a player he was.
Nevertheless, I needed to get out of this space and I pointed to our empty glasses.
“Another?”
Lilly nodded and I spoke into Maddison’s ear to let her know. She smiled, nodded and carried on dancing just as Nick came towards them.
His eyes locked with Lilly’s and I had to almost pull her to keep her beside me because the sight of Nick seemed to make her body go into robot form or something.
“That guy is literally too good looking,” Lilly said into my ear as I ordered the drinks.
I smiled and nodded my head, she was right. All of the Carson brothers were to die for and it wasn’t fair. Guys like them used their good looks and their impeccable charm to get what they wanted from any woman they pleased.
“You’re letting him get to you, I can see it,” Lilly said into my ear as we waited for our drinks.
“I’m trying not to, I don�
��t know what’s the matter with me.”
The bartender brought our drinks and I thanked him whilst handing over the money.
“These should help.” Lilly picked both of them up and handed me mine.
I nodded in agreement and sipped mine, which soon turned into me downing half of the glass.
As I looked back at Lilly her eyebrows had risen.
“Let’s go dance, away from that tool,” she said whilst taking my hand.
Halfway to the dance floor Lilly was stopped by some girls - turned out they were bridesmaids that she had worked with the week before and I stood back as she spoke to them.
I realised quickly that I should have kept closer because a pathway was forming between us and before I knew it, I was being pushed back against a railing where I waited for a chance to push my way back.
Feeling the familiar buzz from the alcohol, I stared down at my glass and figured I’d be able to move a lot easier without it in my hand. I downed the last of it and placed the glass on a table before preparing myself. I hated crowds, and I hated people. Being in a club was the worst place for me to be with social awkwardness and I drank more to ease the anxiety.
Just as I was about to make a bolt for it, I felt hands on my hips and at first, I figured they’d be Maddison’s until I realised how large and firm they were.
“So, you reject me but you’ll accept that slimy tutor Chris?” Kit spoke into my ear and I turned around quickly.
I landed close to him and felt someone plough into my back as they tried to squeeze their way behind me.
Kit held me up so I didn’t fall into him and he turned me so that my back was against the railing.
No one could plough into Kit’s back because he stood like a bulldozer.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Don’t try and bullshit me, Eve. Maddison told me how you were alone with him in the supply room, how he was practically on top of you. Was that why you refused me because you wanted that prick?”
