by Mia Ford
Sandy was shaking her head, her long blond hair waving back and forth.
Without saying a word she pointed to a picture that was smashed, the frame cracked apart and completely ruined while the canvas the peaceful scenery was painted on was ripped.
"Please tell me you didn't do that," I mumbled to Sandy without moving my lips.
“Me? I’m not that bold. Nope. That little weirdo over there did it. The one Lucas is hovering over.” Sandy looked at my face. “She’s the one who wants to beat you up. She says she can kick your ass.”
I shook my head.
“Do I even know her?”
“Monica Smith? Lucas’s on again, off again girlfriend? Yeah, you know her. You just don’t recognizer with her make-up not perfect.”
I snapped my fingers.
“Oh, yeah. Why does she want to beat me up?” I wasn’t sure unless word of my backseat tryst with Lucas had already made the primetime.
“Well, probably because she’s drunk and you look prettier than her.”
I shook my head. The whole idea that a girl like Monica Smith could ever be jealous of me was as ludicrous as my trying out for the Chicago Bears and expecting to get hired.
But I couldn’t help but watch how Lucas was tending to her. She had just damaged what looked like a really nice picture. The frame alone had to cost a couple hundred dollars and mounting canvases like that isn’t cheap. Not to mention the damage to the painting itself.
Yet, Lucas was speaking to her quietly, tucking her hair behind her ear and asking her something to which she nodded, looking up at him with pouty eyes and trembling lips. He took her by the hand. I swear before they left the room she looked at me and that scared, helpless look slipped right off. She glared hatefully at me.
“Did you see that?” I asked Sandy.
“Sure did.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever spoken one word to that girl. What the hell is she looking at me that way for?”
“She’s drunk. She’s probably seeing about three of you right now.”
“Well, you think she’d have enough sense not to pick a fight with a crowd.”
Sean and Timmy pulled us back into their conversation. I was nervous as I waited for the inevitable grapevine of gossip to start weaving its way around me. Lucas hadn't come back from helping Monica and I was starting to feel like a really big fool.
What had I just done? Did I really just give it all up to Lucas Prine? Sandy was going to have a freak out when I told her. Maybe I shouldn’t tell her. Maybe I shouldn’t tell anyone.
“Want another beer, Tilly?” Timmy asked. I nodded and walked with him through the house to what I’d call the keg room.
That was where I saw Lucas talking with Monica. He had her propped up against a door frame and was holding her hands in his. She was looking up at him like a child being scolded by a parent that never enforced any kind of punishment. She looked at me then back at Lucas before slipping her arm around his neck and kissing him passionately.
He didn’t stop her.
“You know, I’m not feeling all that well. I think I better get going.” I said to Timmy who was visibly disappointed.
When we got back to Sandy and Sean I used the same lame excuse.
“Are you sure?” Sandy asked me.
“Why. Are you having a good time?” I looked at her with my eyebrows pinched together.
“Actually, yeah.” Sandy raised her eyebrows high. “No one is more surprised than me. And I didn’t even have to cause any damage. It was done for me.” She pointed to the broken painting that was just lying there on the floor like some kind garage sale castaway.
Looking at that picture I suddenly felt very bad for Lucas. I rubbed my stomach to give the appearance of illness. Actually, there was a knot in my stomach but I knew what it was from. Seeing Lucas not give me a second look after what we had shared in the garage…
No! No! No! I shook my head. You are not thinking that way! This is a party! Have some fun!
“If you’re having a good time we can stay.” I conceded.
Sandy smiled and took another sip from her beer. She scooted over and made room for me on the arm of the huge chair she had perched on. Sean and Timmy were talking about some kind of music they had discovered while Sandy and I critiqued the outfit of every girl that walked through the room.
After a while, I was actually enjoying myself. Timmy was sitting close to me. We had been friends for such a long time it was like we were brother and sister.
“It’s pretty gross that you are always trying to sneak a kiss from me whenever you’ve had a couple beers.” I’d say to him whenever he called me Sissy.
“Says you.” He’d reply.
Tonight as the evening went on Timmy and I danced together and talked and due to the intense physical activity I had with Lucas in the garage I was very relaxed. It took a little extra effort on my part not to look for Lucas. I didn’t want to turn my head every time someone passed through and I certainly didn’t want it to appear to anyone else that I was looking for him. It was a dangerous, delicious secret that I wanted to keep to myself. If no one had said anything yet I wasn’t going to be the first.
But I have to admit that somewhere deep inside I was hoping Lucas would come up to me and just say hello. I thought we'd had a good connection before we "did it". After the act, I thought things were okay.
Just wait until he calls you. You can talk to him then. I soothed myself as Timmy and I talked some more.
"I'm sorry to be a party-pooper but I'm tired." I groaned after my fifth diet coke. "I'm going to hit the road. Do you want to come?" I asked Sandy.
“I’ll drive Sandy home.” Sean offered. “It’s no problem.”
I felt hugely relieved. I didn't want to tell Sandy about what happened with Lucas and now the Monica thing and who needs it. I turned to give Timmy a hug and he grabbed my butt like he almost always did when we hugged goodbye. Sean and Sandy hugged me too but without the butt grabbing.
I walked through the house. It seemed like even more people had arrived. Out of the crowd of people, I didn't know I saw the face of Henry Torrence, Lucas's lackey. He didn't have to say a word. I could tell by the way he was looking at me that he knew. It made me feel dirty but I wasn't going to let him know that.
I rolled my eyes and walked past him without saying a word. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or if he was really that gross but I swear he started to flop sweat the second he saw me.
Once I was outside there were a few pockets of people sitting on the massive porch, some were in the yard, some were hanging around the parking lot of cars in the driveway. I silently congratulated myself on being smart enough to park on the street.
"Telula!" I heard my voice and turned around. I was disappointed t was Henry again. I kept walking toward my car. "What did you do to him?"
“Who?”
“You know damn well who. Lucas. What did you do to him?”
“Why don’t you go talk to Lucas, Henry?”
“I tried. All I got was a story about how you let him screw you in dad’s Bentley. Then he got all upset. So what did you do to him?”
I looked at Henry as if the story were made up. I rolled my eyes and mumbled some kind of he wishes or in his dreams kind of reply to his accusation and hurried to my car.
Henry didn’t follow and for that I was glad. Once I opened the door, scooted behind the wheel, slammed the door shut, started the engine and pulled out of there the tears were racing to fill my eyes.
What had I done? I totally humiliated myself. I fell for a couple of smooth lines and tender touches like an idiot.
"No, Tilly." I scolded myself. "You had a good time. You did it. It's over. You're going to New York in a matter of weeks. What do you care what Lucas thinks of you? You had one amazing experience with him. So he bragged to his friends about having you. You had him, too. It wasn't one-sided. He broke down whining about his dad's girlfriend. It w
asn't you complaining about your million dollar life being so hard. If anyone should be embarrassed about anything it should be him."
I nodded my head as I drove home. Sure. I had nothing to be ashamed of. But I knew he wasn’t going to call me. I’d probably never see him again.
“Is that a bad thing?” I asked.
It probably wasn’t. It was probably for the best I never saw him again. But as my eyes filled with tears I recalled him kissing Monica Smith just minutes after we’d gotten back from the garage. She knew it too. She knew we had done something with Lucas and it made her mad. Nothing was worse than a mad ex-girlfriend.
“Is she an ex-girlfriend?” I couldn’t be sure. The crowd Lucas rubbed elbows with swapped partners faster than square-dancers.
Chapter 10 – Lucas
Monica was a hot mess.
“What the hell, Monica?” I growled.
“It’s your fault.” Monica slurred. “If you were up here instead of playing doctor with that trash from, I don’t know where she’s from but I’m sure it’s trashy.”
“You’re going to sober up and then you are going to get out of my house. Forever.”
I couldn’t say I felt bad kicking Monica out. She looked up at me like there was nothing to it. She thought she had my number. That I’d quickly forgive and forget that she was making a fool of herself and me.
Leaning down close to her face I could smell the alcohol seeping from her skin. Her eyes were glazed red and her make-up blurred the edges of her eyes making it look like she was wearing a mask and ready to rob a bank.
"Did you hear what I said?" I took her hands in mine and squeezed them hard. She didn't flinch. I'll doubt she noticed.
"You don't want me to go, Lucas." She tried to stand but nearly fell over backward hitting her head against the side table that didn't have any people sitting on it.
“I do.” I held her up by one arm.
“No, you don’t. Because I will verify your story.” Her eyes swam dreamily as she tried to make sense. “Jenna is going to come home and see this mess. She’s going to see that painting broken. Who’s going to pay for that? You? Me? No. But I saw that trashy girl intentionally push it off the wall and walk away giggling. I saw her, Lucas.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Don’t get me wrong. I’ve lied more than once to get what I want or to avoid trouble. But when Monica suggested I blame Tilly for what she did I felt a strange twist in my gut. Sure. I could go along with this plan. Blame Tilly and let Jenna go after her with a threat to go to jail. But Tilly wasn’t from here. She wasn’t cut from the same cloth as Monica and Henry and me. Even if she did break the painting there would be no way for her to pay any restitution. It was a bonehead idea. “That’s stupid, Monica. I’m not going to blame Tilly.”
"Her name is Tilly? My God, she sounds absolutely charming." Monica snickered. "I'll bet she uses an outhouse and is promised to her first cousin Jed to marry after high school."
“Keep it up, Monica.” I hissed. “Just keep talking.”
I was giving myself away. I didn't want to. I didn't want anyone to know what I had done with Tilly. I wasn't embarrassed by her. Not in the traditional sense. It's just that she was nothing like Monica or any of the other girls here at the party. If I'd done Monica again I'd be telling every dick-wagging gent in the place.
But I wanted to keep Tilly a secret. There was a feeling twisting in my gut like if I told anyone it might never happen again. I might not see her again. Or someone else might swoop in and scoop her up.
Why do you care? I couldn’t say. Not even to myself.
“Why do you care?” Was Monica reading my mind? “Are you into that girl?”
“Monica, go outside and get some air. You wreak.”
I watched her look up at me. There was a hesitation in her movements. When I thought she was going to do as I said she slipped her arm around my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. It was sloppy and wet and routine.
I let her do it and when she pulled back I stared at her.
“I don’t care how drunk you are. You need to leave now.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Lucas. If I have to make friends with Jenna and your father I’m not going anywhere.”
“Suit yourself.” I turned and walked away from Monica and the whole situation.
"Hey, what was that all about?" Henry approached me with two shots in each hand. He handed me two of them that I knocked back in succession.
“Who the hell knows? She’s a loose cannon.” The warmth of the Jagermeister inched down my throat and chased away the jitters that had been in my stomach. I thought Monica was enough to push me over the edge but when I saw Monica in the other room hugging some short red-headed guy I nearly choked. “I’ll take two more if you’re selling.”
Henry nodded his head, pulled the bottle of Jagermeister from behind him and poured us two more shots each.
“You won’t have to brush your teeth for a week, man.” He coughed. Before I could say anything Henry had two beers in his hand and handed one to me.
I didn't say anything. I just watched as Tilly enjoyed herself. She was laughing and smiling. I saw her whisper in that short guy's ear and then to the blonde sitting with her. They all started laughing.
I was sure she was telling them what we did and what we talked about. I'll bet they thought it was really funny. Considering if you added up everything they were wearing and whatever was in their wallets the total wouldn't come close to the price of the shirt I was wearing. I'd wonder if they thought that was funny. Maybe I should just march over there and tell them.
"What's the matter with you, Lucas?" Henry asked. He was a big guy and we'd been friends for a long time. I knew I could trust him because for one he had his own trust fund. He'd never have to work a day in his life. What he was going off to college for I wasn't sure. Probably for the parties and the girls. Second, he was the only guy I knew who wasn't afraid to tell me when I was wrong. It was a rare occasion but when it happened I usually listened. Friends like that are hard to come by. Finally, and most importantly, he could keep a secret. Whether it was because he really had my back or because I knew a few things about him that might get him tossed in jail didn't matter. He kept an eye on me. Returning the favor was no hardship.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I huffed. Then I finished off my beer in three huge gulps. Before I could ask Henry made sure I had another full plastic cup in my hand.
“You keep looking at that girl over there.”
“So. She’s just in my field of vision.” I could hear my own voice starting to slur. I drank too much too fast and needed to slow down.
“You’re looking at her like your dying of thirst and she’s a glass of water.” Henry wouldn’t let up. “That’s Telula Grant. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her at any of your parties. Frankly, there ‘s no way to miss her. She didn’t dress like that in school, did she?”
“Leave it alone, man.”
I felt Henry staring at me, then at Tilly and then back at me.
“She got something on you?”
“What?” I scoffed. “A girl like that?” I cleared my throat. “If I wanted to slum it I think I could do better.”
My heart felt like it had been pierced as I said the words but I just couldn’t stop myself.
“Besides, I’ve heard about her. She’s been around.”
“If she has how come I never got any of that? I know all the girls that have been around. I’m the one that they’ve been around with. No, I think you are wrong there.”
"I'm not," I grumbled. "I know a guy from Kennedy Central who says she's pretty popular around these parts. I don't think there's a jock she hasn't seen." I couldn't stop the words once they started coming out.
“That’s enough to make me jealous of those public school dummies. Jeez, look at all that’s wrapped in that tight skirt.”
“Naw.” I looked away. “I’m not interested in anythi
ng like that?”
“What’s the matter?” Henry elbowed me. “You got no pulse.” He chuckled as he licked his lips and shifted from his right foot to his left.
“I’m just not interested. That’s all.” I looked around and slowly took another sip of beer.
“Oh my God. Did she shoot you down?” Henry stared at me as if I just sprouted a third eye.
“Are you kidding? No. I don’t know her. I don’t want to know her. Is that so hard to understand?” Three more gulps of beer. “Man, you’re bugging me with this. If you want a piece of her you go get it but I’m a little more upscale.”
"Yeah, Monica Smith is real top-drawer material."
I didn't want to hear any more. I couldn't. There was something in everything Henry was saying that was making my insides coil up like a snake and I didn't want them to spring. I didn't want to upset my friend but I also couldn't give myself away.
So I strolled around surveying the damage. Aside from the picture I didn’t see any real damage. But the night was still young. Every route I took lead me back to the sunroom where Tilly was with her friends. She never looked up. Not once. Never made any attempt to look for me or even look at me. It was like she had totally forgotten about me already.
I grabbed another beer letting the empty plastic cup fall to the floor as I chugged half the new one. My head was swimming.
Speaking of swimming I went out into the yard. The music was still thumping and every couple of second a splash could be heard as someone was jumping in the water. The smell of chlorine was high which meant the pool system was working overtime. God only knew what kinds of bacteria were swimming around in there. It would be the Fourth of July before I’d even consider taking a dip.