Labeled

by Jenni Linn

  “See you later?” I ask Vin. He nods once, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  “Alright, I’m out.”

  “See ya man.” Just as I exit the garage, V comes out of the office door with her bag over her shoulder. I pause and watch as she locks up. When she turns to see me standing there, she freezes but then seems to get her composure together. “All done?” I ask her.

  “Yep,” she’s eying my chest and then glancing away quickly. Caught her again. My grin reappears. I’ll help distract her. “You have any fun plans for tonight?”

  “Oh yes!” she pauses, then leans in, “Going to a frat party! Shh don’t tell my brothers.” she whispers then a mischievous grin spreads upon her lips.

  “An frat party, eh?”

  “Yeah, lots of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.”

  “Oh shit.” My eyes widen playfully because I know there’s no way she’s going to a frat party. “Those can get pretty wild, you better make sure you’re prepared.”

  “Oh, I’m prepared.” She winks and fuck if that doesn’t hold all kinds of innuendos. That sends my mind reeling. Vin strolls up to us, eyeing us curiously, “You ready?”

  “Yep.” She giggles and Vin continues walking to his car, mumbling, “Not even gonna ask.” She smiles wide and follows behind him. I walk over to my car, not far from where we stood, and glance over at her before opening my door. She does the same, throwing me a wink, then opens Vin’s passenger door to get in. I think about that quick-witted girl my whole drive home.

  Girl’s Night

  Chase is standing before me shirtless, and he’s covered in a sheen of sweat, looking delectable. My body is humming. He takes a step closer, a cocky smile spreading upon his lips. He opens his mouth, and while I’m waiting to hear his soothing voice, a song blasts out of it. What? I jump at the intrusion of the song playing loudly and wildly look around my room. I am momentarily confused. The towel on my head unravels the more I move my head. I pull it off, and throw it. Damn it, I fell asleep. My heart’s hammering in my chest at both the unexpected invasion and the realistic dream. My best friend's picture lights up on my phone that’s situated next to my pillow. I quickly grab it, sliding the little green icon over, and put it to my ear.

  "Hello," my voice is raspy from my nap.

  "Bitch, are you sleeping?"

  "Well, I was."

  "It's freakin' six-thirty on a Saturday, and you're sleeping? You are SO lame."

  She makes me smile. "It was just a nap. Shut up. You comin' over now?"

  "Yeah, sorry it's a bit later than I thought. I went home to pack a bag, and Wes stopped by for a bit." Saturday is mine and Tay's. We do see each other at school every day, but we promised each other that we reserved Saturday night for us. Plans always vary; sometimes they include Wes, sometimes not. Seems like tonight is just us.

  "What do you feel like doing?"

  "I'm good with just hanging out, watching some movies, and stuffing our faces. I'm feeling lazy. I think my period is coming."

  I laugh. "Well, I got chocolate."

  "Thank goodness! I got the pizza! I'll be over in a bit."

  "Kay. See you."

  "Bye."

  I hang up and throw my phone down on the bed next to me. My hair is still damp, and now it's a wavy mess. My stomach growls, and I am so looking forward to pizza. Loud laughter booms from downstairs; my interest is piqued. I grab my phone and hop off my bed. I toss on a cardigan over my ensemble of a tank top and shorts before heading down to see what's going on. The living room is empty; the voices seem to be coming from the kitchen. I pause just at the threshold and notice that there’s a male body in every available space. The center island is covered in trays and bowls of finger foods. My brothers--minus Victor--Chase, and a few other guys are conversing. Pregaming, as they call it. They're all dressed nice minus Vaughn, who's in a tee and mesh shorts. Our mom has always enjoyed entertaining people, even if it's just our friends. But Mom is nowhere in sight. I snatch a piece of ring bologna from the tray and dip it in some spicy mustard.

  Vance is the first one to notice me. "What up, V?" Everyone looks my way at Vance’s greeting. I hug my sweater to me and take a bite of my bologna. "Nothing. Where's Mom?" I ask as I hop up on the stool in front of the kitchen island, right by the food.

  "Her and Dad just left to go out for dinner," Vin answers. I nod, swinging my legs back and forth. They resume talking about whatever they were discussing before I came in. Chase comes to stand across from the kitchen island, leans down, and rests his arms on the countertop. "You don't look like you're going to a party," He says low enough so only I hear him. He looks good...real good. He's wearing a dark gray shirt that strains against his tan arms. His dirty blond hair is messy; well, the little bit that has grown in. His blue eyes seem more blue than usual. They're a weapon-- a girl could get lost in those.

  "Yeahhh," I sigh. "not feelin' it. Doesn’t sound all that appealing anymore."

  He laughs, "So what are your real plans for tonight?" he takes a sip from his beer bottle.

  "Tay’s on her way over, gonna have a girls night."

  "Girls Night," He rubs his chin. "does that include a sexy pillow fight?" he asks with a smile.

  "Oh yeah, in nothing but our underwear."

  He pauses, and I see his Adam's apple bob. I don't think he was expecting that response.

  "You look nice," I tell him because it’s the truth. He looks better than nice, and I'm a little annoyed at that. He's going to be the hottest guy in the bar, and no doubt the barflies are going to be all over him.

  "You do too. I especially like the shorts." He winks.

  "Pizza's here!" a loud voice booms from the front of the house. Taylor comes into the kitchen holding a pizza box in her right hand, above her shoulder. All the guys look her way.

  "Pizza?" Vance repeats looking towards Tay. I point at him and say, "NOT for you!"

  Tay moves through the kitchen, putting the pizza on the stovetop. I hop off the stool and walk around the island, grabbing plates from the cabinet above.

  "Oh c'mon!" Vance says coming up behind us.

  "No! You're going out, go get your own food."

  When Tay opens the box, the fresh smell of hot peppers wafts upward. I love hot peppers on my pizza, as does Taylor. We're truly a match made in heaven. There's also steak, onion, and mushrooms. German pizza is the shit. Vance snatches a piece of meat off the pie. I smack his hand as he pulls away.

  "Ow," he mumbles.

  "Get outta here," I tell him, and bump him out of the way. I grab a slice and plop it on my plate. Tay does the same and closes the box. "Jerry's on his way over. He called me when I was picking up the pizza."

  "Yay!" We both stand with our backs against the stove, protecting the pie. The moans coming from us have all the guys watching us.

  "You two do not play fair," Vance tells us, "Now I want fucking pizza." He finishes his beer then throws the empty bottle in the recycling. "You guys ready?"

  "You driving?" I ask him.

  He shakes his head and says, "Chase is".

  "How'd you get stuck being the DD?" I ask him and catch this mischievous smile on his face. That’s when I notice my cell right in front of him. I cock my head to the side, and his smile widens. Alright Chase, what are you up to? My goodness, he looks so good.

  He shrugs. "I don't drink to get drunk."

  "Well then, have fun with those guys." I devour my slice and move onto the next. The guys all leave, except Vaughn, since he's not old enough to legally drink.

  "What are your plans?" I ask him. He shrugs.

  "You want pizza?" I offer, as sweet as I can.

  "Yeah, thanks," He says as he grabs a slice, sans plate, and devours his slice in like four bites.

  "Jeez. Hungry much?" I laugh.

  "I guess. I'm gonna be out in the garage." He grabs another slice and walks out of the kitchen. Yeah, he was hungry. It's quiet now that it's just Tay and me.

  "Who were those other guys?"r />
  "I'm not sure, I haven't seen them before."

  "They're cute."

  I hum my approval, but Chase was the only one who held my eyes. When Taylor's phone dings, she picks it up. "Oh. Jerry's here!" She runs out of the kitchen to the front door. I hear them greet each other, then she returns with him in tow. "I brought goodies!" he announces holding up a grocery bag.

  "Jerrryyyy!" I yell and go to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He wraps his arms around my shoulders, squeezing me to him.

  "I hope it's okay that I'm crashing your girl’s night." He releases me and puts the bag on the counter.

  "Jerry, you are the exception!"

  Taylor peeks into his bag, "Whatcha bring us?" He pulls out a bag of chocolate bites, Twizzlers, Swedish Fish, and a two-liter of cream soda. He wags his eyebrows at us. I grab the package of Twizzlers; my favorite. We take our party of three into the living room. I flip on the TV and plop down onto the sofa. Jerry takes a seat next to me, leaving Tay on the other end of the sofa. I rip open the Twizzlers package and scroll through the premium channels. Sixteen Candles is on, so I immediately turn it on.

  "Again? Seriously?" Taylor whines.

  "Yes, shut up. One does not skip Sixteen Candles."

  "Jake Ryan is boss," Jerry chimes in.

  "See! Jerry knows what's up."

  "I don't know how you can watch this over and over again."

  "It is the best movie ever, that's how. Now shut up, you're killing my mood." I throw a Twizzlers at her. I can see her in the corner of my eye, she picks up the Twizzlers and takes a bite, then twirls it around. Jerry and I are watching intently. I can see Taylor is restless, checking her phone, bouncing her knee. Taylor is weird when it comes to movies. If she's seen it too many times, she can't watch it. I've made her watch this probably a million and one times.

  "Taylor, I swear, go take a walk."

  She puffs, "I'm gonna go make some brownies."

  "YES!" I shout and throw my hands up. Sixteen Candles AND brownies? This night just turned epic!

  "I'm picking the next movie," she says walking out of the room.

  "Sure thing, now get to baking!" I yell after her. Seconds later, I hear pans banging, cabinets closing, and Tay talking to herself. Jerry and I have fun repeating the words to the movie. Taylor re-enters the room and sits back down on the couch ten minutes later. "They'll be ready in twenty minutes," she announces while playing on her phone. We continue to watch the movie, quoting words, and laughing. I hear a door open and then close; Vaughn comes into the living room a second later and crashes on Dad's recliner. He doesn't say anything but joins in on our little movie night.

  "What's baking?" Vaughn asks a couple of minutes later.

  "Brownies," Taylor says, still fiddling with her phone.

  "Niccce," He hisses.

  "No plans?" I look towards Vaughn.

  "Waiting for John to call me," He answers but doesn't bother to look at me. Vaughn only has a couple more months until he's legal to go to the bars. I know once that happens, he won't be home as much. It happened with each of my brothers until the excitement wore off. I ponder what I'll be allowed to do when I turn twenty-one.

  Vaughn's phone starts ringing, and he quickly says, "Yo." A second later, he gets up and goes upstairs. The oven timer starts beeping in the kitchen and Taylor shoots up and runs out of the room. All the commotion is taking away from my favorite movie.

  "Can't people just sit and enjoy a freakin' movie?" I mumble.

  "For real! Hello! Jake Ryan is on TV," Jerry agrees.

  "I'm so glad you're here!" I rest my head on Jerry's shoulder, and wrap my arm around his, snuggling into him. He pats my leg with his hand. Vaughn comes down the stairs, wearing something completely different from just a few minutes ago. He disappears into the kitchen and I hear voices but can't make out what they're saying. "Save me some!" he yells before going out the door.

  I laugh out loud and say, "I can eat a whole pan of brownies by myself, and he wants three of us to save him some? He’s crazy." Jerry laughs too. Taylor walks back in with a plate full of brownies. The aroma is mouthwatering, and I grab one before she can even sit. Jerry doesn't wait either.

  "Ohmygod," I say with a full mouth. They're warm, chocolatey goodness.

  "I know, they're amazing. I'm awesome," Taylor says, taking a bite of the brownie in her hand. "You are! These are delicious!" Jerry agrees. We all finish watching the movie; our mouths too busy chewing to do anything else. The credits are scrolling when Taylor holds out her hand and demands, "My turn."

  I place the remote in her open palm and she pulls up the guide searching for our next movie. My phone dings, and I look at it curiously, wondering who would be texting me. I immediately assume it's one of my brothers. I let out a breath, wondering if any of them landed themselves in jail. It hasn't happened yet, surprisingly. I swipe open my phone and see a message from ‘McSwoony’. What in the world? My mouth breaks into a huge grin, and I can’t help but feel giddy.

  McSwoony: You have that pillow fight yet?

  I straight up giggle. It just bubbles out.

  "What the hell are you giggling about?" Taylor asks.

  I can't wipe the smile from my face. He managed to program his number into my phone. He's at a bar, and he's texting me.

  Me: Oh yeah ;) Worked up quite an appetite, so we're eating yummy warm brownies.

  "Uh, Hello? Who's got you smiling like that? Are you texting Chase?" Taylor yells. I can't help but laugh as I tell her, "Yeah."

  "When in the world did you guys exchange numbers?"

  "We didn't. He did it himself."

  "Shut up!"

  I nodded excitedly. Like a freakin' bobblehead.

  "When?"

  "I honestly have no idea, I'm assuming when you came with the pizza. I left it on the counter, and he had this mischievous expression. I knew he was up to something, but I didn’t expect this."

  "Hmm. I wish a hot guy would text me," Jerry pouts. My phone pings.

  "What is he saying? What are you saying?" Taylor bounces on the couch. I wave my hand at her and say, "Aren't you supposed to be picking a movie?"

  "This is so much more interesting!"

  I shake my head. Jerry leans into me, and I look over at him. He's leaning into me because Taylor is leaning into him. "Oh my--what the hell is he saying about a pillow fight?! Are you guys sexting?!"

  I tell her, "No! It was a joke." I can’t stop laughing at her trying to figure out what we are saying.

  "Send him a picture of your boobs!" Taylor suggests.

  "Taylor! No way!"

  "Why? I send them to Wes all the time."

  "Yes, he's your boyfriend."

  "Does he send you dick pics?" Jerry asks.

  Taylor puurs, "All the time."

  "Giirrrllll," Jerry drags out the word. She laughs and pulls out her phone, then I'm sure showing Jerry the pics. "Oh, Giirrrllllll!"Jerry says again.

  She laughs, "Oh yeah."

  I ignore them and swipe my phone open to read Chase's text.

  McSwoony: Damn, I'm coming back.

  Me: Oh, Jerry would love it if you'd come back.

  McSwoony: I wouldn't be coming back for Jerry.

  I pause and reread his last text. A smile overtakes my face. I decide to keep teasing him.

  Me: What? Why? Jerry is hot!

  McSwoony: No, no. I prefer the female anatomy.

  A small laugh escapes from me.

  "What's so funny?"

  I look over at my friends, and for a minute I forgot they were here. They're silently watching me, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. "Sorry, Jerry. I was trying to talk you up, but apparently, he likes the female body more."

  "That's okay, He couldn't handle me anyway," he declares as he waves his hand like it's no big deal. He takes the remote from Taylor and starts scrolling through the guide on the TV. Taylor is looking at me with a large smile on her face, she tells me, "I like this."

  This make
s me smile because I like this too.

  Smitten

  The bar is crowded and there's a live band playing. So not only is it crowded, but it’s also loud. Very loud. We grabbed a couple of high-top tables towards the back, pulling two together to accommodate us. It's a little less noisy, but it still requires us to shout.

  "I'm gonna go get the first round!" Vance shouts and walks to the bar on our left.

  I take in the band at the front of the place. They set up on a raised stage, and honestly, they're not half bad. They’re currently playing a cover of a widely popular song right now--smart move. I drum my fingers on the table, enjoying the music. Vance returns with our first round of beers. He shouts among us, "Check out the table straight ahead." I lean around him and spot the table he's talking about. A table of beautiful women. The brunette holds my attention, her long hair almost reaching her waist. It immediately reminds me of Veronica. Fuck! I just nod my head in acceptance.

  "Dude, the blonde...." He makes a gesture with his hands in front of his chest. "Nice." I laugh and take a sip from the bottle Vance set in front of me. "Wonder if the redhead is a natural. I can take her home and find out," Nate says next to me, then nudges me with his elbow.

  "Thinking mighty high of yourself Nate," Shawn digs.

  Nate smiles wide. "I'll let y'all know tomorrow."

  "Not if I find out first." Vin smiles.

  "Alright. Okay," Nate agrees, "Game on."

  "Watch this junior," Vin says, stands up, taking a sip of his beer, and walks over to the table. We're all quiet as we watch him talk to the four women, chatting them up for a bit. The ladies are eating up whatever he's saying, and they all glance our way. The redhead nods then stands up, her friends doing the same. They grab their drinks and belongings and head our way.

  "Damn," Shawn says.

  "It's in our genes," Vance says, smirking and stands as Vin and the girls approach our table.

  "Guys," Vin says and turns to the girls, "Say hello to Kylie, Erin, Raquel, and Jenna." He gestures to the two blondes, the redhead, then the brunette. I don't know how he remembers their names so quickly; I've already forgotten.