by Desiree Day
“If they try to do anything to me, your arm will be broken by the time they take two steps. Tell them to step back.” Darryl was quiet. “Tell them!” Matt ordered.
“You guys chill,” Matt choked out and his friends stepped back and scowled as they watched their friend kiss the ground.
“You got something to say?” Matt hissed against Darryl’s ear.
“No!” Darryl grunted.
“What?” Matt asked as he pulled Darryl’s arm back to an unnatural position and he howled in pain. “I didn’t hear you.”
“I’m sorry,” Darryl conceded.
Matt let him up. “Get your ass outta here.”
Darryl and his friends scampered to the car like scared puppies. Jessica, Samantha and Matt watched them until they tumbled into the car with Darryl in the passenger seat and they zoomed off.
Matt turned to Jessica. “You owe me big time,” he said with a grin and strolled off whistling. “Big time!” he called over his shoulder.
Chapter 9
“I’m so nervous,” Jessica moaned. “I don’t know why I let you talk me into this.” She peeked across the game room where Marco and Matt were playing with Wii on her fifty-inch plasma HD TV.
“Because you want that fine boy over there,” Samantha said, nodding toward Marco.
“My parents will kill me, just kill me if they come home and find boys in the house!” She said in a panicked voice and sounding like a seven year-old. A couple of days ago when Samantha suggested it, it sounded like a good idea to invite Matt and Marco over.
They were at the wet bar putting sodas, sandwiches and chips on trays.
“Would you stop being so dramatic. First of all it’s only Matt and they love Matt. So he’s hardly considered a boy. He’s like your girlfriend.”
Jessica snorted. “Oh yeah Matt would love to hear that. And try telling that to my parents. Mom, Dad here’s my girlfriend Matt.”
“Don’t they let him in your bedroom?”
“Yeah,” Jessica answered uncertainly. “But still…”
“Just chill!” Samantha ordered. “And they’ll like Marco too once they meet him.”
“I’m nervous.”
“Breathe girl…just breathe. Shake your hair,” she demanded. “It looks a little flat.”
Jessica ran a finger through her hair. “Thanks.”
“Feel better?” Jessica breathed deeply then nodded. “Come on then.”
“Do you think he likes me?” Jessica asked. Samantha sighed.
“I do,” Samantha said confidently.
“Do you think he likes me for me or for the money?”
“You for you.”
“How do you know?”
“He keeps staring at you.”
“Probably because I have something on my face.”
“No you don’t.”
“Okay what else?”
“He laughs at your jokes.”
“He’s probably laughing at me.”
“No he’s not, he’s feeling you. So just flow with it.”
“I’ll try.”
“It’s okay. This is what you wanted. Marco is here, in your house. Within kissing range. Woo hoo!”
Jessica blushed then looked over her shoulder. Fortunately the boys didn’t hear them. “He’s sooo cute.”
“I know. Let’s go tell him.” Samantha turned and took a step towards the boys.
“Samantha!” Jessica yelled. This time the boys looked in their direction. “Don’t you dare say anything,” Jessica hissed, her heart beating louder than the music that was playing.
“Gheesh, unbunch your panties, I was only joking. You are just sooo tense.”
“Just don’t say anything.”
“I won’t.” Samantha grinned.
“I know you Sam, just promise.”
“Gurl…” She saw the panic in her friend’s eyes, and she conceded. “Okay, I promise. Come on.”
“Hi guys. Here’re the drinks.”
Jessica passed around glasses of Coke. Marco took a sip and frowned. “This is plain soda.”
“Well yeah. What did you want?”
Marco raised an eyebrow. “Not plain.” He nodded toward the bar.
Jessica followed his gaze and her eyes widened. “You mean liquor? You want me add alcohol?”
“Just a little, we need something to add a little bang to it.”
Jessica looked at Matt for help, but he focused on the game. She turned to Samantha, who shrugged.
“Just a little drop, and that’s all, I promise,” Marco gently pleaded and winked at her. Jessica’s face flushed hot.
“I guess a little bit would be okay,” she decided as she stumbled to her parents’ liquor cabinet and pulled open the doors. Her hand slid over the bottles and stopped at the scotch. Dad won’t miss this, she decided as she laced his and Matt’s drink with Scotch. She quickly handed them off as though they were grenades getting ready to explode.
Marco gulped deeply and grinned. “You’re good maybe you should think about becoming a bartender,” he said jokingly and winked again. Jessica’s stomach flip-flopped. She shot a look at Matt, he’d occasionally sipped from his drink then returned his attention to the video game.
“Aren’t you going to drink?” Marco asked.
“Um…” she turned to Samantha for help. “Should I?” she mumbled under her breath. This time her stomach rolled but not because of Marco’s winks.
“I can’t tell you what to do. But,” she said with a huge grin. “I’m going to have a little taste, just a little one,” she reiterated before grabbing the bottle of Scotch out of her friend’s hand and poured the liquor into her plastic cup. Samantha held it out to her and Jessica hesitated before taking it.
Jessica added some Scotch to her cola. She took a sip then frowned. Marco laughed.
“It gets better, just keep drinking,” he said reassuring her. “Why don’t you come sit next to me?”
Jessica almost dropped her glass. “What?” Seeing her friend’s distress, Samantha leaned over to her.
“Relax girl…just relax. He’s a regular boy for Pete’s Sake. It’s not like he’s Chris Brown,” she hissed. “Now that brother is fine.”
“I can do this.”
“C’mere,” Marco said crooking his finger at her.
“Sure,” Jessica croaked, then cleared her throat. “Sure,” she said more confidently but didn’t move until Samantha nudged her.
Jessica daintily sat down, careful not to spill her drink. Samantha sat on the other side of her.
“Your crib is sweet,” Marco said for the fiftieth time. “My boy and I could crash here. Can’t we?” He nudged Matt in the side.
“Damn man! You made me miss my shot!” Matt growled.
“Yeah, we could have a slumber party,” Samantha joked and Jessica blanched. Samantha pinched her thigh to let her know she was only joking.
“Man you need to chill and talk to these pretty ladies.” He winked at Jessica.
“I talk to them all the time,” Matt said. “All I want to do now is play this game.”
“Ooh, I’ll play with you,” Samantha said and before Jessica could stop her, she grabbed her drink and joined Matt on the other end of the couch.
Marco inched closer to Jessica and whispered something to her. She couldn’t hear what he had said because her heart was beating so loudly. “Um what?” she asked stupidly.
“Do you like Italian men?”
“Um um sure,” she stuttered.
“It doesn’t sound like you do, I’m hurt, I’m Italian.”
“Oh I’m sorry. It’s that you caught me off guard. I like Italian men,” she admitted then her skin turned the color of a pomegranate when he grinned.
He leaned in closer, then asked, “Do you like me?”
“Um um sure.”
Marco set his drink down on the floor before placing his hands on his chest. “Jessica you keep breaking my heart. You’re not acting like you like me.”
“Of course
I like you,” she exclaimed.
“Do you?” Marco asked as he lightly ran his finger over her thigh. Even though she had on jeans, it felt like she was naked and could feel his hand on her skin.
“I do,” Jessica whispered while staring in his eyes. They had turned a smoky green.
“Honestly?”
Jessica nodded and held her breath as his hand crept toward her zipper. “Honest,” she answered breathlessly.
Marco reached up and began caressing the second button of her cotton blouse. She had left the top button open. “So what do you like about Italian men?”
Jessica took a sip from her drink. This doesn’t taste that bad after all. She took another quick swallow and this time she felt it reach every iota of her body. “You’re all sexy,” she said with a giggle.
“Naw,” Marco drawled. “You think?”
Jessica gazed adoringly at him. “I do.”
Suddenly the doorbell rang and Jessica guiltily shot up. “Oh my God! Somebody’s at the door! My parents are home. They’re going to kill me.”
“Would you calm down. Just chill,” Samantha said. “Your parents won’t ring the doorbell will they?” Jessica shook her head. “Then it’s probably one of your neighbors,” Samantha concluded.
“No. The closest neighbor is half a mile away. Besides Carl, the security guard would have to announce them.”
“Where’s your housekeeper?” Samantha asked as the doorbell rang a second, then third time. “Whoever it is, is very impatient.”
“She had a doctor’s appointment. Let me go get the door,” Jessica said.
“I’ll come with you, just in case some crazy fool got past security.”
Jessica grinned. “Yeah sure. I’m sure you’d be able to take ‘em out.”
Samantha dangled her cell phone in front of her friend. “I’m not fighting a crazy person. I plan on calling the police.”
Jessica laughed as she and Samantha went to the front door. Jessica pulled it open and her eyes got bigger than a Coke can. She leaned against the door. “Chloe? Tamia?” she croaked.
“It’s us,” Chloe squealed. “Marco texted me. I heard there’s a party. So let me in.”
Dazed, Jessica let her and Tamia saunter into the foyer. “How did you guys get in?”
“Um, the security guard recognized my mom. So…” Tamia sheepishly admitted.
He’s so fired, Jessica fumed. So fired. “You can’t stay, my parents aren’t home.”
Chloe ignored Jessica as she strolled farther into the house. Jessica and Samantha trotted after her. “Damn! I can’t believe you live here. You’re rich!” She said awed by the opulence of the house. “But you don’t act like it or look like it. I mean you dress like that.” She sneered as she took in Jessica’s outfit. A pair of jeans with a white cotton blouse and loafers. “You look like a maid. So where’s Marco?”
“Someplace you’re not. You need to be out.” Samantha ordered as she leaned into Chloe. Chloe’s eyes widened, her hands fisted and she shrunk back in fear.
“Stop it!” Jessica shouted. “Just stop it. They can stay,” Jessica said acquiescing. “I don’t want a fight.”
Samantha backed away from Chloe and glanced at her friend. “You sure? I have no problem with kicking this butt crack’s ass.”
“Leave her alone,” Jessica said warily. Her plan ruined.
“Cool, let me know if you change your mind.”
Tamia caught Jessica’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed and followed the ladies to the game room.
Two hours later, the group was drunker than seasoned rock star groupies. They were all sprawled across the floor or on one of the many couches that filled the room.
Jessica lay on the floor with Samantha next to her. “Now I know why people drink,” she slurred. “It makes you feel so good.”
“I know. I’m flying,” Samantha said with a giggle. “My moms will kill me if she found out I got drunk.”
“Yesh,” Jessica drunkenly agreed. “It’sh a good thing you’re s-s-spending the night.”
“Tat way she’ll never find out.”
“Hey fat girl!” Chloe called from the couch. “You really know how to give a party.”
“Stop calling her that. She’s not a fat girl. She’s a nishe girl,” Marco said.
Jessica propped up on her elbows and gazed at Marco. “You shink I’m nishe?”
“Of course you’re nishe,” Matt chimed in. “You’re one of the nishest girls I know.”
“Oh, that’s so freaking shweet,” Chloe slurred with a sneer.
“Don’t hate on the love,” Samantha yelled.
“Why don’t you show us how nishe she is,” Tamia said. Five drunken heads swiveled in her direction, she had been so quiet, they had forgotten about her.
“Who you talking to?” Samantha grumbled.
“Marco. Show us.”
“What do you want me to do? I told you she was nishe. What else?”
“Kish her,” Tamia said with a giggle.
“Yesh that’s it. Kish her,” Chloe said.
Jessica sank on the floor her heart triple time. The thought of kissing Marco immediately sobered her. “He doesn’t have to do that!”
“Kish her! Kish her!” Chloe and Tamia chanted.
“Hey man, you don’t have to,” Matt said.
“I want to,” Marco said as he pushed himself up. And everybody except Jessica laughed when he swayed and nearly fell face first on the floor. “C’mere,” he slurred beckoning to Jessica.
Samantha nudged her. “Go on!”
“I don’t want to.”
“Come on!” Marco called.
Samantha pinched her this time. “Go!” she hissed.
“Stop pinching me. I’ll go.” With four pairs of eyes on her, Jessica made her way over to Marco and stood nervously in front of him. “You don’t have to do this,” she whispered, while secretly hoping he didn’t change his mind.
“I want to,” he insisted and Jessica gulped. He gave her a lopsided smile before he leaned in, Jessica closed her eyes. Marco cupped her face in his hands and lightly brushed his lips against hers and Jessica shivered then held her lips up expectantly for another one. Her eyes popped open when she didn’t feel his soft lips. She self-consciously stepped away.
“Aw naw, that doeshn’t count. I didn’t see any tongue,” Chloe said. “I want to see tongue.”
“Yeah me too. I want to see tongue,” Tamia decided.
“Let’s see tongue! Let’s see tongue!” Tamia and Chloe chanted.
“I don’t know,” Jessica said.
“Didn’t you like our kish?”
“I did,” Jessica whispered. “But I don’t want your tongue in my mouth!”
“It’ll be fun!” Marco said as he pulled her to him.
“Jessica!”
Jessica pushed away from Marco. “Mom? Dad?”
“What the hell is going on here?”
Chapter 10
Their breath came out looking like puffs of cotton candy. Jessica peeked out the corner of her eyes at her mother, she was power walking alongside her. Her mother ruled the family with an iron fist, but when it came to her body it was a losing battle. Jessica loved her mother, but every time she saw her she reminded her of a hippopotamus on roller skates.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” Jessica said, quietly delivering the millionth apology to her mother.
“You were so irresponsible,” her mother said. Jessica could tell that even a couple weeks after the incident her mother was still upset by it. “You messed up on so many different levels. A sex party. I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Jessica sighed. “It wasn’t a sex party Mom. We were just hanging out.”
“So getting drunk and kissing boys is your idea of hanging out?” her mother asked.
Jessica suddenly regretted bringing up the subject. Now that I’ve opened the box, I can’t close it. “I didn’t mean for all that to happen. I drank because everybody else
did. And I—”
Her mother froze in place causing Jessica to skid to a stop. “I know that I raised you better than that. I always told you to think for yourself. Always!”
“I know, but Marco was there. Didn’t you see him?” Jessica said shyly.
Mrs. Smith looked at her daughter and knew that the cold weather wasn’t causing the redness in her daughter’s face. She had been in love once or twice. “You should’ve used better judgment.”
“I know Mom. I’ll do better next time.”
“I know you will baby.” They resumed their walk. “How’s Tamia doing? Her mother snatched her out of the house so fast that I didn’t really get a chance to talk to her.”
Jessica shrugged. “She’s fine.”
“You two aren’t friends anymore. I don’t see her as much as I used to.”
Jessica hesitated, then said, “She’s hanging out with a new group. And I don’t fit in.” She before asking, “Mom why do people change?”
“Sometimes change means that the person is maturing.”
“What happens if the person isn’t maturing? What happens if the person turns mean?”
“Tamia?”
Jessica nodded. “I didn’t do anything to her. Nothing and she stopped being my friend,” Jessica said, her voice quavering.
“Why?”
“I guess it’s not cool to hang out with me. She found a whole new group of friends.”
“Did you ask her why she’s treating you this way?”
“You think I should?”
“I do. You two have been BFFs for such a long time. She owes you an explanation.”
“Mom!”
“What?” she asked with a hint of a smile.
“Don’t say that again. BFF.” She shuddered. “I hear enough of that in school.”
Her mother chuckled. “Deal.” She nodded toward a Starbucks. “Let’s go in there.”
“I can’t eat anything in here!” Jessica protested but she could already taste a cinnamon chip scone.
“It won’t hurt. It’s okay to treat yourself once in a while baby. Come on.” Jessica lumbered after her mother into the cozy coffee shop. Jessica self-consciously peered around. All the tables were taken except one in the corner, a very tight corner. She looked helplessly after her mother, but she was almost to the cash register.