by J. L. Perry
His lips find my neck as they kiss a path up towards my jaw. I tilt my head to the side and softly moan. He turns me in his arms and my hands slide over his chest and around his neck, just as his lips meet mine. We agreed not to go there again, but when we’re together, it’s like there’s this magnetic pull drawing us to each other. I can’t explain it, but the way he looks at me sometimes, I know he feels it too.
A few minutes later when the doorbell chimes, we both pull apart from each other like we’ve been caught doing something wrong. How can something that feels so right be wrong? Carter clears his throat and I feel my face flush.
“That must be Meg,” I say brushing my hands over the front of my dress nervously. He runs his hands through his hair while staring at me, dumbfounded. I get the impression he doesn’t understand this thing between us either. “I better go answer the door.” I turn and walk away from him before he has a chance to say anything.
“Happy birthday, babe,” Meg says when I open the front door. “I saw your new car in the driveway. Eeeek. I’m so friggin’ jealous.”
“I know. I still can’t believe I have a car. Tomorrow, you and I are going for a cruise around town.”
“Awesome. Hey, are you okay? Your face is all flushed.” Which I’m sure only causes my face to go even redder.
“I’m fine,” I lie and she narrows her eyes at me. I hate that she can see straight through my bullshit. “Come in. Dad’s gone to pick up the Chinese food.” She hands me a present as she passes. “Thank you,” I say plastering a smile on my face.
I follow her out towards the back deck. She stops in her tracks when she sees Carter standing there, patting Lassie. Looking over her shoulder she smirks at me. Bitch. I guess she’s making her own assumptions as to why I was flushed when I answered the door.
“Carter,” she says turning her head back in his direction.
“Megan,” he replies with a nod. She smiles, looking between the both of us before she makes her way towards the table and takes a seat. I follow. I can just imagine what’s going through her head right now.
“Open your present,” she says when I’m seated.
“I still have one more present to open from Carter first.” Leaning forward I reach for the gift bag that’s sitting on the table.
“Oh. Did Carter give a you present before I arrived?” she giggles.
“Yes,” I answer. She’s such a smartarse. I know exactly what she is insinuating. “He gave me this necklace.” I hold it up for her to see.
“Jewellery? Hmm. Oh, that’s so pretty,” she says grinning when she leans over to get a closer look. “What else did he get you?” Her eyes move over to him and he squirms in his seat. Poor thing. Meg can be such a stirrer sometimes.
“You can open it later if you like,” Carter replies looking over at me.
“No she can’t. I wanna see what else is in the bag.”
“Meg,” I snap.
“What? I think it’s sweet that he got you a present.” Ugh! I wish I hadn’t said anything now. Opening the bag I pull out the other gift. I gasp when I unwrap the tissue paper. It’s a framed picture of Lassie and I playing fetch.
“Did you draw this?” I ask meeting his gaze.
“Yeah,” he shrugs nervously fiddling with the collar of his T-Shirt. I’ve never seen him look so unsure of himself. This picture is amazing. There’s so much detail in it. It looks exactly like us. Who knew he was so talented?
My eyes scan over the drawing and then I see the title written down the bottom. ‘My Man Larry and the Kid’. My gaze moves back towards him. I fight the grin on my face while trying my best to give him a dirty look. I know I’ve failed miserably when he laughs.
“Let me see,” Meg says snatching it out of my hand.
“Wow. You drew this? You should do this for a living.”
“I’m considering it,” he tells her. “I sold some of my drawings to a tattoo place a few weeks ago. I’m still surprised by how much money they made me.”
“No shit,” Meg says. Then she gives me a look. I know exactly what she’s trying to convey. I guess he didn’t go to see that whore-bag after all. I feel terrible now. It was wrong of me to make assumptions about where he got his money from. Meg even said there was probably a reasonable explanation, but being the stubborn person I am, I refused to listen to her.
••••
Meg ended up sleeping over so I didn’t get any more alone time with Carter. I’ll admit I was disappointed, but it’s probably for the best. He’s definitely not a one-woman man, so I guess if this thing between us continues, I’m only going to wind up getting hurt.
Monday is a public holiday, so we have no school today. Meg and I spend the day cruising around in my car. “You wanna grab some lunch at the little café mum took us to a few weeks ago? I want to try that dish she ordered,” Meg asks.
“Sure. I might have the same. It looked yummy.” I park in the car park just off the main road. It’s near impossible to get parking on the street this time of day. It’s only a half a block walk to the café from here anyway.
Meg links her arm through mine as we walk down the street. “Is that Carter over there?” she asks pointing across the road. Of course my head immediately snaps in that direction. It’s him. My heart starts to race for some reason. I hate that he makes me feel like this.
“What’s he doing going into a bar?” I ask more to myself than her. He’s not even eighteen yet.
“I don’t know. Maybe he wants a drink.”
“It’s the middle of the day. He’s underage,” I say.
“So, we’re not all goody-goodies like you, Indi. I’ve been in plenty of bars before.” Reaching up, I pinch her on the arm. “Ouch. What was that for?” she laughs.
“I’m not a goody-goody,” I snap. Sure I haven’t done half the things she’s done, but since Carter has been my neighbour, I have crossed the line a few times.
“Name one thing,” she challenges. I can name a few, but I haven’t told her about the things Carter and I have gotten up to. Only because I know she’ll never shut up about it if I do. She stops and waits for me to answer. “Exactly,” she says when I don’t.
“I put dog poop next to Mr. Shepard’s car the other night.” Lame I know, but it’s the best she’s getting.
She starts laughing. “You did not.”
“I did too. He trod in it the next morning. He came bashing on our door screaming like a raving lunatic. My dad went off his head when he blamed Lassie.”
“No fucking way. You really did that? Why?” she asks.
“Because he was being mean to Carter. I hate the way he treats him.” She stops walking and turns to face me.
“You really like him, don’t you?” I shrug. The answer is yes, but I’m trying my best to fight what I’m feeling. No point wishing for something that’s never going to happen. “Why don’t you tell him how you feel? I can tell by the way he looks at you that he feels the same. This just proves it,” she adds, flicking the necklace around my neck. “When a guy buys a girl jewellery, it says a lot.”
“It’s a necklace with a dog charm on it, Meg. It’s not a damn engagement ring.”
“Why don’t you make a move on him? Maybe that’s what he’s waiting for.”
“He doesn’t want a girlfriend,” I tell her.
“He told you that?”
“Kind of. He said things could never go any further …” Shit. I clench my mouth shut before I say anything else. I didn’t mean to say that part.
“Any further? Any further than what?” she asks yanking on my arm when I try to walk away.
“Nothing,” I reply looking down at the ground. She’s gonna know I’m lying if I look her in the eye.
“You lying bitch. Spill. I know you’re keeping something from me.”
“I’m not,” I lie, raising my head and meeting her steely gaze. When a smile creeps onto my face she reaches out and pinches me. “Ouch.” I start to laugh as I rub my arm to try and relieve th
e pain.
“I’m waiting,” she says impatiently, raising her hand like she’s going to pinch me again.
“Okay,” I reply pushing her hand away. “We may have snuck into each other’s room and did some things. Not sex. Other stuff.”
“What? When? Why am I only hearing about it now?” she screeches in a high-pitched voice. I drag her towards the café, promising to tell her everything once we’re seated. She’s never going to shut up about this, I know it, but I don’t really have a choice. I can’t lie to her.
••••
I tell her the whole sordid mess as we wait for our food to arrive. We’re sitting outside the café. I told her I wanted to sit out here for privacy so we could talk, but my real reason was so I could keep an eye on the pub where Carter is. I’m still wondering why he’s in there. I hope he hasn’t gone in to meet, or even worse, pick up a girl.
That thought makes me feel sick in the stomach.
“I can’t believe all this has been going on behind my back and I’m only hearing about it now. I tell you everything about my hook-ups,” she complains.
“Yes I know,” I reply rolling my eyes. “All the sordid details as well. Sometimes after talking to you I feel the need to bleach my brain.”
“Fuck off,” she says and we both laugh. We both stop talking when our food arrives so we can eat, although the whole time my eyes keep drifting over towards the building that houses Carter. Half an hour has passed since he entered.
When we’ve finished eating we ask for the bill. We split it and make our way back towards the car park. We don’t make it far when Meg turns and starts dragging me across the street. “Where are we going?” I ask.
“To see what lover boy is up to.”
“What? We can’t go in there, we’re underage,” I say horrified.
“So is he. We can both pass for eighteen. Well I can. Not sure about you,” she laughs.
“Ha ha, bitch. Just because I’m short …”
“Undo those buttons,” she says reaching for my top. I slap her hand away.
“No!”
“Do you want to see what Carter’s up to?” she asks. Do I? I’m not sure. If he’s in there with another female, I don’t know how that’s going to make me feel. Not good that’s for sure. “Your only chance of getting in is those perky little tits of yours,” she says reaching for my buttons again.
“Fine.” I slap her hand away again and undo the top two buttons of my blouse. I’m not sure it’s going to help, but it’s worth a shot. I’m glad I wore my black lace, push-up bra today.
“Ladies,” the bouncer at the door says when we approach. I shouldn’t have even bothered with my buttons—he didn’t even look my way. Of course he couldn’t take his eyes of Meg’s girls. They’re huge and put mine to shame. What is it with men and boobs?
He opens the door and gestures for us to enter without even asking for any ID. He winks at Meg as she passes. I roll my eyes. My stomach is churning as we enter. This place is a dive. It smells of stale beer and cigarette smoke. If my dad knew I was here, he’d kick my arse and probably close this place down.
“I can’t see him,” I say as my eyes dart around. “Let’s go.”
“Oh, stop being a big baby.” She grabs my arm and drags me further into the establishment. This is the first time I’ve been in a place like this. I hope none of my dad’s friends are here. I grab hold of her hand and clutch it tight.
As she pulls me further towards the back, I scan the room. I feel like everyone’s eyes are on us. We walk past one table and this guy with a shaved spiky head and tattoos all up his arms looks me up and down before licking his lips. Ewww.
“Can we just go, Meg,” I beg. “This place is creeping me out.”
“Not until we find your lover boy.”
“He’s not my lover boy. Stop saying that,” I angrily whisper. “He’s probably already left.”
“The way you were scoping out this place from across the street, I think you would’ve noticed if he had.”
“Ha ha. Please, can we just go?” Pulling me over towards the wall, she places her hands on my shoulders.
“Stay here and don’t move.”
“Where are you going? Don’t leave me here alone,” I plead. I can hear the horror in my own voice as I speak. Meg just laughs.
“You crack me up. Stop being such a goody-goody. Live a little, babe.” She releases my shoulders and turns and walks away before I even get a chance to protest. Great. My eyes nervously scan the room. When they land on that tattooed, scary guy again, I find him staring at me. Shit. He gets up from the table and starts making his way towards me. Double shit. My heart is beating out of my chest.
I’m kind of relieved when I notice he has boobs. It’s really a she. Or a shim. Whatever you want to call it. They’re way too big to be man boobs. I still don’t like the way she’s looking at me though. God, I hope she doesn’t want to fight me or something.
“Hi,” shim says when she stops in front of me.
“Hi,” I manage to squeak out.
“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?”
“Ummm … ummm.” I want to say something, but can’t seem to find the words. She takes a step closer. She’s now mere inches from me. I can smell the alcohol on her breath. What the hell does she want? My question is answered almost immediately when she reaches out and grabs me right between the legs. I’m frozen with fear, or shock. Shim has hold of my vagina and there’s not a damn thing I can do or say to stop it.
She’s not even touching me up, just holding it, like I said, “Excuse me could you hold my vagina for a second?” which of course I didn’t. I stand there for what seems like forever while this stranger has hold of my crotch. I want to ask her to let go, or at the very least push her away, but I’m terrified. She’s twice the size of me. I briefly make eye contact with her. She’s smiling at me. Can you believe it? She’s standing in the middle of a public bar, holding my fucking snatch, smiling. Crazy bitch.
“Hey. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” someone says from behind her. Relief floods through me when I recognise Carter’s voice. “Keep your hands off my fucking girl,” he warns as he pulls her off me. As horrified as I am right now, I’m happy. He called me his girl.
“Sorry bro,” shim says holding up her hands in defence before backing away. My eyes meet Carter’s. Oh crap, he’s pissed.
“What the fuck?” he says. “Why are you here?”
“Ummm … Meg needed to use the bathroom,” I fib. There’s no way I’m going to tell him we were here spying on him.
“Are you okay?” he asks, gently placing his hand on my shoulder. “You’re awfully pale.” Well yeah. How would he feel if a stranger manhandled his private parts? Scratch that. It’s Carter. He’d more than likely enjoy it.
“That girl just had hold of my …” I’m not sure why I can’t say the word out loud, but I point in the direction of my vagina instead. God I’m so lame. “How do you think I am?” I’m mortified by what she did, but even more so that he witnessed it. Even though his eyes look angry, I see a small smile play on is lips. Bastard.
“I know. I saw. She’s lucky she has tits or I would’ve knocked her the fuck out.”
“Carter,” Meg says from behind him. “What are you doing here?” Thank god she said that. I love how she always has my back.
“Did you find the bathroom?” I ask with a wink when Carter turns his head in her direction.
“Yes. Yes I did. Are you okay? Your face is all white,” she observes frowning.
“Some girl just grabbed me on the … you know what,” I tell her. I still can’t believe that just happened. Who does that kind of thing? Of course the bitch starts laughing.
“What’s a ‘you know what’?” she asks. Fucker. She knows exactly what I mean.
“My lady parts,” I admit as I feel my face burn up.
“Your vagina? Your hoo-ha? Your snatch? You can say the word you kn
ow,” she says giggling. I’m glad she finds this amusing. Not.
“Shut up,” I snap narrowing my eyes at her. She’s just adding to my humiliation.
“You’re shitting me right?” she asks like she doesn’t believe me. Why would I lie about something like that?
“No, she isn’t,” Carter chuckles. Somebody kill me now.
“I’m glad you two think it’s amusing,” I retort as my eyes move between them. Of course they’re both snickering.
“It’s not amusing, it’s fucking hilarious,” Meg laughs. “Who was it? Point her out.” I just glare at her. I need to get the hell out of here.
“Serves you right for being in a place like this when you’re underage,” Carter chimes in. Who asked for his damn opinion anyway?
“Excuse me? I believe you’re underage too,” I respond. What a hypocrite.
“Only by a few months. I came in to play pool. Besides, I’m a guy. I can handle myself. You, on the other hand, are a kid. Your little run-in with the she-man just proved that this is no place for you.” I hear Meg snigger again from beside me and I want to kick her. Carter just stares me down. I can tell by the look on his face that he’s trying to rile me up.
“Whatever.” I want to say more, but I don’t. He’ll only have another smartarse remark to come back with. So much for Meg having my back. To hell with them both. I turn on my heels and stomp towards the exit. I’m sure one day I’ll find the humour in this situation, but right now I don’t.
••••
Carter begrudgingly agreed to hang with us for the rest of the afternoon. “I suppose being around you two is better than being around my stepfather,” he said sarcastically. Although initially it pissed me off, he was smiling when he said it. I swear he does shit like that just to get under my skin. Although he’d never admit it, I think he was grateful.
He confessed to not wanting to go home because his stepfather had the public holiday off work. It made me feel sad for him. Things must be pretty shitty living with that arsehole. Especially since he makes it quite clear he’s not welcome. I know he’s lost without his car, as well. It’s still going to be another week before the repairs are complete.