Normally, I wouldn’t indulge myself so much, but the relief to be out of the house with my father’s approval brought a spark of the old Marjorie back. In high school, before the accident, I admit I had been a conceited princess. With popularity and beauty, I felt on top of the world. Of course, that changed drastically after the accident.
Now I was shy-and-considerate Marjorie, which I liked better. My world no longer revolved around myself but on everyone around me. And it felt good to think about others and not just myself. If someone were to ask me if the entire car accident scenario had taught me anything, I’d answer, Hell yes! It’s taught me a lot of things. And I was proud of that. Not many people change after a near-death experience, but I chose to do so for the sake of those I loved.
Just ten minutes after eight, Tracy honked the horn of her car and I bolted out the door before Vicki could change her mind. Though I didn’t think it was likely, I decided not to chance it.
Claire and her boyfriend Bobby were sitting in the back seat, apparently their way of attaining some privacy so that they could sneak a few smooches before arriving at the party. Smiling at the enamored couple, I made myself comfortable on the front passenger side seat and listened to the radio as Tracy drove.
The drive to Kenny’s house was quiet and uneventful and only took about ten minutes. This was the first time I was actually going to set foot inside and I was a little nervous about it, too. Well, not so much stepping inside, but being around Mr. Marshall himself. It was hard for me to say why exactly, but he always made me nervous. For some reason, it felt as if I couldn’t trust him, which was a weird feeling to have. He’d never done anything to induce such feelings. Unfortunately, I couldn’t help the way I felt.
When we arrived at a very impressive looking house at the top of a small hill, my apprehension grew. The house was huge, beautiful, and yes, even somewhat intimidating.
Once inside I couldn’t help but think that the Marshall mansion was a residence built to impress and awe everyone who entered. The interior was way too clean to suggest a family of four lived there, and certainly was fancy looking. It was obvious the furniture inside was expensive, but it appeared as if it was hardly ever used. I couldn’t help but think that no one could actually live in a house that resembled a museum more than an actual residence.
Then again, that was just my personal opinion. I couldn’t say for sure whether they were neat freaks, or were hardly ever at home for that matter. For all I knew they spent most of their days out and about.
The music was booming and the house was crawling with people I knew from either high school or college. Every corner was overrun by young people, and most were half drunk already when we got there. My eyes roamed around the living room, swallowing up the environment I was stepping into with some hesitation. I sensed something I didn’t like very much, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was or even think why I felt the way I did.
My friends ushered me inside and although I smiled, it was out of nervousness more than anything else. The atmosphere around us was lively, but something in the air made my pulse pick up pace.
As I turned toward my right, I spotted the birthday boy, Kenny Marshall, speaking to an odd looking man. The huge brute was double Kenny’s size and twice as wide, but I couldn’t see his face because he had his back to the front door. Not only was the unknown man tall, but the sheer bulk of his muscled figure was both intimidating and impressive. As soon as Kenny spotted our group, he dismissed the man he was talking to and made his way toward us.
The man quickly trudged away and I lost sight of him as soon as he walked into the hallway, never once turning to glance around the room, and stormed off.
“Hey! I’m glad you guys made it,” Kenny said while gawking at me.
“Awesome party you’ve got going on here, Kenny!” Bobby and Kenny shook hands like only ex-football players do, and we girls resisted the urge to roll our eyes at their display.
“Want something to drink?” Kenny asked, gesturing toward the kitchen.
“Sure,” everyone responded.
The crowd ahead of us parted to allow us passage as we continued to the kitchen.
I tried my best to hide behind Tracy so that when we walked, I’d go unnoticed by Kenny. Unfortunately, he bypassed my friends and made his way toward me. He walked right beside me, with one hand possessively on my lower back. The contact was an innocent one but I still had the sudden urge to shrug him off. It wasn’t because I was repulsed by his touch, but there was something about him that always made me uncomfortable.
“I’m glad you were able to come.” His lips broke out in a grin. “I was wondering if you’d make it,” he said, leaning into me so that he could be heard over the garish shouts and loud music going on around us.
Unsure what to say to that, I blurted the first thing that came to my mind. “Happy birthday, Kenny.”
He smiled as if it was no big deal that I hadn’t congratulated him when I came in. “No worries, you haven’t been the first one to forget.” He chuckled.
“Sorry. I guess I was so excited to be here I forgot what the party was really about. I barely managed to convince my dad I would behave at this party.”
Kenny’s grin enhanced as he observed me, which mesmerized me for a moment. He might make me nervous but I couldn’t deny that he was gorgeous. “I didn’t think you would be one to misbehave.”
“Not since the accident,” I admitted. “I’ve just been trying to prove myself worthy of my dad’s trust.”
He bobbed his head up and down as if he understood exactly what I was talking about. “I know how that goes.”
I tossed him an incredulous look. “You can relate?”
“Absolutely.” He smiled. “My father doubts I can do as well as he has with the family business. It’s annoying to have to prove myself to my own father, but if I don’t, he won’t pass on the position that will rightfully belong to me one day,” he explained as he continued to walk me toward the kitchen.
“Sounds like a lot to swallow.” I couldn’t help but feel a little sad for him.
“It is, but I’m used to my father’s ways.” He shrugged. “My father thinks he’s still living in the dark ages. It takes a lot of patience to deal with his strong personality.” He chuckled as if that was part of some inside joke. “But I can handle him and anything he throws my way.” He sounded self-assured and confident, and deep down I knew that he was.
“You don’t have to worry about him right now, do you?” I asked, curious to know whether or not his shrew of a father was around, perhaps acting as a chaperone.
“No, not tonight.” He lifted his chin arrogantly. “Tonight is mine to enjoy.” He actually winked at me, which of course only made me want to take off running.
“Well then, maybe, just for tonight, you can forget about your troubles and focus on your party,” I suggested, hoping to avert the conversation from me.
“Oh, I can do that now that you’re here.” He leaned in closer to me. “It wouldn’t be much of a birthday without you.”
“Thank you.” I turned my face away before he could see how much I was blushing.
We continued toward the kitchen area, walking by empty walls and a bare mantel. The plainness of the decor struck me as odd. I always thought that most people had some type of family memorabilia somewhere around the house. My house certainly didn’t lack any, but the Marshall household was completely bare of everything except some very expensive looking paintings. Perhaps the Marshalls were one of those families who didn’t like to display their keepsakes to others.
Or maybe they weren’t the kind of family many thought them to be.
CHAPTER THREE
As we entered the kitchen, Kenny gestured toward an empty chair next to the island sitting in the middle of the room and I quickly took a seat, glancing around the room at many familiar and not so familiar faces.
Kenny placed his hands on the island’s surface, looking around briefly at those crowding the room
, before turning his attention back to me. Three out of the five couples immediately scurried into the next room. “What do you want to drink?” he asked once we were left alone in the kitchen with four other people.
“Coke or Pepsi will do.” I fidgeted nervously with a stack of unused napkins just lying on top of the island so that I didn’t have to look at him directly.
“No beer?”
“No.” I shook my head, still avoiding eye contact. “That was part of our agreement, my dad’s and mine.”
“Ah, I see.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “No problem, we have plenty of Pepsi.”
Much to my relief he proceeded to pour ice into an empty plastic cup and filled it with Pepsi before handing it over to me. I took a few unhurried sips—so as to keep my mouth occupied—before placing it back down on the island. Regrettably, once I was done sipping my soda I had no idea how to even start a conversation with my attentive host.
Being alone with Kenny was making me extremely uncomfortable, especially since I had no idea what to say to him. He just wasn’t one of those guys who was easy to talk to, at least not to me. I averted my eyes from him, hoping to find a familiar face as I glanced around the room, wishing that one of my friends would say something that would break the awkward silence between us.
However, as soon as I glanced up, I noticed that none of my friends were around. They had all scattered, leaving me alone with Kenny. Traitors!
“You look beautiful Marjorie, as always.” He smiled at me and I smiled back. Okay, so Kenny had a little crush on me back in middle school, but that was such a long time ago. In high school, after he turned hunkalicious, he dated many girls, never once bothering with me. I never bothered with him either; to me he was just the boy who had a crush on me as kids and that was that. I thought he outgrew his serious case of puppy love, since we were just children back then.
But then it hit me: Kenny was no longer a boy and we were no longer in middle school and it was obvious he was still interested.
“Thanks, you look good too.” Real good, now that I happen to gawk at your attractive form. Blushing, I once again turned my face away from him and focused my attention toward the living room, which was momentarily converted into a dance floor, hoping to see Tracy somewhere among the crowd of individuals. She was nowhere to be seen. How could she disappear so quickly?
Kenny must have assumed that my wandering gaze meant I wanted to get up and dance because he offered me his hand and asked, “You want to dance?”
Fighting off the panic expanding within me, I said, “Sure.” Hesitating but a moment, I begrudgingly allowed him to lead me onto the dance floor.
Kenny held me close as we walked, his arm looped around my waist in a much too intimate manner. I tried my best not to seem awkward as he led me into the living room and even managed to smile at him once or twice. When the next song started playing, we began to move to the rhythm of the melody. I was actually having a good time until I noticed Jack and Marissa watching us from a corner of the living room. Marissa seemed angry, but Jack was just staring at me as if it was the first time he’d ever seen me. Despite how much that leering stare of Jack’s intimidated me, I chose to ignore it and decided to keep enjoying myself.
I’d always considered Kenny and Jack’s friendship peculiar, especially considering the fact that Kenny was the epitome of male popularity while Jack was the strange guy everyone usually avoided. I’d been acquainted with Jack since high school and I still didn’t understand the ties that brought two complete opposites like them together. They didn’t seem to have anything in common at all. Most friends do, but Kenny and Jack didn’t seem to fit that profile, unless they had something that tied them together and I wasn’t aware of it.
Despite my earlier reluctance, I actually had a good time with Kenny. He was a complete gentleman, never touching me in a way that would cause me any discomfort, and for that I was grateful. We danced to several numbers, ate, chatted, and mingled for most of the night, because my stupid friends bailed on me so I was stuck with him. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, but still.
Around twelve-thirty, Tracy came looking for me and announced it was time to leave. Relieved that at least one of my friends remembered I was even there, I followed Tracy to the door and said my goodbyes. I started for the exit, with Kenny following closely behind. As I was getting ready to bolt out the door, Kenny leaned forward and placed a kiss on my cheek. Unsure of what to do, I merely smiled and pulled back from him the minute I sensed he was waiting for some kind of green light on my part, which I wasn’t about to give anytime soon.
Thankfully, we were soon on our way home and although I was still slightly angry with my friends for making themselves scarce the second Kenny Marshall’s gaze landed on me, I listened as they bantered happily over the events of the night, amused by Bobby’s description of how Irene ended up in the swimming pool after annoying one of his friends’ girlfriend.
Once I got home, I fell asleep the second my head touched the pillow.
***
The next morning I awoke as usual at six-thirty a.m. and readied myself for another day of classes. The new day seemed to begin with as much enthusiasm as I felt, and after yesterday’s surprise, I was more than happy to indulge in a fresh day knowing that there was a handsome stranger for me to ogle. Though it dawned on me that the assignment due today was going to be late, I couldn’t bring myself to care all that much. I’d had fun at the party, so I could live with a few points taken off for not turning it in on time.
Before Tracy could honk the horn, I was already out the front door. Bobby, who often carpooled with us, opened the backdoor for me and grinned as he thoroughly recapped his favorite parts of Kenny Marshall’s birthday party the night before.
Although Tracy usually ran late in the mornings, she actually drove fast enough to get us to campus before our first class was due to start. With a couple of minutes to spare, the group dispersed to different areas, leaving me to make my way to class alone. Leisurely strolling down the hall that stretched before me, I became lost in thought. Thoughts about a certain French hottie I’d met the day before. The image of a perfectly round pair of silver eyes came to mind, taking over completely. It was as if all I could actually picture were those haunting orbs and nothing else.
Halfway down the corridor, however, I caught sight of a very attractive group of people and all thoughts immediately fled as I realized the very image I’d been thinking of had just materialized a few feet from me.
They were all marching straight toward me from the opposite direction, laughing and bumping into each other playfully as they shared in friendly banter. My heart sped up at the sight of Kyran and his group.
I tried not to stare at them, but it was hard not to. Their presence was nearly impossible to ignore, or miss for that matter. They had a celebrity-like appeal that caught everyone’s attention, or maybe that was just me. Judging by how everyone else around me gawked at them, maybe it wasn’t just me.
Hoping not to be perceived as another rubbernecker, I continued walking forward, with nothing but my intended destination in mind. I could have gone by unnoticed if Kyran hadn’t chosen that moment to look up. The moment his gaze targeted me it took a lot of effort for me to keep walking without stumbling. What was it about his eyes that had such a profound effect on my body?
The group turned to look at me, with a mixture of curiosity and detachment. Even from a distance, I could feel an invisible tug, drawing me toward them in a way I couldn’t explain or understand. It literally felt as if I had a rope tied around me and they were pulling me to them. For some reason, that sensation scared me.
Since I couldn’t even begin to understand the nature of my odd feelings about Kyran and his group, I hurried in the direction of the classroom in order to avoid the four people walking toward me. Once inside the room, I sat down at my appointed seat and grabbed my bag to remove my notebook, textbook, and pen. It felt better to pretend as if everything was just my imagina
tion running wild and those strange sensations hadn’t coursed through me at all, so I pretended as if they hadn’t.
I had nearly forgotten about Kyran when I felt his presence next to me. I didn’t have to look to know he was there. I focused my attention on rearranging every item on the table to keep from having to raise my gaze to him. He sat down and I could literally feel heat emanating from his body. And he wasn’t even touching me.
Just like the day before, Irene turned to appraise Kyran as soon as he sat down, but he continued to completely ignore her. From across the room, I could feel Kenny’s penetrating gaze on me. His eyes kept darting toward me, as if he wished to convey something to me, but I refused to even glance in his direction. I figured that all the attention he paid me the night before was more than enough.
With everything going, I wanted nothing more than to bolt out of the room in a mighty big hurry. Talk about the most awkward moment of my life.
Jack turned to appraise me, perhaps persuaded by the fact that Kenny kept murmuring in his ear and glancing over his shoulder to look at me. When Jack smiled, however, I couldn’t remember a time in my life when such a simple gesture like that one caused me to squirm so uncomfortably in my seat. Unable to take any more of the childish displays, I pretended to pay attention to the English professor and ignored Kenny, Jack, and even Kyran.
Marissa noticed the brief exchange and grinned as she did some weird hand sign I couldn’t understand. Not wanting a repeat of the embarrassing scene from the day before, I buried my face in the textbook and pretended to read.
Suddenly, I’d become the main source of entertainment for everyone and I hated every second of it.
To my left, Kyran sat very still. However, I had the feeling he was completely aware of everything that was going on around him. He seemed entirely focused on the instructor and his lecture, but every now and then his eyes would search Kenny out and then he would scowl as if annoyed by his persistent staring. Perhaps the constant leers going back and forth from one side of the room to the other bothered him.
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