“What are you doing here?” and Lorna turned around to find Jessica Owens standing behind her, her eyes fixed on Josh. Jessica Owens, the girl who Lorna herself couldn’t deny was a girl with a million dollar smile. She whipped around to see Josh walk past her and straight to Jessica. She stood apart from them while the two of them exchanged a comfortable hug.
Jessica was in a short yellow jersey dress, a long brass chain hung around her neck while a large tan leather bag was in her hands. Her brunette waves reached her minuscule waist like a shining curtain of hair and her perfect white straight teeth were framed by pouting coral lips. She looked like a delicious summer dessert and Lorna noticed how Josh’s hands lingered on her waist for a few extra seconds.
“I’m just picking up a book” Josh told her while they continued to smile at each other.
“Oh” she laughed in response, “I just wanted to use the library computer. My phone’s battery ran out and I needed to respond to a Facebook message urgently” Jessica said, seemingly unaware that Lorna was standing near them, staring.
“Hey do you want to grab a quick coffee?” Jessica asked and Lorna’s heart sank with a clunk inside her body.
“Sure thing” Josh replied chirpily and Lorna gulped her misery down her drying throat. She saw Josh lightly touch Jessica’s waist as they started to walk away instantly and Lorna kept standing there, staring at their backs.
“Hey! Thanks!” she heard him say just as she was about to turn around. She saw Josh look over her shoulder and wink his right eye as he walked away with Jessica. Lorna kept standing silently, that dreadful feeling of loneliness and regret was filling her heart with every passing second.
*****
Lorna stared at herself in the mirror and blinked. She had spent the past fifteen minutes trying to draw a thick winged outline on her eyelids with a black liquid liner. She smacked her lips to make sure that her bright red lipstick was still intact. The little black dress that she had picked out was one of her favorite ones and she could think of no better outfit for the night. After a lot of deliberation, Lorna had decided that she wanted to attend the party that was being thrown by Jessica Owens to celebrate their college Hockey team’s victory this season. Jessica’s father was the coach, which meant she had a special connection with the team anyway and everybody was invited.
Mimi of course thought it was a bad idea and so did Lorna initially. Ever since Josh McKenna had walked into the library, demanding a book and her heart and then later walked away with his hand on Jessica’s waist; Lorna had been feeling like the whole world was against her. She had a hard time getting dressed for classes, she wasn’t her cheerful self at home with her family and she didn’t really want to discuss the incident with Mimi.
At the last minute however, she changed her mind. She believed that attending this party would be the only way she could get over him. She would be able to see Josh for who he really is and how different the two of them are.
So she stepped into her sequined black kitten heeled shoes and grabbed her black clutch. She had tied her auburn curls to the top of her head in a messy bun and now they fell around the nape of her neck. She tucked a few curls back into her bun, waved a quick goodbye to her mother who was serving dinner to her younger sister and father and then walked out of the house.
“Don’t you think it’s time you moved out of home Lorna?” Mimi asked her the moment she stepped out. Lorna gave her friend a quick inspection. She was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a silvery blouse.
“Why are you dressed like you’re going to the mall Mimi?” Lorna asked her instead of responding to the question.
“Because I’m almost certain that nobody at that party is going to be rating us on our dress-sense” Mimi said, rolling her eyes.
“Please tell me that you’re not carrying a book” Lorna asked, pointing at the huge canvas bag that Mimi was holding in her hands.
“So what if I am? What if I get bored and have nothing to do?” Mimi asked defensively.
“So then you get drunk out of your mind! This is why nobody wants to talk to us” Lorna said and started walking. She didn’t know why she was blaming Mimi for all her misery, but she was.
Mimi started following her, trying to match her quick pace.
“You mean, this is why Josh McKenna won’t talk to you? Our reading habits is why he won’t notice you?” she heard Mimi yell out to her, the words pricking her like a million needles. Lorna turned around to face her friend and she could see that Mimi’s face was as red with anger as her own.
“I didn’t even want to go to this stupid thing. Neither do you, really. I mean look at you!” Mimi said and Lorna directed her gaze to her own clothes.
“You look like you’re trying too hard. I mean this is a college party Lorna, not some kind of film premier” Mimi said and stuck her hand on a hip. Lorna could feel her cheeks flushing with rage and her fingers quivering.
“I’m not forcing you to come!” was all she could scream out.
“Fine!” Mimi yelled back
“Fine!” Lorna mirrored her response and turned on her heels. She could feel a cool breeze ruffle the curls around her face as she started to walk in the direction of Jessica Owens’ house. She clenched her fists and hoped that Mimi would follow her, but she couldn’t hear her friend’s footsteps on the pavement anymore.
*****
The house looked like it was bouncing along with the beats of the music that came pouring out. At least three dozen cars had been parked outside on the curb while countless numbers of people were milling about, plastic glasses of alcohol in their hands.
Lorna tugged at the hem of her dress, to try and pull it down over her knees. She had never felt this self conscious before and she was cursing herself for having driven her only companion away. She squeezed in through a group of her classmates, none of whom seemed to recognize her and reached the front door that was wide open.
She stepped in gingerly and could barely see in the low lights inside the house. The music was too loud and she wanted to cover her ears to block the sound out but decided against it since it would make her look silly. The black dress was definitely a bad idea, Mimi had been right, she was too formally dressed given that a lot of the girls were only in swimsuits.
Lorna looked around her as she began to walk through the house, she recognized a few faces but couldn’t find anybody from her Book Club or library. In a house full of people, she felt completely alone and she could feel tears welling up inside her. She couldn’t remember anymore why this had been a good idea.
Lorna stopped in her tracks when she noticed Jessica in the centre of the room. She was wearing a small purple bikini top and a silky white skirt. Her dark hair was tied back in a ponytail and she had large silver hoops hanging from her ears. That same white toothy grin was plastered on her face as she laughed at what the two boys who were talking to her were saying.
A sudden wave of anger and jealousy overtook her being and Lorna squeezed past the crowd and towards the long table that had been arranged with different kinds of alcohol and towers of plastic cups. She just grabbed the first bottle of beer that she could find and gnawed at its cap with her teeth. The metal cap finally popped open and Lorna stood by herself, in the middle of all that music and that large crowd and tipped her head back and guzzled down half the bottle of beer.
She licked her lips when she stopped for air.
“Hey!” she yelled out to a guy who was walking past her.
“Hey!” she yelled again over the music and grabbed his arm. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her quizzically.
“Is there a pool or something here?” Lorna asked him and he pointed at the other end of the house and walked away.
Lorna started making her way through the crowd again till she reached the glass sliding doors to the backyard. She didn’t need to step out to finally realize that it was a pool party more than a house party. There were more people by the pool than there were inside the house. The
music outside was different and louder and everybody was in their swimsuits.
Lorna pressed down her eyes and stepped out in the cool air. She was hoping nobody would notice or recognize her and she could just go back home after the beer. That is until she saw Josh, and all her plans of going home early changed. She had never seen him half-naked before and the effect that it had on her senses was indescribable.
His hair was wet and was slicked back on his head, while his naked torso glistened with moisture, he had clearly been in the pool not too long ago. He was wearing a pair of baggy white shorts, which were wet too and clung to the muscles of his thighs. He was standing with his hands on his hips, and the low lights around the pool silhouetted the strong muscles of his shoulders and his chest and Lorna followed the ridges on his body, till they disappeared down his shorts.
He was moving around a lot, talking and laughing with his friends and Lorna had to weave through the crowd again to continue staring at him. It was when Josh threw back his head in laughter, when the dimples on his cheeks deepened and he placed a hand on his heart that Lorna stood still and her jaw nearly dropped, he was gorgeous.
She didn't feel the push, what she did feel was a sudden cold wetness, which is when she realized that she was in the water. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to slowly drag her down, her hands still holding on to the clutch that she had so pathetically matched to the rest of her outfit. But then she suddenly felt a pair of strong hands around her waist and she was being pulled up.
When her head broke through the water, she gasped loudly for air and started flapping her hands around the water.
“I got you” she heard a gruff voice and could feel herself being dragged. Josh pulled her out of the pool and made her lie down by the edge. She was looking up through bloodshot eyes at the stars in the sky, breathing heavily, she could barely comprehend what was happening.
“What were you doing so close to the edge if you can’t swim?” she heard a screeching voice and Lorna turned her head to see Jessica standing near her with her arms crossed across her chest. It seemed like there was a crowd of people who had circled around her. Lorna didn’t respond and instead turned her head in the other direction to look at Josh. He was bent over her and was looking at her keenly. She could see fat droplets of water hanging from his eyelashes and the beauty of that moment and her own stupidity made her laugh for some reason. Josh grinned at her while Jessica repeated her question.
Lorna continued to stare at Josh and laugh and he continued to grin at her.
“Just get out of here” she finally heard Jessica say. She slowly shifted her body to sit upright but it was difficult. Her wet clothes were weighing her down. She managed it nonetheless and saw that she was missing a shoe.
“How long was I under?” Lorna whispered and it seemed that only Josh heard her.
“About a minute, till I realized that you weren’t in the water for pleasure” he replied, the grin on his face was still there.
“Just go home, did you hear me?” Jessica yelled at Lorna again and came closer to them. Lorna looked up at her and saw what could only be described as jealousy in her eyes.
“Just give me a minute” Lorna replied, her voice had turned croaky.
“Now! Go home now. You’re ruining the party” Jessica said, her arms were still crossed across her chest.
Lorna rolled her eyes at Jessica, something she never thought she would do and tried standing up. Her heartbeat increased when she realized that Josh had come forward to clutch her arms and steady her.
“She’ll be fine Josh” Jessica said with a cruel drawl.
“I know, but I think I’ll see her home” Josh said and Lorna didn’t turn her head to look at him or Jessica. Instead she smiled broadly and bit down on her lip, she was hoping nobody could see the expression on her face.
*****
Lorna stole a quick glance over at Josh who was walking beside her. She had a fluffy pink towel wrapped around her while she walked slowly along with Josh in the dark, their path only illuminated by the dim streetlights.
Josh had his head hung low and his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans as they walked along silently. Lorna cleared her throat and saw him look at her for a second.
“I want to thank you again for rescuing me” she said meekly. Her heart was racing and she was warmer than she should have been, given that her clothes were still soaking wet.
“That was nothing” he replied and smiled at her indulgently.
“And also for walking me home” she added.
“It’s the least I can do to return your favor” he said and slowed his pace down.
“I bet your friends aren’t happy about you disappearing this way” Lorna said and looked away, “Jessica didn’t seem too happy either” she added and could feel a familiar anger welling up inside her.
“Ah she’ll get over it” Josh replied with a laugh. They were silent again for a few seconds.
“I noticed you were enjoying your hotdog the other day” he said cutting through the silence. Lorna colored up immediately and he started laughing.
“You looked so embarrassed to be caught in the act of eating a hotdog for some reason” he continued laughing and Lorna hung her head down and bit her lip.
“You’re still embarrassed!” he said and before she knew it, he was hugging her from the side, his long arms were stretched across her shoulders.
“I was” she managed to squeak and looked at him to meet his eyes. He was still hugging her and their faces were now only a few inches apart.
“That was cute. I don’t think I’ve seen a girl eat a hotdog like that before” he said, this time in almost a whisper and Lorna could smell the chlorine from the pool on his skin.
“How else does a girl eat a hotdog?” she blurted out, more angrily than she had intended and Josh let go of her shoulders.
“I don’t know…in a more ladylike way?” he asked rather than said and Lorna was blushing again. In fact she could feel herself grow more angry than embarrassed now.
“So you’re saying, I’m not girlie enough?” she stopped in her tracks and glared at him. Josh seemed to be a little taken aback by her sudden outburst and he remained standing quietly, examining her face for clues on what he should say.
“I said exactly the opposite” he finally said after she had been glaring at him for a few seconds.
“I know what you meant Josh McKenna. You thought I was stupid and embarrassing that day and you think I was the same tonight” she said and brushed past him. But he had caught her hand. She looked down to where their hands were gripped together and he pulled her over to him sharply. The towel around her shoulders fell on the street as she landed on his chest.
She tried to steady herself but he had placed his forefinger at the bottom of her chin and was lifting her head up towards him.
“You have quite the imagination” he said gruffly and lowered his head towards her. Lorna had no idea what was happening and she stared at his red lips instead. The way they curved at the edges and how wet and moist they looked.
“I read too many books” she managed to say before his lips were on her and he had muffled her voice with his mouth. She could feel his hands tighten around her waist as she dug her nails into the bare skin of his arms. She could feel his tongue parting her own lips and being thrust into her mouth and it made her knees buckle. However, she managed to not fall. His hands were holding her up and she instead melted further into his arms.
She could taste the beers he had that night and could feel the smooth and rough texture of his tongue. She gripped his shoulders tightly as she felt his hands moving up her back slowly. One of his hands moved lower and was feeling the curve of her butt and Lorna moaned softly. Josh slowly broke away from her and stared down at her swollen lips.
“Those red lips have been driving me insane” he said in a low voice and knocked his forehead against hers. She had to squint her eyes to be able to look into his.
“I
shall thank them later then” she said and they both laughed a little.
In that moment Lorna’s body was still pressed against his and she could feel a phone vibrate in the pocket of his jeans. Josh pulled away from her instantly and stuck his hand into the pocket and pulled his phone out. She could see his face light up when he touched the screen and could still not believe that she had just been kissing Josh McKenna’s lips.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the grimace on his face. He looked up at her and shoved his phone back into his pocket.
“So do you think you’ll be able to get back home alright?” he asked suddenly. He seemed to be in a hurry. Lorna couldn’t hide the pang of pain from her eyes.
“It’s Jessica isn’t it? You have to get back to her?” she threw the words at him and watched as his face contorted and he tried to avoid her eyes.
Romance: Teen Romance: Follow Your Dreams (A Nerd and a Bad Boy Romance) (New Adult High School Sports Romance) Page 22