by Elicia Hyder
Kara looked surprised. “You kissed her?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “She didn’t tell you?”
Kara just shook her head.
“Great. I guess it meant a whole hell of a lot then.” He huffed and pressed his eyes closed. Finally, he looked at Kara again. “Can’t you talk to her?”
Kara’s brow crumpled, and she put a hand on her hip. “This isn’t kindergarten, David. You’re a big boy. You need to talk to her yourself.”
He sighed. “I know.”
She pointed at him. “But it’s not going to do you any good to start singing underneath her window now that Steven’s in the picture. You’re going to have to wait for that to fizzle out.”
He closed his eyes again. “What if it doesn’t fizzle out?”
She shook her head.
Justin put his hand on David’s shoulder. “Then you’re shit outta luck, bro.”
11
She's Late
It was seven fifteen on Friday night. In the month they’d been going out, Journey hadn’t been late once. Steven’s mind was working overtime on the implications of her tardiness. Maybe she got caught lying. Maybe she’s blowing me off. Maybe she’s changed her mind. God, I hope she hasn’t changed her mind.
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Steven’s brother, Brian, asked from the couch as Steven paced around the room.
“My girlfriend’s late.”
Brian sat up straight in his chair. “Pregnant?”
Steven sighed and shook his head. “No. She’s late,” he said, dramatically tapping his watch.
Brian relaxed. “What girlfriend?”
“You don’t know her.”
“How do you know her?” Brian asked.
Steven looked out the front blinds of their apartment. “We went to high school together. She’s a junior.”
Brian glanced over. “How old?”
“Sixteen.”
Brian sucked in a sharp breath through clenched teeth. “She’s jailbait, little brother.”
“She’ll be seventeen next week.” Steven wiggled his fingers. “The magical age of consent in the great state of Georgia.”
Brian pointed at him. “You can still get popped with contributing to the delinquency of a minor till she’s eighteen.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “It’s too bad you’re such a slacker. You’d make an excellent attorney.”
Brian pushed himself up off the couch and slapped his brother on the chest. “Take the free advice, Steve.”
“Where are you headed?” Steven asked.
Brian shrugged into his jacket and picked up his keys. “Savannah for a couple of days.” He pointed at him. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I won’t if you won’t.”
Brian laughed and opened the front door. Journey stood on the other side, her hand poised in the knocking position.
“Well, well, well,” Brian said, stepping out of her way. “You must be the girlfriend.”
Journey’s eyes widened. “I don’t remember agreeing to that title,” she said, winking at Steven.
Brian took a step toward her, and she cowered back. “Oh, I like her, Steve.” His brother’s tone made even Steven’s skin crawl. He reached out, grabbed Journey’s hand, and pulled her against him.
Steven slipped a protective arm around her waist. “Have a good trip, Bri.”
Brian looked Journey up and down again. She shivered against Steven’s chest.
“See you, brother,” he said and walked out the door.
“Brother?” Journey asked, turning around to face him.
Steven sighed. “Unfortunately.”
She jerked her thumb toward the door. “He’s creepy, and he looks way too old to be your brother.”
“He’s twenty-six.” Steven shrugged. “He’s lived a pretty rough life.”
Journey shuddered. “I can tell.”
Steven put his hands on her hips. “Forget about him. He won’t be back tonight.” He pulled her closer. “I was getting worried. Why are you so late?”
She groaned. “Oh, twenty questions before I left, ya know.”
He sighed. “I’m glad we don’t have to sneak around much longer.” He kissed her forehead. “Where do they think you are?”
“Kara’s.”
He smiled. “All night?”
She put her hands on his forearms and let out a deep sigh. “All night.”
Sliding his hand under her chin, he tilted her face up to kiss her. After a moment, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him back a step. “What’s this girlfriend business?”
He laughed and pulled her hips against him. “I can’t call you my girlfriend?”
She looped her arms around his neck. “You haven’t asked me.”
He rolled his eyes. “Do you want me to write you a ‘check yes or no’ note?”
She nodded. “Maybe!”
He kissed her nose. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
She dropped her head back dramatically. “Yes!”
He kissed the soft skin of her throat before she straightened. “Say it again,” he whispered.
“Yes.”
She kissed him again. “What’s for dinner.”
He tightened his arms around her. “I’m not hungry,” he said against her mouth.
She giggled. “Well, I am.” She broke free from his grasp and pointed at him. “And don’t get the wrong idea just because I don’t have a curfew tonight.”
Shaking his head, he smiled. “I don’t have any ideas.”
She laughed. “You’re a rotten liar.”
He couldn’t argue. He had been planning this night since he first had his arms around her in the freezing lake. But he knew that being a girl’s first was a big responsibility if he cared about her at all. And he cared. God, did he care.
Steven ordered a pizza, and they watched a movie in the living room. As the movie wore on, it was becoming harder and harder for him to keep his hands to himself. It quickly became a game of him trying to touch her and her slapping his hands away.
He had never been so thankful to see the credits scroll in all his life. He reached across the couch and grabbed her hand. “Come here,” he said, pulling her onto his lap.
She dropped her knees on either side of his thighs, and he reasoned this was the safest position for both of them. She was in control of whatever happened, and he was determined not to push it any further than she wanted to go.
She put her arms around his neck. “Did you like the movie?”
He laughed. “What movie?”
She dipped her head and kissed him.
The phone rang.
She pulled away slightly. “Need to get that?”
“Get what?” he asked and kissed her again.
He slid his hands up her thighs, and she didn’t stop him when they glided over her hips. He almost whimpered when she pulled the ponytail holder out of his hair, letting her nails scrape down the back of his neck. His hands snaked up under the back of her shirt, all the way up her spine to the clasp of her bra. He didn’t dare touch it for fear of spooking her. She kissed him harder.
His damn phone rang again.
He broke the kiss and groaned. Reaching across the arm of the couch, he picked up his phone off the end table. It was an unknown number. “Hello?” he answered.
“Steven, it’s Kara. I need to talk to Journey.”
He sighed and handed the phone to his girlfriend. “It’s Kara.”
Her eyes widened as she put the phone to her ear. “Hey.” She listened for a minute, then panic washed over her face. “Shit. OK.” She started to get up off his lap, but he pulled her back down. “Thanks, Kara.” She ended the call and dropped the phone on the cushion next to them. “I’ve got to go. My parents know I’m not at Kara’s.”
“Fuck. Seriously?” he asked, not stopping her when she tried to get up a second time.
She straightened her shirt and slipped on her flip-flops. “Yeah. They ca
lled over there and got Kara’s mom. Kara played dumb and didn’t tell them I was here or that I was with you.”
He felt slightly relieved.
She grabbed her keys and stopped in front of him. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to call you later if I can.”
He nodded and kissed her quickly. “Be careful.”
And then she was gone.
· · ·
Journey made it home in record time. Every light in the house was on. She cringed. “Shit, shit, shit,” she muttered as she turned off the engine and got out of the car.
She sucked in a brave breath before pushing the front door open and walking inside. Her father was standing at the top of the steps with his arms folded over his chest. When he was in a good mood, Randall Durant was about as intimidating as Bill Nye the Science Guy. When he was mad, which was becoming more and more often, he was downright scary. His graying red hair was mussed like he’d been pulling it out, and his cheeks were hot with anger.
Swallowing hard, she closed the door behind her.
“Where have you been?” he demanded.
“I went out with some friends, and then I was going to Kara’s house,” she said as she slowly ascended the steps.
He pointed at her. “Don’t lie to me, young lady! Kara’s mother had no idea about you coming over. In fact, she said she hasn’t seen you in weeks!”
Journey knew to keep her mouth shut.
“So who have you been sneaking around with?” he asked.
Her mother was right behind him. “Is it that boy who’s been calling here?”
“David?” Journey tried to feign innocence.
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “No, not David.” She huffed. “He hasn’t seen you either.”
Journey put her hands on her hips when she reached the top of the steps. “You called David too?”
Carol held up the phone in her hand. “We were about to call the police!”
Journey rubbed her hands over her face. “You’re overreacting.”
“Then where were you?” her dad asked.
“Out with friends! I told you that!”
He laughed. “Well, I hope you had fun because it’s the last time you’re going to see them for a while.” He held out his hand. “Keys.”
“Dad, I—”
“Keys, Journey!” he shouted.
She slammed the keys into his palm. “For how long?”
He glared at her. “Until you can afford to buy a car!”
Tears were brimming in her eyes, but she refused to break and cry in front of them. Instead, she stormed past her dad and ran down the hallway to her room. Her phone was gone, so was her television and her stereo. The truth was, they were pissed; they hadn’t been worried about her at all.
It wasn’t until Monday that she could explain to Steven what had happened. He was waiting for her after school in the parking lot, leaning against the Chevelle. He opened his arms as she approached.
She stuck out her bottom lip and walked into his embrace. “I hate my life.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I know.” He pulled back to look at her. “What happened?”
She took a step back. “They took my car. Permanently. And I’m grounded for a month. And my birthday is cancelled.”
He smirked. “They can’t cancel your birthday.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m really sorry about all this.”
He tugged on her belt loops. “We need to talk, Journ.”
Her heart melted. “Oh, please don’t say that.”
His eyes were serious. “I could get in a shitload of trouble if your parents decided to come after me. I’m on probation, and if I get caught violating it, I’ll go to jail.”
Her eyes began to sting. “Steven, you can’t just—”
He bent so he was eye level with her. “I don’t like it either, but we’ve got to cool it for a while till this blows over.”
“For a year?” she asked, her voice cracking.
He shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she refused to break and cry. He brushed them away with his thumbs. “It’s just temporary, babe. I promise.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Whatever.”
He tried to pull her back when she stepped away. “Journey, wait.”
She shook her head. “Just go.”
· · ·
David watched Journey almost run away from Steven’s car toward the buses. Even from a distance, he could tell she was crying. He wanted to go after her, but he knew her well enough to know that she needed some space. He had heard from Justin about what went down at her house over the weekend, and how she’d lost her car. He wanted to knock Steven’s teeth out.
On his drive home that day, he called the Durant’s store downtown. Carol Durant answered on the first ring. “Village Antiques, how may I help you?”
“Mrs. Durant, hi. It’s David Britton.”
There was a pause. “Hello, David. What can I do for you?”
He sighed. “Well, I’m hoping you can help me. I know Journey’s grounded, but I have a really big favor. My graduation is tomorrow night, and she’s like my best friend. I was really hoping that maybe you’d bring her or let her come.”
“Well, David, if she was really your best friend, maybe you wouldn’t sit idly by while she made such bad decisions,” she replied.
He swallowed. “I know. I’m really sorry. She’s been really distant from me for the past month or so.”
She was silent for another beat. “I’ll talk to her father, but don’t get your hopes up.”
“Thank you,” he said.
She ended the call.
The next evening, when his name was called to walk the stage and get his diploma, David looked up in the stands and saw Journey sandwiched between her mom and dad. They looked like two centurions standing guard like she might bolt at any second. He smiled, and she waved to him. Her mom and dad were clapping and smiling almost as proudly as his own parents who were seated right behind them. The crowd cheered when he accepted his diploma and shook hands with the principal. He heard Marcus whistle from where he sat with the rest of their class.
When the ceremony was over, he couldn’t get up to the bleachers fast enough. He hugged Journey before he hugged his own mother. It was the first time he’d touched her since the night of prom. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ve missed you.”
She dug her nails into his side. “I’ve missed you too. Thanks for breaking me out of jail even if it’s just for the night.”
He winked down at her.
“Let me take a picture!” her mother insisted.
David wrapped his arm around Journey’s waist and pressed his cheek against hers. They said ‘cheese’ together, and the camera flashed.
12
A New Year
Journey spent most of the summer on lockdown because she refused to come clean about where she was and who she was with the nights she was supposedly with Kara. She went to work at her parents’ shop only because they refused to drive her to a job anywhere else, and she saved every penny she made.
By the end of July, she had saved up enough money to combine with what was in her saving’s account to pay cash for a used white hatchback. Her savings was supposed to be for college, but her parents couldn’t stop her from spending it. She finally had her own car, she was paying her own insurance, and she was buying her own gas.
It wasn’t until the very end of summer that her parents realized how much their plan had backfired. She broke curfew out with Kara, and when she came back home, they couldn’t take away her keys.
Just after starting her senior year, she quit working for her parents and took a job as a hostess at Barry’s Bar & Grill. It didn’t pay as well, but her boss wasn’t her mom, so she considered it a fair trade. Between school and work, she didn’t have much time left for a social life, but the time she did have, she usually spent with David. She hadn’t heard from Steven Drake at
all.
In mid-October, she was home on a Saturday when she received an unexpected phone call.
“Hey, Journ,” a male voice said.
“Who is this?” she asked, walking out on the back deck of her house.
“Marcus.”
She scratched her head. “Marcus who?”
He laughed on the other end of the line. “Marcus Garrett.”
She put her hand on her hip. “Who is this really?”
He laughed again. “It’s really Marcus. I got your number from Dave.”
“Why?”
“Well, I have two tickets to see Metallica in Atlanta this weekend. Justin was supposed to go, but he bailed out on me. Do you wanna come?” he asked.
Her mouth fell open. “Uh. Why me?”
“Because you might be the only person I know who likes them as much as I do,” he said. “Come on. You know you want to.”
She laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. “Hell yeah, I want to!”
“Awesome. Do you want me to pick you up, or do you want to meet me at my house?” he asked.
She thought for a second. “I’ll meet you. Just let me know when and where.”
He gave her the address and told her to be there at four o’clock on Friday. She squealed when she got off the phone.
Her mother stuck her head out the door. “What’s all the yelling about out here?”
Journey held up the phone. “I just got a free ticket to the Metallica show in Atlanta this Friday night!”
Her mother laughed, but she wasn’t amused. “You’re not going to Atlanta.”
Journey nodded. “Yes, I am.”
Carol put her hands on her hips. “Not while you live under this roof.”
Journey laughed. “Then kick me out. Please! I won’t object.”
Her mother froze.
Journey walked past her to go back inside, but instead of storming through the living room, she turned calmly around to face her stunned mother. “Mom, I’m going to the show. You can either stay up all night, pissed off about it, or we can come to some sort of compromise right now.”