by Charity Rose
“I was only kidding you know,” he says smoothly.
“Oh, really,” I tease. “Well I wasn’t,” I start to rummage in my backpack for my pencil case, but Keith’s laugh stops me.
“Don’t you dare,” he warns, wagging a finger at me. At that moment, our waitress returns to take our order. Keith asks for a mocha latte, and I get the iced macchiato.
Once our waitress leaves, we dive back to our conversation. “You heard me Vidya,” he looks at me again, “Don’t you dare, like hell we’re actually going to waste an hour on biology. I’m not even in your class I’m in AP. Now chemistry, that’s a whole other topic,” he says and smirks at me. His eyes seem to hold a smile of their own as they sparkle in the dim light.
“Feeling a little bold today, huh,” I mock. The waitress slides back into view and sets the drinks down. I let my tongue flick around the straw, pulling it into my mouth. I take a sip of my drink and look him in the eyes as I’m doing it.
“Maybe a little,” he says. His voice suddenly rough as he adjusts his position in his seat, “Still, I’d like to know why you ignored me today?”
“I wasn’t ignoring you,” I say innocently as I twiddle the straw between my fingers. I glance away, but he catches my eye and gives me a look, cocking his head to one side. “Yes, you were, and I know why,” he states, “Because of Brad, I know. I get it, really,” he says and shrugs his shoulders, “Still, would it be so bad to be seen with me? It shouldn’t bother you, what other people say.”
“I know, but Brad’s really hurt. He can’t even look me in the eyes. I really hurt him.” I say. I blame myself. I should have come up with another way to dump him. I dumped him. That’s what I did even if I didn’t think I was at the time. I dumped Bradley Davis. It was a hard truth to swallow.
“No, you didn’t. Bradley hurt himself. You told him the truth. You can’t force yourself to be with someone you don’t want to be. If he wants to continue acting like you’re the villain, that’s his fault. You told him you wanted to stay friends, but he clearly didn’t get the message. Or he doesn’t care,” he says emphatically.
I nod. I know Keith is right, but still, it hurts. Opening my textbook, I put on a smile, “So, about this AP class, Mr Smarty pants?”
Our hour ends faster than we realised and a message from my mom lets me know she is already waiting outside. Keith pays for our coffee and hands the waitress a tip, which she happily accepts.
Keith tries to interlace his fingers with mine, but I pull away. I don’t want my mother to see us yet since she doesn’t know that Bradley and I aren’t together anymore. Keith makes a face and starts to say something, but I butt in, “Earlier before I got here, you told the waitress my name and what I looked like, didn’t you?”
He’s looking at the floor when he answers me, “I did,” he says. I smile, “So you’ve been looking at me long enough to memorise what I look like?” I ask. He nods slowly. I grin, “I don’t know if I should be flattered or creeped out by that,” I said with a laugh. Keith frowned for a second before he realised, I was joking and places a hand on my elbow to steer me outside. As we step out to the parking lot, I see my mother is indeed waiting for me. As we walk, I can feel Keith’s hand slide to the small of my back, and I force myself to suppress a smile. Keith looks down at me, and I know that he knows I’m trying to hide the blush I can feel creeping up the back of my neck and into my cheeks. I just hope my mom doesn’t notice.
Once at my mom’s car, I open the back seat and toss my backpack and textbook onto the backseat. “Remember to read chapter twenty before you start your half of the project, okay? I don’t want to get a bad grade if you fail to hold up your end of the assignment,” I say before I forget that my mom thought this was a study-date and not a date-date.
He smiles, “I won’t forget,” he says. I get into the car, and as mom starts the engine, I catch Keith throw a wink my way. I stick my tongue out at him, which produces a laugh from him.
As mom pulls the car away, I can’t help but smile. It was a good afternoon. I lean against the window and watch as the sun starts to go down. Dipping behind the mountains, it casts vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and lava red that bleed into purple and dark blue. I watch how its colour begins to vanish from the sky, finally leaving it a uniform hue of infinite midnight blue. I’m happy, days like these are bliss. I wish every day would be like this, but that would be like waiting for a river without any rain.
My mom interrupts my daydreaming, “He’s cute,” my mom says her attention clear on the road. “He’s cuter than Brad,” she admits as her lips twitch up into a smile.
I guess this is a better time than any to tell her that Brad and I aren’t together anymore, not like we were really anything in the first place.
“Mom, about Brad,” I begin.
“Let me guess you aren’t together anymore? And that young man back there is your...what do you kids call them these days, your new bae?” she asks. I burst out laughing, “Oh my god. Mom. Never say that word again!”
My mom smiles, keeping her eyes on the road, “Honey, I used to be a teenager too, you know. I know about these things,” she says, “At least he is cute. I knew this wasn’t just for studying. Though, I hope you got at least some studying done?” she questioned. I glanced at her, of course, we didn’t, “Yeah, we did,” I say. I spent the next few minutes telling my mom about our plans for the science project. Keith might not be in my class, but he did give me some excellent ideas to share with Amanda.
Chapter 9
“It’s Saturday, Saturday, Saturday—” I tried to hit that high note, but sadly I am no America Sings finalist. Although it is Saturday, I’ve got no plans to get out. I plan to just sit on my ass, eat popcorn, and binge watch Netflix. I know where all my friends will be, though, because they already gave me grief about not wanting to go. Amanda begged me to go with her, but I just wasn’t interested. Tonight, is the Senior Party. During their last year of high school, a huge party is held before Christmas break and then again right before graduation. From what I’ve heard, it can get pretty wild. I heard that last year a guy got so drunk that he climbed up the roof of a nearby house and fell off. He broke his arm and, if it weren’t for one of his friends who was a designated driver, there would have been an ambulance on its way to break up the party. Crazy, stupid shit like that is why I never went to big parties even when I was invited by my cousin Kathy. I just didn’t think it was a good idea and sitting around watching TV sounded like more fun, plus Bradley might be there.
I danced into the kitchen, still wearing my pyjamas, and reached into the cabinet to get a bowl and some cereal for breakfast. My phone buzzed in my pocket. I grinned and opened the cereal box with one hand while I checked my messages with the other. It was Keith, I mean I already knew it was, but it still excited me.
Agent Keith: You’re coming with me to the Senior Party. No excuses.
Vee: I am not going anywhere near that party.
Agent Keith: I didn’t ask you if you wanted to go. I said you are coming with me.
Vee: Keith, don’t make this more complicated than it has to be. I said N-O.
Agent Keith: And I can’t actually hear you. Vidya, learn to live a little. One party is not going to kill you.
Vee: Keith, parties aren’t really my scene.
Agent Keith: Which is precisely why you should go. With me. You’re too much of a homebody.
Vee: You’re one to talk. You devour books like it’s your source of food. I’ve seen you in the library. Reading those books with big words. So, don’t pretend you don’t.
Agent Keith: Have you been stalking me?
Agent Keith: You need to dirty up that squeaky-clean image of yours.
Vee: Honestly, Keith, I don’t understand you most times.
Agent Keith: Are you still trying to figure me out?
Vee: Yes
Agent Keith: I told you not to do that
Vee: Well, too bad, I am.
Agent Ke
ith: Great then, I’ll be there to pick you up at 7
Vee: I’ll walk. Party is at the house just a few blocks away from mine. I can manage on my own.
Agent Keith: So, you are coming then. Great, I’ll see you at 7.
My jaw falls open. Shit! Did I just agree to go to this stupid party? Yes, I did. I can’t believe it. But now I would have to convince my parents to let me go. I threw my head back in exasperation, dry cereal in one hand with a spoon in the other, and dragged my bunny-slippered feet across the linoleum into the living room. Mom sat with her tablet with her finger poised to tap at the screen.
“Hey mom, how’s it going?” She ignores me. I take a seat next to her. Wiggling down into the soft cushions. Dipping my spoon into the cereal, I raise it to my mouth and take a massive bite of the dry cereal. I chewed slowly, letting each kernel of rice puffs crack between my teeth. Mom looked over her tablet at me. If looks could kill.
“What do you want?” she asks, annoyed. I grin. She hates when I do that.
“That obvious, huh?” I ask. Cereal spills from my mouth. Mom makes a face, wrinkling her nose as her lips curl in disgust. I wipe the crumbles away.
“I’m your mother. I know what that tone means. It means. So, where do you want to go?” she asks eyeing me.
I don’t want to make a habit out of lying, so I’ll tell her the truth. I drop the spoon back into the bowl, “A party, a senior party, tonight. And before you say anything, please, mom? You know I never go to parties, but please I’m in junior in high school. I want to say that at least I went to one party in my lifetime,” I beg. My mom stares at me. I can see she’s thinking about it because one eyebrow is quirked, and the dimples in her cheeks stand out more as she clucks her tongue. She turns back to her tablet and starts to watch a video.
I take another bite of cereal.
The crunch of it makes my mom flinch.
Another bite.
I chew it nice and slow.
She turns to me, dropping the tablet onto her leg,
“Alright! Stop it. I’m fine with it, but when your father gets home, you still have to ask him as well, if he says yes then I say yes,” she says getting up from the sofa and disappearing upstairs.
“Alright, thanks, mom,” I yell after her. I seem calm, but inside I’m giddy.
After finishing up my dry cereal, I head to my room to pick out some possible party attire. My dad will be home from work in a few hours, so I have plenty of time to decide what I want to wear. Opening my closet door, I start rummaging through all my draws and shove hangers of clothing aside. I wanted to look perfect but casual. I wanted people to remember that I was Vidya Fletcher and that I was one of them now. I would leave behind the prude, rich-bitch, image everyone had created once and for all. After trying on a few outfits and rejecting them promptly, I dig out a cropped black camisole top with lace around the hem and a pair of washed out denim with the knees cut up. I snatch my favourite over-sized purple hoodie to wear over it all and pair the entire outfit with my black sneakers. I was feeling good about myself. I lay everything out on the bed, and take a seat at my desk to read a little while I wait for my dad to arrive.
I hear the car tires crunch up the driveway, so I run outside to help dad with the groceries. “Ah, here comes my helper,” he greets me with a kiss on the cheek and hands me the grocery bags.
“Hey dad, how was your day?” I ask as we walk in sync to the front door.
“Honestly, a pretty slow day.” My dad works as a pharmaceutical tech. He keeps track of the entire inventory, making sure all the products are delivered to the right places on the day they were promised. So, he mainly works behind the scenes, sitting at his desk on the computer all day.
“That’s good,” I smile.
“What about you, how was your start to the weekend?” Dad couldn’t have asked a better question at a better time.
“Well,” I start to say, my voice pinched with excitement. “It’s great and all, but what would make this the highlight of my weekend, would be going to the senior party tonight at seven?”
“A party, huh,” he’s silent for a few seconds. “You spoke to your mother already?” he asks. I nod. “Okay, you can go, but curfew is at ten o’clock, no exceptions,”
“I can live with that. Thank you, dad!” Grinning, I place the groceries on the kitchen counter and reach out to give him a hug. Wrapping my arms tightly around him, I squeezed, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“Do you need a ride?” he asks as I run to my room to get ready.
“No, it’s alright, it’s close by. I’ll walk.” I yell from the stairs.
Nearly an hour later and I’m dressed and ready to go. I put my hair up in a ponytail. I had curled my hair a little because it was looking kind of frizzy on the ends where the henna dye needs to be freshened up. Maybe I’ll ask mom to help me tomorrow with it? The long black strands are lovely and shiny, a natural gift of my moms’ Indian heritage, and the small gold stud of my nose ring rests in the crease at the top of my left nostril. I say bye to my parents; they give me the typical parental warning. No drinking, no drugs and absolutely no sex. Their speech adds another twenty minutes before I finally step out the door and start to walk.
Chapter 10
It’s unusually warm outside. I’m glad I chose to wear the camisole beneath my sweater since I’ve already pulled the bulky thing off my body. I carry it over one arm, I’ll need it later. Even though it is already well into fall, the weather couldn’t seem to decide if it was summer or fall. The warm air was already making me regret the jeans I chose to wear, but I knew that by the time it started to get dark, it’d cool off enough I’d be glad I chose the jeans and kept the sweater. As I walk, I begin to think about what the party will be like. I really hope that there’s someone else besides Keith there that I know. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to be around him. It’s literally the fact that if someone sees me with him, word will get around to Brad; whom might lead him to think that I’ve had something going on with Keith while I was with him. He and everyone else would think it was too quick for there not to have been something going on behind his back. I know Keith told me to forget all that, but it’s hard; especially at a small school where everyone was watching you all the time. Our lives were big time in this small-time town.
I try to defog my mind from all my thoughts, clouding it. There’s no way I’m going to enjoy the party if I continue stressing about the possible outcomes. It’s best if I remain calm and ease myself into the party mood. I mean, it’s my first party! Come on, girl get excited.
At the end of my street, I make a left down the sidewalk. From here it’s just ten houses away. I can already see the cars lined up on both sides of the street. I can already hear music thrumming through the air, making me put a little dance to my step. I continue my steady pace.
The skin on the back of my neck begins to prickle.
I feel like someone’s watching me.
I turn around and per down the street, but there’s no one there. Maybe it’s just me being paranoid. I shake my head, turn on my heel, and keep walking. As I get closer, I still feel like there are prying eyes on me. I stop again and take a look at my surroundings. The sun isn’t down yet, so the street lights aren’t on.
No one is outside.
The birds are signing, and a light breeze carries leaves across the pavement.
Everything seems fine.
Then why do I still feel like someone’s watching me? I make my way down the last row of houses until I spot a red Volkswagen parked down the side of the road. The hood is crunched in on one side. That’s Keith’s car. I’ve seen him arrive at school in it a few times driving it. I make my way towards it, pulling out my phone so I could call him and let him know that I’ve arrived.
He picks up on the first ring as I continue to stare down the opposite street, “What are you looking at? I’m the only thing you should be looking for. Turn around,” he says in a sultry voice; deep and throaty. I
do as told and watch as the driver’s side window of his car rolls down, revealing Keith still sitting inside. I jog the rest of the way down the street, stopping at his car and leaning into the window.
“You haven’t gone in?” I ask, walking around to the other side and opening the passenger door. I slide onto the seat next to him. It smells of warm leather and cologne of sea spray and sand. It’s like the summer never left this tiny space.
“I was waiting for you,” he says, leaning through the window to give me a hug.
He retracts back to his seat quickly, “I honestly thought you weren’t coming,” he says.
“Really?” I laugh, “I wasn’t. Until you desperately begged me to come, I had no other choice. I knew you’d languish here in lonely misery without me.” I say with a grin.
“Do you really think I’d do that? Should I remind you that I’m one of the most popular guys here? I’m the real life of the party,” he counteracts. I feign being insulted and lean away from him and toss my hair over one shoulder,
“Really now, so why didn’t you just go inside and find another girl to be your arm piece?” I ask, crossing my arms and arching an eyebrow.
A few moments of silence pass. We’re staring at each other. Neither of us making a move or saying a word to break the thrilling silence. Another minute passes, and I sigh, shrugging. I don’t know how long we plan to stay inside the car, but I’ve only got three hours before I’ve got to go home and I plan to go have some fun. I pull on the handle to open the door, and Keith reaches across my lap. He grabs the handle and pulls the door shut on me. I face him with a playful smile on my lips, but it melts away.
His entire demeanour has changed. The sky-blue eyes are covered in dark clouds, and his lips are curved up into a smirk. His eyes flick over me, taking in the bare skin of my waist, the space above my breasts. Roving up towards my neck and settling on my mouth. His tongue darts between his lips to moisten his mouth as he swallows loud enough that I can hear it.