Deal Breaker

by Whitney D.

  Deal Breaker

  By

  Whitney D.

  Copyright © 2016 Whitney D.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews – without written permission from its publisher.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons, living or deceased, are purely coincidental and are not intended by the author.

  Copyright © 2016 Whitney D.

  All rights reserved.

  Dedication

  This one's for the dreamers.

  “Do your thing. Do it unapologetically. Don't be discouraged by criticism. Pay no mind to the fear of failure. Take ownership, take chances, and have fun. And no matter what, don't ever stop doing your thing.”

  1

  “So any plans for your sweet sixteen?” I looked over to my best friend, Sophie as she was cramming the last bit of her slice of pizza in her mouth.

  “Mmm umm no,” she mumbled back.

  “I'll take that as a no then?”

  She nodded her head in response.

  Sophie Cranston had been my best friend since we met last year in ninth grade. She was as skinny as a bean pole, with short brown hair, and perfectly chiseled cheek bones that any model would kill for. She could eat whatever she wanted and never needed to worry about gaining a pound. Whereas, I was blonde... a natural blonde, which nowadays was proving to be less and less common. I was nearly six feet tall which made me exactly half a foot taller than most boys my age. My eyes were a particularly special kind of grey-blue that complimented my porcelain skin just perfectly. I was more average size with a little meat on my bones and up until this year I hadn't ever batted an eye at my weight.

  It was the beginning of sophomore year and we were glad to have finally put ninth grade behind us. Now that we were tenth graders, every upperclassman noticed even less than they did last year. Sophie and I weren't popular and mostly kept to ourselves. My parents didn't have boat loads of money and in this town, that was the only thing that guaranteed you a spot at the cool-kid table.

  “Shit, better get going. The second bell is about to ring,” as I grabbed my backpack, I eyed Sophie who was piling up her trash on her lunch tray.

  “Okay, see you after school.”

  I gave her a quick nod before making my way to the science building. Dragging my feet up the second flight of stairs, I began to dread spending the remainder of my afternoon trying desperately not to fall asleep during my AP Biology lecture.

  Honestly, I had been accepted into the AP program at the beginning of the school year, but this biology class was hard. It was nothing like my science class last year and secretly I wished I would've just taken the regular biology class instead. I suppose it didn't hurt that I would be receiving college credit for this class, but I definitely had my work cut out for me.

  As I made my way down the hall, I moved aside each time someone would walk in my direction. Yielding to others was something I had grown accustomed to because no one ever seemed to notice me. The day someone finally stepped aside for me would shock me.

  I kept my hand at the strap of my backpack, holding it tightly to keep it from falling off of my shoulder. The other kids were a blur as they made it through the hallway to their next class. Just as the last bell rang, I grasped the handle to the science room door and glanced at the lockers that lined the wall just outside of my class.

  It was then that my gaze locked on to Sebastian Holt's momentarily before I broke eye contact and went inside.

  Sebastian Holt was the hottest guy at our school and had every girl groveling at his feet. He was what most would call a “player” and from what I'd heard about his shenanigans, I wouldn't have touched that boy with a ten-foot pole. However, he was gorgeous, so staring was okay in my book. He probably didn't even know who I was or notice that I basically drooled every time I saw him.

  He was about an inch shorter than me, with ragged dusty brown hair that fell just perfectly in his eyes. Thick dark lashes framed his eyes that were the most beautiful shade of green that I had ever seen. His smile lit up the fucking football field every time he flashed his pearly whites. It was no wonder why all the girls were throwing themselves at him. His demeanor was always cool as if he hadn't put forth any effort in trying.

  Sebastian was a senior and with luck, he'd be on his way out of Dempsey-Morris Senior High School next year and on with the rest of his life.

  I took my seat in the back of the class, next to Cassidy Johnson who had been at the same school as me since first grade. To say the least, we weren't friends. In fact, she was a total bitch. She was in the popular crowd only because her daddy was the President of local yacht and country club. She made it known that she ruled this school and because of that, I steered clear of her whenever possible.

  However, this year our biology teacher had paired us each with a lab partner and luck would have it that the bitch was mine.

  Today she was wearing a hunter green Abercrombie and Fitch polo shirt with a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. I eyed her outfit as I pulled my seat out.

  “Don't fucking look at me like that, Emery.”

  I rolled my eyes and kept my mouth shut as I locked my gaze onto Mrs. Sweeney taking her place in the front of the room to instruct us on today's assignment.

  One hour and thirty long minutes later, school was out. The bell rang and the kids in class literally flew from their seats and out of the building.

  It was Friday and no one planned on looking back when they left school that afternoon. Sophie had turned sixteen on Tuesday and her parents had let her skip school that day to go get her driver's license. My birthday wasn't until April so it would be a long five months until I could enjoy the same kind of freedom.

  We hurried to Sophie's old dark green Honda that her parents had gotten for her and piled inside. In our own opinions, we were the cool kids. We were no longer having to rely on the school bus to take us to school or our parents to drive us around town. Sophie and I eyed each other briefly then laughed, before she reached forward to turn up a rock song that had just started playing on the radio.

  “Soooo... first weekend with your new ride. What's the plan?” I questioned Soph as we pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Cassidy Johnson's having a party.”

  “Are you kidding? She would go ape shit if we showed up at her house. We wouldn't want to smother her coolness.” We both snickered as we carried on making jokes about her.

  “No really though, my dad said I had to get a job to pay for gas and insurance. So I thought I might go apply at a few places this afternoon. Want to tag along?”

  “Nah. I think I'll pass.”

  “Suit yourself. Do you want me to just pick you up later then and we can catch a movie?”

  “Hey, now there's an idea. Why not apply for a job at the theater? I bet you'd get awesome hours because they are really only open at night. They'd probably let you see movies for free too.”

  “Yeah.... smart thinking. I'll go there first.”

  Ten minutes later, Sophie dropped me off at my front door.

  I lived in a modest nineteen-hundred square foot ranch style home that my grandpa had built back in the fifties. Grandpa died eight years prior, but my parents had lived in this house to take care of him since before I was born. I was an only child and had grown accustomed to pretty much getting any thing I wanted. However, my parents had instilled in me a strong set of morals.

  My dad worked a gritty nine-to-fiver as a foreman for a construction company and mom was a bad ass sous chef at a swanky little Italian restaurant in town. My parents actually worked for a living, which
was more than I could say for half of the kid's parents at my school. Sure, those kid's parents had jobs, but they were the type of jobs that were at the top of the corporate food chain - where they basically sat around all day earning a cool six figure salary for barely lifting a finger.

  Early on in my life, I realized I wasn't like those other kids. My parents had bought me gently used clothes at garage sales and most of the new items I got were off the sale rack at Walmart.

  Usually when I got home from school, mom was just getting ready to head to work, so I was surprised to see that on this particular Friday she wasn't home when I arrived. I tossed my book bag on the floor just inside the front door and made my way to the kitchen for my usual afternoon snack.

  After grabbing a jar of peanut butter, I snatched the crackers from their place in the pantry. Heading to the sofa, I yanked the TV remote from the end table and flipped on the tube as I plopped myself down into the worn out cushions of the sofa.

  I stuffed my face with as much peanut butter and crackers as I could before I felt sick from over indulging. Peanut butter was my favorite and I had even been known to eat it straight from the jar with a spoon on occasion.

  As I tossed the empty cracker wrapper onto the couch, I snuggled myself into the cushions for an afternoon nap.

  Some time later, I was awoken by the sound of the garage door opening. Dad was home. I didn't want to pull myself from my afternoon slump, but as I peaked at the clock on the mantle, I noticed it was nearly six. If Soph and I were going to hit the movies later, I had better get up and moving. As I drug myself into a sitting position on the couch, my dad came in through the kitchen.

  “Hey baby, how was school today?”

  “Good.”

  A few silent moments passed with him giving me a questioning stare, “And...?”

  “Nothing, it was good. Nothing exciting happened. Nothing exciting ever happens here.”

  He pursed his lips at me, “Well my day was full of pouring slabs and getting scaffolding up at the new job on Lime Street.”

  I eyed his clothes that had been covered in dried concrete and dirt, “Yep looks like it was a busy day, daddy.”

  We laughed in unison.

  “Soph got her license on Tuesday. So would it be okay if we went to a movie tonight? Please, daddy.”

  “I don't know.... better ask your mother.”

  “Daddy, please... I promise it will be right to the movies and home. We will be fine. Please.”

  “Okay, sweetie. But be home before eleven. Your mom will not be happy if she sees you strolling in after she get's home from work.”

  “Daddy, you're the best!” My excitement couldn't be contained as I ran to him and kissed him on the cheek.

  “I've got to go get ready. Do you need me to fix you some supper before I leave?”

  “Baby, I am thirty-seven years old. I can make my own dinner. But thank you,” he gave me a big grin letting me know he would be okay without me there to eat dinner with him as I usually did.

  “Alright Daddy. Thank you. I love you.”

  I made my way back to my room to shower and get ready for Soph to pick me up. She usually just showed up without warning and I assumed this occasion would be no different. She could be here at any moment so I hurried and took a hasty ten-minute shower. I blow dried my hair straight in record time and put on a minimal amount of makeup. With a rich charcoal liner framing my eyes, a bit of powder, some bronzer, and a light coating of sheer pink gloss I was ready to go in no time flat.

  It was late fall and a bit brisk out even though we lived in northern Florida. As I slid into a pair of torn up medium wash skinny jeans, I gave myself a quick glance in the mirror. As I eyed every inch of my mid-section, I pursed my lips at my fuller figure. Before this year I had paid no attention to what I ate, the number on the scale, or the size of my jeans. Something changed in me, though I couldn't be quite sure what it was. All of a sudden I had become obsessed with the way I looked.

  After one last swift look over my body, I rolled my eyes before making my way to my closet, and pulling out a white cowl neck sweater. The material of the sweater was soft to the touch like cashmere and as I slipped it over my head, I relished in the feeling of it against my bare skin.

  “Em! Sophie's here!”

  “Yeah, be right out,” I shouted back to my dad on the other side of the house as I slipped on my favorite pair of black ballet flats.

  I grabbed my purse and flipped the light switch on my way to the front door.

  “Sexy!”

  “Whatever Soph,” I rolled my eyes at her and gave her a cheesy grin.

  “So... guess who the newest associate at The Shriner Theater is? This girl.” She didn't give me a chance to respond before she blurted it out.

  I gave her a huge grin and jumped up and down like five-year-old that had just won a years supply of cotton candy, before tossing my arms around her and embracing her in a quick hug.

  “Cool!”

  “I start tomorrow night. So the movie is on me tonight honey,” she barked back.

  “Sweet! Free is awesome.”

  “Hi Sophie. Please drive safe tonight and have my baby home before eleven...”

  “Dad.....” my eyes pleaded with him not to embarrass me.

  “No problem Mr. Evans,” Sophie smiled at my dad as she yanked me out the front door.

  “Bye girls. Have a good time,” my dad barely got the words out before we slammed the door shut and ran to Soph's car that was parked on the street.

  As we hopped into the car, I fastened my seat belt before asking what movie we would be catching.

  “What's good that's playing at the theater?”

  Sophie shot back at me with a confused look.

  “You work there now. You have no idea what's playing?”

  “No. And technically I don't start until tomorrow. But I think that new Channing Tatum moving is playing,” she wiggled her eye brows at me.

  She knew I had a thing for Channing Tatum. And if my mom hadn't found my vibrator under my mattress she would've never known I had masturbated thinking about him nearly every night after my parents went to sleep.

  Yeah... it was absolutely horrifying when my parent's bought me a new mattress over the summer and they were getting rid of the old one, it had completely slipped my mind that my battery operated boyfriend was tucked in tightly between the box-spring and the mattress. When my mom discovered it, she grasped it with just the tips of two fingers, making sure as little of her fingers touched it as possible. The only thing she said was “What's this?” as she dangled it in front of me. Embarrassed, I tried as hard as I could not to turn bright red, but I felt the blush creep up my cheeks anyway. I made up some story about how Soph had gotten it for me as a gag gift and I didn't know what to do with it, so I just hid it instead.

  Yeah right. If mom only knew how much pleasure that BOB had brought this pathetic virgin. After it happened, I had confided to Sophie about the totally mortifying discovery my mom had made. As a result, she laughed her ass off and we agreed we'd never speak about it again.

  All of the girls in school were “doing it”, but I had guarded my V-card with every bit of might I had. I wasn't so willing to give mine up, but lately Sophie wouldn't shut up about how bad she wanted to. I was sure she'd give it up the first chance she had. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't curious, but I was a bit more hesitant to jump in the sack with the first guy who pursued me.

  However, my mom and dad were strict when it came to that. We hadn't had the first discussion about me not dating, but I knew sex was completely out of the question. I was their little girl and although I was just fifteen, they weren't ready to even think of me as a woman yet. I supposed I didn't blame them either. There had been exactly one boy I had ever kissed and I wasn't even sure that you could even consider it a real kiss. When I was in seventh grade, my church youth group took a bunch of us rambunctious pre-teens to a weekend retreat. On the bus ride there, we played trut
h or dare in the back of the bus. I was dared to kiss Michael Grant and we did kiss, but it was so quick that I didn't even really feel his lips on mine before he pulled away. It was a total waste of a first kiss. Considering that I had not even experienced a real kiss made the idea of losing my virginity completely insane.

  “Perfect! Channing it is!”

  The theater was just a quick fifteen-minute drive from my house, and as we made it there, we rolled down the windows and rocked out to Blink 182. The sun had already set and the temperature was dropping quickly. As we pulled into the theater, we noticed that it was already swarming with kids from school. The theater was basically the local hangout and those who weren't there, were more than likely out getting wasted off of cheap vodka at a house party because someone's parents were out of town for the weekend.

  Drinking hadn't really been my thing and I could count on one hand the number of times I had actually been to a high school party. Yet another perk of being in with the popular crowd was getting a personal invitation to the hottest parties, something which had never really happened to me and Soph. The few we'd actually been to had been a last minute invite by someone at the bottom of the popular pyramid.

  The last one we went to a few weeks back had been a total bust. Everyone there stared at us like fish out of water when we walked in. At one point I whispered to Soph that we were totally out of our element and perhaps we should just leave. She insisted we stay because it gave us a chance to mingle. Lucky for us, someone called the cops and within twenty minutes of us being there we were running through a field behind the house in a desperate attempt not to get taken to juvie. We didn't get caught, but by the time we made it back to the mall where her mom had dropped us off earlier that night, we had been eaten alive by mosquitoes and my feet hurt so bad I thought they were going to fall off.

  After that, I told her I would never lie to my parents about what we were doing only to end up in a similar situation again.