The Night He Saved Me

by Sarah Stevens

  “Hey, boss, can we get a couple lattes?”

  “Sure,” replies James

  “Kat, what do you want?” Jayce looks at me

  “Um, I guess I will take something with caramel. I usually don’t get anything fancy, just a coffee with lots of sugar.”

  “You got it. Boss, can I get a caramel macchiato for Kat and mocha for myself?”

  “Sure, coming right up. You’re looking really fancy tonight; heading off to prom?”

  I go to reply, but as soon as I open my mouth, Jayce replies for me. For some reason, that infuriates me. It’s like I am not even there, almost like Jayce doesn’t want me to even talk to James. The question is, why? Why is he against me talking to his boss? Is he jealous?

  I stand there like I am invisible while Jayce says, “Yeah, we are heading off to Kat’s prom, should be a good time tonight.”

  The look on his face makes it seem like he is expecting more from me. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

  “Sounds fun, hope you have a great time,” James says as he hands us our drinks. But the look on his face is different than I have seen before—his jaw is clenched, and it’s obvious he has more to say but won’t.

  James

  Because Jayce took Kat to prom, it’s up to me to close the shop tonight. I’m miserable thinking about them together on a date, even if he insists that they’re out only as friends. As I clean up the counter area, I look up when I hear the door. Great. They just walked in and damn does she look beautiful in her dress. I feel my dick twitch, and I have to mentally change my train of thought.

  Jayce wears this smug look on his face, so happy to have Kat right where he wants her, but Kat doesn’t look as happy as she should on prom night. She looks right into my eyes, and I see something in her gorgeous blue eyes I haven’t seen before, I just don’t know what it is.

  Jayce asks if he can get their coffee on the house, and I agree, but only for this beautiful girl in front of me. I try to play it cool, get their drinks, and get them out of here and on their way, but then Jayce makes a comment about their night.

  “Should be a good time tonight.”

  My jaw clenches at his innuendo of how good a night it will be, but the look in Kat’s eyes tells me different. She has no expectations of the night unlike Jayce. With her reaction, I feel a bit better, but not completely. I hand them their drinks, tell them to have a good night, and watch them walk away toward the door.

  “Thanks for the coffee,” Kat says over her shoulder as they walk out the door.

  I let out a breath and relax my jaw a bit as I start back to work: cleaning up and waiting for the next customer.

  Katarina

  Once we get to the hotel where prom is being held, we park the car and walk into the ballroom. It is decorated in light-blue and silver, almost reminding me of Cinderella’s dress. The music is pounding out the latest Taylor Swift song and we make our way to our friends’ table.

  I look over to Bren and say, “This is beautiful. I think I’m glad you made me come after all.” Once we say hi to our friends and introduce the guys to everyone, we go over to the cliché arch to have our official prom pictures taken. Finally, the formalities are over and we all decide to hit the dance floor. So far, everything is going great; we dance and get punch, then dance some more. As the song ends, we hear the mic being picked up and then the announcements start.

  “Welcome to the Greyson/Sr. Martha’s 2016 Junior/Senior prom! It is time to announce Prom King and Queen. First off, the prom king … Darren Knight, come get your crown!” Everyone hoots and hollers and Darren goes up to the stage. “Now, for our Queen of the night … Let’s welcome Brenda Wilkins, or as everyone knows her as Bren, to the stage.”

  Rushing over to Bren, I give her a hug to congratulate her before she goes to grab her crown. I kinda figured she would get it, but I didn’t think she actually cared. We stick around a little while longer. I stand there and watch Bren and Darren have their King and Queen dance under the mirror ball. After her dance, we all dance a while before we decide it is time to go. When we get out to the lobby and start to move to the door, Bren grabs my arm and stops me.

  “Hey, there is a party going on tonight at Lucca’s, do you want to go?”

  “Dressed like this?” I ask.

  “Sure, why not, we just went to prom, now it is time for some extracurricular activities. We will just look amazing doing them!”

  “Fine, let’s go,” I reply.

  We all walk out to the car and make our way to Lucca’s apartment to find that we aren’t the only ones dressed in prom attire. I didn’t realize how many people from the brother/sister schools actually were into this scene. This party is no different than the others we have been to lately, but this time I have a date, so I should be safe, right?

  Once we settle into the party and find our circle, the joint is being passed around, and then I notice on the table is the glass square and the white powder. Looks like this is going to be an interesting night again. I decide right then and there I can do the weed and I can drink but keep the powder away.

  Things are going fine for the first hour then I notice that Jayce has entered my bubble; he is right next to me, thighs touching, and he leans back and wraps his arm around my shoulders, tugging me into his side. He turns his head in my direction with a smirk on his face, like he is proud of himself. I am so stoned at this point I think I care, but I really don’t. Before I realize I am not okay with it, he leans his head closer to mine and captures my lips with his. I freeze in place, not wanting this, not wanting him. I jump back from him and get up and rush to the door, but behind me, I hear, “Kat, stop, don’t leave! Where are you going?”

  I turn around, look him in the eyes, and say, “Anywhere besides here. I told you friends; that’s all I want from you is to be friends.” I turn on my heel and slam the apartment door in his face. Bolting down the stairs and out the front door, I stop.

  “Shit, where am I going to go?”

  I have no ride. I look at my phone and notice that it is still kinda early in the night at 10:30. I’m close to The Java, and they close at 11:00, I’ll go there.

  Katarina

  I rush in the direction of The Java and make it with ten minutes to spare before closing. I think I am able to sneak in without him noticing me, but I sure as hell am not. Immediately, James makes his way over in my direction with a questioning look on his face.

  “I thought you were at prom?”

  “I was, and it was fun, but then we went to this party. I got stoned and a bit drunk and then Jayce kissed me.”

  “He did what? I thought you two were going to prom as friends. Just friends. Friends don't do that.”

  “It isn’t the first time he has kissed me. He took me home one night and pulled the same shit.”

  James’ voice got quieter, almost sweet, when he asked, “Are you okay? Do you want something to drink? What can I do for you?”

  I was beginning to realize that the only friend I had around here was James; his voice had such a caring tone to it. I wanted to hug him and maybe even cry on his shoulder. I didn’t, I just sat there and stared at him with a look of confusion. “Why are you being so nice to me when you don’t even know me?”

  James looks at me with a weird look on his face. “You remind me of someone I once knew.”

  “I don’t know what to do. I ran out of the party, no one knows where I am, and I really don’t want to call my mom for a ride home. “

  James replies, “I can take you home, just let me close up here and we can be on the way. Sure you don’t want anything to drink while you wait? Maybe something to munch on?” He has a smirk on his face and a knowing look in his eyes—he knows I’m stoned and probably guesses I have the munchies by now.

  “Sure, I’m not picky. Whatever you have would be great.”

  He brings over a blueberry muffin and a caramel macchiato like I had earlier in the night, doesn’t say a word, and walks back to the counter to
finish cleaning up for the night. For a while, I sit there in silence eating my muffin and watching him work. I should have offered to help, but the muffin was too good to walk away from. Another fifteen minutes passes by, my muffin is gone and the drink also, so I get up and walk over to the counter. “Where do you want me to put this?” I ask.

  He replies, “I’ll take it, I have some other dishes I need to wash before we can get out of here. “

  “Nope, not gonna happen. I will wash the dishes while you finish up the other stuff you need to do; it is the least I can do for you helping me out tonight.”

  “What about your dress? I don’t want you to get it dirty,” he says.

  “It’s fine, James, I’ll do the dishes and you do whatever else you need to do to clean up.” I walk to the back without another word.

  As I’m back there doing the dishes, I have some time to process this night, this train wreck of a night, actually. I get done with the dishes, dry my hands, and then think to check my phone where a text from Bren is waiting for me.

  Bren: Where did you go?

  Me: for a walk

  Me: don’t worry I have a ride home

  Bren: who?

  Me: a friend I ran into

  Bren: okay if you’re sure

  Me: call you tomorrow

  Me: Night

  Bren: okay Night

  I feel bad blowing her off but I am still upset. I know she wants me to be with Jayce, but I can’t do it. He is nice, I just can’t—not right now. She shouldn’t push it when I made it clear I wanted only friendship with Jayce to both of them. Gah, I need a vacation from this life, like yesterday. I walk back out to the café the same time James comes walking out of what I assume is his office.

  “Ready?” he asks

  “Yeah, I guess I am,” I reply.

  Then he turns around and starts walking away.

  “Um, James, the door is this way.”

  He chuckles. “I know, Kat, but the back door and my car are this way.”

  “Oh, right.” I feel like an idiot.

  Finally, we get to his car, and I’m impressed—an Infinity Q50. This car is perfection. 4-door, deep-blue, chrome rims. I think I just fell in love for the first time. At the same time, I start to feel like my naïve shy self again. I can’t believe I am with this guy that I have been crushing on from a distance for a while now.

  I start to feel my face get hot, and I thank the stars that it is dark in his car. I think my high is over now, and all I can think about now is, I can’t believe I’m this close to James. I wish I understood why he was so kind to me, why a seventeen-year-old would hold even a second of his attention. He feels like my knight in shining armor tonight, and I plan on enjoying my time with him.

  We get out onto the main street from behind his building, and then before he turns, he looks over to me with a questioning look. “Where to?”

  Oh, my god, I feel so stupid. “Oh yeah, um head on out to Congress St. I actually live a bit away from the city. I forgot to tell you I’m over in Falmouth.”

  “Oh, it’s fine, I don’t have anywhere else to be. I’d rather make sure you get home and aren’t in a place you don’t feel right being,” he says.

  We spend a majority of the drive in silence as I fall in love even more with his car. Once we start to get close, I give him directions and then we are in front of my house. “Thanks, James, I appreciate the ride and the place to hang out away from my crazy life.”

  “No problem, Kat, I’m glad I was there to help you when you needed it.”

  I lean over and give him a hug. He hesitates for a moment, is stiff in my arms, and then as I am about to release him, he wraps his arms around me and squeezes me back. I really want to kiss him, but I won’t. I can’t. I don’t have the courage to do something that bold, so I enjoy the feel of his hard body for a few seconds before I get out of his car.

  “Thanks again.”

  Katarina

  It has been a week since I have seen either boy. Heck, I have barely gone to school lately. I have been feeling like total crap all day every day, I haven’t even been able to eat anything besides a bit of a plain bagel and some ginger ale. Something is seriously wrong with me, but I hate going to the doctor, so I decide to text Bren since she is supposed to stop by anyway with my school work I have missed.

  Me: Hey are you bringing my work over this afternoon?

  Bren: Yeah I was just getting it all together for you

  Me: Oh joy things I have to look forward to.

  Me: I seriously don’t know what is wrong with me!

  Bren: I will be over in about 45

  Me: okay see you then

  While I wait for her to arrive, I grab a cold washcloth and put it on my forehead and close my eyes. Is this ever going to stop? Of course, right when I feel my eyes about to shut is when Bren arrives on the scene. She has all my books and assignments, and she even brought me a joint.

  “I hear this is supposed to help with the nausea,” she says as she winks at me.

  “Good looking out!” I reply. “Let’s go on the back porch.”

  We head out to the back porch and get settled in. I pull my feet up beneath me and grab a lighter.

  “So, how has school been?”

  “Not nearly as great without you there.”

  “I hope to go back on Monday but this feeling won’t go away. I seriously don’t know what is going on.”

  As I pass the joint in her direction she looks at me and asks, “Silly question, but, could you be pregnant?”

  Shocked, I reply, “What? No. Shit, could I be?”

  Bren looks at me and says,” When did you have your last period? I had mine the week before prom, and we are usually not that far apart.”

  I pull out my phone and check the calendar; I haven’t had a period in almost seven weeks. Crap, this can’t be real. Looking at my calendar, I start repeating, “No, no, no, no, no. It can’t be. No.”

  A lone tear falls down my cheek; I quickly wipe it away and look up at Bren.

  “Oh, girl, we need to run out and get you a test. No matter what, I am here for you. But, first things first. Finish this joint with me before we find out if you can’t anymore.” Bren was serious, so we did, then she made me get into her car and drive to the store for a test. She is with me every step of the way. I think it is more because I am like dead weight walking than anything; she has to push me along. Quickly, we buy the test and go straight back to my house. I can do this, it is just a little test; it won’t change my life or anything.

  I walk out of the bathroom with the test on the sink still and sit down next to Bren.

  “What did it say?”

  “We have to wait a few more minutes then go and check.” I feel numb all over. This can’t be happening. My mom is going to kill me. My life is over.

  As the minutes go by, I sit there with so many thoughts in my head. When the time is up, I make my way to the bathroom with Bren on my heels.

  I look down at the test and start to cry—two pink lines. I’m pregnant. Bren looks over my shoulder to see the test.

  "Shit, girl! Who did you sleep with?” Bren instantly reacts, and then she looks at me. I am nothing but a crying mess, so with her arms wrapped around me, we sink to the floor.

  “It was one stupid night. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  James

  I can’t get the hug out of my head from that night. She felt so good in my arms. But now I don’t know where she is or if she is okay. It has been over a week since I saw Kat walk through her door. She has never been gone off the grid for this long before. I wish I could ask Jayce about her, see if he knows anything, but then he would start to ask questions. What I really want to do is punch him in the face for treating Kat the way he did on prom night. I am just glad she felt like my shop was a place she could come to, and even better, the fact that she trusted me to take her home.

  This girl doesn’t even know she has me wrapped around her finger. Hell, I want t
o protect her like she is mine to protect. I want to make her mine in more ways than one, but I can’t. I know her eighteenth birthday is coming up, but I don’t know what the date is and she has graduation too. These things should be enough to halt my thoughts about her, but there is just something that draws me to her. It may be her innocence, but she is so beautiful.

  I hope she is okay, because it is killing me not knowing.

  Katarina

  I don’t know how long we sat on the bathroom floor, Bren holding me and rubbing my back as I cried, but eventually she had to leave—telling me to call her whenever I needed her—and the sun has long since been down below the horizon.

  My mom has been home from work for a while now; I have been avoiding her since she got home. I decide to go into my bathroom and splash some cold water on my face to see if that would make me feel any better. I wish, but it won’t wash away the fact that I am pregnant.

  “Kat, dinner's ready, you coming down?” my mom yells up to me.

  I crack my door and yell down, “I’ll be there in a minute, Mom.”

  I drag myself out my door and down the stairs and plaster on a happy face.

  “Kat, you okay? You still don’t look great,” my mom says to me as I take a seat at the table. She made teriyaki chicken and rice, and it smelled good for the first second until, suddenly, it makes me sick to my stomach.

  “Yeah, Mom, I still don’t feel great, but I’ll be okay. This looks great,” I lie. I pick my fork up and stab a piece of chicken, forcing myself to put it in my mouth and eat it. Okay, one piece down, so many more to go. I continue to eat and hold my sick feeling at bay. When dinner is done, I help clean up some before I head back to my room.

  My mom is going to kill me when she finds out.

  One week until my mom's wedding.

  Two weeks until graduation.

  Three weeks until my birthday.

  I’ll wait until after my birthday to tell her; then I will be an adult and she can’t ground me or whatever she wants to do. She is still going to want to kill me, but I can do this, right?