"What?" Henry asked.
"Well, we have a couple of traditions," I said. "There is disco dancing with everyone...and Spin the Bottle."
"Blimey! Are you guys thirteen...is this a joke?" Henry asked.
I laughed, unsure if my blushing cheeks were showing through the white makeup I had on. "Well, we were when we started these traditions," I said. "But sadly, no. And we have to play."
"Just brilliant..." Henry said to himself.
Henry looked slightly nervous when we went inside, where there were now fewer people. Several people, knowing of the traditions to come, had bailed early on the party. The rest of them were already sitting in a circle as Henry and I joined them, including David and Lauren. Everyone else in that circle I generally had no real problem with.
And so the game began. Person after person got picked. We would chime together with laughter when a guy spun and it landed in front of a guy-of course, a re-spin was allowed in that situation. However, the girls were a different story, most my friends were so used to each other that they just went through with it as a big joke. I had to kiss Lukas, Amanda, Erin and some guy named Jesse. If you refused to kiss someone, you had to remove an article of clothing.
By the time we had been playing for an hour, everyone had taken at least two things off. I was still relatively safe, with having to take just my stockings off and the cuffs, which I counted as clothing much to Henry's chagrin. I was thinking of what I'd take off next, when I noticed the bottle was pointed at me.
"Oh...who spun it?" I asked and looked up laughing. Lena was giving me a look of dread as she pointed at David. "Oh...come on." The person who spun the bottle had the right to refuse, but the person it landed in front of didn't.
"Come on Krissy, just think of the old times," David said and gave me a slow, sinister smirk. He crawled across the circle and was now kneeling in front of me.
"Just do it," someone said.
"You don't have to tell me twice," David said. He leaned in and kissed me, while I clamped my mouth shut. It probably only lasted eight or nine seconds, but his cold, dry lips felt like they lingered for minutes. I heard Henry mutter something and then David backed away from me.
"Don't spin it too much, love," Henry whispered to me.
I nodded a little bit, grabbed the bottle and spun it. I smiled when it slowed down and pointed at Henry.
"Well, looky there. Fancy a snog, love?" he said.
I laughed at his cute British lingo. "Duh," I said, grabbing his head and forcing his lips unto mine. We weren't just kissing; we were playing tonsil hockey in front of the whole circle. I wouldn't doubt that we went way over the required seven seconds.
"Jeez, get a room," someone finally said. Henry pulled away from me but his taste lingered on my tongue.
"Okay, it's your turn," I said, trying not to laugh. Henry spun the bottle and...it landed in front of me. "Okay, we're out of the game."
"Why?" Lena asked.
"Because we're gonna take up everyone's fun," I said, picking up my stockings and cuffs.
We said goodnight to everyone, then Henry and I went upstairs to the room Darla gave us. I flopped down on the bed and put my arm over my eyes. "I can't believe I had to kiss David...bleh!"
"Rescued you though, didn't I?" Henry boasted.
"Hello...I spun the bottle," I said.
"You deprived me of a kiss, love," complained Henry, lying on his side next to me. I looked down to where his hand was moving on my stomach. "I think you owe me one," he hinted.
"In the morning," I responded. "I'm too tired now." I closed my eyes. Henry pinched me and I opened one eye. "Leave me alone, you maniac." I smiled at him and gave him a peck on the forehead before Henry lay down on his back. I fell asleep before him, I think.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
HENRY
I WOKE UP when the sun hit my face. Then I heard a grumble and remembered I was at Darla's. I opened my eyes and looked down at Kris's reddish-blonde head on my chest. I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was asleep. She had nodded off before me last night and I watched her for a while before falling asleep myself.
Now I was watching her again. Her hand moved and brushed over one of my bruises. I flinched, which I guess woke her up, because she lifted her head off my chest and blinked at me with her bright blue eyes.
"Mornin', love," I greeted her.
"What time is it?"
I spotted a clock. "Eleven thirty."
"Oh...got half an hour," Kris said.
"Well," I said, smirking, "you still owe me a kiss, miss."
"I do?" Kris asked.
"Indeed," I said.
Next thing I knew, she was pressing her lips against mine. God, how I loved the feel of that! Lauren was good, but there was no comparison to Kris-these Americans could snog! I put my hands on her hips and she got on top of me. This girl was brilliant, even though she had no idea what she was doing to my bollocks. I felt the now all too familiar ache in my groin. I had kept myself in control for as long as possible, but if she didn't stop soon, I was going to lose it. My grip on her waist tightened and she wiggled slightly, making me even more uncomfortable. Then she started moving against me and I realized Kris knew exactly what she was doing. I decided to tease the little minx right back by leaning down to kiss her neck. Kris moaned and arched her back, pressing her chest and stomach against me.
"Kris, Henry! Are you two awake yet, or just messing around?" Lena's voice came through the door. Kris jumped off me and leaned her head back against the pillow.
"We're awake," she said.
"Ok. Well hurry up if you wanna come out for lunch with us," Lena called.
"Right, will do," I replied. While I was listening to Lena's footsteps fade from the door, I was aware of Kris' hand playing with my hair.
"Think we should go?" Kris asked.
"Might as well," I said, climbing out of bed.
Kris looked at me, confused, but got off the bed as well. I watched her run her fingers through her hair and straighten out her clothes before opening the door and leaving. Then I followed her out of the room, doing up the buttons on my shirt.
After having lunch with the group, I had to get home, so I drove Kris back to her place and told her that I'd see her later. When I walked into my own house, it was to Dad and Rachel fighting.
"Oh, come on! It's not that bad," Dad said.
"What's it now, then?" I asked.
"Rachel doesn't want to go to the cottage for Thanksgiving," Dad said.
"What cottage?" I asked.
"Diane and I purchased one at Severn Lake," Dad said. "We wanted to have a place where we could have fun as a family."
"I already told Mom that I have plans," Rachel said. " She is totally fine with it!"
"Don't try forcing her, Dad," I said. "She's a girl, so she could go absolutely mental at any minute."
"If I had something to throw, I'd be throwing it at you right now," Rachel said.
"Oh, I think I weed myself a bit, Rachy," I retorted.
I didn't even wait for a reply before going up the stairs to my room. I threw my shirt off and lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about what Kris said before I left her.
After a while, someone rang the doorbell and I heard Rachel talking with someone whose familiar laugh I knew all too well.
"Oh, no!" I shouted, jumped off the bed and bolted down the stairs to see Kris sitting in the living room with Rachel laughing about something.
"She wasn't telling me about you," Kris reassured me after seeing my horrified face.
"I was telling her what my friends and I do," Rachel said.
"We have a lot in common, actually," Kris observed.
"Oh, bloody hell!" I cried.
Kris laughed and stood up. She walked over and put her arms around my neck. Instantly my hands went onto her hips.
She explained to me, "You're probably wondering why I'm here. Well, I got bored at home by myself, so I thought I'd come over."
I looked over her shoulder at Rachel. "How bout we go somewhere where my sister won't be?" I said, sticking my tongue out at Rachel.
Kris giggled and nodded. I thought about bringing her upstairs, but then suggested the games room in our lower level. We were playing a game of billiards and Kris looked at me seductively as she bent over to line up the cue ball. I tried to resist looking down her shirt, but my eyes disobeyed me and I looked anyway.
I honestly hadn't a clue if Kris was doing all this just to drive me mental, or not. I was amazed at how much self-control I had, though. The entire time I craved throwing my cue down and laying her on the table. I was leaning against the wall behind her as she bent over to line up a shot. It was the first time I noticed a scar that went nearly from hip to hip. Frowning, I stepped over to her to get a better look.
"What happened here, love?" I asked, gently tracing the scar. I felt her shiver as she stood up.
"Oh that? I got into a fight a while back with some jerk who wouldn't leave Lena and me alone. He dragged me along a brick wall and I wound up with that. It could have been worse, but we kicked his ass and sent him home crying to his mommy." She smiled triumphantly, while I just laughed-I figured she was full of it but decided not to ask her again.
Sometime during the game, Rachel yelled down that she was leaving. My dad and step-mum were out for the night, so Kris and I were the only ones left. Feeling hot, I took off my shirt and threw it over a chair in the corner. Kris stared at me in what looked like repressed anger.
"Well, go on, then," I pleaded.
"Am I ever going to find out how you got these?" Kris asked, running a finger over my scratches and bruises.
I might have answered if her mobile hadn't rung. Kris answered it and chatted for a while before she hung up and said she had to go home. I sighed, put my shirt back on and drove her home. She gave me a quick kiss, told me that she'd see me tomorrow and ran quickly into her house.
I wasn't positive, but I thought she appeared to be on about something.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KRIS
I SAT AT the table between Megan and our cousin, Stephanie. Friday we had found out Grandma had a bad fall and was in the hospital, which was the reason I had to leave Henry's early. I didn't tell him because I didn't want him to worry about me more than I knew he already did. Besides, he'd probably go and try to beat up the staircase she fell down and I didn't want him anymore bruised up than he was.
On Sunday, we visited Grandma in the hospital and discovered that she had improved since we last saw her. Today, Monday, I got called out of school and now we were sitting in the hospital cafeteria. Uncle Ethan, Stephanie's mom-my Aunt Joan, as well as our great aunt and uncle, were with Grandma right now. Something wasn't right. I just knew it.
"I can't stand this anymore...I'm going outside," I said. Once outside, I flipped open my phone. I didn't care who I called...I just wanted to call one of my friends for support.
"Kris! Oh, my God, where are you?" Darla's voice asked. "Henry said you were called out of class to go to the office and you never came back."
"My grandma is in the hospital and I don't know what's going on!" I said. I put my hand over my mouth and blinked rapidly to stop from crying.
"Oh, God! Are you serious?" Darla asked.
"Yes." I said. Unable to choke back the tears, I collapsed down against the wall and wrapped my arm around my legs.
"Hold on," Darla said.
"Oh, Kris, are you alright?" Lena's voice suddenly asked.
"Did you guys put me on speaker phone?" I asked, laughing and crying and wiping the tears from my face with my sleeve.
"Yeah," Amanda said.
"So you don't know anything?" Lena asked.
"No," I said. "I'm scared. I don't know what's going on and I don't know what to do."
"Awww, Krissy..." Darla said. "I wish we could be there but all the guys are at work."
"They have jobs?" I asked.
"Yeah, didn't you know that?" Amanda wondered. "They all applied at the club."
"And they got the jobs?" I asked, still not believing it.
"Yeah...I think Lukas said something about the joys of having a fake ID," Lena said.
"Kris, what hospital are you at?" Lena's voice rang through the receiver.
"Memorial Hospital, near where my grandma lives," I said.
I was about to say more when I heard Stephanie call my name from the doorway.
"I gotta go, guys," I said then flipped my phone shut and ran over to her. "Are we allowed to see Grandma yet?"
"Not yet," Stephanie answered. "But we will soon. Uncle Ethan just told us that." I nodded and followed her back inside.
We did get to see Grandma...for maybe ten minutes. Unfortunately, she looked really pale and her breathing didn't sound right. All of us refused to leave, so we wound up spending the night at the hospital. Uncle Ethan called the schools, telling them that Megan and I wouldn't be in the following day. I doubted I'd want to go to school at all this week; it was no secret that out of all her grandchildren, I was the most attached to her. And no matter what anyone said, I could tell she wasn't getting any better.
I must have fallen asleep, because I felt someone shaking me lightly and I heard a familiar accent calling my name softly. When I opened my eyes, I saw Henry kneeling in front of me.
"Lena told me that I should come see how you're doing, love," Henry said. I looked around and saw that, apart from a nurse, we were alone. He took my hands and looked at them for a while, before looking back at me. "Let's go for a walk," he suggested. "We won't go far."
I sighed and we took off down the hall, hand in hand, walking slowly.
"Did you meet anyone here yet?" I asked after a while.
"Just Megan and your cousin. I think everyone else was with your grandma."
I looked at him and noticed that most of his bruises were gone and his black eye was healed, but his lip had a scar from the cut that had been there.
"How'd you get here?" I asked.
"Left school at lunch," Henry said. "Told them I wasn't feeling well."
We walked around the hospital for about fifteen minutes, mostly talking about the work I was missing at school. When we decided to head back to the waiting room, Megan and Stephanie was there, along with Stephanie's mom, Aunt Joan.
I introduced them. "Aunt Joan, this is Henry."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss," Henry said.
"I've heard a lot about you," Joan said.
I raised an eyebrow. I had never told her about Henry, so I glared at Megan, who was trying exceedingly hard to look innocent. "From the sounds of things, you're a definite upgrade from Kristina's ex-boyfriend. Oh, what was his name? Dale...Dan...?"
"David," Megan offered.
"I'd be careful if I were you though, Henry. Ethan is very protective of Kristina," Joan warned.
"He'll probably give you the evil eye for hours," Stephanie added.
A few minutes later, Ethan sauntered down the hall towards us. "So, you must be Henry."
"Yes, sir," Henry said.
"We finally get a chance to meet," Ethan said. "May I speak to you alone for a minute, Henry?"
"Be nice," Joan said.
I gave Henry's hand a squeeze before he followed Uncle Ethan down the hall and around the corner. This wasn't exactly the ideal setting for my boyfriend to meet my uncle. Truth be told, I didn't want them to meet at all.
I wondered what Henry would say. Uncle Ethan was good at telling if someone was lying, whether it was someone he knew his whole life or someone he had just met. Would he wind up making Henry spill the truth about how this whole thing started as a way to get back at our exes? Sometimes I didn't really know what was fake or real with Henry anymore-it just felt good, whatever it was. Henry was doing things I never expected from him, like running to my aid at a time like this just because Lena called him and told him to.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I STOOD SPEECHLESS at the spe
ctacle before me. This just wasn't possible. Megan must have also thought it was amusing because I heard her giggle as Henry and Uncle Ethan were walking back to us, laughing as if they were long-time friends or something. I think I felt my heart stop for a second when Henry came and hugged me. At least I was at a hospital if I had a heart attack.
"What's going on?" I asked in suspicion.
"Your uncle knows my dad," Henry said.
"Charles Wilson! He does the finances for my clubs!" Uncle Ethan said in excitement. "I knew he had just moved here from England, but I didn't know he was your father! Guess I should have put two and two together..."
I couldn't believe it! Uncle Ethan's accountant was my boyfriend's father. There were so many surprises with this boy. I felt a huge sense of relief that Uncle Ethan and Henry were on good terms due to their newfound mutual connection.
Henry took my hand. "I must get going, pet."
I was disappointed, but I promised I would walk him back to his car.
He climbed in and rolled down the window. "Will you be coming back to school anytime soon?"
"I'm not sure, Henry," I said, tucking my hair behind my ear
He reached out the window and pulled me in close. "It'll all get better, love," he said. "You'll see."
"How do you know?" I asked.
"I'm psychic, absolutely mental..." Henry said. This made me smile. "See, already got you smiling, didn't I?" He leaned forward and kissed me softly.
I watched his taillights until they disappeared onto the highway before I went back into the hospital.
For the rest of the day, all I could think about was how sweet he was. All the stuff he'd done for me, a lot of guys wouldn't do for their own family, much less their girlfriends. I loved him so much for it. I think that feeling had been there for so long, but I never acknowledged it. I guess it scared me to think that I actually did love him. I felt sort of sick about it too, because I had probably set myself up for a big heartbreak. As soon as Lauren threw herself at Henry, he'd go back to her, I was sure of it.
Then again, maybe he wouldn't. Suddenly I wasn't sure about anything. A fake boyfriend wouldn't ditch school to spend time with his girlfriend, especially since he didn't have to. What did he tell Uncle Ethan about us? I started for Grandma's room, wondering if I could get him to tell me, but doubted that I could because Uncle Ethan was like a vault.
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