by Segunda L.
I pulled a chair to sit down. Lennon was sitting beside me, he refilled my drink and said, “Drink up, superstar.” I accepted without any intention of drinking it, my whole attention focused on Frank and TJ.
TJ’s aim was slightly off when he took his shot. The pingpong ball didn’t hit any of the cups. It bounced off the table and flew to my direction. I caught it, and tossed it back to Frank. He mumbled his thanks and faced TJ again, making a show of flexing his arms before pitching the ball.
“Loser.” Frank teased as soon as the ball hit the cup.
TJ snorted and said, “You just got lucky.” He picked up the two cup which the ball hit, drained it down and turned it upside down as proof that it was empty. “My turn.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” Frank insisted. I was beginning to think he was doing it on purpose to keep distracting TJ. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working anymore. TJ hit two cups, getting an excited cheer from the crowd.
“Answer the question. Everyone in this room wants to know.” Lennon, the idiot, elbowed me and included me in their conversation. “Even Jared wants to know. Right, Jared?” The people’s eyes were on me, expecting a reply. TJ even stopped what he was doing and waited for my answer.
“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” I was tempted to take a drink from my cup but I decided against it. I needed to stay sober for the night. Alcohol in my system made me mouthy. That was the least of the things I wanted to happen to me right now.
Frank wouldn’t give TJ a rest, he pried on. “You’ve been hanging out with her. A lot. The boys are starting to think that you―.”
“That I like her? Because I do.” TJ said, the tone of his voice not faltering. Hushed whispers in the room started to spread. Heads snapped in Samara’s way. People were studying her. Judging her. The distaste in people’s eyes was hard to miss. She was still in the living room, drinking orange juice, unaware that she was going to be the center of people’s gossips for the next few weeks. TJ left the beerpong table and walked over to her. The crowd parted, giving way to him. Samara smiled when she spotted him and I felt an ache in my chest. TJ offered his hand and she accepted it, pulling her up to her feet.
TJ shouted over the loud music, “Hey, Frank! Her name is Samara. You might wanna remember the name of my girlfriend.” With that, he tipped her chin and kissed her lips full on in front of the whole school.
There it was. A kiss to seal the deal. This was a time for celebration. I should be rejoicing with them. I should... There was something stuck in my throat. I lifted the cup to my lips and drank some of its contents. Yeah, so where was I...I should be genuinely happy... This was what I was expecting after all.
Again, there was a lump in my throat. To clear it up, I snatched the cup again and drank some more only to find it already empty. Lennon who was refilling his own drink shook his head and said, “What a shocker,” as he watched in awe the public display of affection of TJ and Samara. Grabbing the glass out of Lennon’s hand, I refilled my cup and quickly drained it within seconds.
The room became too small for me. Never knew until this day that I was claustrophobic. I stood up, stumbling and nearly knocking off a bottle of gin. Lennon caught it with his quick reflexes, “What the hell, dude?” He said, the liquid spilling all over his right arm and pants. Before he could complain about it, I rushed into the crowd. The music changed and played a techno beat. The smell of the air was a mix of sweat and smoke. Skin to skin, the people danced. Swayed. And let loose of themselves. All the while all I could think of was the need to get away. To escape.
There was one room in the house that was off limits. It was my Mom’s favorite place in the entire house. I rammed my fingers inside my pocket and pulled out the set of keys. At the far end of the second floor was my sanctuary. I passed by a couple making out in the dark. They were too busy fondling each other to notice me opening the door.
Once I was inside, I slammed it shut to drown all the noise outside. I didn’t bother switching on the chandelier. The lights coming from the party downstairs reached the windows of the room. It was bright enough to see my way.
That was when I saw a shadow looming beside the bookshelf. Startled, I stepped back, and ended up hitting the door with a strong force. A little disoriented, I lost my balance and landed with my ass on the floor. “Ugh,” I groaned, “who’s there?” I asked as I caressed my hip bone, checking for damage.
“It’s Trix. You okay?” She came out from the darkness and walked towards the window, basking in the light. She wore a tight shirt with a band’s name on it paired with a leather skirt and net stockings. She stooped low and tipped her neck, checking out my pathetic position. She ticked her tongue and asked, “Wasted already?”
Instead of standing up, I slumped back down. “Absolutely not. I only had two to drink.” Then I remembered it was Lennon who gave me the drink. He was known for creating drinks that could knock out an elephant. “How did you get in here?” At least I was still sober enough to know that the room was locked and only I had the key.
“Just one of many talents.” She shrugged, and stood up. Not bothering to elaborate on that. “What are you doing here anyway?” Her boots clicked on the floor as she walked back where she came from, a shelf with my mom’s favorite collection of books on it. My mom was a bibliophile, she had this room built as her private library.
“Uh, it’s my house?” I said in a “duh” tone.
Trix scanned through the rows of books. I followed her with my eyes. In the dimly lit room, her pale skin glowed. “And your party too. So why aren’t you out there?” She asked as she pulled a book out of the shelf.
I ignored her question and asked instead, “Have you heard the latest goss? Samara and TJ getting together?” This got her attention. I was suddenly more interesting than the books in front of her. I knew this because she glanced my way and held my gaze as she said, “And you’re not gonna do anything about it? I thought you had a thing for Sam.”
My eyes popped and my jaw slacked, her question caught me off guard. “I… that’s…not.”
She shrugged again, returning her attention back on the book. “Well, it’s just a thought.”
Was I really that obvious? “Samara doesn’t like me that way. She’s in love with TJ.” I found myself spilling the truth. I knew I should stop myself but my mouth developed a mind of its own. “And TJ feels the same way for her. No matter how I look at it, I just don’t see myself in the picture.” Trix saw through me already. Just like Carrie. These girls were hyper-intuitive. I toyed with the keys on my hand while waiting for Trix to say something back.
“You’re giving up, huh. That’s probably for the best.” She returned the book back on the shelf. “You probably wanna be alone right now. So I’ll be on my way.” Fixing her sling bag, she stole a quick glance at me, I caught her looking because I was watching her from my corner. She walked in a rush, her boots going on a steady rhythm with each step she took. I was blocking the doorway, she stopped in front of me and waited for me to move. Budging to the right, I gave way to let her pass through.
Trix reached for the doorknob. Weather it was the alcohol or me talking, I grabbed her hand and said, “Stay,” sounding almost a plea with my gaze on the floor, “stay for the night.” I repeated, lifting my eyes to see her face.
Trix’s body froze from my touch. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. “Okay,” she answered as she laced her fingers with mine.
END OF BOOK I
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Segunda L. is often busy daydreaming and in rare occasions that she isn’t, you'll find her hanging out with cousins or friends, possibly in a loud fit of giggle. She also enjoys writing down about her daydreams and turning it into novels.
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