Meet Me There

by Judy Corry

  MysteryGirl: Sad. I was really hoping you had a huge bump on your back and interesting-looking eyes. That's totally my type.

  BritishBoy: So you have a type, then?

  I thought about all the guys I'd liked through the years. Most of them had been tall, since I didn't like the idea of being taller than the guy I was dating. They also usually had brown hair. I couldn't remember half of their eye color, but I did love a good golden brown.

  Luke's face popped into my head. Which was weird. I'd never had a crush on him. Maybe his face came to my mind because I'd just been thinking about the dance competition?

  I didn't know if I wanted to tell British Boy about my preferences toward guys. He already seemed self-conscious of his looks. Would he be less likely to meet if he didn't have brown hair and brown eyes?

  But I decided to take a chance. My Biology teacher last year had told us that darker colors were dominant, so maybe I'd get lucky and say the right thing to British Boy.

  MysteryGirl: Brown hair and brown eyes are my fav but personality trumps all that.

  You could be the hottest guy in the world, but if you treated me like garbage, it was over. I'd definitely learned that lesson the hard way before and wasn't about to make the same mistake again.

  BritishBoy: Then I might be in trouble.

  MysteryGirl: Because of the brown hair and eyes, or personality?

  BritishBoy: Personality.

  So he was my type. Nice.

  MysteryGirl: I don't think your personality is a problem.

  I couldn't remember being attracted to a person's personality more than I was to British Boy's. I wouldn't have tried to meet him in the Chemistry lab a fourth time if I wasn't interested. And so far, all I had to go by was his personality. If he looked anything like he sounded, I'd be in huge trouble. There was about zero chance of me not falling head-over-heels for this guy.

  He didn't respond for a minute. I'd probably caught him off guard with that, it was almost as good as admitting that I liked him. And maybe it was the bunny pajamas that made me feel like putting myself out on a limb, but I was suddenly feeling braver than usual and I wanted to put everything out there. I'd known him for less than a month, but already I felt closer to him than I had ever felt to someone.

  MysteryGirl: Do you think it's possible to like someone you've never seen?

  BritishBoy: Yes.

  My skin went all cool and tingly at that one word. Was it possible that British Boy liked me too?

  I grabbed a quick dinner from downstairs after finishing my conversation with British Boy. My hands were shaky as I re-heated a leftover vegan enchilada. I had told British Boy that I liked him, and instead of telling me I was nuts, he had hinted that he liked me, too. This was crazy!

  But instead of staying home and daydreaming of the day I'd see his face for the first time, I had to go to a party looking like a stuffed animal. Stupid bet.

  My mom walked into the kitchen. She gave me one look and her expression turned dark. "I thought you were going to a party with Jess and Eliana tonight."

  "I am." I brought my plate out of the microwave and grabbed a fork from the drawer.

  "Dressed like that?" Her tone made it sound like I was committing some sort of crime.

  "Yes, Mom. It's going to be a long party and my pajamas are comfy," I said, just because I knew she'd hate it.

  "Well, I never," she huffed. "I wouldn't dream of letting anyone see me in my night clothes." Yep, she wouldn't. She barely let our family see her without makeup on.

  And even though I hated to admit it, I was a lot like her. Which was why tonight was going to be extremely painful.

  I quickly ate my dinner, and then ran upstairs to put on my bunny slippers—I might as well complete the ensemble. I also grabbed a change of clothes and stuffed them into one of my bigger purses, in case Eliana decided to let me off the hook at some point during the night.

  Jess knocked on my bedroom door a few minutes before it was time for us to leave. "You still think betting on my relationships is fun?" he asked with a smirk on his lips.

  I slung my bag over my shoulder and strode past him. "Of course. Though, if you ended up dating the girl we all know you want to date, this whole betting game of ours wouldn't even exist anymore."

  I looked over my shoulder to catch his reaction. He looked confused for a moment, and then understanding slipped across his features and his mouth formed an "O." But he didn't say anything, like always. Somehow, there was an unspoken rule that Jess and I could never talk about his admiration for our friend. But hopefully he’d get up the nerve one of these days.

  Eliana was just coming out of her house as we drove up to the end of the driveway in Jess's lime green Camaro. I had opted to sit in the back, not wanting any onlookers to notice my outfit for the night. Eliana climbed in then gave me a good look over.

  "This is even better than I thought," she said, her smile huge.

  I crossed my arms and tried to give her a solemn look. "Enjoy it while you can, because this is never happening again."

  "I wouldn't be so sure. Jess is bound to find a new girlfriend by next week." She smiled at my brother and nudged him in the side. "Am I right?"

  Jess sighed and rolled his eyes. "We'll see."

  His gaze met mine through the rearview mirror. The look in his eyes warned me to keep my lips zipped about him and Eliana ever dating—especially because Eliana was oblivious to Jess’s real feelings and didn’t seem bothered about his future dating life. I felt bad for my brother and hoped that someday Eliana would see what was sitting beside her.

  We drove a few blocks away to Jake's two-story brick home and parked right in front since we were early.

  "So I only have to wear this costume for fifteen minutes, right?" I asked Eliana before we got out of the car. She bit her lip and was quiet for a moment, as if thinking over just how much she wanted to torture me. But when a couple more cars pulled up, she turned back to me.

  "I guess I'll be nice and let you off with just fifteen minutes. Especially since Luke’s here. He's bound to make those fifteen minutes worth every second."

  I turned my head toward the opposite side of the street and saw that Eliana was right. Luke was climbing out of his Jeep, wearing a navy blue T-shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans. I should have known he'd be here.

  Hopefully he'd remember how well we'd bonded during our panda head dancing and not use tonight against me.

  We walked up the steps, and I made sure to keep my bag close to my side, hugging my change of clothes like it could shield me from all the strange looks I was about to receive. Luke quickened his pace as he ran across Jake's lawn and stepped in line with me.

  "When I decided to come to this party tonight, I had no idea this was the treat I was in for. If I'd known you were such a fan of bunnies, I would've used them in my pranks last spring."

  My face flushed with heat. "Just remember that we're friends now and that putting anything on YouTube as some sort of prank might have dire consequences for you and any future dance lessons you might have."

  He grinned. "I'll have my camera ready."

  We made it to the front door. Jess was about to knock when Luke pushed the door open and led us into the house. There were already a few girls standing around, talking to Jake and Kellen and a few other guys on the football team. Jess and Eliana immediately gravitated toward the foosball table in the corner, which was unoccupied at the moment. And I was left to stand beside Luke.

  Luke leaned closer. "Do you have to wear that the whole night?" he asked, probably noticing my panic at the sudden attention I had. Jake and Kellen, who had been giving a rendition of something that had happened at the football game the day before, suddenly stopped mid-story and stared at me. The three girls surrounding them noticed their stare and turned to look at me.

  Hannah Evans gave me a smirk. "Did somebody tell you this was a costume party?"

  I wanted to turn invisible. "I lost a bet."

  "I'll sa
y you lost something. Don't know if it's a bet, more like your sense of fashion. You actually sleep in those?"

  I looked down at my feet, wishing I hadn't added the slippers to the ensemble after all. I looked totally ridiculous.

  I was still trying to think of a response when Luke slid his arm around my shoulder and said, "Actually I think your pajamas are hot. Pretty sure all guys do. Reminds them of some other bunnies. Am I right?" He raised his eyebrow at Kellen and Jake who then nodded obediently.

  Not that I wanted to be compared to the bunnies Luke was hinting at, but it was a nice gesture anyway.

  "You want to get something to drink?" Luke leaned his lips closer to my ear, sending chills racing down my spine. "Jake usually has soda and water in the kitchen."

  I nodded, grateful for the excuse to leave the room. My cheeks cooled as we entered the spacious kitchen with its ceiling-high, cream-colored cabinets and an industrial-size fridge that could hold enough food to feed an army—or Jake and his four brothers.

  Water bottles sat in an ice cooler beside the kitchen island. Another cooler held a variety of sodas. I grabbed a Dr. Pepper and popped the top.

  "Thanks for standing up for me in there," I said.

  Luke grabbed a water bottle and shrugged as if it was nothing. "I gotta stand up for my dance partner…even if you do like to torture me a little too much."

  "You had fun last week, and you know it." I grinned at him.

  "It was okay. Not sure I'll ever do that again. But it was fun for a one-time thing."

  I checked the time on my phone. It was only five after seven. I still had ten minutes to go before I could get out of this ridiculous outfit. I wondered if I could go find an empty room upstairs and hide out. Eliana and Jess seemed to be distracted enough by their game. I didn't think they'd notice if I went missing.

  That's how it always was when those two were together. Nothing else existed. It should probably make me jealous that they'd gotten so close to each other while I'd been dating Noah. But I couldn't be mad that my brother was encroaching in on my best friend. We had always been the three musketeers. At least I still got to hang out with them both after abandoning them last year.

  Jake stepped into the kitchen, looking for Luke. "Hannah and Trinity don't believe that you can sound just like Gollum. Want to help me out and prove them wrong?"

  Luke set his water on the counter and turned to me. "I better go settle the score." He checked the time on his watch. "Think you can endure the next ten minutes without me?"

  I laughed. "You go ahead. I'll be fine. Thanks though." I wondered how I’d never noticed before how thoughtful Luke was. Probably because in the past, he never let me get to know this side of him. We were too busy having a war with each other.

  A few more people came to Jake's party, their voices reaching me in the kitchen. I looked around, wondering if there was someplace I could hide before anyone else saw me. It sounded like the living room was filling up.

  I peeked around the corner and saw that Jess and Eliana were still into their game. They probably wouldn't even notice if I went and changed right then. So, I grabbed my bag and left through the kitchen's back exit. There had to be a bathroom around here somewhere.

  I was walking down the carpeted hallway when someone barreled out of the bathroom and almost right into me. I stepped to the side just before we could collide.

  "Hey, watch it." A gruff voice growled.

  I recognized the voice and ducked my head down, hoping its owner wouldn't look very closely at me.

  "Is that you, Ashlyn?" Noah asked.

  I considered ignoring him and just running into the bathroom. Instead, I met his gaze. His brown eyes were looking me up and down, and he had a cut that looked somewhat fresh on his cheek.

  "Oh, hi Noah," I said, hoping to play off the sudden anxiety in my chest. "Great party, huh?"

  He stared at me for a minute, apparently stunned that I'd shown up in my pajamas. "You didn't think this was a slumber party, did you?"

  "It's not? Man, do I feel dumb."

  "You should. It's not your best look. It looks like you've let yourself go. Has your mom stopped preparing your specially-made salads for you to eat every day?"

  My stomach turned to stone. Had he really just said that? "I lost a bet, okay?"

  He raised his eyebrows. "You sure did. And it looks like you're here all alone. I definitely wouldn't want to be seen around you. In fact, I'm gonna leave you here right now. Can't have anyone thinking we're getting back together. I have my reputation to protect." And he left.

  I disappeared into the bathroom and locked the door behind me, leaning against the wall to try and calm my breathing.

  The sun was just beginning to set behind the trees as I made my way out onto the back patio at Jake's house. There were a few chairs sitting around the table, but they were right in front of a big window and I didn't want anyone to see me sitting alone outside. I wanted to hide from the world after what Noah said. I wanted to leave. But as much as I wanted to leave, I didn't have the energy to go looking for Eliana and Jess. Where were they?

  There were steps in the backyard that led onto the grass, so I sat down and pulled out my phone. Hopefully British Boy could help me feel better again, like he usually did.

  MysteryGirl: High school is stupid. Remind me to never go to another party again.

  I leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky. It was turning shades of purple and pink, and the moon was just peeking up from behind the houses and trees.

  My phone vibrated in my hand. Thankfully, British Boy was easier to find than my friend and brother.

  BritishBoy: Did something happen?

  MysteryGirl: Ran into my ex-boyfriend. He's a real piece of work. But he also has a special talent of making me feel like garbage.

  BritishBoy: Give me his name and I'll punch him for you.

  I smiled. British Boy always knew just what I needed to hear.

  MysteryGirl: He's pretty big. And I'm sure he fights dirty.

  BritishBoy: I could take him.

  I couldn't help but wonder if maybe that was true. I had imagined British Boy as a lanky type of guy—more like the guys in all those old British shows. The fine gentleman wearing their three-piece suits at all times and drinking tea with the queen. But maybe British Boy wasn't like that at all. Maybe he was tall and strong and lifted weights in his free time.

  An image of Luke flashed into my mind again. I didn't know why I kept picturing him as I talked to British Boy. But apparently, my mind thought Luke would make a good protector in this kind of a situation. He’d already stood up for me once tonight.

  But I didn't like the idea of British Boy getting into a fight. I had already dated the aggressive type, I didn't need to like another boy with a temper.

  MysteryGirl: It would probably be better if the earth just swallowed me up.

  BritishBoy: I beg to differ. If it did, I wouldn't get to talk to you anymore. That's kind of the highlight of my day.

  I smiled. British Boy really was the sweetest. If we ever did meet, I'd probably throw myself at him. I shook those thoughts away. That would be weird. And I really didn't want to scare him off.

  I was just about to respond to his message when I heard the back door open. I turned to look over my shoulder. Luke was coming outside, his gaze sweeping around for a moment before his eyes met mine. Had he been looking for me? His soft footsteps walked to my hiding spot. I stuffed my phone in my pocket, not wanting him to see that I'd been messaging someone named British Boy.

  "I was wondering where you went," he said. "Looks like you decided to change your clothes."

  I shrugged. "Yeah, I'd leave the party if I could. But I can't find my ride."

  His brow furrowed. "Why do you want to leave?"

  I sighed, not really wanting to get into it. But he seemed sincere, genuinely wanting to know. "Noah was being a jerk. He kind of ruined the party for me."

  Luke lowered himself down beside me on t
he step. "I'm sorry about that. If it makes you feel any better, he totally got creamed by one of the football players on the other team last night. It was awesome."

  He smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. "Shouldn't you be mad that your teammate was tackled? Aren't you like the team captain or something?"

  He shrugged, his shoulder rubbing against mine because we sat so close. "I probably should care. But you're not the only one who dislikes Noah. There's just something about that guy that rubs me the wrong way."

  "Tell me about it." I rolled my eyes.

  Luke didn't say anything for a moment, and when I looked up, he seemed to be studying me. It was as if his brown eyes were searching for what I wasn't saying about Noah.

  "Did he treat you badly then?"

  I averted my gaze and nodded. "You could say that."

  "Was it like…bad stuff?"

  I sighed. "Nothing like you're probably thinking. He never physically hurt me. I guess you'd call it more like emotional abuse. He was really manipulating too."

  "Was he like that the whole time you were dating?" Luke asked.

  I thought about it. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to get into it. The only other person I'd said anything about this to was British Boy. I just didn't like talking about Noah—it made me feel stupid for having even dated him in the first place. But it hadn't started out like that.

  He'd been sweet at first, and really charming.

  "It started out great. But then when things started changing at his house, he started changing, too."

  I covered my mouth, realizing I shouldn't have said that about Noah. He didn't like people knowing that his stepdad had issues.

  "Please don't tell anyone I said anything. Noah doesn't want people to know."

  Luke shrugged. "I won't. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets."

  The way he said it made me wonder if he had a few of his own. I still didn't know a lot about Luke, but I hoped that we had become close enough of friends that he would be comfortable letting me get to know him better. But when he didn't say anything more about whatever secrets he held, I decided to change the subject.