Provex City

by Michael Pierce

“Do you want to get another drink?” she asked after a few songs.

  I nodded, and she grabbed my hand and led me out of the water. We maneuvered back to the kitchen, and Anna shrieked at the sight of Desiree still playing bartender. She broke free of my hand and ran up behind Desiree and locked her arms around her waist.

  “Wha’cha gonna fix me, girlie?”

  Eli and the guys from his band were standing around the counter, each with a bottle of import beer. It must’ve been intermission.

  “How’re you doing, Anna?” Todd, Eli’s bass player, asked and held up his beer.

  “I’m doin’ good, baby, how you doin’?” she answered.

  “Good, now that you’re here. You wanna go outside? We’ve got some catching up to do.”

  “No, I want another drink,” she said, hugging Desiree tighter.

  “Ease up, girl. I can’t breathe. What do you want?”

  “Whiskey ‘n’ Coke, m’dear,” Anna slurred.

  “Should I make it a double?” Desiree asked, turning her head to me.

  Anna turned, too, pouting, and the fangs made her look even more pathetic.

  “Just a Coke for me,” I said.

  “We’ve got extra beer if you want one,” Eli said. “They’re in the fridge.”

  “It’s cool, thanks though.”

  “You can’t party with just a Coke,” Todd said in a condescending tone. “Derek, pour us some shots.”

  “Desiree’s the bartender. Tell her to do it,” Derek shot back.

  “Thanks, guys,” Desiree said sarcastically.

  “Hey, guys—settle down,” Eli said.

  “I’m good, really,” I said.

  Desiree handed Anna her mixed drink, and she took a sip immediately.

  “Com’on, Anna, let’s go outside. We can just talk. Scout’s honor,” Todd continued, seemingly unfazed from the previous rejection.

  Anna looked like a confused little girl, clutching her drink with both hands, not really sure which way to go. Todd held out his hand to coax Anna toward him.

  “I dunno,” Anna said, lingering next to Desiree.

  Desiree looked back at me with a silent fury and bulging eyes, gesturing to me with her facial expression to do something.

  Anna took a step toward Todd, who was using any means necessary to lure her to him.

  Without thinking, I took action. I walked right up behind Anna, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her into me. I whispered in her ear, “Would you like to dance?”

  She instantly spun around in my arms with a gleeful “Sure,” and rammed her lips into mine in front of everyone. Her fangs hit my teeth and nearly cut my lip. I was so startled I almost pulled back, but I was so excited I pushed through the initial pain. Anna must’ve felt it too because she quickly pulled back, ripped the fangs from her mouth, and planted her lips back on mine.

  Desiree gasped at the unexpected scene, and I heard Anna’s cup once again hit the floor. I internally cringed from the sound of the ice mixed splash, which sprayed the back of my pants. My eyes darted to Desiree and then around the group of onlookers. It was nerve-racking to be sober and the center of attention, so I closed my eyes and pretended Anna and I were the only ones in the room.

  The moment was everything. Our arms were tight around each other, pressing our bodies together so I could feel her heart sweetly speaking to mine. Our lips danced passionately together and our tongues met, shyly at first, but grew more comfortable as they caressed one another. My head swam with the thought that this wasn’t actually happening, but my body couldn’t deny that it was.

  Anna suddenly broke away, breathing heavily, looking smitten, guilty, and shocked all at the same time. We were both speechless for a moment, though probably for different reasons, so we just looked at each other. The expression on her face changed when she realized she had dropped her nearly full drink on the floor.

  “Oh my God, Desiree, I’m so sorry!” Anna cried and fell to her knees in an attempt to pick up the empty cup.

  “It’s okay,” Desiree said, already with a wad of paper towels in her hand. I helped Anna out of the spill and back onto her unsteady feet. Guiding Anna to take a few steps back, I wiped off her knees and helped Desiree clean the floor.

  Eli and his friends, having had enough of the spectacle, disappeared into the backyard. Hopefully, it was time for their second set, and they would be occupied for a while.

  “Desiree, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what got into me.” Anna stumbled backwards and plopped down in a chair at the kitchen table.

  Other groups of people gathered around the kitchen went back to their conversations. We’ll probably be the talk of the school on Monday.

  “But may I have another one?” Anna asked sweetly.

  Desiree threw the wet paper towels in the trash and looked at her with a sigh. She fixed Anna another drink and passed it to her. “Be careful with this one, okay?”

  Anna hugged Desiree without getting up from her seat, her head nestled against Desiree’s stomach.

  “Get up and go have fun,” Desiree said, as she ran her hand down Anna’s cheek and turned to me. “Take care of her, won’t you?” She kissed Anna on the top of her head, like a mother to her irresponsible child, and walked over and opened the sliding glass door to the backyard.

  The deafening music flooded into the kitchen, but was cut off when Desiree slid the door closed behind her.

  Anna took a sip of her new drink and pushed off from the table to get to her feet. She looked like a toddler learning to walk as she wobbled in her drunken state and stiletto heels.

  “Maybe dancing isn’t such a good idea,” I said as she latched onto me for support.

  “I need to get my heels off,” she said, placing her drink on the counter, wrapping one arm around my shoulder, and carefully balancing on one leg at a time to slip off her high heels. She put them down on the floor next to the counter.

  Anna raided the refrigerator, grabbed a rectangular pan covered with tinfoil, and set it down on the counter next to her drink.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Just a dessert I made,” she said and removed the foil.

  In the pan was red Jell-O. Anna fumbled around the drawers looking for silverware and pulled out a plastic cake cutter. She cut the Jell-O in the pan into smaller squares and lifted a piece out using the edge of the cake cutter. “Hold out your hand,” she said and dropped the lump of Jell-O onto my open palm.

  “Thanks?” I said, looking at the gelatin cube in my hand.

  Anna took a piece for herself and tossed it in her mouth. “Well, aren’t you gonna try it?”

  Jell-O wasn’t my favorite dessert, but it was hardly something you could hate, either. I tossed it into my mouth and tried to grasp the flavor. It was fine. It was Jell-O. It wasn’t as sweet as when Mom made it.

  “Is it good? It’s about as much cooking as I do,” she said.

  I nodded and ate another square to let her know I appreciated her culinary skills. “Very good,” I said after another square.

  Anna sipped from her drink, and I ate Jell-O, not what I expected to be doing at my first unchaperoned party.

  “What have we got here?” I heard a familiar voice say behind me.

  I turned and there was Jeremy and Leslie standing at the edge of the kitchen. Jeremy was a vintage crook with his black-and-white striped shirt, black snow cap, and black cloth mask over his eyes. Leslie was the sexy cop with exceptionally high heels, scandalously short shorts, a belt of handcuffs, and blue dress shirt halfway unbuttoned.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying not to look at Leslie.

  “Same as you—to have a good time.”

  Anna glared at both of them and sipped from her drink.

  Jeremy walked up to the counter in between Anna and me. He inspected the drink options and picked his poison—which turned out to be vodka tonics. He stopped before handing Leslie her drink, looked at the pan of Jell-O on the counter, and then
over at me.

  “How you feeling, little brother?” Jeremy asked and handed a cup to Leslie.

  “Fine. Why?”

  “No reason,” he said, shaking his head.

  “You want some Jell-O?” I offered.

  “No!” Anna interrupted.

  “Naw, I don’t touch that stuff. I’ll let you two get back to each other. We’re gonna go mingle. Come on, hun,” Jeremy said and gave me a pat on the back. He held his hand out and Leslie scurried up to him. “Cheers.”

  He lifted his cup as they headed for the sliding glass door, which miraculously opened for them, and Desiree stepped into the kitchen.

  “What are you doing here?” Desiree growled.

  “The word around campus was this is the place to be tonight. You should be flattered. Your party received quite some buzz.”

  “I don’t remember sending you an invitation.”

  “This party is bigger than invitations,” Jeremy said. “If you invite half the school, you can’t get mad if the other half shows up as well. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re gonna go have some fun. That’s what parties are for, right? To have fun? It’s good to see you, Desiree.” Jeremy flashed his irresistible smile and scooted by Desiree, tugging Leslie along.

  “Sorry. It’s a great party,” Leslie said softly as she was pulled outside.

  Jeremy slid the door closed once Leslie was through.

  “Urgh!” Desiree yelled. “Your brother is so despicable! Why is he in my house?”

  I shrugged, as surprised to see him as Desiree.

  “You need a drink, hun?” Anna asked. Desiree shook her head.

  “Jell-O?” I offered. Her eyes shuffled between me and Anna. She shook her head again.

  “I need to dance. That will clear my head,” Desiree said and left.

  I popped another Jell-O square in my mouth and Anna refilled her cup. “I guess it’s back to just us,” I said.

  “I think I need to sit down for a little while. Then we can dance some more. I just need a few minutes to rest. You gonna finish the whole pan?”

  “I don’t think so—I feel a little weird,” I said and swallowed one more square.

  “Okay, get your drink—I got my drink. Can you get my shoes? Where’re my fangs?” she asked herself and stumbled around in circles. “Whatever, I’ll find them later. Let’s go, Oliver. Oliver. Oliver.”

  Anna grabbed my hand, half out of balance, and led me down the hall and up the stairs. Desiree was back to her usual self out on the dance floor. I was relieved she could change her emotional state so freely.

  Anna stumbled up the stairs, and I followed with the same sudden clumsiness. By the last few steps we were both crawling and laughing. There seemed to be so many more steps than I remembered. Once we reached the top, we collapsed on the carpet, sprawled out in the middle of the hallway, giggling and singing. I suddenly felt so carefree. So alive. So euphoric.

  She rolled toward me and threw her arm over my body and began to kiss me again. I pulled her body closer and she wrapped one leg around me—our lips caressing each other for what felt like hours. The room was spinning from the ecstasy of kissing her. I closed my eyes and felt the spiraling movement even more. I placed a hand on her arm, slid it around her shoulder, up her neck, and into her hair. She gave a soft moan and pulled playfully on my lower lip. It wasn’t until I took a moment to breathe that I noticed the continual flow of people around us, traveling up and down the stairs, and waiting in line for the bathroom.

  “We should probably get out of the way,” I said, panting heavily.

  We helped each other up, wobbling forward and backward, crashing into people waiting against the wall, and laughing. All the doors in the hallway were closed and Anna whimsically reached for the doorknob to Desiree’s room. She turned the handle and fell forward as the door swung inward. I fell into the room with her.

  There was a scream and it took me a room-swirling moment to realize it didn’t come from either of us. An entangled couple on Desiree’s bed turned to us, shocked and embarrassed, due to our intrusion on their private affair. At least they were still dressed.

  Anna attacked them immediately. “What’re you doing in here?” she yelled at the frozen couple. “Get out! Get OUT! GET OUT!”

  The couple leapt off the bed and out of the room in a single bound. Still lying on the ground, Anna tried to grab the girl’s bare ankle during her escape. I laughed at the couple’s cartoon-like exit. Anna got to her knees, crawled to the door, and slammed it shut.

  “That’s better,” Anna said and collapsed onto Desiree’s bed, nestling her head in the pillow. “I just need a moment.”

  “Me, too,” I said, still lying on the floor. I looked up at the ceiling and it appeared to be vibrating. Each time I turned my head, it took a moment for my eyes to catch up and refocus on what I was seeing. Each time I moved my head, it stirred a growing nausea in the pit of my stomach. I rolled to one side and felt slightly better.

  “I don’t think the Jell-O’s agreeing with me,” I said, curling slightly into a fetal position.

  “You did have kinda a lot of Jell-O shots, but you seemed to really like them...” Anna trailed off.

  “Jell-O shots? You served me Jell-O shots? You said it was Jell-O!”

  “I did not.”

  “Well you didn’t say it was Jell-O shots!”

  “I dunno...maybe not...but I thought you knew,” she said, lying on her side at the edge of the bed, with her arm bent beneath her head.

  “Oh dear God! I think I’m gonna throw up.”

  “No, you’re not.” Anna clumsily climbed down from the bed. “Just breathe.” She scuttled across the floor to Desiree’s desk, grabbed the trashcan, and set it next to me.

  I got to my knees and leaned forward, resting my knuckles on the floor in front of me for balance. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. In the darkness, I felt like I was falling and spinning and twisting in midair. I reopened my eyes and the room came to a reverberating halt and remained at rest as long as I didn’t move my head. I looked directly into the trash can.

  Anna knelt beside me and placed a hand softly on my back. “You’re okay. I’m sorry, Oliver. I just wanted you to have fun. I wanted us to have fun.” She gently moved her hand up and lightly massaged my neck.

  “I felt fine just a few minutes ago. It hit me so fast.”

  “You had a lot of 151 in a short period of time. I shouldn’t have let you keep eating them. I wasn’t really thinking. I’m pretty messed up, too. I’m sorry. I hope you still like me.”

  “I do. Thanks for staying with me,” I said and lay back on the floor, curled up on my side. I felt better lying down.

  “Would you be more comfortable on the bed?” Anna asked, still knelt beside me.

  “I just wanna lie here. I’m just gonna lie here.”

  “Okay, sweetie,” she said and climbed back onto Desiree’s bed. “I’ll be right here.”

  “Okay...” I said sluggishly. My eyes were closed and the darkness spiraled out of control, but it didn’t matter as much anymore. I felt the cosmos whirling around me, but I became numb to the motion sickness. I could barely hear the music anymore...I could barely feel the thump of the bass...I barely noticed the sudden banging of another kind...I couldn’t make out what Anna was saying...Her voice echoing through a tunnel that was miles long...I couldn’t see her...I couldn’t see the end...And then the beguiling screams rose like sirens in a far-off land...I felt someone else here...But who...I felt a hand on my arm...Only for a moment...And then nothing.

  11

  Oliver and the Savage

  There wasn’t as much talk circulating the school as I would have thought, but maybe the gossip was out of everyone’s system already. Monday was Halloween and a sick day for me. Mom and Richard knew what happened, I’m sure, but they played along. Like Desiree had said, sometimes it seemed better not to ask so no one’s feelings got hurt. I needed the sick day because I wasn’t yet ready to face everyone
at school. I wasn’t yet ready to face Anna, not knowing where we stood after our awkward relationship development at Desiree’s party. Maybe she didn’t want to know either. We had barely spoken since the party.

  When I returned to school on Tuesday, there were a few curious glances and some mild snickering, but not the massive media attention I had anticipated. To the outside world, not much had changed. But to me, things were profoundly different and I was nervous to find out how much.

  “It must have been nice to have a long weekend,” Sara said as we sat around the art table, working on our latest creations.

  “Yeah, well, what can you do? When you’re sick, you’re sick,” I said, gliding the pastel chalk across the paper and blending the colors with my finger. I was working on a drawing of a cloaked Death based on an image I found online, one with his sickle and sickly green horse.

  “Where were you when the police showed up?” Blaine asked.

  “You were there?”

  “Yeah, I showed up a little late.”

  “Wow, I guess there’s a lot I don’t remember. I don’t remember the police showing up at all. I remember being upstairs at some point, and then I remember throwing up outside and walking home with my brother.”

  “Who’s your brother?” Krystal asked.

  “Jeremy. I think he was dressed as a robber or something.”

  “That’s your brother?” Sara asked rhetorically and turned to Krystal. “He’s the one going out with Leslie Meurs.”

  “I had no idea,” Krystal said. “You two are so different. I wouldn’t have pegged you as brothers.”

  “Well, my family is an odd cast of characters,” I said.

  Desiree was sitting next to me, unusually quiet. She was working on a watercolor painting of a potted plant blooming with colorful flowers and an old-fashioned watering can.

  “Desiree was telling us yesterday that you and that girl Anna are a couple now,” Sara said.

  “Yeah, she’s cute,” Blaine said. “Quite the life of the party.”

  “Really? That’s what Desiree told you?” I asked, turning to Desiree, who was pretending to be hard at work. “What do you know that I don’t?”