Evicted

by Traci Sek

  "Our dances are pretty cool; I mean, I don't know what your dances were like at the old school, but we can get a little crazy."

  "I never went to dances at my old school; I was never interested." Lie. Truth be told, I wasn't in any of my old schools long enough to attend one, nor did I ever make friends with being the new girl all the time.

  "Well, then you need to come. Besides, Spencer will be there." She winks at me.

  I feel my cheeks get hot. Damn these cheeks. "What is it with you thinking I have this thing for Spencer? I mean so far, all he has proven is that he is a stuck up snob, and only cares about the popular hot girls and getting what he wants."

  Gia looks taken aback. "Well, I can definitely tell you he is nothing like that. That's just his front when he is at school. He has to stay popular if he wants to keep being the student body president. I'm telling you, Jessa, he is a completely different person outside of school. At least promise you’ll think about coming."

  "Ok, I will."

  "Yay," Gia replies excitedly, clapping her hands.

  I know my father won't let me go to a dance, but I’m determined to go. I can't afford not to go. I want to fit in so badly it hurts. Besides, Gia was right; a little part of me wants to see Spencer and watch him in action. And who knows, maybe this will take my mind off of my miserable life.

  As soon as the sun goes down, I check to make sure Roy is asleep in his usual position. I hurry back upstairs and get dressed in a pair of blue jeans that hug my hips, sneakers, and a red collared t-shirt. I skim my fingers through my hair and check myself over in the mirror.

  "How do I look?"

  "You look fine, I guess. Where exactly are you going again?" Kate asks for the tenth time.

  "I told you, Kate, to a school dance! Now let's go over the plan one more time. I am going to crawl out the window with this rope, and you pull it back up. Then later, when you hear tapping on the window, open it and throw the rope back down so I can climb back up. Got it?"

  Kate bobs her head in acknowledgment.

  "If Roy wakes up to check on us, just tell him I'm not feeling well." I glance over at my side of the bed, which is stuffed to make it look like I was sleeping in it.

  I proceed to the window, throwing out the rope, and climb out gracefully. My nerves dance around in my stomach at all the possibilities that could happen tonight. Roy’s angry face is the first to come to mind. I look up at Kate, who is watching me with concern. I put my thumbs up and watch as Kate pulls the rope up and closes the window. I have never felt so alive as I do now, but I feel bad at the same time for leaving Kate behind. What kind of an example am I setting for her? I shake my head to erase that thought from my brain.

  It’s the middle of April, and a little chilly and, stupid me, I forgot my jacket. I feel the goosebumps rise on my arms and rub them to stay warm. I know I’m almost there when I hear the low rumble of music coming from around the corner.

  Walking up towards the building of my school, I notice kids pouring into the building. I take a deep breath and walk in through the big double doors. I instantly feel the warmth on my arms as the goosebumps fade away. I walk up to the table of what looks like teachers and get a wristband. After a few minutes of searching for Gia, or anyone I remotely know, without success, I decide to have a look around. I walk through the second set of doors that reveal the auditorium where the music is. The room is half-filled with folded red cushioned seats, leading down onto an open hardwood floor. A huge stage sits just behind the wooden floor, and on top sits a few large speakers and a D.J.

  A lot of the kids are already dancing, bumping, and grinding all over each other. My foot instinctively taps on the ground to the beat of the music. I love to dance, and I’m hoping I’ll get that chance at some point tonight. I sweep my eyes across the floor until I spot him. Spencer. My heart skips a beat. His slim physique fits nicely in his faded blue jeans, which he has paired with a tight-fitting black t-shirt that hugs his biceps. He’s talking with some other guys I don't recognize.

  Until now, I didn't realize many of his features, which are especially intriguing tonight. His smile seems forced, and his forehead creases as he listens intently to whatever’s being said. A drink is in his hand, and his dark hair is ruffled in a messy style. He’s hot there's no doubt about that, but I know I have no chance with him, and the skinny blonde that walks up to him confirms my thoughts. I’m startled out of my trance by someone who taps on my shoulders. I turn around and come face to face with Gia.

  "Hey! You made it," Gia screams over the music.

  "Yes, I did!"

  Gia grabs my hand and pulls me into the large crowd. The auditorium isn’t very vast in size, making for a short walk down to the dance floor. Gia walks up to a group, and I immediately recognize, Julia and Alex, Gia's boyfriend.

  "Hey guys," Gia slightly bobs her head.

  "Hey," they both say at the same time. I watch as Gia gives a small sideways hug to Alex and kisses him on the lips. Alex is entirely different from Spencer with his platinum blonde spiked hair, dull hazel green eyes, and a lip ring that dances on his bottom lip when he speaks. Definitely not my type.

  "How long have you guys been dating? I ask.

  "Only a year, Julia hooked us up. Alex and Julia are best friends."

  "More like brother and sister," Julia quickly adds. They quickly engage in a conversation that I try to follow, but my eyes betray me as they start to scan the growing crowd. I glance over Alex's shoulder and find Spencer standing two feet away. His group is now joined by more girls who seem to have forgotten most of their clothes. He has his hand on one of the girl's shoulders, who leans over into his ear, whispering something. He briefly smiles, nods to the other people in his group, and walks away with her.

  "Jessa..." I force myself to come back to the conversation. Julia’s shooting daggers my way unbeknownst to a curious Gia, but I ignore Julia and focus solely on Gia.

  "I'm sorry. What happened?"

  "We were just talking about having a party at my house next weekend," Gia replies.

  "Oh, that sounds cool, I guess." My eyes dart involuntarily around the room again, wondering what happened to Spencer and that girl. I mentally scold myself at my lack of control I have for this guy. I don’t know what it is, but something draws me to him, which aggravates me.

  "So, you should come." I look back at Gia and then quickly at Julia, who rolls her eyes. I just can't understand what her problem is. She seems like she hates me, but I barely know her.

  "Um yeah. I'll try," I quickly respond.

  "Hey, guys!" A voice comes from behind me. I whip my head around to see Spencer coming towards us alone.

  "Hi, Spence!" I hear everybody say, but I can't find my voice. Instead, I manage a smile and nod.

  "I'm having a party at my house next weekend, and it’s decided, Spencer, you need to come," Gia blurts out all bubbly.

  "You know I always come to your parties. Don’t have to ask me twice.” They all laugh as he turns to me.

  "So, since it's your first dance here, I figured I would do the honors and ask you to dance with me?"

  I nearly choke on my saliva. "Me? That's not necessary." I glance at Julia, who’s visibly mad. If she were a cartoon character, steam would be coming from her ears. A scowl lines her face, and her arms are crossed against her chest. Now I know the reason.

  "She would love to," yells Gia. For whatever reason, Gia doesn't catch on to her so-called best friend’s mood swings when Spencer is around. Julia huffs and stomps away, but Spencer doesn't even look in her direction. He’s still waiting for my answer. Or maybe reaction? Maybe this is some kind of prank.

  I give her a mortified look as a steady masculine hand wraps around my wrist, pulling me away from the group into the crowd. Spencer wraps his arm around my waist and starts to sway. I don't know what to say. I’m oddly horrified and thrilled at the same time.

  "So, I know you don't like me much... yet, but I'm hoping to change that."


  "Oh, really? How so?" I give in and start to sway with the rhythm of the music.

  "Well, for starters, dancing with you is helping. Right?"

  "I'll have to think about that." I give him a smirk.

  "You're a great dancer. Much better than those other girls."

  "Thanks, I guess."

  "They are driving me insane. Constantly begging me to dance with them," he shakes his head and frowns.

  "So then say no for a change."

  "Then my reputation will diminish, and I'll lose my spot as class president. Nobody wants a loser for class president."

  "Oh, that's right, God forbid..." I stop dancing and pull myself away from him. I try my hardest to keep my eyeballs from rolling up into the heavens.

  "That came out wrong again. What I meant to say is half of these girls gossip. Rumors spread, and all hell breaks loose."

  "Yeah, that makes it sound so much better," I say, and this time I can’t contain my eye roll.

  "I guess I'm not doing so good, making you like me again, am I?"

  The song ends, and before I have time to answer, another girl is at his side.

  "Hey Spence, dance with me." She demands as she drags her hand down his back. He gives me an awkward look and walks away with her.

  I watch as they start to dance to a much faster song. The girl turns her back to him, grabbing his hips as she presses herself into him. She molds to his body like a missing piece of a puzzle. It makes me sick to watch her try and touch him. Her ass is rubbing up against him like he was a piece of meat. She leans her back into his chest, angling her neck to the side as her arms come up around his neck, her palms caress his face. He looks visibly uncomfortable.

  Something inside of me snaps. I walk past Gia, who stops and looks at me. I ignore her, my heart beating uncontrollably. I walk up to where Spencer and the other girl were dancing and push the girl out of the way, turn around, and grind on Spencer.

  I can tell he’s shocked. His arms are up in the air frozen for a minute, and as I continue, his warm hands come down to my waist. It sends shivers up my spine. I turn around and meet his dark brown chocolate eyes. I don’t bother to look at the other girl's expression as I zero in on him and only him. And it's as if he feels the same chemistry too. Gone is the uncomfortable stance he had with barbie. His body is loose as he bounces with me to the music, and inches closer to me. He moves even closer and grabs me by my hips forcefully. The moment is so surreal I couldn't have imagined it better.

  The lights are flashing, the music pounding in my ears, and Spencer's hot breath tickling my neck is all I can stand. Nobody else exists at this moment. I let my body flow to the music. I loved to dance but never had the guts to do it in front of people. My heart is beating out of my chest, but I feel so alive. I lose all control letting the beat flow through my veins. The crooked smile on his face says it all. I back away from him, holding out my hand to stop him from going any further. His smile widens as I start dancing solo. Never taking my eyes from his, I’m mesmerized. I dip and sway my hips, criss-cross my legs and do a dramatic spin and as the song is ending, I march back to him, my leg between his. His warm hands make my hips light on fire as our chests rise and fall rapidly.

  The whole room seems to erupt with shouts and laughter. My trance pops like a bubble, and I realize that a million eyes are on us, making me panic. I push Spencer out of the way, ignoring all the stares around me, including Gia's, and run out of the auditorium.

  The Sweater

  "Holy crap! What was that?" Gia yells from behind me.

  I burst through the doors, almost tripping down the stairs. I place my hands on my knees, trying to suck in any air to my deflated lungs. My heart slowly comes back to normal.

  "Yeah, what the hell, Jessa?" Spencer's voice comes trailing from behind.

  I turn around to see both of them in my face. Spencer's face is lit up with amusement. He’s trying to contain a smile and Gia’s in complete shock. I look at Spencer and square my shoulders.

  "I simply felt bad for you, and I didn't want you to ruin your reputation."

  I couldn't tell him the truth, how I loved what I had done and would do it again a million times over.

  His mouth falls open.

  Gia gasps. I abruptly turn to Gia, "I'll see you later." Gia seems taken aback, and a little part of me is embarrassed by my condescending tone, but she quickly hides it with a frown. I know if I don't get out of here fast, all my thoughts and insecurities will spill out. And that was something that could never happen.

  "Wait a minute," Spencer yells from behind me.

  "What?" I continue to walk, hoping he would sense my irritation, although it was at myself and not him.

  "Can I at least get your number?"

  "Oh, Spencer, you're so cliché," I yell.

  "Ok, then can I walk you home?"

  I stop, almost tripping myself in the process.

  "No," I blankly say. The cold air whips through me as I fight not to show how cold I am.

  "Whoa, I'm sorry."

  "Listen, Spencer. I told you why I did that. You should be happy now that I saved you from another annoying dance with an annoying girl and still saved your reputation. That's it. Now please, I need to get home before my curfew is up."

  "Alright, fine, I get it."

  Wait, that was it? Is he just going to give up? For a minute, my heart sunk, but I quickly dismissed that feeling. After all, I had only known him for two days.

  "Thanks. Now good night."

  He nods, then turns around and starts walking back. I hold back tears as I continue on home. Now it’s freezing. It’s colder than before, and I’m mad at myself for allowing this to happen. Not to mention having an attitude towards Spencer.

  I can't let him see where I live or where I come from. He would think of me differently and probably stop talking to me. Sure, that sounded pitiful, but I couldn't allow that. Not after everything I had gone through. I need stability. I crave best friends like everyone else seems to have.

  A rustling sound comes from behind me, making me stop dead in my tracks. I slowly turn my head in fear of what it could be. I don't see anything. Maybe it was just some animal. I think to myself as I continue to walk faster. Without warning, a cold, dry hand comes over my mouth and another around my neck.

  "Don't scream," the deep voice breaths heavily in my ear.

  I try to wriggle out of his clutch, but it’s no use, he’s stronger. My heart accelerates beating out of control. Of all nights, you just couldn't stay home, Jessa! My subconscious screams at me. What’s happening? Who is this? Was this some kind of trick?

  "Give me everything you got, and I won't hurt you," the voice demands.

  His arm that was around my neck is now gripping my arm, and he lets go of my mouth.

  "I don't have anything, I swear." My voice trembles, tears stream down my cheeks.

  "I don't believe you," the man yells, making me cringe. I’m frozen to the spot with all the blood draining from my body. Am I going to die? Of course, you idiot! Once again, my subconscious screams at me.

  I watch his hand move towards the pockets of my jeans. This is it, Jessa. He's going to rape you and leave you for dead. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see a dark figure charging towards us. In a flash, the two men are on the ground fighting. The one who came running pummeled my attacker to the ground, throwing punch after punch. My attacker struggles to block some of them pushing the other person off of him before getting up and running off into the distance. The illuminating street lights are the only thing helping me see through the darkness.

  I’m frozen like a statue, not knowing what to do. All my muscles are temporarily on hiatus from my body. I have no cell phone to call for help, and I can’t seem to find my voice. The other guy stands in the spot; my attacker had just vacated for a moment breathing heavily. He suddenly starts walking towards me. I cover my face and begin to cry.

  "Please don't hurt me," I scream.

  "Calm down.
I'm not going to hurt you."

  I look up to see Spencer. Relief washes over me like a gentle wave in the ocean. I want to collapse.

  "Oh my God, Spencer!" I give him a big hug. "Thank you."

  He wraps his long warm arms around me tight. My body instantly thaws in his embrace, and I don't want him to let go.

  "That's why I offered to walk you home. You're still new to the neighborhood, and you don't know what creep is lurking out there, especially at 11:30 at night."

  I feel like a complete idiot.

  "I know. I'm sorry for the way I treated you a little while ago. I ..."

  "No apologies, please. It's a good thing I decided to follow you." I look down at the ground.

  "Now, let me walk you the rest of the way home."

  I look up at him, every bone in my body wanting him to, but the thought of my dad not knowing and the way my house looked, I can't bring myself to. I have to take another risk.

  "I'm almost home, I promise it's right around this corner, and I don't want you getting hurt any more trying to walk me back."

  He gives me a stern look that makes a strange feeling creep up in my chest. A feeling I haven’t felt in a long time. I quickly shove it back down.

  "Why is it so hard for you to let me just finish walking you home?"

  My stomach churns on the inside.

  "Umm, my dad, he gets really upset at everything. I just don't want any problems, please," I beg with a shiver.

  I can't wait to get home and under my blankets. Spencer seems to notice me shivering and takes off his sweater.

  "Here, then put this on."

  "But what about you?"

  "I'll be fine. I called my mom. She's coming in a few."

  At this point, I’m so cold; I can't resist. I take the sweater and put it on—the immediate warmth engulfing me along with a thick sweet musky smell.

  "Thank you." I can't help but smile.

  With one last glance in his direction, I turn and continue walking. As soon as I get to my house, I hurry up and find a pebble, throw it at my window and wait. What’s taking so long? Thank God for Spencer's sweater. I pull the fabric tighter to my body and look for another pebble. Finally, after two more pebbles and ten minutes later, Kate opens up the window and throws down the rope. I quickly realize gravity is not my friend as I found it a lot harder to get up the rope then down.