by S. M. Shade
“Are you sure? I don’t want to saddle you with the whole expense.” If looks were capable of murder, I’d be splattered around the room.
Denton replies, “I’m sure.”
“Fuck this,” Kenny mumbles, then stalks out of the room.
Denton and Trey share an exasperated look. They have both been kind to me, and as much as I loathe Kenny and his immature behavior, I don’t want to cause trouble between friends.
“Maybe me moving in here wasn’t such a great idea,” I offer, though god knows what I’ll do if I have to find another place.
“Don’t be stupid. It’s only been a little over a week. It takes time to adjust to living on Violent Circle. That’s why we want to introduce you to everyone. It’ll get better, I promise,” Denton says. Trey nods at me.
“I don’t dislike it here, but I don’t want to cause problems between you guys and Kenny.”
“That’s not your fault. His attitude isn’t new,” Trey says.
I grab another glowstick and give it a satisfying crack as Denton adds, “He didn’t used to be so bad, but ever since his parents gave him an ultimatum, he’s been a dick. All he wants to do is party, and he’s started treating women like shit, like they all owe him something.”
“And he wonders why he can’t get laid,” Trey snorts.
“He and Noble almost came to blows not long ago over his attitude toward Jani. I don’t know what will end up happening with him, but whatever way it goes, it has nothing to do with you. Don’t let him run you off,” Denton advises.
No worries there since I really don’t have anywhere else to go. “Don’t worry. I’m too stubborn for that. I invited my friend, Sasha,” I announce, changing the subject.
Trey’s eyes meet mine with interest. “Is she single?”
“Yes, but I don’t know that she’s looking for anything right now.”
“What kind of guys is she into?”
Denton chuckles. “Is she cool with moobs? That’s what he’s asking.”
“Fuck off,” Trey says absently, chucking a glowstick at Denton. It bounces off his shoulder. “It’s not like you’ve got women all over you since your crotch critter incident.”
Whoa. Hold up. My head jerks up. “Crotch critters?”
Denton flips him off, shaking his head. “It’s not like it was an incurable disease.”
Panic seeps into my blood. “You have crabs?” I woke up in this man’s bed. The last thing I want to deal with is some coochie crawlers. The thought makes me shudder and Trey cracks up laughing.
“No!” Denton exclaims. “I caught them off this girl over six months ago. They’re long gone. I’m clean. I swear.”
Raising my eyebrows at Denton, I suppress a giggle and keep cracking the glowsticks.
“What are you grinning at? It was a stupid mistake. Could’ve happened to anyone.”
“I’m not judging,” I say, holding up my hands for a moment.
“So, back to this friend of yours,” Trey says.
“She’s my partner at the tattoo shop.”
“Is she as beautiful as you?” Denton asks, and my breath catches.
Here’s the thing. I don’t wear makeup often or fuss much with my hair. I’ve never considered myself ugly, but I’m not the girl who turns a lot of heads either. My jeans and tee shirt, body-covered-in-tats style doesn’t rake in the men. I don’t think anyone has ever used the word beautiful when referring to me.
“I-she’s very pretty.”
Trey elbows Denton. “Aw, you made her blush.”
“I’m not blushing.” Trey grins at my set-you-on-fire glare.
“The tips of your ears are red,” Denton points out.
Assholes. “Stop or you’ll find Beulah in your bed every morning,” I threaten.
“Truce,” Trey says instantly, and Denton adds, “I’m done.”
It’s hilarious how freaked out they are by my childhood doll. Fine, it’s a little worn and dirty, but it’s a doll for fuck’s sake.
A loud shout from outside, followed by laughter makes me look up.
“Sounds like the party is starting,” Denton says. “Let’s grab a drink.”
He’ll get no argument from me. It’ll be nice to relax for a night, just hang out and have fun without stressing about my money situation.
Mr. Rogers did not prepare me for the people in my neighborhood. After a night of partying, I’ve come to a shocking realization that the Frat Hell guys may be the most normal of the bunch. When I joke about it with Jani and Sasha, Jani laughs.
“This is Violent Circle. Normal is a dirty word around here.”
“Everyone is so nice, though,” I point out. I’ve met a ton of people tonight, some neighbors and some friends of friends. “And I can’t believe so many people showed up on such short notice.”
Emily, another neighbor, grins at me. “I think word has gotten out about the Circle’s parties. Half the town seems to have shown up.”
Jani nods and sips her drink. “And just so you know, since this was put together quickly, it’s pretty tame compared to the others.”
“I heard about the hillbilly hot tub,” I laugh.
A beautiful redheaded woman takes a seat on the other side of Jani. “Remember when they all played the possum game?”
“Oh god, do I. Becca, this is Veronica, she used to live in two-oh-seven. Veronica, this is Becca, the poor unsuspecting victim of the Frat Hell guys.”
“You poor thing,” Veronica giggles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“How do you play the possum game?” I ask.
Jani points toward a large tree on one side of the park. “A bunch of guys climbed that tree and then drank until someone fell out. Something tells me it’ll never be an Olympic sport.”
“Where’s Neal?” Emily asks Veronica.
“He’s with the kids. We played rock paper scissors to see who got to come this time since we couldn’t find a babysitter.” She motions to Denton who is carrying the big box of glowsticks. “What’s going on now?” she asks, as he places it just inside the fence of the playground.
“He said they were going to have a glowstick fight. No idea what that entails,” I chuckle.
Jani runs over, grabs a handful, and passes them to us as we watch Noble, Denton, Kenny, and Trey go around recruiting players.
We can’t hear the discussions, but Trey’s voice booms out. “Players must stay inside the fence. Three hits and you’re out! Honor system so don’t be a dick! Load up and we start when I yell.”
Pretty much every guy in the vicinity and a few women rush to the box and start grabbing as many glowsticks as they can carry. It looks hilarious as they spread out, since they’ve stuffed them any and everywhere. Glowing bras, pockets, and waistbands dance around the playground equipment and try to hide behind trees and shrubs.
“Are they just going to throw them at each other?” I ask.
My question is answered as Trey yells, and a green glowstick arcs across the park, accompanied by a sharp thwack. “Ow!” someone yells.
“Idiots,” Jani snorts. “These things are thick.”
Laughing, I play with the red one in my hand. It is thick plastic, not extremely heavy, but not light either, and the edges are rough. They definitely weren’t designed as a weapon.
The war is on, though, and from our spot on the picnic table, it’s too dark to see who is who. The air is filled with streaks of yellow, green, blue, and red, as they throw the glowsticks at each other, racing around and laughing. For the next ten minutes, all we hear is the smack of plastic against skin and shouts from them.
“Ow!”
“Shit!”
“That hurts!”
“Dude, you about took off my ear!”
A light rain starts to fall, and after the heat and humidity, it feels amazing. No one seems to care it’s raining or makes any attempt to get out of it. The war rages on, and I sit with Jani, Sasha, Veronica, and Emily, laughing and watching the guys.
>
It’s funny because this could easily be a bunch of ten year olds. It’s the sort of thing kids would think of, but I didn’t get much of this atmosphere when I was young. I lived out in the country too far to have neighbors, so there were no kids to play with after I got home from school. I’m sure there are people who would judge their behavior, call it juvenile, but I don’t understand that kind of thinking. I mean, listen to them. They’re having so much fun, and so are we, just watching them.
People lose sight of the little joys, of acting silly and letting loose without worrying what others might think or say. There’s clearly none of that judgment here. Everyone is laughing and yelling, from the college kids to the group of senior citizens who have retrieved umbrellas and stand to one side where they won’t miss the show.
The rain grows heavier and heavier until it’s hard to see, and we step back under the laundry room awning. The game finally ends without a winner as far as we can tell. I’m not sure how you keep score on something like that anyway.
“Hey! The mud hill!” Trey shouts, gesturing to the right.
There’s a large hill behind one end of the apartments that’s been dug up for some reason. I’m not sure what maintenance was planning with the area, but it has sat unchanged since I moved in and the general consensus is they were going to build something and ran out of funding. Either way, what is usually a bit of an eyesore is now a muddy, streaming mess that ends in a field on the east end of the street.
Noble, Denton, and Trey run up to us. All of them have shucked their shirts at some point and their skin is covered in short welts from the glowsticks. Noble grabs Jani’s hand. “Can I escort you to the waterslide, my lady?” he teases.
“Fuck off, I’m not getting caked in mud,” she laughs.
Denton grins at me. “We have some big plastic sheets. You don’t have to get muddy. You’re already wet.”
I glance at Veronica, who shrugs and gets to her feet. “One slide,” she says.
Sasha and I join her, and Emily follows.
Finally, Jani groans. “Fine, one slide.”
They rush off to get the plastic, and we step out into the rain again. At least it’s slacked off a bit so we can see as we make our way up the grassy edge of the hill.
“You all can race!” Noble announces and hands us each a sheet of plastic.
Veronica lays her plastic down, sits on it, and pulls it over her legs. Jani does the same. Emily sits cross legged and pulls the plastic up to her chest, tucking it under her arms. Sasha mimics her, giggling and glancing at me.
I lay mine down and try a couple different positions before sitting on my knees and gripping the plastic against my waist.
“Ready, set, go!” Denton cries, and we push off.
It’s still raining and quite a bit of water streams down the mud, making it slicker than any water slide I’ve ever been on. Barely a second after I feel Denton’s hand between my shoulder blades, I’m flying down the hill. A squeal of laughter leaps out of me. This is fun!
It is fun.
Until.
About three quarters of the way down, the water follows a little path, veering off to the side, leaving one section of the hill much drier. And much stickier.
The plastic hits that section and makes a sudden stop. I’m moving way too fast to catch myself. My knees dig into the ground, and I flip forward, face first into the mud. Now, I don’t mean, oh my cheek hit the mud, or I got a little on my forehead. Mid shout, my face is slammed into the ground. If the mud hadn’t been as soft and deep, I’d have probably broken my nose. Instead I get a mouthful of nasty, cold yuck.
In a split second, I sit up and spit out the gross glob in my mouth. It doesn’t help much since it’s sticking to my teeth and tongue. Closing my mouth, I blow out through my nose to clear my mud packed nostrils.
I manage to wipe most of it away from my eyes and slowly open them to see Denton and Noble drop down in front of me. “Are you okay?” Denton asks with concern in his voice.
Nodding, I spit again, and a few seconds later, a bottle of water is thrust into my hands.
“I got that on video!” Kenny exclaims, laughing his ass off. “You’re going to be a Youtube star!”
Asshole.
After rinsing my mouth a few times and dumping the remaining water over my eyes, I announce, “I’m fine. Not hurt.”
Trey grins at me. “Okay, then we’re totally going to laugh at you now, because you ate that ground so hard!”
My laughter joins the cacophony around me. I’ll bet it did look hilarious. I must be crazy, soaking wet, sticky from head to toe, with the taste of dirt still in my mouth, and I’m laughing as Denton grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet.
“Don’t worry, Kenny won’t really post the video.”
“The hell I won’t,” Kenny says.
“It’s no big deal,” I say, meeting Kenny’s gaze as we walk under the streetlight. “I know he’s just horsing around.”
Kenny’s laughter cuts off like someone unplugged him, and the look he gives me could melt a glacier. It doesn’t escape the other’s attention, but no one mentions it.
“I’m going to go get cleaned up,” I tell them.
“I’ll go with you,” Sasha says.
“Veronica, you can shower at my place and I’ll loan you some clothes,” Jani offers, and Veronica accepts. They promise they’ll be over in a few minutes.
“I’ve got to get home. I have an early shift tomorrow,” Emily says. “It was nice to meet you, Becca. Come by anytime!”
“Same goes for you,” I reply.
A crack of thunder warns there’s a storm coming, so Denton and the rest of the guys hurry to clean up the glowsticks and stuff while Sasha and I head to the apartment. I stop out front and hose off the worst of the mud before we go inside.
“You were right,” Sasha says, digging through my closet for some dry clothes while I pull out a pair of shorts and a tank top for myself. “This place is crazy. But it’s really fun. I like the people.”
“It’s never boring,” I giggle, grabbing my bathroom caddy. I really need to brush my teeth.
“What is up with that Kenny guy, though? He seems like a dick.”
The grin jumps to my face too quickly to prevent it. Sasha’s eyes widen. “What? You know something.”
“It’s a bit of a long story. I’ll tell you after I get the mud off my teeth.”
I leave her to dry off and change clothes while I shower. By the time I return, Veronica and Jani have joined her. They’re all sitting on my bed, sipping bottles of hard lemonade. Jani holds one out to me, and I take it. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Now quick, before the guys come to bother us, tell us what’s up with Kenny.”
I give Sasha a look, but she shrugs. “I just asked if he’s always such a dick.”
“He’s a douche, but Becca seems to bring it out of him. Any idea why?” Jani asks.
Should I tell them?
Veronica pats the bed beside her. “Come on, you’re one of us, a Circle chick now, don’t hold back on us.”
Ah, the peer pressure. But I like the idea of being one of them, and I sure don’t owe Kenny my silence after the way he treats me. Peeking out to see the guys are all in the kitchen, I shut my bedroom door. It’ll take them a few minutes to wash the mud off and change.
“Okay, but it stays between us.”
They gather around me like I might have the secret to eating all you want without gaining weight, and I chuckle at their enthusiasm. “I came home the other day and caught Kenny jacking off in the living room.”
Disappointment washes across their faces and Jani says, “So what? That guy is always jerking off.”
“Does he always do it while watching animated pony porn?”
Their faces. I wish I’d had a camera ready. They’re absolutely hilarious.
“That’s…what?” Veronica stutters.
“I swear. I walked in and he’s naked. Like butt naked on the livin
g room couch and there’s these blue, sparkly ponies fucking on TV.”
“Is that a thing?” Sasha asks. “Like, I’ve heard of a donkey show, but cartoon horses?”
Jani cracks up. “Rule thirty-four.”
“What’s rule thirty-four?” Sasha asks.
“If something exists, there’s porn of it,” Veronica says.
“Oh my god. I loved that cartoon when I was a kid,” Sasha groans, making us all laugh.
Jani grins at me. “That’s why he looked like he wanted to kill you. You said he was horsing around.”
Shrugging, I lean back against my headboard and take a drink. “I figured if he wanted me to keep it to myself, he could act decent toward me.”
“Our lips are zipped,” Veronica swears. “Torture him with it as long as you like.”
“Jani, you’re the sex toy expert. Is this, like, a common thing?” I ask.
Jani shrugs. “I wouldn’t say common, but I’ve heard of it. They call it clopping.”
The tap on my door can barely be heard over the laughter that fills the room. Denton pokes his head in. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” we all answer in unison and crack up again.
Chapter Four
Denton
The party was a success, and Becca fit in just like I knew she would. And judging by the amount of laughter coming from her bedroom, she’s had no trouble making friends with Jani and Veronica. They clam up when I ask what was so funny but jump on my offer of tacos when I tell them Trey is going to hit up the fast food place he works at. Half price tacos, no one passes that up.
After Trey returns and we’ve stuffed ourselves with tacos, we sit around the living room.
Jani says, “Let’s play Afraid to Ask.”
“What’s that?” Becca asks. I can’t blame her. The last game she joined earned her a mouthful of mud.
Jani sips her drink. “It’s not a game exactly. We have four guys and four girls. We just take turns asking questions that you always wanted to know about the opposite sex but were afraid to ask.”
“Quick, Kenny, now’s your chance to learn to find the clitoris,” Trey says.