by Tara Brown
Page 11
"Gross. Jesus. " I glance at Alise and grin.
I pick up the glass and down it in fast chugs.
I place it on the counter and rub my belly. Alise is almost gagging but the doorbell rings. She leaves to answer it and I open the fridge. I grab a block of cheese and pull off a hunk. I take a bite but it isn’t what I want. I toss the hunk of cheese I broke off and put the rest back in the fridge.
I can't seem to quench my hunger.
"Aimes, we're leaving now. " I look at my reflection in the glass on the wall mount stove and nod. "Coming. " Something is different. I just can't put a finger on it.
I shake my head and leave the kitchen.
Mom is standing at the bottom of the stairs, smiling. She touches my cheek. "You sure you want to do this?"
I nod. "It's the last party of the year. I leave for Harvard in a few months. It's cool. " Alise kisses our mom and walks out of the house.
I shake my head at her strappy silver wedges and tiny silver shirt/dress. "Besides, someone has to make sure the hot mess comes home. "
Mom laughs. "Oh you know what she's like. "
I look at my mom and smirk. "Aunt Karen. "
Mom rolls her eyes. "Let's just pray she doesn’t end up in Vegas dancing like Aunt Karen. "
I shiver. "Responsible parents would have crushed her wickedness years ago. I blame you both. "
She hugs me tightly to her and laughs her crazy giggle. "One day Aimes, you're going to see that the crazy spirit inside of her means well. "
I shake my head and walk out. "I'll text if she gets out of control. " I look back. "Tell dad to be on the ready. "
She laughs her musical giggle. "Honey, he's in Portland for the night. He won't be home until tomorrow. I will come and get you if I have to. "
I shake my head. "We'll be fine. " I don’t know what the reason is but I don’t want her leaving the house. I have a terrible feeling in my stomach. "
"Aimee, haul ass. " Alise shouts from her car.
Mom waves and blows kisses and closes the door.
I climb in and buckle up. "I want you to pick up Blake first. "
Her face glows. "Whatever. You two dorks better not do anything dorky tonight. "
"We made a deal, Alise. You have to be nice to me and Blake and do my laundry according to washing instructions for a month. "
Watching our house as we drive away, I can't shake the déjà vu that's hitting me hard.
She drives like a maniac, picking up everyone. She pulls up to Giselle's last.
I shoot a look at Alise. "Dude, this car is full. We're picking her up too?"
Alise waves a hand dismissingly at me. "She wasn’t feeling well so she didn’t go earlier. Stop annoying me. "
"She's sick and you're letting her come in the car with us all packed in here? We're all going to get sick. "
Alise shoots me a glare. "Shut it. "
I groan as Giselle opens my door and raises her eyebrows, "You're in my seat. "
I roll my eyes and sigh.
"Aimes, it's a proven fact the people in the backseat have better survival odds. " I smirk at Blake and climb out of the beater. I squish into the back seat. My face is on fire when I realize I'm sitting on Blake's and Tommy's knees.
"You look good for a nerd. "
I look over at my sister's friend Tommy and glare. "You look good considering you only just learned to walk upright. "
His eyes narrow. "Easy nerd girl. I was just trying to pay you a compliment. You clean up nice. " I look down at the t-shirt I'm wearing and shake my head. "Gee, thanks. "
Blake laughs.
"McGinnis, dude you're huge. Way too big for the backseat. What are you six-one?"
Blake scowls. "Six-three. "
"You should tryout for the basketball team when you go to college. " Tommy grins at him.
Blake gives me a desperate look.
"He isn’t very coordinated. "
Tommy shrugs. "Too bad. "
Blake rolls his eyes and I can't wait to get out of the car.
"What are you wearing by the way?" He whispers. I look down at the stupid shirt and jeans Alise attacked me with. I nod toward the front seat. "Attacked me. Makeup and all. "
He grimaced. "Must have been savage. "
I nod and smirk. "Completely. "
Alise pulls into the long driveway and my stomach dances at the thought of seeing Shane. He was finally single and possibly over the fact his dad had left with a twenty-five year old cashier.
"God it's hot in here. " Giselle fans herself.
I notice the sweat on her temple. She has never sweat before, I'm certain. I feel hot too.
"I hope there is food here. I'm starving," I mutter at Blake as we all file out of the car. People start screaming and laughing. Tommy throws a girl on his shoulders. Blake and I stand back and watch the chaos. The house is booming. I didn’t want to come, but Shane had asked me himself when I was tutoring him in English. The fact I had loved him forever, secretly, made the decision easy. I even let Alise dress me and do my makeup. Of course she thought I was going to ask Blake out. I glance at him and shiver at the idea of us kissing.
"Wanna go in?" I ask quietly.
He nods, nervously. I notice he isn’t wearing his glasses. He looks massive without anything in his hands. He's almost always fidgeting with something.
The front door opens and Shane steps out. I smile, it's involuntary.
He grins at me and shakes his head. "Didn’t think you'd make it. " My sister walks past him giving me the evil eye. He smiles at her too. "Hey Alise, Giselle, Tommy. Refreshments are in the back. I made Lemonade. "
Giselle doesn’t go in with Alise. She stands outside alone. She doesn’t look well. I can't help but notice the way she keeps glancing at me.
Shane walks in between her and I, taking my gaze with him. I beam up into his blue eyes.
"I'm glad you came. " He smiles at Blake who couldn’t look more uncomfortable. "Hey Blake. "
Blake nods and looks back at me. "Guess I'll go get some lemonade. " He slouches a bit.
"Straight. " I say. His back straightens. He looks back and arches his eyebrow at me. He slouches in his computer too much. It drives me insane.
I look back at Shane and grin like the Chestshire cat. "Looks rowdy in there. "
He looks back and puts his hands in his back pockets. "Yeah. Wanna come in?" He asks. I furrow my brow and laugh. "Yeah. "
He shakes his head at himself and looks like he doesn’t know what his next move is. He jerks and turns away from me. I walk up beside him and nudge him. "You okay?"
He nods, "Yeah. "
"Can you say anything beyond yeah?"
He looks down on me and grins, his face is flushed. "Yeah. " He opens the door that’s been closed and holds it for me. "I can say you look nice. "
I bite my lip, trying desperately not to blush. "Thanks. Alise. You know what she's like. "
He laughs. "I do. Any guy would do anything for that girl. " His face turns crimson. "Except me. Of course. "
I swallow and can't help but wonder where the conversation is going. "Of course. "
"She still dating that Luke guy from Handley?"
I shake my head. "No. They only ever last a couple months. She is, uhm, well, fickle. "
He laughs. "Fickle. That’s not the word I would use. "
I laugh and close the door. I notice Giselle in the yard still.
I look back. "I'll be back in a minute. " I open the door again and run out to where she is.
"You okay?" I ask.
She looks at me and shakes her head. "I think I'm sick. Like the flu or something. "
"Want me to drive you home?"
She laughs. "Uh no. I just need a minute Aimes. " She turns and walks away and I can't help but frown. She used my nickname. She has never called me Aimes in my life. She rounds th
e back of the house. I turn and walk back inside.
Shane is holding a drink for me. I take it and sniff. He rolls his eyes. "I didn’t put booze in it. I know you don’t drink. "
I frown. "You do?"
He laughs. "I've known you for a long time Aimes. " His voice turns throaty at the end of the sentence.
I sip my lemonade and try not to shake. I cringe at the taste.
"You don’t like lemonade?"
I shake my head. "I do but it just tastes funny. " My belly rumbles. I glance out the backdoor to the deck. Giselle is standing there leaning against the railing with a guy. His back is turned to me. Something about it is bugging me.
"You want to go sit?" Shane asks. I look up and nod. He grabs my hand and electricity jolts up my arm.
"Ouch. " He pulls away.
"Sorry. I think I shocked you. "
He laughs. "Quite the charge you have there. " I rub my fingertips together and swear I can feel sparks.
I follow him to the quiet room at the back of the house, the sunroom. He sits on an old couch next to the woodstove. I sit beside him and try to ignore the sparks in my fingertips and rumbling in my belly.
"You okay?" He asks.
I nod. "Where is Blake?"
We both look around but he isn’t in the kitchen or the sunroom or back deck.
"Maybe he's in the living room. "
"Maybe. "
He grins. "So you excited about the year being over?"
I smile. "Yeah. I'm excited. I'm all ready to go. "
His face drops. "All the way to Harvard?"
"Yeah. Far but awesome. You planning on Seattle still?"
He shrugs. "Not sure. I don’t have a right fit yet. "
My stomach clenches. I almost double over. "Oh my god," I whisper.
"Aimes what is it?"
I shake my head. "I don’t know. I don’t feel so good. I think I got the flu. " I stand and run for the back deck, "Just need some air. Be right back. " I shout back at him. I am terrified to shit my pants at his house.