by Amy Brown
“Shit. She’s hot.” Rudy is practically drooling.
“Put your tongue back in, Rudy,” I growl. I drag my gaze from her and notice Sabrina is staring at Adalee like she’d like to murder her. Sabrina’s used to a lot of attention from all the guys. She’s beautiful too. But there’s something about Adalee’s innocent gorgeousness that is just breathtaking. Maybe part of it is because she has no idea how pretty she is. That’s obvious to me suddenly. Even though before I felt like she was snobby, I’m beginning to be able to read her expressions a bit better. Her body language shows she’s not comfortable with all the attention she’s getting. That’s surprising to me.
“Why were you fighting with her again?” Rudy asks.
“She was snooty.” I feel stupid saying that now. It doesn’t seem like a big enough reason to have been a jerk to her. But at the time, it had felt appropriate. I think my feelings have softened slightly toward her after seeing her at the quarry last night.
“Snooty?” He laughs. “Well, when you look like she looks I can see why she might be stuck up.”
“I don’t think she really is though.” I frown, not intending to say that. “I mean, she kind of is… I don’t know.”
Rudy watches me with a funny expression. “She must’ve done something, or you wouldn’t have been pissed off at her. I trust your judgment.”
I put my arm around his shoulder and hug him. “That’s what I like about you Rudy. You’re loyal.”
He laughs gruffly. “Only to you.”
I let go of him and grab a red plastic cup. I fill it up with margarita mix and tequila and take a couple of big swallows. I’m not sure why Adalee rattles me. Maybe it’s because tonight she looks so delicate, I feel strangely protective of her with all the leering guys. It’s not my place to protect her or anyone here, so I decide to drink instead of dealing with these confusing emotions.
Predictably, Sabrina comes up to me. I’m sure she wants to keep her eye on me in case I try to talk to Adalee. I hate it when Sabrina gets like this. Her insecurity is annoying. Plus, I can’t reassure her because I have no reason to reassure her. I don’t want her as my girlfriend, and she should be worried. I have no intention of being faithful to her. As much as she likes to pretend, we are not a couple.
“She looks like a slut,” Sabrina hisses, watching me closely.
“Uh, huh.” I sip my drink.
“Every girl here looks like a slut,” Rudy says.
Scowling, Sabrina says, “Are you taking her side?”
“Taking her side?” Rudy snorts. “I’ve never even talked to her.”
“She’s a bitch,” Sabrina snaps. “Take my word for it.”
I exhale roughly, and finish off my drink. I should probably slow down or I’m going to be too drunk to help pass out the prizes later. But I feel like letting loose tonight. My skin feels too tight and I’m antsy. It’s been a while since I’ve blown off steam and tied one on. Maybe tonight’s that night.
Somebody turns the music up louder, and everybody starts jumping up and down to the rhythm. Adalee and her group are heading toward us, probably because this is where the bar is. I have no illusions Adalee can’t wait to talk to me. I know I should move away so that we don’t have to talk to each other, but I can’t seem to make my feet move.
As they come closer, Adalee notices me. Her gaze flickers and her breathing picks up. Dirk is hovering closely, looking frustrated at all the attention she’s getting. He probably thought he could have her all to himself, but he underestimated how pretty she is and how horny all these guys are. Besides, Dirk isn’t good enough for her.
What am I talking about?
As they reach us, Rudy sticks out his hand and introduces himself to Adalee. “I’m Rudy.” He grins. Everybody likes Rudy, he’s just one of those types who people are drawn to.
Adalee hesitates, but then she takes his hand. “I’m Adalee,” she says softly. The music is so loud her voice is barely audible.
“Yeah, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Rudy smirks. For some reason when Rudy smirks, it doesn’t seem as offensive as when other people do it.
Adalee gives a surprised laugh and her gaze flicks to me. “I’ll bet. Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“Oh I won’t. I’ll make up my own mind.” Rudy winks at me.
“Don’t let her fool you Rudy,” says Sabrina. “Her innocent act is just that; an act.”
Adalee’s cheeks tint pink. “You don’t even know me.”
“Yeah. You should shut up Sabrina,” Dirk growls.
“Silence knave,” Sabrina sniffs, flicking her hand at him dismissively.
“Sabrina’s jealous,” Emma says.
Sabrina’s eyes widen. “Jealous?” She looks incredulous. “Why would I be jealous of a poor slob like her?”
“You’re jealous of every other girl,” Luke pipes up. “It’s pathetic.”
I’m surprised when Luke says something. He’s a shy quiet guy, who rarely gets involved in any of the drama of Harbor Academy. What is it about Adalee that has all of them rallying around her?
“Keep talking,” Sabrina snaps. “I’ll see to it that none of you win gifts.”
I keep my face blank, but there’s no way Sabrina could make sure of that. We may treat these students like crap most of the year, but we’re scrupulously honest about handing out the prizes. We don’t play favorites.
Luke rolls his eyes and grabs a red plastic cup. He goes over to the keg and fills it up, and then he returns to his group. Dirk turns to Adalee asking if she’d like a drink. Luke notices and he addresses Emma.
“Oh, yeah, Emma. Can I get you a drink?” Luke grimaces.
“Sure… I’ll have a rum and coke.” Emma smiles at Luke. “Thanks Luke.”
I don’t think it’s my imagination Luke’s cheeks turn pink. “No problem.” He goes to fix her drink.
Meanwhile, Dirk is trying to charm Adalee as he pours her a seven and seven. He’s telling jokes and she’s laughing. I’m not sure why his behavior is annoying me so much. Why do I care if she thinks that loser is funny?
Sabrina is rubbing up against me to the beat of the music, casting me mournful glances. I know she wants to dance. I have no interest in dancing. There are plenty of guys here, why can’t she just dance with them? I catch Adalee watching us, and her expression is odd. Whenever she looks at Sabrina her dislike is obvious, but when she looks at me her emotions are more confusing.
I decide to shut Sabrina up by dancing, but there’s also small part of me that’s doing it because I know it bugs Adalee. I’m not sure why it bugs her, but I can see that it does. I lead Sabrina out on the floor with all the other sweaty, bouncing people. At least the song is a good one, Sweet but Psycho by Ava Max. Probably a perfect one to dance to with Sabrina. Not that she sweet. Ever. I can feel Adalee watching as I put my arms around Sabrina. Sabrina is in heaven, loving the attention. She’d be pissed if she knew I was only doing it to get at Adalee.
I dance two more songs with Sabrina, and I’m just drunk enough that I’m almost enjoying myself. I become aware of Dirk and Adalee just a few feet from me also dancing. I have a bad taste in my mouth when I see him putting his hands on her waist. He moves in closer, trying to slow dance to a fast song. Dick move, Dirk. Sabrina pats my cheek, scowling as she notices I’m watching Adalee dance. I force a smile and pull her closer, stuffing down my irrational anger about Dirk dancing with Adalee.
Luke and Emma aren’t dancing. There standing awkwardly next to each other watching everybody else. I have a sneaking suspicion Luke likes Emma, but I don’t think he knows what to do about it. I don’t know a lot about Emma. She’s well liked, but not hugely social. I doubt she has any more dating experience than Luke. I almost feel sorry for Luke. Not sure what’s going on with me. First I’m feeling softer toward Adalee and now I’m feeling sorry for Luke?
No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to keep my eyes off of Adalee. She’s graceful when she dances. She wiggles her hips,
but not in a slutty way. The more I watch her the more aroused I get. That has to be because I’m drunk. I can have my pick of girls. I certainly don’t need to lust after the one girl in school who annoys the crap out of me. She’s mouthy, opinionated, and stubborn. So how come all I can think about is peeling that red dress off of her, and fucking her? Is it a power thing? Maybe that’s it. She’s challenged me, and I feel the need to put her in her place. If I believe it’s anything more, I’m way over thinking it.
The music stops suddenly, and Rudy stands on a chair and blows an air horn. Some girls screech and cover their ears, but most people just laugh. “Who’s up for the game of Seven Minutes in Heaven?” he yells.
A cheer goes up because everybody’s pretty drunk by now, and what could be more fun than a kissing game? Sabrina presses closer to me, probably terrified some other girl is gonna drag me into the closet.
“Okay,” Rudy shouts. “Lulu is passing around paper and pens. Write your name down and then pass it forward and all the names will go in this hat.” He holds up the black felt hat. “Then we’ll randomly choose names, and two at a time people have to go in the closet together for seven minutes. What you do during those seven minutes is your business.” He grins. “Although, you do have to tell us whether or not you kissed.”
Everybody cheers, but when I glance over, Adalee looks horrified. Dirk looks happy, seemingly confident he’ll be paired with her. Does he not get that it’s all random? Maybe he doesn’t care who he gets paired with. Maybe he just wants to make out with somebody. Anybody.
“I hate this game,” grumbles Sabrina. “Why can’t we just pick who we want to go in the closet with?”
I laugh. “Because it’s supposed to be awkward. It’s supposed to make your skin crawl. It’s not supposed to be an excuse to go make out, while everybody waits on you.”
She scowls. “It’s immature.”
I stifle my laugh. “Don’t worry, baby, whoever I get paired with, I’ll wear a condom.”
“Fuck you, Palmer.” She pinches my arm hard.
I grin and rub my arm. “Calm down. It’s just a stupid game.”
Luke and Emma look as horrified as Adalee. They’re both still holding their paper and pens, as if they’re not even sure they want to add their names to the hat. I write my name down and pass it forward. I don’t care who I go to the closet with. So long as it’s not a dude, they’re going to get kissed. No way am I coming out of the closet like a pussy, too afraid to kiss someone.
Rudy gathers all the names, tossing his in at the last second. Then one by one, he begins to call out names. There’s a lot of giggling and catcalls as people stumble into the closet together. Rudy keeps time, sipping on his red cup with a gleeful expression. When the couples come out, he grills them about whether or not they kissed. Most people do, probably just to save face. Some of them come out beet red and it’s obvious they probably didn’t even talk the whole time they were in there.
When Sabrina’s name is called, the person who supposed to go with her into the closet is Luke. I burst out laughing at her expression, but Luke doesn’t look like he thinks it’s funny. He approaches the closet as if he’s going to the executioner. Sabrina tosses her hair, and strides past him.
“You better not use any tongue,” she snaps.
Luke looks like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I can’t stop laughing at his expression. I wonder if he’s ever even kissed a girl. Too bad for him if his first time has to be with a bitch like Sabrina. The door closes and I meet Adalee’s gaze. I’m surprised to see she’s laughing. Her hands are covering her cheeks, and she’s laughing hysterically. She’s so pretty with her eyes sparkling, and her white teeth flashing. I can’t help but smile back at her, and for a brief second we share a moment. It’s a shock because from the first minute we met, we’ve been at odds. But in this moment, we’re just two people finding something funny. Common ground. Who’d a thunk it?
When the seven minutes are up, Sabrina comes storming out of the closet, her cheeks pink, and her eyes angry. “Stupid little virgin wouldn’t even kiss me.” She looks insulted.
I feel a grudging respect that Luke didn’t give in to peer pressure, and he didn’t kiss her. That must’ve rocked her world, and not in a good way. Sabrina thinks no man can resist her. Obviously Luke proved her wrong.
Luke looks borderline nauseated. He hurries back to Emma, and he grabs his drink from her, and downs it in two big gulps. Emma pats his back, looking pleased. Maybe Emma has little thing for Luke too because she looks happy that he didn’t kiss Sabrina. Maybe it’s just at them against us thing.
A dozen more people are called to the closet, and I down a few more margaritas. When my name is called I raise my arms as if I’m a champion boxer in the ring. The crowd lets out a big cheer, mostly because they’re all kiss-asses. I walked toward the closet and I hear Adalee’s name being called too. Shock rolls through me as I realize she’s the one I’m going to be stuck in the closet with for seven minutes. I try to hide my surprise, but she doesn’t. She looks frazzled as she slowly approaches. Behind her I see Dirk, and he looks pissed. But not nearly as pissed as Sabrina.
I step aside and let Adalee go into the closet first. I’m putting on a big show of being a gentleman, by bowing to her as she passes and shit like that. But the truth is, my heart is pounding like a jackhammer. I’m numb and excited at the prospect of kissing Adalee. I don’t understand myself. I don’t even like her, but I really am attracted to her. My dick has a mind of its own.
Rudy closes the door and we’re enveloped in complete darkness. The house we hold the party in is one of my dad’s. The closet we’re in is where he stores a lot of his ski equipment. The smell of waxed skis and down from the jackets hung in here fill my nostrils. But along with those musty scents, Adalee’s Jasmine perfume mingles, making my stomach tense. My fingers tingle with the desire to touch her. I can hear her breathing quickly, and I can smell her alarm.
“This is awkward,” she whispers, giving a nervous laugh.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say Rudy did this on purpose to embarrass us.”
“Could he do that?” Her voice wobbles.
“Not easily. But I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Fucker will pay if he did this on purpose.
The closet isn’t huge, which is one reason we always use this closet. Optimum humiliation. The tighter strangers are squeezed in together, the more uncomfortable it is for them. Right now, I’m not finding our strategy very amusing. I don’t know why I can’t just laugh this off. Maybe it’s because I have an erection, and I’d rather Adalee didn’t know that.
“So, they’re going to ask if we kissed.” My eyes are adjusting to the dark a bit, I can see her outline, but that’s about it. I’m sure my breath is 99% alcohol at the moment, she’s probably getting drunk just by standing next to me.
“We could lie.” Her voice is tentative.
“We could. Or… we could just kiss, and get it over with.” I feel breathless as I wait for her response. I half expect her to scream and slap me. Surprisingly, she does neither.
She shifts, and her perfume comes to me stronger. I can feel the heat of her body because we’re that close, although we’re not actually touching. “You want to kiss?”
“I didn’t say I want to. I just don’t like being a pussy.”
“Why would you be a pussy?”
I shrug. “Because they all expect us to kiss. The only people who don’t are virgins.”
“I don’t really care what people think.”
I laugh. “Yeah, I got that message loud and clear from day one.”
“Why should I care what they think? They don’t mean anything to me. Their opinions mean nothing to me. The only opinions I care about are those from people I love.” She speaks with conviction.
She’s such an odd mixture of insecure and confident. Maybe she’s feeling her way through life like we all are. Finding herself. But the truth is, she seems to have a stron
ger backbone than me. I’m only too ready to kiss a stranger just so people I don’t care about think better of me. Of course, I also kind of want to taste her mouth. I’d be lying if I said otherwise.
“Trust me, I didn’t expect an ice princess like you to kiss me, or anybody you got stuck in here with.”
“Oh really?”
“Yep.”
Her silence is electric. It almost speaks more volume than if she’d actually said anything. Without a word, she moves closer. Her soft body presses into mine. Her soft curves fold into my hard lines, and I catch my breath. I guess she took my comment as a challenge. I can’t help myself, and I slide my hands around her tiny waist. She’s so slender and delicate, I could snap her in two without breaking a sweat. I’d have been tempted to do just that yesterday too. But right now, I just want to feel her warm body against me, and I want her mouth open and wet on mine.
“You… you can kiss me if you want,” she says softly. “I’m not afraid.”
“I thought you didn’t care about peer pressure?”
“It’s just a game. It doesn’t mean anything.”
I don’t do anything for a few seconds, but then I lower my head, seeking her mouth. I find her velvety cheek first, and I kiss my way to her full lips. I hesitate before claiming her mouth, and her breath puffs against my lips. She’s trembling, but she presses closer, pushing her soft breasts against my chest. I smile, feeling her strain to get closer. My dick aches I want her so bad, I’m shocked at my need, but unable to squelch it.
When I finally cover her mouth with mine, she moans and I swallow it down. I slip my tongue delicately between her lips, and excitement bolts through me when she whimpers and begins to suck gently on my tongue. Fucking hell, I’m so turned on just kissing her, I’m about to come in my underwear. Her smell and taste is like honey, and I just want to push her dress up and take her; right here, with our classmates right outside the door. I just want to slip inside her and make her come.