****
“We’re both off tonight, ya know what that means?” Lea says as I walk in the dorms.
“That I can study for my tests next week?” I ask, hoping she’ll leave me alone for the night, but I know better than that, Hayze warned me last night. I toss my backpack on my twin sized bed. I collapse on my bed, pull out my notes to study. My notebook is ripped from my hands; loose papers scatter to the floor.
“Hey!” I yell and look at her in horror.
“I promised your brother you’d get a full college experience,” she says, dangling my notebook in front of me.
“Yeah, but to stay in college I need to pass,” I huff and drop to the floor. I gather my notes, arranging them in dates before I lay them on my desk.
“Everyone has two freshman years. C’mon, let’s get dressed! Hayze will be here soon.” She senses my reluctance. I sit on the bed, not moving with a deep frown on my face. Her bottom lip pokes out.
“Please,” she whines. “You can study all weekend! I promise I won’t ask you out again!” She stops, looks around the around the room, thinking. “Well, I won’t ask you ‘til after your tests.”
“Fine.” I toss my books down and hop from my bed. She squeals and claps her hands together as she walks to the small vanity in our room.
“Okay, your hair is good.” She looks me over, face pressed in deep thought. “More makeup, less clothes,” she says, her dimples greet me.
I fall in the chair, letting her tweeze and apply makeup. I blink, adjusting to the mascara and find the mirror. My eyes are smoky on top, with a small trace underneath. I turn my head, inspecting her work.
“Not too bad,” I tell her honestly.
She looks pleased with my compliment. She digs through our shared closet, her blonde bob pops out with material in her hand. She tosses me the clothes and I hold them out to get a good look. The cheetah shirt is a modest, three quarter length with a high neck. But my smile drops as I see the shorts. Or, I think that’s what we call them. The black spandex material will cover nothing; why even bother with the shorts?
I strip and pull the clothes on without reservation, hoping she’ll change her mind when she sees the sleazy material on my body. After she adjusts her dress she walks over with a smile.
“Perfect!”
I sigh, no such luck. “Uhh…”
A knock on the door stops my protest. She swings the door wide, revealing Hayze in the background. He walks in, his brows furrow as he looks at me. His light jeans hang from his hips; the simple black shirt makes his dark eyes stand out against his sandy hair.
“Nice shorts,” he said, pointing to my legs. “Did you pick them out?”
“Not exactly,” I say and glare at Lea.
“Change,” he demands.
“What?” Lea whines, “She looks hot! She’s attracting attention now; just thought I’d help.” She winks at me.
“She doesn’t need the kind of attention she’ll get with those shorts, Lea!” Hayze raises his voice to her but she doesn’t budge.
“Hey, um, guys I’m right here. I can speak for myself,” I say, mainly to Hayze. I’m uncomfortable in the shorts, but his attitude makes me want to wear them in spite of him.
They both snap their head in my direction. Hayze sighs with a clenched jaw, he asks, “Is that what you wanna wear to the bar?”
His eyes are sincere. I know he’s just trying to help me, somehow he knows that I won’t tell her no, but he could go about it a better way. “Maybe longer shorts, Lea do you have longer shorts?” I ask Lea.
The relief in Hayze is obvious, his shoulders sag and a small smile plays on his lips. Lea shoots him a hard glare as she storms to the closet. She pulls out a pair of black shorts and tosses them to me. Hayze stands, watching me with his arms still folded on his chest.
“Get out,” I tell him.
He throws his arms up. “Nothin’ is more revealing than those shorts.”
“Out!” I point to the door. He chuckles and walks with Lea into the hallway. I switch my shorts and slide on flats before meeting them in the hall. Hayze is starring at his phone and Lea stands next to him, her face is concerned.
“What’s going on?” I ask when I walk into the tension.
“Joel’s having a party at their apartment,” Lea tells me. Waiting for an explanation, I cock my eyebrow. “He doesn’t like people over there. He’s a control freak.”
“I’m not a control freak,” he says with a defensive tone. “I just don’t like people over there, especially when I’m not there.”
“Why don’t we just go to the party?” They look at me, then at each other. They shake their head and agree as if they didn’t consider this wonderful revelation.
“Yeah?” Hayze nods his head.
“We could do that,” Lea says.
We pile in Hayze’s mustang. Lea complains about his music and he turns it up. He stops at a gas station along the way for drinks. With alcohol filling the trunk, we pull into the apartment complex. He gets out rips the drinks from the car, and stalks off to his apartment.
“No one better be in my room,” he rants.
He slams the door open, everyone stares at us as we enter. Joel, two other guys, and four girls fill the space. The eager girls smile at Hayze, one tugs her top lower, as if she could show more cleavage. He sets the drinks on the bar and hands me one. Hayze walks over and says something to Joel. He shakes his head at him. With a heated argument sure to come, I stand close to Lea.
“Does this happen a lot?” I ask her.
“It used to, that’s why they moved, Hayze is so weird about people knowing where he lives,” she says, shrugging.
“Hey, I’m Mike, you came here with Hayze?” I turn finding a brooding guy, with a buzzed head and too many tattoos to count.
“Yeah, he’s a friend of mine, I’m Taylor. This is Lea.”
One brave girl walks over and cranks up the music’s volume. She turns and does a little dance as the others cheer her on. Soon they’re all up and dancing. They have watched one too many music videos, I cringe as they paw each other, putting on a show for the guys. My face flushes crimson red as one bends over.
“Come with me.”
I jump, startled by Hayze. He grabs my hand and pulls me into a room. When he switches the light on I glance around the room. The large bed sits in the middle, a bedside table, and a television fill the space. That’s it, no pictures, nothing.
“Are you comfortable being here?” He asks.
“Yeah,” I say, wondering why he brought me in here to ask.
“I’m hoping if we stay in here long enough the show will end.” He sits on the navy blue bed, I laugh and sit down.
“Did they give you the same show last night?”
“Not going to let that one go, are you?” He chuckles which only makes me angry. “Hell no, I don’t bring girls here. This is all Joel’s doing.”
“C’mon, you expect me to believe that?” I laugh, shoving his shoulder. Although there’s a hint of amusement in his eyes, he doesn’t smile or act like he’s joking.
“I found out the hard way. I don’t fuck girls here; I go to their place. They show up here wantin’ more and shit.”
My jaw falls and I look to him in horror. “I’m officially repulsed by you! Do you even hear yourself talk?”
He laughs, “Let’s get back out there. You and Lea can get piss drunk and stay the night. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay with being here.”
“I’m not staying here!” I tell him, ignoring the sincerity in his voice.
“I won’t steal your virtue, promise.”
Needing to put space between us, I stand and walk across the room. “What if I show up wanting more tomorrow?” I giggle, feeling light from the drink.
He stands and walks to my side. “Well, Taylor, I wouldn’t slam the door in your face.” His fingers brush my chin, tilting it up. My stomach grows nervous. He repulses me more than any guy I’ve ever met but liste
ning to him now, it’s like I’ve been waiting to hear him say that. I’m not comfortable with this conversation so I don’t bring up what I think he’s trying to tell me.
“You slam your door in girls’ faces?” I scowl and pretend that I’m not reeling.
“Lea’s probably looking for us,” he says and opens the door, letting me pass through before he shuts it. He seems frustrated as we leave but I don’t know why.
“Where the hell have you been?” Lea looks at me and glares over my shoulder at Hayze.
“Talking, we missed the show? What a shame,” I say, grinning.
“Yeah… I’m not buying that,” she says. She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head at my excuse. I almost spill everything to her, but Hayze’s hand touches the small of my back. The music has been lowered, but he leans close to my ear anyway.
“Want another drink?” He says in my ear. I nod and he starts to walk away.
Mike comes to our side. “How you feeling? Hayze gave you the hook-up?”
“What?” I look to him then Lea, who’s staring at him wide eyed.
“What the fuck did you say?” Hayze shoves him from behind. “Get the fuck away from her!”
Before Mike can react, Joel appears and stands between them. Mike looks to Joel, dumbfounded. “I don’t know what happened, man all I said was…” Mike starts but the thought trails off as Hayze jumps, Joel holds him back.
“Get the fuck out! Don’t bring him back to this apartment,” Hayze voice booms. “Actually, everyone just get the fuck out.”
“Come on, Taylor,” Lea says, she jerks my hand and pulls me in his bedroom.
“What just happened?” I ask. She closes the door, turns the lock and walks from the door. Her eyes hold mine. The concern is evident as the shouting continues.
“Nothing, that guy was hitting on you. He was just being a dick.”
“Is he always like that? Hayze I mean…Is this normal for him?” I ask.
She looks to me; her expression is sad. “He can be. It kinda depends—Taylor, these are not my secrets to tell.”
She goes through his clothes and tosses me something to sleep in. I change quickly and crawl into the large comfortable bed. As I lie in his bed I hear his voice, but it’s not the calm, laid back sound I have grown accustomed to. I wince as glass crashes to the wall, but Lea doesn’t move or say a word. And now I know this happens often. I don’t know him at all.
Hazed Page 9