by Lee Mae
I felt on edge, my hands squeezing into fists as an overwhelming urge to follow Nicole up the stairs hit me. The thought of her with some other guy, doing things that I wanted to do with her, was eating me up inside. I knew it was selfish, and maybe desperate, and probably pathetic, but nevertheless, the urge to chase her down remained.
“Go after her, man,” Chris said, his eyes glazed but enough intelligence remaining in them for me to see that he was serious. Then he turned and discreetly threw up in the kitchen sink.
Whether it was an omen or not, I decided to follow his advice. Heading for the stairs, I climbed them two at a time, weaving around other partygoers who were sitting there chatting or making out in the shadows.
At the top of the stairs was a hallway. The door at the end was a bathroom; I remembered that from other parties. The other two doors were likely bedrooms. Three doors, and no idea which one she was lurking behind.
I could open them all, risk getting yelled at or stumbling upon something embarrassing. It was a sloppy solution, but I was just about to do it when I heard a loud “Fuck you! Get off me!” coming from the door on the right.
Without hesitation, I opened it, and within seconds, my fists were swinging.
10
NIKKI
I DON’T KNOW why I followed him upstairs. After shutting the door behind us in the room that clearly belonged to Fudd’s parents, Trent’s hands had become like octopus tentacles, and it was almost impossible to get them off me.
He’d said he had something he needed to tell me in private. Something about my old crowd at Augustus Academy. I should have known, given our earlier conversation, that Trent had nothing to tell me that I wanted to hear.
“What did you want to tell me?” I’d asked, arms folded over my chest after he shut the door.
“Why don’t we just get a little comfortable first?” he’d said, sitting on the bed and patting the space beside him.
“I’m comfortable just the way I am.”
Trent had frowned. “Well, I’m not.” He gave me a look that screamed disappointment. “You sure have changed.”
I threw up my hands and sighed, then took a seat on the bed next to him. “Now, what’s so important that you needed to drag me up here to tell me?”
Trent shifted so that he could put his hands on my shoulders and started to massage me. “You’re so tense. You know, tension isn’t good for you. If you wanted, I could give you a full body massage—”
“Pass,” I said, shifting away to get his hands off me.
“You’ve turned into a real bitch, you know that?” His voice became angry, his eyes like slits.
“Yeah, I guess getting pawed at without consent tends to do that to me.”
Trent looked like he wanted to hit me. “I guess you leave me no choice.” He smiled coldly. “This is what I wanted to tell you: Either you blow me right now, or I tell your friends downstairs all about what your daddy did.”
My eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
He laughed. “Yes I fucking would. I bet you haven’t told them that Daddy’s in prison for stealing a bunch of money from the old and the stupid. It didn’t take long for everyone at Augustus to turn against you, so how long do you think it will take for your new friends to turn their backs? A day? Maybe a week?”
“You’re an asshole,” I said, standing up, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back down on the bed. His grip was tight enough to hurt.
“You’re going to suck my dick, and I’ll keep my mouth shut. Otherwise, you can look forward to staying home alone on prom night.”
“No.” I didn’t care if he sent everyone at Valley High my father’s entire criminal record. I wasn’t going to do what he wanted. I struggled against him, even as he started to unzip his pants. “Let me go, Trent.”
Instead he grabbed me by the back of the neck and started to push my head down toward his crotch. I struggled to get away, but he was stronger than me, using both hands now to push me to my knees.
“Fuck you!” I yelled as he tried to push his crotch into my face. “Get off me!” I was terrified, afraid that I was seconds away from being raped, and I couldn’t get away, no matter how hard I tried. I felt tears start to fill my eyes as Trent told me to open my mouth.
The door burst open, and Trent’s eyes flew to the doorway. “Get out of here, man. Can’t you see we’re fucking busy?”
“Let go of her.”
I recognized the voice and a surge of relief went through me.
Trent’s hands fell away when Zack’s fist hit him in the jaw. I yelped and rushed away on my hands and knees. Trent let out a curse and swung on Zack, but Zack was ready, and he blocked the blow and crashed into Trent, knocking him to the floor.
I got to my feet and huddled in the corner, staying far away from the flying fists. Trent was trying to hold his own, but Zack was brutal. Like a machine, he kept at his adversary. They rolled into a nightstand, causing it to shift and making a lamp fall to the floor. It shattered, and I heard a yell from the stairs.
Soon a crowd was gathered in the hallway, cheering and screaming as the fight continued. Zack got to his knees and punched Trent in the face, making his head reel back and blood spurt from his nose.
A few girls in the crowd let out screams, and I wondered how much longer this could go on before the cops were called. That thought made me brave enough to inch forward. “Zack, stop.”
He either ignored me or didn’t hear the words I said. Another punch, and I could tell Trent was on the verge of losing consciousness. Making my way forward carefully, I gripped Zack’s shoulder just as he pulled it back again to launch another punch.
“Zack.”
He froze.
“Please. He’s not worth it.”
Zack hesitated, then his arm went loose. He stood, making eye contact with me. His face was red and he was breathing hard.
“Let’s go.” I looped my arm through his and led him through the crowd.
“Fucking asshole,” he muttered. “Deserved it.”
“I know. Look, we need to get out of here. Before he calls his friends.”
He stopped abruptly. “Let him. I’ll beat his ass all over again. In front of his friends.”
I bit back a smile. “I know, but it’s not fair to Fudd. His party will be ruined.” I propelled him down the stairs and pushed him out the front door. “Where are you parked?”
Zack grabbed my hand and pulled in the direction of his muscle car. “Did you drink tonight?”
I shook my head, and he looked at me as if he doubted me.
“I mean, all Fudd had was pilsner and discount Napa blends.”
Zack raised his eyebrow.
“What?” I asked, but he just shook his head, then pushed the keys into my hand.
“You drive.”
I climbed behind the wheel and fastened my seatbelt. When the car started, I felt the rumble of the engine vibrating through my body. Suddenly, I heard sirens in the distance. Jerking the car into gear, I sped off down the street.
“Careful now, Speed Racer,” Zack said, his hand on the dashboard. “Let’s not draw attention.”
I turned the corner, then made a left turn, my breathing starting to even out as I put a few blocks between us and the sirens. I had no destination in mind, and truth be told couldn’t really focus on where I was going. The adrenaline was riding me hard.
“Thank you for helping me back there,” I said when I was able to talk again. “
“Who was that guy?”
“He goes to my old school. He said he wanted to tell me something about my friends from the academy, but once we got in the room he just…turned into an asshole.”
“Motherfucker.” His hand clenched the dash so hard I was worried he’d crack it.
“You’re bleeding,” I said, my voice low.
He looked down at his hand, at the busted open knuckles, and then reached into his glovebox to pull out a pack of tissues. He grabbed one and then tucked the pack
back inside. Applying it to his bleeding knuckles, he leaned back and looked out at the road. “What was your old school like?”
The question was unexpected, and I glanced at him, giving him a side-eye. “I don’t know,” I said, not sure how to answer the question. “Different, I guess.”
“Different how? You said it was an academy. Where was it located?”
Fuck. I hadn’t hinted at my zip code since starting at Valley High, and it wasn’t something I was eager to expose. But at the same time, I wasn’t a liar. “The Hills.”
“The hills? Which hills?”
“Beverly Hills.”
He looked at me, then chuckled. “That explains a lot, actually.”
I rolled my eyes, then stuck my tongue out at him. “Whatever.”
We’d been driving for a bit, heading upward, and I realized now that there was a view over part of the city along the road we were on. When a pullout presented itself, I pulled over and turned off the car. We were overlooking the lights of Los Angeles, lights that seemed to stretch on into the distance forever.
“How did you know?” I asked suddenly, unable to help myself.
“Know what?” His expression was puzzled.
“Where I was. What was happening.”
Zack frowned. “I saw you go up the stairs with him.”
“And you came after me?” That was a confession I hadn’t been expecting. Our eyes had met for a moment at the party, but I never figured Zack would even talk to me around his friends, let alone come looking for me. “Why?”
“I…I didn’t like the look of him.” His voice was gruff, but his words sent a rush of warmth through me. “So I went looking for you. I’d just reached the top of the stairs when I heard you yelling, so I…let myself in.”
My heart was racing. Zack had come to my rescue, my hero in my hour of need. It was a feeling that could really go to a girl’s head. I looked at him, not sure what to say. The look he was giving me back was complicated.
There was heat there, but I wasn’t sure if it was anger or something else, something even more dangerous. I got my answer when he suddenly reached across, unbuckling my seat belt, then pulling me into his lap.
I settled there, eyes wide, pulse racing. Zack cupped my face. When he stared into my eyes, I felt like a charmed snake, frozen by his gaze. His eyes were so blue they almost glowed. I thought he was going to say something and break the spell. Unlike the other times we’d been in the moment, this time I remained spellbound.
He kissed me, a sudden storm of passion hitting me as I felt his lips move against mine. I didn’t hesitate. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him back, giving in to the temptation that had been growing inside me for weeks.
When he felt my surrender, he pulled me in tighter, deepening the kiss. I felt his tongue slide inside my mouth, tangling with mine, and I gave out a little moan of pleasure. I wasn’t sure how long we were fused together, but by the time we came up for air, the windows were fogged up with the steam we were creating.
Zack held me, and we sat together in a cocoon of silence. Neither of us seemed to know what to say. After a few moments, a car drove by, honking at us and shaking me out of my reverie. I climbed off Zack’s lap and returned to the driver’s seat.
As we headed toward my place, I wondered where we went from here. Everything was changing. At least it felt that way. Would our relationship evolve, or would we return to our tribes when we got back to school on Monday?
11
Zack
THE LEATHER PANTS made a statement, but I couldn’t decide between a black or a white shirt. I caught sight of my mom going down the hall and called out to her.
She turned and slouched into my room. “Yeah, baby?”
“Which of these looks better with the pants?” I asked, holding each shirt up for her opinion.
“The white one.” She turned to go, then paused. “What’s the special occasion?”
“Winter formal.”
Her eyes widened. “You going with a girl?”
I shook my head. “Nah. Going stag.”
My mom looked at me, and for a moment I saw some of the old life come back into her eyes. “I have an idea.” She disappeared, then reappeared a moment later, holding up a bottle of black nail polish. “I heard it’s a new trend right now. That girls find it sexy. What do you think?”
I nodded. “Sure. Why not.”
She pointed to my bed, then rolled my desk chair up close.
I held out my hand so she could start to paint my nails.
“I can’t believe it’s already Winter Formal. That must mean…oh damn…Christmas?”
I chuckled. “You’ve still got a few weeks, Mom.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry I’ve been so out of it, baby. It’s just…your dad…he was the glue who held me together.”
I patted her shoulder with the hand she wasn’t painting. “I know, Mom.”
Taking a deep breath, she gave me a tremulous smile. “I’ll do better. I promise.”
“Mom, I don’t expect you to—”
“No, I need to do better. It’s not going to be easy, but I have to find a way to pick up the pieces. I need a way out of this dark fog.”
“I’m here for you too.”
She smiled sadly. “I know. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
She smiled again and then finished my nails. Afterward, she had me stand and look in the mirror. “I’m proud of you,” she said, her voice shaking.
I hugged her, telling her that I loved her too.
“One more thing,” she said, then started rolling up my left sleeve, exposing my tattoo. “There. Now you look like a badass.”
I laughed. “Thanks, Mom.”
On THE WAY to the dance, I wondered again why I was doing this. I’d been to a couple dances before, but always at the insistence of a girl I was interested in. What guy goes to a formal stag?
Was I making a huge mistake?
I thought about the reason I was driving to Valley High on a Friday night after school was out for the weekend.
Nikki.
I’d heard that she was going to the dance, and here I was, following her like some kind of a lovesick puppy. We weren’t an item, even after that scorching hot kiss after Fudd’s party. But we’d reached some new level of intimacy and trust.
We joked together, at school and during our study sessions. She’d started coming over a couple of nights a week after school, and we’d worked on our portfolio, but homework wasn’t the only thing that went down.
Sometimes I made popcorn and we watched movies together. She hadn’t seen almost any of the horror films I considered essential, so we’d been working our way through them. Horror was the perfect choice because I never got tired of her burying her head in my shoulder and grabbing my hand when she got scared.
Sometimes we hung out in the backyard listening to music and talking about whatever popped into our minds. Nikki never failed to amaze me with her intelligence, her sense of humor, and her beautiful smile.
I’d started dreaming of her at night. That was the biggest clue that she was under my skin. I couldn’t get enough of her, awake or asleep. So I was driving to school, ready to stand around some lame dance just for the chance to hang out with her.
I parked, taking one last look in the rearview mirror before making my way to the gym entrance. I could hear the music before I entered the gym, and I held back a groan at the cheesy nineties ballad they were playing.
The gym was decorated with lights and streamers, and hundreds of paper snowflakes acted as accents. The dancefloor was full of couples, most of the girls in fancy dresses, the majority of guys in suits. There were even a couple of tuxedos dotting the room.
I scanned the room, looking for the girl of my recent dreams. Unfortunately, someone else found me before I could locate Nikki.
“What are you doing here?”
I turned around to see Le
igh, dressed in a royal blue ball gown. Beside her was Nate, in what appeared to be his father’s suit. “I didn’t think you were going to the formal.”
I shrugged. “I got bored.”
Leigh’s eyes narrowed. “And you don’t have a date? That’s pretty sus.” She looked around, clearly expecting to find a girl.
I grunted. “What’s so suspicious about it? It’s just a lame high school dance.”
“Exactly,” she replied, sticking her finger in my chest. “So why are you here?”
That’s when I saw Nikki across the gym, surrounded by her friends. Leigh saw her at the same time as I did.
“Huh. Looks like the bitch is here with her crew. They look like they just stepped off the set of Napoleon Dynamite.” Leigh looked back at me, an evil sparkle in her eye. “Let’s fuck with them.”
“How about, let’s not,” I replied..
“Why not?” Nate asked. “I’m game.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know this bully shit is really getting old.”
Leigh looked disgusted. “Chris said you had a thing for her, but I had to see it with my own eyes. I can’t believe you’re willing to flush your reputation in the hopes of a hookup with that nasty bitch.”
“My reputation? Sure, it’s so great just because I hang out with you, right? Who cares? We’ll graduate in a few months and then no one will give a fuck who ‘ruled the school.’ At least Nicole doesn’t treat everyone around her like some kind of sycophant or slave.”
Leigh’s smile was razor sharp. “You’re jealous.”
“Of who? You? Right, because Nate’s older brother dumped you when he got to college and figured out that high school cliques are bullshit. Now you’re stuck dating Version 2.0 here. Do you even care? As long as you’ve got a guy around to do your bidding, it really doesn’t matter who it is.”
“It matters,” she snarled. “Because it will never be you.”
“Which is exactly what I want.” I turned on my heel and left, heading straight for Nikki and her friends. I knew that if I looked back, I’d see Leigh seething behind me. It was a risk, scorning the Queen Bee. Chris and Nate were cool guys to hang with, but their casual superiority complex was too much like Leigh’s.