Lee
An order of protection was never filed on Darren. I asked my parents not to, I wanted things as normal as they could possibly be. When my mom went down to the office to walk to my dad they agreed they would start with a phone call, a phone call to Darren's parents to let them know their son was still harassing me. My dad asked that he never tries to contact me and that he leaves me alone, with the exception of a letter. A letter I got a week later of him apologizing for what he did. I never did have the courage to read it. Instead it sat in my dresser drawer.
Darren's parent ended up withdrawing him from school. They switched him to home school full time to avoid any confrontation between he and myself and he and Wes. There was also speculation it was to avoid anymore embarrassment for the family.
The Morton Potters ended up losing in the sectional
championship. Though they played an amazing game, they were beat by the team who ultimately took home the state championship. That helped numb the sting of the loss. Wes played one of his best games ever. It was hard to watch him walk off the field for the last time wearing jersey number fourteen.
Wes and I had been together for months. We spent our first Thanksgiving as a couple. Our families, along with Ryann and her dad, had a nice dinner that ended with playing games where Wyatt got a bloody nose from Wes accidentally punching him during charades. To be fair, Wyatt did get in the way.
My friendship with Wyatt was back to normal. We both got better about juggling time between our relationships and our friendships and spent a lot more time together. Everything was going perfect.
When I closed my locker to head to fourth period Wes appeared. "Shit." I gasped. "You scared me." "Sorry." He laughed as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "So, guess who Noah just told me he has a date with tonight."
"Who?"
"Kate."
"No way."
"Way."
"Good for them."
"I was thinking you and I could go on a date tonight."
"Wyatt and I are going to pick out his Christmas gift for Ryann."
Christmas was my favorite time of year and we were just eleven days away from it.
"What, no way. He got you last Friday."
"Well if we wait until next Friday he would be cutting it really close to Christmas."
"That's not my fault." He sighed as he dropped his arm.
"Come with us."
"I don't really want to third wheel my girlfriend and little brother."
"You wouldn't be a third wheel." Wes stopped in his tracks and looked at me. "What?" I asked.
"Nothing, I just want to spend time with you. Alone..."
"Alone. Or alone." I chuckled.
"At this point I don't even care."
"Well what about tomorrow night?"
"Slovensky's is having friendsmas?"
"Oh right.."
"You forgot, didn't you?"
"No, it just slipped my mind is all."
"Are you going?" He asked sounding hopeful.
"I'm not sure my parents will approve me going to a party."
"It's not a party, we are just going to hang out at a friends. He said he didn't invite very many people."
"So I can expect 80 people instead of 100?" Luckily Wes caught on to my sarcasm.
"Probably more like 85."
I let out a laugh and reached for Wes' hand. "I'll asked my parents tonight."
It was no surprise when we pulled up to Noah's house that there were cars already lining the long driveway. "Damn." Wes said as he pulled his truck next to the garage. "Luckily for us we have VIP parking." He smiled. "I think I saw Wyatt's car as we were pulling in." I replied.
"You plan on spending the night with them?"
"No, I'm here with you." I reminded him.
"Are you drinking tonight?"
I hadn't drank since Noah's Labor Day party. "Uhm.. I don't know yet."
"Okay, that's fine."
He held his hand out to me as he gave me a smile. I took his hand in mine and let him lead the way. Noah's party was smaller than the last one I had gone to. Partially because party goers couldn't hang around outside like they could in September. "Looks like most of everyone is in the machine shed."
When we opened the door and walked inside there were about 60 people give or take. Wes walked up to Noah where the two gave each other a bro shake. "Hey Leah." Noah said to me as he wrapped me in a hug. "Hey." I replied squeezing him back.
"This is your turn out?" Wes asked Noah.
"Yeah. I didn't invite too many people. Though I think word did get around because there are some people here that I have no idea who the hell they are."
"Yeah?" Wes asked looking around.
"Yeah. Like those chicks over there.. So if you find out who they are let me know."
"Are Wyatt and Ryann here yet?" I asked Noah.
"Uhh, yeah. Somewhere." He replied. I could see Wes become annoyed from the corner of my eye. "I'm going to grab a drink." He sighed as he dropped my hand and headed for the cooler. It became clear I wasn't drinking that night.
I watched him as he walked away. Noah looked between us and squinted his eyes. "Everything okay with the two of you?"
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"No reason. Can I get you a drink?"
"No, no thank you. I think I'm the DD tonight."
"Oh, cool. Well, enjoy yourself." He smiled at me before he walked off to talk to a few teammates.
"Lee!" I heard someone shout from behind me. When I turned around Ryann was running towards me with open arms. As soon as her arms were wrapped around me I could smell the alcohol on her breath. "How long have you been here?" I asked trying to pull away from her stench.
"Like an hour." Wyatt replied.
"And she's this trashed?"
"She took an edible as soon as we got here, it's kicking in."
"Yeah, do you want one?" She asked me as she pulled out half a brownie from her bra.
"No thank you." I told her with a crinkled nose.
"Where's Wes?" Wyatt wondered as he looked around.
"Getting a drink."
"I take it your DD?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Who's the bitch he's talking to?" Ryann asked once she spotted Wes. I looked over to the cooler and didn't see him. I looked at Ryann and followed her eyes over my shoulder to see him talking to a brunette with pink streaks in her hair. "I'm not sure." I replied. The girl reached out as she laughed at something Wes said and brushed her hand against his arm. I didn't think much about it at the time. I had no reason to.
"Maybe I should take you home." Wyatt told Ryann as he started to reach for her arm. "No way!" She replied as she stepped towards me and looped her arm through mine. "Lee just got here."
I looked at Wyatt with wide eyes and a smile. "So she's cross-faded?" I quietly asked.
"Big time." He shook his head.
I lead Ryann over to one of the couches that was in the shop and had her sit down. I started to walk away to meet up with Wes but she grabbed my hand and pulled me down next to her. "Wyatt's being such a buzzkill." She told me louder than she thought. "He's not a buzzkill, he's just sober." I laughed.
"You're sober and you're not bringing me down."
"That's because I'm not your ride home."
"You should be. I bet you'd stop and get me french fries."
"I would."
"Wyatt has already told me no three times."
I laughed at Ryann as she slumped over and laid her head on my shoulder. I looked up and my eyes met Wes'. I gave him a small smile and he smiled in return. I was suppose to be there with him that night. I wasn't suppose to be baby sitting Ryann on a couch so Wyatt could breathe for a second. He turned his attention from me back to the brunette to carry on their conversation. I had no idea who she was.
"So what did you get Wes for Christmas?" Ryann muttered to me. "I framed a picture of us and I got him a leather bracelet with his favorite bible verse engraved in it." I replied.
"Hmm. That's a very you type of gift."
"What's the suppose to mean?"
"I don't know."
"Well.. What did you get Wyatt?"
"It's not so much what I got for him, it's what I'm going to do to him." I looked at her with confused eyes.
"Uhmm.. what are you going to do to him?"
"I'm going to take his virginity." She chuckled.
"That's not exactly a Christmas gift." I laughed along with her.
"It is if I wear a Santa hat."
"Goodness, Ryann."
"What? Sex needs to be spicy. Please don't tell me you're vanilla."
"I'm not vanilla." I snapped as I sat up a bit.
"Have you taken your bra off yet?"
"No?"
"Do you own any lingerie?"
"No?"
"Have you been on top?"
"He likes to be."
"You are so vanilla." Ryann snickered.
"You think?"
"Oh yeah."
Ryann was right, I was so vanilla. I wasn't fun, I wasn't exciting. And I'm not just talking when it came to sex. I was boring. My whole life I obeyed my parents. I did as I was told. I didn't break the rules- well, often. While most kids at my school where out drinking and going to pharmacy parties, I was either at home or at my boyfriends in his garage or basement. What if Wes was getting bored of me?
"Do you think Wes finds me boring?"
"Definitely not." She quickly replied.
"Why definitely not?"
"Because. He had the baddies and he didn't date a damn one. Then he got you and decided he wanted a relationship."
"I could be a baddie."
Ryann let out a loud laugh and immediately covered her mouth. "I'm sorry that was a bit much." She chuckled as I gave her a look. "Lee, I don't want you to be a baddie. No one does. We love you just the way you are."
"Vanilla."
"Vanilla makes the best ice cream sundaes."
"That's a terrible analogy."
"You're so smart." She smiled.
______
Christmas time was my absolute favorite. The magic from the Christmas lights dancing against the dark night sky. The taste of hot chocolate on my lips. The smell of our house as I baked Christmas treats with my mom and Mrs. Hughes. Ryann even joined us that year. What made it all the better was that I finally had a boyfriend to share Christmas memories with.
"So girls, how is it dating my boys?" Mrs. Hughes asked Ryann and I. Ryann looked up from the sugar cookie dough she was rolling out. She wasn't as comfortable with Mrs. Hughes like I was, she still sometimes intimidated her. "Good." I spoke up knowing Ryann wouldn't first. "Wes is everything I could hope for in a relationship."
"Awh, that's sweet to hear. What about you Ryann? Wyatt treating you well?"
"Yes ma'am." She replied. "He is very sweet."
"Their father and I did our best trying to raise those boys right."
"I'd say you did a pretty good job." My mom smiled at her. "William and I are happy Wesson and Aleah finally found their way to one another."
"So are Gary and I. It took the two of you long enough."
"Do you remember when Wesson was six and Aleah was five?"
"Addy my gosh, that's right. Wesson told us that he was going to marry Aleah one day?!"
"Yes! Aleah looked at him and as serious as can be said-."
"No way!" My mom and Mrs. Hughes shouted together at the same time and busted up laughing.
"That's when I knew you two were meant to be." Mrs. Hughes sighed. I looked over at Ryann and saw her with her lips pressed together trying not to laugh.
"You have to admit, that's a cute story." She told me.
I shook my head and looked back down to the tray of cookies in my hand and started to transfer them to the cooling rack next to me.
We heard a ruckus and then the back door to the kitchen flew open. "Dad told us you were down here." Wyatt said as he and Wes barged in and headed for the cookies I just transferred to the cooling rack.
"Careful, hot." I told Wyatt as he grabbed one, but he didn't care. Wes reached down and grabbed one for himself.
"Hey." He said to me as he took a bite then kissed my cheek. "Hey." I replied.
"What are you boys up to?" Mrs. Hughes asked.
"I was playing Xbox." Wyatt told her. "I was working on my car." Wes added. I looked at him and saw some grease that was on his face. I reach up with my thumb to get it off, only to smear it more.
"Fun." My mom smiled. "Do you want to help?"
"I uh- I don't know about that Mrs. McCall." Wyatt nervously laughed.
"Oh come on. If you can eat them you can make them."
Wes looked at his brother then down to the bowl of dough my mom was holding. "Sure." He shrugged.
"Here, you can roll the sugar cookie dough." Ryann told Wyatt as she handed him the rolling pin.
Mrs. Hughes looked at her sons shocked. Of all the years the three of us had baked and they made their way over to my house to devour fresh cookies, they never agreed to help when asked. They always grabbed handfuls and made their way back out to the four wheelers or truck to sneak back home. It's crazy how love can change people.
"Your mom and I were just talking about the time you said you were going to marry Aleah, Wesson. Do you remember that?" My mom asked him. He looked up at her and then down to me. "I said the same thing." I replied when I saw his face flush red with embarrassment.
"Oh shit, I do." Wyatt laughed. "I got mad because I wanted to marry Lee and Wes told me no."
"That's right!" Mrs. Hughes bursted out. "I forgot about that!"
"Wow, both Hughes boys wanting Lee. She must have been a hot commodity." Ryann snickered.
"Yeah well, look who got her." Wes smirked at his brother.
"Only because she and I became best friends." Wyatt defended himself.
"Sure."
They both looked at me almost waiting for an answer. Luckily my mom saw my panic and saved the day. "Wyatt, chop chop. That cookie dough isn't going to roll itself."
"What are we making all these baked goods for anyway?" Ryann asked as she wiped her hands of the flour that was on them.
"Some we will take to church, some we will pass to loved ones, the others we will keep for ourselves." Mrs. Hughes told her.
"Oh, Ryann honey. If you'd please let your father know we are having a Christmas gathering next Saturday. We would love to have the two of you." My mom smiled.
"Yeah, of course. Here?" She asked.
"No, it's at the Hughes this year."
"Great, I will let him know."
Wes leaned in close to me and said, "I can't wait to give you your gift." "What is it?" I asked.
"I'm not going to tell you."
"You're a tease, you know that?"
"Well, what did you get me?" I looked at him and laughed. "Exactly. What did Wyatt end up getting for Ryann?"
I leaned in close to his ear. "Earrings."
"Nice."
"It only took him an hour and a half to pick them out."
I sat there next to Wes as he dolloped lumps of cookie dough onto a baking sheet, I thought back to the party just the night before. I wasn't the jealous type, I had no reason to be. But I was curious as to who the girl was that Wes was talking to. With a the help of a little research, her body language was flirtatious when she felt the need to touch him as she laughed. I couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. I didn't have the courage in me to ask. I didn't want to seem like the type of girlfriend who was paranoid.
"Lee?" I heard Wes say breaking me from my thoughts. "Yeah?" I asked.
"Did you hear me?"
"No, sorry. What?"
"What oven do you want these in?"
"The wall oven will do." My mom answered him for me then looked my way. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just a little tired I guess."
"I was thinking we order in or go out to eat." Mrs. Hughes announced. "It's 5:10 now and I don't feel like cooking after a long day of baking."
"I vote China Dragon!" Wyatt called out.
"Everyone okay with that?"
"Sure." We all replied.
"Perfect. I'll make the call."
"Let me get my card, we can cover dinner." My mom told Mrs. Hughes as they walked for the foyer to grab my moms purse from the entry table.
"How many cookies have you guys made?" Wes asked us as he looked at the dinning room table, the kitchen table, and all of the boxes that were already packed. "Enough." Ryann sighed as she leaned over onto Wyatt.
"It's a lot of damn cookies."
"Who are you telling."
Wyatt shook his head as he looked to his girlfriend. "How hung over are you?" He asked. "What? A hang over? No way." She laughed.
"She was suppose to be here this morning when we got back from church at 11, she got here at 12:20." I told him.
"You snitch." She told me.
"Alright. Food will be ready in twenty." Mrs. Hughes told us when she walked back into the kitchen. "I just got the family meals of beef and broccoli, general tso's chicken, orange chicken and noodles. Wes, honey, do you mind going to get the food?"
"Yeah, sure." He told her then turned to look at me. "Let's go."
I took off my apron and ran my hands down the front of my clothes. I followed Wes outside to his truck and climbed in the passenger seat. Although his hand was reached across and holding mine, we were silent. I knew if I wanted answers then I would need to speak up. "So." I started to say, I felt my adrenaline kick in as my heart rate increased. "So." He repeated.
"Did you have fun last night?"
"Yeah, I suppose so. It was nice having a smaller get together instead of his usual big parties."
His response was perfect for me to lead up to who the brunette was. "So it was just closer friends last night?"
"Yeah, it was."
"Who was the brunette you were talking to?"
"What brunette?"
"The one who had pink in her hair."
"Oh! Yeah, I'm not sure."
"You didn't catch her name?"
"No, Noah just said there were people there and he didn't know who they were. So I made conversation to find out."
"And you didn't get her name?"
"No?" His tone was starting to become defensive. "She came up to me because she remembered me from a football game and that was about it."
"Oh, okay."
"Why?"
"No reason, you just spent most of the night talking to her is all."
"And you spent most of the night talking to Ryann."
"Ryanns one of my best friends. Not some random guy at a party."
"I didn't realize it upset you."
"It didn't." I quickly told him. More trying to convince myself.
"Okay, good. You don't have to worry about me." He squeezed my hand as he gave me a smile. I believed him.