Reagan's red Audi Cabriolet had already been moved to the bottom of the driveway so we could start the ignition undetected. We piled in all silently wondering where the Hell the others were going to sit.
"A: It's freezing so don't you dare put the top down, and B: I spent over an hour on July's hair." Lynn set the one rule for the evening, and we were off to Hanna Lewis' house to pick up the varsity cheerleaders in our class. When we pulled up exactly when and where we pre-planned, three girls came running out to the car like it was the most thrilling adventure of their lives. Devin Scott was the only one dressed for the party. Hanna and Brooke looked like they had their sleep shirts on over their jeans.
"Amateurs." Reagan whispered before they opened the car door. Lynn and Reagan were in the front, so Devin shoved me to the middle and Hanna sat on Brooke's lap on the other side of me.
"Ladies!" Hanna shouted in excitement. "We're doing it! Have you been yet, or did you come get us first?"
"Is she drunk?" Lynn asked frankly.
"Well, she started early." Brooke answered as politely as possible. Devin just looked annoyed and kept looking out the window.
"Real smart. Strategic, Hanna." Reagan turned the music up annoyed as well.
"Whatever. It's gonna' be fun or at least I'll be fun!" Have you talked to anybody who got there yet?" Hanna continued.
"Adrian just got there. He said everyone's there, plus some." Reagan offered more politely than before. Reagan loved a party more than anybody, and on second thought could care less about being Hanna's mother.
"Ugh, Adrian." Devin's voice interrupted from the back seat.
That bitch. How dare she say his name like that. She'd do best not to say it at all!
"What's wrong with your boy, Lynn?" Is he out to kill our season? Did somebody hurt his feelings on the team, so he thought he'd take his barbies and go home?" Devin apparently had more to say.
"God you're such a bitch." I whispered half under my breath.
"What did you say, July?" Devin looked over at me letting me know she heard.
"I just think its obvious that he didn't quit to hurt anybody, and it's probably hard enough as it is without people spreading negative gossip. Maybe if everyone focused on making the team we have better, you guys wouldn't miss Adrian on the field."
"Oh my, well I thought I had asked Lynn. I didn't realize I got his girlfriend. When did this start up?" Devin turned her eyes to Reagan and Lynn who were speechless over what had hit a little too close to home.
"Oh, that's mature. So standing up for someone earns the response of an elementary student? You know I have nothing to do with Adrian."
"I don't know... Remember sixth grade when she had a crush on him." Hanna hiccupped as her sentence dropped.
"That's right! I remember that!" Brooke joined in.
"Well, well, I guess my rudimentary assessment was only off a few years, July." Devin turned to face me in the back seat as best she could. "Pray tell, just what is it about the illustrious Adrian Reed that has you so bent out of shape? Does he know? Is there any way I could be of assistance."
"Don't be ridiculous, Devin, you know they're just friends." Reagan took the heat off me.
"Actually, no, I don't. I don't think I've ever seen them... too friendly. Maybe we're embarking on a new phase for those two. Is there something I missed that you all would like to make me aware of?"
"Yes! That people should be able to make decisions without it affecting you, Devin. Can't we just all grow up and accept when somebody quits football or switches classes or—"
"Or doesn't make it?"
"HANNA!" Both Brooke and Lynn screamed in my defense. There it was. The awful truth we all knew that only someone drunk would cop to.
"Yeah, Hanna, you are absolutely right. I can't tumble as well as you all do, and I wasn't good enough to make varsity. That's something I had to accept. Good example." My words stung my own throat and I wished I was the violent type.
"Did you though? I mean, you couldn't just retreat with your tail between your legs, you had to go and make the world start you a drill team so you could still have a piece of the limelight." Hanna was on a roll. Reagan stopped the car.
"Hanna, you're a lousy drunk, and you don't have any rhythm sober, which is why you only made the squad because you could do a standing back flip. I heard on good authority your cheer dance score was a four next to all your nine's and ten's on everything else. I also know that July's cheer score was higher than yours, so you might want to kick it up a notch the next time you're out there." Lynn said a few things you can't come back from.
"Y'all, she's drunk, she'll apologize tomorrow. July, I am sorry for Hanna and for Devin." Brooke looked over at me sincerely.
"You know, y'all win already. If you want to try out for drill team, please be our guests. You know we aren't trying out for cheerleading; we don't do gymnastics. But, then again, y'all didn't twirl either, and last I checked the toe-touch is a very different kind of a split that what we fall into on both legs." Reagan started the car back up and began driving again.
"She's right. Y'all sound like a bunch of jealous assholes." Brooke was sober and sweet.
"If you guys think its lame that I'm on the kick line, then I guess I can just quit for you, since that seems to be how we make decisions around here, based off other people's needs." I couldn't help but shoot a glance toward the plotting Devin.
"No, July, you know I support you, and you ladies were great. It's really impressive we have a competitive drill team now, and I mean that sincerely." Devin would have done well to leave it at that. "I just also want to support you in all endeavors, including your happiness. If you like someone, you shouldn't waste any time."
"Knock it off you two! It's supposed to be a party." Reagan turned onto the street of the twins' house.
"And this is one of four times this year we are all supposed to pretend we like each other. You think we can get that right tonight? Only one year left after this one..." Lynn was always the voice of reason.
"Hey, speaking of, before we go in... where's Shelby." I asked sincerely.
Devin turned her attention back to the window, watching the party ahead as we approached.
"She's kind of thinking of seeing Billie. He asked her to the party, so she went with him, but no one is supposed to know yet, because she hasn't quite made up her mind." Brooke seemed keen on explaining.
"Well they know now, Brooke." Devin fluttered her annoyed eyes.
"Could we please get the fuck out of the car, I'm about to hurl." Hanna had the last word before we parked and embarked on the adventure we had all looked so forward to.
The house was alive with action, and you could tell it was busting at the seams with people. The Tomlin house was a phenomenal treat. Most parties were just kegger's in a field somewhere or smaller get-togethers in someone's basement, but this one—Every year the twins' parents took a trip and left them home alone for a week. It usually took them the rest of the week to clean up after the party.
As tense as the ride over was, we all couldn't help but smile at each other with anticipation as we saw all the cars parked and the sheer number of people. The events of the football game had been nothing compared to this. There were alumni who had graduated a couple of years before. It was insane. We scanned the parking lot for cars we recognized as we walked up the drive to the house.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw Adrian's 1967 Mustang GT350. His grandfather, a car enthusiast, and so much more, had it restored for him, and it was a beautiful piece of classic machinery. I felt sick for a second over what Devin thought she revealed. What hurt the most was the truth of it, that Lynn and Reagan must have suspected. In terms of Devin getting wise to me... It was such bullshit. I didn't care what she thought.
Adrian and I had mutual friends and we were on the debate team together, and that's where it ended. Past that we tolerated or had nothing to do with each other. I would have stood up for stupid Corey Bower or Billie Akin had it been them getting dumped on for quitting football. Wouldn't I? How I could explain the sudden butterflies he gave me... I couldn't, but that was none of her business.
I'd already been humiliated over the issue that challenged me most. The cat was out of the bag over their scrutiny of me not making cheerleader this year, and all I had to do was bury my shame and humility and move on. Adrian was not a factor in my life, and Devin wasn't about to make him one. It was a party. It was time to act like it was one.
There were several small groups and larger groups gathered in spurts outside drinking that waved at us as we approached the front door. Something we couldn't quite make out started running toward us. We didn't see it in it's full glory until it bumped into Reagan, giving her a bear hug that almost knocked her to the ground.
"Beckett! Save me please. You must! You have to! Give me your keys!" A wasted, Angel Alvarez was wobbling in front of us in a pair of white long johns and purple and teal Umbro brand soccer shorts over them. His dark hair gelled straight up like a Calvin and Hobbes character and his eyes blood shot. He was holding a beer in his hand unsteadily.
"Angel, what the Hell?"
"Dudettes, you have to give me your keys."
"Come again?" Reagan needed clarification for this insane request.
"Not to drive, silly pretty girl. I need to sleep. I have to sleep this off. I'll go and sleep in the back of your car and come back and hang out with you guys on my thirdly wind."
"Go ahead, its unlocked. If you puke in there I'll call the police." Reagan grabbed his beer and turned him to the direction of her car, pushing him along.
"Thanks you hot people!" He called out behind us. Angel was hilarious. He was rich and the only Latin guy my class had let into their little bubble. The bastards. We didn't have much diversity to begin with, but it can't go unnoticed that Rafael and Esteban, two second generation Mexican American classmates of ours who had been with us since kindergarten had been treated like second class citizens. Angel was also second generation.
He moved here in the sixth grade. He wore the right clothes, didn't have an accent and the chickens flocked to him like he was a God. I liked Angel, he was a friend. I was glad he got the attention he deserved. I just didn't like the way they treated Rafael and Esteban. You would think you could show some respect to friends you've known your entire life as well. They weren't cruel to them, they just didn't include them, which is perhaps the cruelest you can be.
I heard the music blaring from inside. Lynn and Reagan looked over at me like it was about to be Christmas, and we opened the door. I have to say, there were definite perks to standing next to those two. Devin had stepped to the side to go check on Hanna and Brooke who was probably holding her hair, so I knew when we stopped the room on our entrance, those looks weren't for her. Wendy Tomlin ran up and gave us hugs.
"Get in here and get a drink, you're late! But what a way to make an entrance, you bitches are hot! You're showing your seniors up!" Hurry up and get a buzz going, I'll come back and tell you who's too far past their limit to bother with! Oh, and who's DD?" I raised my hand. Reagan high- fived it out of gratitude, then I felt Wendy's hands on my cheeks.
"Awe, pumpkin... I think I'm disappointed. I guess I wanted to see you tipsy just once before we left this Hell-hole. Although, looking like that tonight, I'm glad you're not drinking!" Then she was off. Two small things happened immediately after, and simultaneous, that may have changed the course of my junior year, no matter how subtle they seemed. I leaned against the island in the middle of the semi-crowded kitchen waiting for Lynn and Reagan to get their drinks when I felt eyes burning through me.
I looked up toward the entry way in front of me and there was Devin standing in the open-door frame looking past or above me with the most conniving smile on her face, as if she had just caught someone. I sheepishly looked from side to side, then finally turned around. Adrian was propped in the opposite doorway leading to the kitchen, fixated on me... well I guess it was more fair to say my ass in that moment. As I turned toward him, we made eye contact and he smiled, shaking his head at me as if he was surprised and impressed by my outfit.
His face lit up and stayed on mine as if we were the only two people at the party. I know I was blushing. Something moved inside of me, and I wanted to see what was next with him more than anything, but we weren't the only ones at the party. I knew he couldn't see Devin diagonally across from him from the angle he was standing. I didn't think it was fair to him.
I looked down and away to dissolve the moment as quickly as possible. Just then Lynn turned toward me with her drink in hand, only to fall into me when someone shoved a little too hard from behind her trying to reach for a mixer.
"Damn it! Watch out." She screamed. It was too late. The DD already had booze spilled down her shirt.
"Awe, July, I'm so sorry!" Lynn grabbed a napkin.
"It's not your fault. Here, let me run to the restroom and handle it, this will leave paper lent all over the shirt." I moved past her toward the doorway that Devin was still guarding. I leaned into her ear carefully.
"Devin, we've been friends for a very long time. Please don't make me have to ask you to F*ck off!"
"I knew it. A hundred dollars, you don't have, says as soon as you pass me he follows you past this door to check on you, and if he does... you lied to me. And you're right, we were friends for a long time. I don't think I deserved that."
"Fuck off Devin!" I pushed past her without making it obvious and headed to the bathroom. My hope was Adrian would get caught by Reagan and Lynn. He would have to say his hellos, and knowing Lynn she'd ask him to hold her drink while she came to the restroom to find me. That's the most logical thing to happen.
Just don't look back, don't look back, I kept thinking to myself. I stopped. A feeling stopped me and I turned to look behind me. Devin smiled back at me from the doorway. She was waiting for me to look. She had her foot blocking Adrian casually and as she chatted him up.
Great. He had come after me, and she raised the bet by stopping him, telling him God knows what. He looked agitated and as if he was in a hurry to get away from her. July, for the first time in your life... do nothing. It's not your problem. No one asked you, just go fix your shirt.
My eyes were stinging. I was ready to cry. I decided to keep walking to the twins' parents' bedroom to use their bathroom for privacy. The twins usually kept it off limits during the party. Adrian had just walked into a vulture's nest without knowing it. Depending on what Devin said to him... If he didn't hate me already, he was going to be repulsed by me now.
Why did that hurt so much? Why was I worried about his feelings above my own. I had never cared if Adrian Reed hated me. What would it have mattered? This did sting though, and I didn't want any part of it. I just want to go home to my grandparents' house and... I swung the ensuite bathroom door open.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I slammed the door back and there was a pause on the other end before I heard another friend of mine puking for what obviously wasn't the first time. It was Robyn Maze.
"Fuck, Trent! I told you to keep the door locked!" Spencer Pearce yelled forcefully at Trent Childress. As I said before, if you were a Scott, a Childress, or a Bishop, you had it made. Spencer Pierce and Trent Childress had already graduated. Spencer was supposed to be at the University of Texas, and I don't know where Trent was supposed to be.
I just knew that was Robyn, and other than puking her brains out with her eyes closed and limp arms, she looked unconscious. I took a deep breath to open the door again. Replaying the situation in my head, Spencer was holding her up above the toilet and Trent was sitting on the side of the jacuzzi with his head in his hands. Robyn was in her underwear. The door wouldn't open. It was already locked. I pounded on it screaming Robyn's name.
"We got it! She's fine, just had one too many." Spencer's voice rang out. Try a million too many, and why did she look so disheveled. I didn't mean from throwing up or being on the verge of alcohol poisoning, I meant her clothes, or lack thereof. They didn't even seem put on her right. Those were an interesting choice of words I had put together in my head. Something definitely wasn't right.
I raced out of the massive bedroom, looking back over my shoulder to notice the bed unmade and the rest of Robyn's clothes tossed about. There was a torn condom wrapper on the ground in front of me that could have been from anybody. I just kept running. I went through the other wing of the house, I anticipated to be emptied, to get my head together and bump into the least amount of people possible until I could get to someone sober enough to help me.
I made it to a quiet sitting room and noticed long black locks of hair leaned over a couch cushion beating it. Cool blue eyes and a pale face shot up at me in fury. It was the other twin, Whitney Tomlin. Whitney was the more dominating twin, and until this moment I had forgotten all about the twin cheerleading debacle. Whitney was not a cheerleader this year, her senior year, while her sister Wendy was.
They had both been varsity cheerleaders throughout high school, and both tried out for their senior year. With the tumbling situation so competitive, and neither one of them doing that level of gymnastics, I guess the judges determined they could only go with one twin. The strongest one. So my drawer wasn't the only one replaced that year. Wow. That's how easily Pure Pines covered the mistakes they couldn't fix.
The thing was, Whitney was by far the strongest cheerleader of the two, but they were identical twins. It would have been easy to confuse them when going down final score cards and attaching points to each girl. The early gossip had been that the judges got them mixed up and the weaker twin made it while Whitney did not.
Once school began, they acted as if Whitney had just been so busy with academics and all other activities that she decided not to do cheerleading this year. But seeing her face and remembering the gossip through my tear-stained moment of not having my name called, I knew that happened.
I stood in front of her trying to wipe the stigma of my thoughts off my face and go back to the emergency at hand.
"There are people getting high in my house, there are people fucking in my house! There are people fighting in my house." Look at this place!"
"I'm sorry Whitney." I could tell she was on-one and there wasn't much I could do to solicit her help. "Have you seen Presley?"
Presley Maze was Robyn's older sister and I just thought she'd be the fastest most effective person to find.
"What?!"
"Never mind." I left her to stew over her housekeeping and started to run toward the traffic of the party as quickly as possible. Thank God it was a small world. Big house, but small world. Secrets we had plenty at Pure Pines, but they were hard to keep. Evidently someone else must have barged in on the scene, or one of the guys had gone and gotten her sister.
I looked up to see a fully clothed Robyn with one arm over Presley's shoulder and the other on two different guys carrying her out. They were taking her through the side toward the garage to avoid the masses. Robyn was a good person, I wasn't sure what happened, but I was so glad to know she was safe. As relieved as I felt at the moment, I did think it strange not to see Spencer Pearce or Trent Childress anywhere around.
"July?" A voice I recognized, and could not avoid, called out to me over Robyn's shoulder. "Could you take my keys and go unlock my car for us? We're going out the garage. I don't want anyone to see my sister like this. Just kind of check for me on your way out that the coast is clear, yeah?"
"Of course!" I grabbed Presley's keys trying to think back to my freshman and sophomore year to remember what her car looked like parked in the drive at Robyn's house. I hadn't been in it much. Presley was way more popular than her sister and I back then, and she was always out with someone leaving her ... plum color-ish?... Eclipse, yes that's it! It was a dark plum, not quite purple Eclipse, parked in their drive all the time.
My God, was the Superman emblem showing on my chest? I didn't mind helping, at all. I just wanted everything to be okay, and I didn't like having a hint of suspicion that it wasn't, especially over something that wasn't my business. I found the car and waited with the door opened and a path cleared.
I saw Reagan and Lynn from a distance up on the porch balcony looking for me. I was glad they hadn't looked down to see this, along with the mob of people that could have looked over at any moment. It didn't look like Adrian was with them, but I could see from where I stood his car was still there.
I wondered if Presley would say anything to me or ask me anything about her sister. Instead she and the other guys got Robyn in safely and took over. Presley thanked me and then shrugged and said, "Sorry, I guess she had one too many." Then they were gone.
I couldn't help but feel miffed at her words, not only that, but the irony of them after what I had just seen. Now I worried Robyn was in worse hands with her sister's denial. What a messed up night. I made my way back through the crowd to reach my friends. Reagan was looking down at her pager and Lynn saw me from a distance and ran over.
"Where the Hell have you been? We've been all over the party looking for you. Adrian said you ran off."
I didn't know how to answer Lynn. I was still shell-shocked at what I'd seen, and...
"I bumped into Whitney. She's pissed, I think she just wants the night to be over." I tried to deflect as best I could.
"I don't blame her, have you seen the amount of people here? This party was out of hand before we arrived." Lynn was slurring a bit and talking louder than usual.
"Anything fun happen?" I asked more to try and determine how they had drank so much so fast. Reagan seemed too far gone to relay anything. Lynn opened her mouth to try, and was cut short by a group of guys who threw her over their shoulder and carried her out to dance.
"Just a minute July, we'll be back! Hey, watch her!" Make sure she doesn't leave with anybody." Lynn gave me the two finger snake eye and pointed toward Reagan. I thumped Reagan to get her attention.
"Bitch, why did you leave us?" Her words were really slurred. "We had to listen to that asshole all night ask was' you where... Where you went... What you wearing..." She laughed at her word mix- up. "Hey did I tell you that's my mom's body suit. I take-et-ed' it from her closet. It looks really good on you."
"Reagan, I'm going to stab you. Which asshole was looking for me?"
"Dudn't matter. His' okay now. He's been busy with them. Hey, asshole!" She called out across from us where I saw Adrian in what looked like a meaningful conversation with Devin and little Natalie Hilliard, the sophomore varsity cheerleader whose name was on my drawer. Her light strawberry blond hair was half up and she smiled cheerfully at everything he and Devin were saying. As if those two had shit in common.
He looked back at us after Reagan yelled, just before she stumbled in place a bit.
"Let's go somewhere else!" Reagan shouted. Adrian rushed over and lashed out at me. "Where have you been?"
"What?"
Adrian grabbed Reagan in front of me who was starting to look like she needed help standing.
"And where's Lynn? I can't believe you let them drink this much. You know, if you didn't want to be here with everybody, you didn't have to come."
I looked up at the mob of people dancing in the large den when I heard Lynn's famous giggle. Then I looked back up at Adrian holding Reagan up.
"Go. Just go get her." He demanded.
What was happening? Was it a full moon? I grabbed Lynn and excused her from the dance floor.
"Hey, I think we should go." I started leading us toward Reagan and Adrian, who still had a scowl on his face directed straight at me.
"What did you guys drink?" I tried to make Lynn focus.
"Not a lot of cups."
Wow. This was worse than I thought. Lynn exhaled a deep breath with her eyes partially closed.
"It's hot in here. Did you find your man?" As we stopped in front of Reagan and Adrian, Lynn continued. "Cause this one here's been looking for you all night. He won't tell me why, just like you don't. Hmmm. And don't we all wonder what that's about?"
Adrian shook his head and looked away from me. "Let's just get them to the car. YOU haven't been drinking, have you?
I scowled at him instead of dignifying it with an answer.
"Then what were you doing?" A female, non-tipsy voice joined our group, picking up were Adrian left off with an instigating smile. It was Devin.
"Fuck you Devin, I told you to stay away from me tonight after the shit you pulled." I didn't mean to lash out like that, but Reagan and Lynn were drunk, Adrian was yelling at me for no reason, and I'm pretty sure I witnessed a friend puking after being raped.
"You know me so well. That's touching and reminiscent of our good ole days, only you don't know what I've accomplished yet."
Adrian was a few feet ahead of us dragging Reagan carefully along as I walked Lynn. I didn't know if he could hear Devin or not, but he did look back several times.
"By the way, you owe me a hundred bucks, although I don't think I would make that wager again. I don't think he'll be barking up your tree anymore." Devin was toying with me and made no effort to disguise it. I don't know what happened to me. I just saw red. I stopped and set Lynn up making sure she could stand on her own, and then I turned to Devin fully intending to aim for the smirk on her face.
I wasn't a violent person, and I had never punched anyone in my life. Let's be honest, the best anyone was going to get from me in that moment was probably a solid slap...
"JULY!" A voice that sent chills up my spine stopped me before a hand was raised to touch a hair on the infamous Devin Scott's head.
"What is going on?!" Adrian demanded, looking put-out from having to drag Reagan out of the party we were supposed to be enjoying.
"Yeah, July, why don't you tell him what's going on?"
"Oh, I think you've said plenty." I stood up for myself. I didn't look over at Adrian. I was too ashamed of what Devin could have possibly said about me, and I was also furious at him. Could he please drop the dad act already?!
"Would someone please tell me what's going on? I think I'm the one sick of being the last to know." Lynn looked at me in the eye and then at Adrian.
It was about to get ugly on that end as well. And then, something miraculous happened. Whoever said "cheerleaders are awesome" that one time at camp, certainly had my vote. Before I could make a move I looked up at a stampede running toward me.
"I'm so sorry!!! I'm so very sorry, July! Please forgive me. Please, please. Please!" Hanna ran up out of nowhere with Brooke trailing behind her. Her arms thrown around my neck squeezing the breath out of me.
"I was so drunk! I didn't mean a word of it, and I'm so sorry I made a mess of things. Please forgive me! You look soo gorgeous tonight and I was jealous in my stupid tee shirt, and then I thought of you not cheering with us this year but being with Reagan and Lynn and what fun you'd have, and how good you guys are, and you are all right about me... I can't dance! Never could!" Hanna did not release her hug. Brooke's arms were around my me next, and she was apologizing with the same gusto.
"My God, are you two high?" That was all I could muster as I peeled their arms off my neck. I smiled at them and forgave them, for what I wasn't entirely sure, but at least in the moment they made me look good. If nothing else had gone down, and they hadn't seen Adrian all night, and this had nothing to do with Devin's plot... These two had just lent me a hazy explanation for my disappearing act, as well as made me look far better in front of Adrian than if I had in fact slapped Devin as intended.
"Let's get out of here." I rallied the troops. I didn't look up at Adrian, but I thought I saw a small smile of relief on his face as he threw an arm around Reagan and led the way to our cars. I know for a fact I saw Devin roll her eyes.
"Hey, guys, can we get Shelby home or back to Hanna's house with us at least?"
"Of course." I stepped in confidently before Adrian could. Who's your daddy now?
"Where is she?" I asked.
"We left her by a tree." Brooke explained.
"You left her by a tree?" Adrian asked with sufficient cause and a demand for answers in his voice. My God, with everything going on that would be like leaving a combination of adolescent Brook Shields and Kim Basinger in the boys locker room for the taking.
Thank God she was visible before anyone could get alarmed. She was leaning against a tree right by our cars. Shelby looked as drunk as Reagan and Lynn, which was odd because she really didn't drink. What was going on with everyone tonight?
"So I guess Shelby decided not to go out with Billie after all?"
"No, we wouldn't let her go off with anybody like this." Brooke was at least level headed drunk.
"Good girl." I high-fived her and Adrian and I walked over to Shelby or "Seventeen Magazine," as the boys called her. Something had certainly hit that five foot nothing empty stomach of hers. Never mind we were in fifth grade together, I'd known "popular" Shelby as long as I had known the cheerleaders, and I'd never seen her so much as tipsy. This was crazy.
Adrian tapped her shoulder. "Shelby, it's Adrian and July." Wow, I had never heard our names put together like that, so casually.
"Are you okay if we take you home or give you a ride to Hanna's house? Whatever you like?" Adrian was so patient with her. She nodded and walked over to the cars with us. I wouldn't expect any less from him on his worst day, but still, seeing him in action was impressive.
"So I guess Lynn goes with me, and I can take—
"No, sorry, Lynn has to go with me back to Reagan's where her jeep is and she's supposedly sleeping over right now."
"Oh, right. So then, you've got you, Reagan, Lynn, and I will take the rest?"
"Actually, I'm not going back to Hanna's. I'd just rather head home." Devin changed the plan. Great. She'd be with me then. There's no way all the other girls could fit in Adrian's Mustang.
"In that case, if you don't mind, Adrian, I guess you'll take Hanna, Brooke and Shelby back to Hanna's and I've got ours and Devin." I confirmed the obvious, maybe just to keep a little of the power I had gained.
"Can you two be in the car together? Adrian asked looking to me alone for the answer. I just rolled my eyes. Devin opened the back seat of Reagan's car and sat down on two giant Nike Air Jordans hanging off a pair of white long johns.
"Hey!" Angel screamed as he woke to surprise us. We all started laughing. We had completely forgotten he was sleeping it off back there. "Is it time to go back to the party?"
"No, Angel, it's time to go home." That was something I could assure him.
"Move over, we'll take you." Devin informed him as she shoved him up right to make room for Lynn. Lynn seemed easier to maneuver than Reagan at the moment, so she sat down in the back seat and shut the door. I opened the passenger side door of Reagan's car and Adrian slid her into the seat protecting her head. She was almost asleep on us. Then he turned to Hanna and Brook and unlocked the car for them to get Shelby settled. He walked over to the driver's side before I got in.
"You sure you didn't have anything to drink?"
"Adrian! If I said I didn't, I didn't."
"Well, I didn't know where you disappeared to for nearly an hour, so I guess you could of—" He looked down realizing. "Look, I really just meant to make sure you didn't have anything at all, not that I don't trust your judgment, it just doesn't take a genius to figure out something went wrong here. So as long as you didn't have so much as a sip of what they all had..."
"Yeah, something was definitely in the water."
"You can handle this group? Ours?" He smiled at the reference I had made moments ago referring to Reagan and Lynn as ours. "Plus Devin and Angel? I kind of feel like we should switch groups..."
"Yeah, but then that's more backtracking and how would I get back..." We both looked at each other as if something might suggest he drive me home or back to Reagan's. I spoke up as responsibly as possible. "No backtracking, and the least number of cars on the road—"
"To minimize the risk." He finished for me. On that note there seemed to be a lot of commotion, people and cars dispersing up on the hill near the side of the house.
"We should get out of here and get them home. Will you let me know when you girls get back and settled?"
I looked at him funny.
"How could I call without waking anyone?" He smiled a smile that gave me butterflies.
"Umm, I have my own private line." He said it in a way that could only be perceived as cocky, but his voice was low, and he said it quiet, for my benefit. It wasn't for the entire party in the car.
"Of course, you do." I immediately felt stupid and naive. I moved to open the door and get in. Adrian lingered above the door he held open for me, as if there were more to say. He looked at me a second without saying anything. His eyes meeting mine and locking me in place. His gaze made me feel nervous and exposed.
I drifted my eyes down from his to try and stay in charge, only they landed on the silver watch around his left wrist. Subconsciously, it had become another indelible mark of his, as he ALWAYS had it on. It had never made my heart skip a beat nor my stomach turn a summersault before.
However, after the experience in the office with him, I found my mind wondering to that moment Friday night at the football game when I thought of his watch and moved my hand to the side of my leg where he squeezed my thigh. There was a little snag in the dance tights where the chain of his watch must have rested. I wondered how long it would stay there as my little reminder before it tore through and became a runner.
Ignoring the fluttering in my stomach, I tugged at the door to pull it shut. I was met with a strong resistance. I brought my blushing face back up to Adrian's as my hand remained pulling at the door he held in place. Both corners of his mouth raised into a slow, knowing smile. Fuck. My flushed cheeks did not go unnoticed. It couldn't have been more than a thirty second exchange, but that felt like the most intense ten minutes of my life.
Adrian shut me in and stepped back for me to drive out. For that long moment I forgot everyone else was in the car, much less who. Devin opened her mouth to speak.
"Don't Devin. He was just making sure you guys were safe. It had nothing to do with me."
"Shut up July. I'm not going to hug you and make a fool of myself like Hanna and Brooke, but I do owe you an apology, and I really am sorry."
I looked over to see if anyone else was hearing this. Such luck... they were all passed out.
"The party blew, and I guess I just got carried away out of boredom. You just made it so easy. Well he did too."
He? Were we talking about Adrian as my "he"? My stomach flipped in fear and anticipation wondering what she was going to say next. Even with the unknown element of what Devin had done, I still felt warm all over thinking of him as mine in that second.
"My God it was obvious at the mention of either of your names. And this good Samaritan act the two of you have down making sure everybody's safe, blah, blah. Well anyway, I'm sorry if I f-ed it up for you. I knew there was something there, but I didn't realize you two losers were made for each other until this pathetic display."
As I drove down her road and turned off toward her drive, I began to wonder if I should be terrified that I had no idea what she was talking about.
"Just know you can date up. So, if not Adrian, we'll get you a senior. Hanna's right, you look good. She should be jealous." And with a sardonic smile she was out of the car and my hair. I watched to make sure she made it to the door with her key and went safely inside.
What on earth did she mean, if not Adrian?