© Copyright Nicole Nelson, 2011
Brandon's POV-
We all filed out of the limo in the front of the school in an orderly fashion, Brooke’s proposition still ringing in my ears. Music erupted the moment we opened the doors to the school, causing the walls and ground to vibrate to the booming beat. As a group we made our way to the cafeteria where the excitement was taking place, the music growing louder with each step we took. When we finally reached the entrance, Todd and Kristy headed straight for the tables to find a place for us all to sit and relax when we weren’t dancing and before I knew it Brooke was dragging me by my hand to the center of the dance floor.
Once we were in the middle of the crowded room there was a brief moment of silence in between songs and she turned to face me, clutching my biceps. A few seconds later as the next song started, she turned around and pressed her back against my stomach as moved her hips seductively to the fast beat. I rested my hands around the front of her hips and buried my face in her long flowing locks. We stayed in this routine movement until Jay-Z's voice faded away and all that could be heard were the laughs and chattering of students.
Again, Brooke twirled around bouncily to face me and yet another song started playing. She remained facing me and started waving her arms in the air and swishing her hips to the beat. I wrapped my arms loosely around her waist, resting my hands directly above her ass. Her hips began grinding into mine throughout the entire song, causing my body to ache immensely with desire.
Next was a classic “slow dance” song, making the burning ache stop dead in its tracks. This was our cue to get drinks and rest at the table for a while, at least until the romantic aura in the room was gone. Of course, all the couples rushed to the dance floor and I seriously didn’t want Brooke to get the wrong idea about what was going on between us.
We weaved through the dense crowd and eventually caught sight of our group’s tiny vacant table. As we walked up and pulled out our chairs, eager to sit, Brooke grabbed my arm tightly and slowly leaned into my neck.
After giving the skin just below my ear a sloppy, wet kiss she whispered breathily “I’m going to the ladies room. You can meet me in there if you want.” And with that, she sauntered around the corner that led to the restrooms.
I decided it would be wise to wait a few minutes to follow her to avoid looking overly suspicious. As I stood in place staring out into the sea of dancing and strobe lights, Gracie’s bright yellow dress contrasted every other color in the dark room and caught my eye. I watched Paul grab her hand in his and wrap her into his arms in a slow motioned blur as if my eyes and brain needed time to make sense of what they were witnessing.
He whispered something in her ear that made her cheeks flush and she buried her face into his chest shyly. Seeing his hands venture down her back and begin to rub her bottom, similar to what I just did to Brooke- my actual date; the one sitting in the bathroom waiting for me- was more than I could handle. I had never seen her flirting or being groped by anyone before. An unfamiliar, unwanted feeling washed over every inch of my body leaving me hallow and raw to my core.
Jealousy?
She looked utterly confused when she noticed me storming towards them and carelessly pushing my way through the crowd. After all, as far as she knew I had been seemingly okay with their union all week. The thought of them together was easy to ignore but actually seeing him with his hands all over her did something indescribable to me and set a tornado of emotions into effect.
Anger.
Protectiveness.
Hurt.
Jealously.
I hated to think that I was jealous but the truth of the matter was that I was, indeed, envious. I wasn’t sure when it happened, but all the feelings I previously ignored and never wanted to admit came rushing to me at once and hit me like a train. The truth was, it just took seeing her giggly and starry eyed with someone else to make me realize them.
When I reached the two of them, now both looking at me baffled, I realized that I had no idea what to say. With absolutely no intentions of telling her how I felt about her, I froze.
So there I stood like an idiot, my eyes meeting her questioning stare. I felt a fire streaming between us and as her expression softened I was convinced she had to be feeling the hypnotic feeling also. The sound of Paul's booming voice was what pulled us out of our trance. Her eyes fell to the floor and she fidgeted around nervously with her bracelet.
She felt it.
Slowly, not yet wanting to look away from her, I transitioned my focus from her to her date who was radiating anger at this point.
“What the hell, man?” He yelled, irritated. His voice rose louder than the mellow song, causing many people nearby to give us strange looks mixed with confusion and a twinge of amusement.
Damn. Now what?
I hadn’t thought through far enough to plan what I was going to say; I just had to stop them because, to be honest, I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. He was feeling her up like I had just been doing to Brooke-Brooke who meant nothing to me-and like he himself had done to countless other girls over the time I had known him. The thought of her being just another conquest to him, or anyone else for that matter, irked me. I knew for a fact she had next to no experience with guys. Paul was the first one whom I didn't purposely intimidate from asking her out and I was beginning to regret that decision.
“Uh…I….I was just going to tell Gracie that…” I stalled, scrambling to think of a quick excuse.
She looked as uncomfortable as I felt in this moment with at least a dozen eyes glued on me. Eavesdroppers, hoping we beat the crap out of each other right here so they have a cool story to tell all their friends.
Tell Gracie what!?
“…that I forgot to tell you that I’ll ask coach if I can teach you how to drive. If you want...” I directed my attention back to her, trying to appear as casual as could be in the middle of my awkward outburst.
“Really?” She sounded pleasantly surprised.
I nodded my head, relieved that she fell so easily for my explanation. In all honesty, it wasn't a very good one but it was the best I could do in the five seconds I had to think of one.
“That would be great!” She stepped forward and unexpectedly gave me a big hug.
I loosely hugged back with one arm, not expecting her father to agree to this but it was the first excuse that popped into my head. I began to curse my poorly honed ability to lie to my best friend when Paul drew me back to our current discussion.
“That couldn’t wait?” Paul cut in coldly, his eyes piercing me with scrutiny.
He could see through my facade just as I could see through his. He had to know that I felt more for Gracie than I let on after all the time he had known us just as I knew he wanted more from her than he was letting on based on all the time I had known him. I knew what he was after; I knew his game and the way he worked. I just didn't think he would try it with her right in front of me. Gracie wasn’t a toy he could play with and then throw away when he was done.
She didn’t notice the tense look we exchanged because her arms were wound tightly around my mid section. When she let go of me, we both broke the icy gaze quickly, seemingly in agreement that we should remain civil in her presence as neither of us wanted our secrets revealed to her by the other.
I spent the rest of the evening sitting in a chair at the table by the wall sipping on a clear plastic cup of fruit punch, hoping maybe someone spiked the punch bowl.
They hadn’t.
Brooke eventually came out of the bathroom pissed that I hadn’t taken her up on her offer and oblivious to why I was in a testy mood, seeing as she missed the narrowly missed altercation while she was in the bathroom waiting for my arrival. Paul seemed to be extra touchy feely for the rest of the night, often looking in my direction to see my reaction before smirking smugly.
The last homecoming dance of my high school life couldn’t have ended fast enough.
* * * *
Obviously, I didn’t approve of Gracie dating Paul.
I still hadn’t decided if it was due to jealousy or just because I knew what Paul was really after, but that was beside the point. Walking into the cafeteria on Monday to set eyes on her at a small table sitting all alone instead of at our table, the one we had sat at since she started high school, was the last straw.
Why is she sitting alone?
She seemed to have been distant from me all weekend, ever since Homecoming.
I began to make my way in her direction, wondering if she were mad at me for my outburst at the dance and intent on coaxing her back to our booth when Paul plopped down in the chair across from her and slid one of the two trays he was carrying in front of her. Not expecting this, I continued my path in their direction to avoid looking stupid but smoothly walked right past them to the only lunch line on that side of the room. Her giggle and the chattering that filled the air as I walked by just about made me sick.
“Kristy.” I called out urgently before she got in line to get her food.
“Hey Brandon.” She said in her usual cheery tone.
“Can we talk a minute?” I asked, dropping hints like bombs as I motioned my eyes in the direction of the new lovebirds just as Paul leaned forward over the table to kiss her cheek.
She giggled.
I cringed.
“Oh…sure.” Kristy replied halfheartedly and completely out of character, finally catching on.
She stood in the line with me and crossed her arms uncomfortably as she stole quick glances at Gracie's table. I mentally debated how much information I should entrust her with. I also desperately needed to leave out all the parts that made me sound like a jealous loser so I had to find the perfect way to word what I had to say. When I didn’t add anything to the conversation for several moments, choosing instead to pop a piece of chocolate in my mouth to buy some time, she sighed.
“I think they’re dating now. I’m not sure, she’s been vague about it.” I was choking on the chocolate before she was able to finish her sentence.
“Dating? She didn’t tell me that. I mean, that’s a big deal, right?” I asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could, normally a fairly easy task for me.
This time, however, I didn’t do such a good job at it. We both stood quietly as I tried to process the information I had just received and the vibe I had accidently sent the highly intuitive Kristy.
“You’re jealous.” She interrupted my thoughts abruptly, stating a fact more than asking.
So much for not looking like a loser. I thought, after I recovered from the shock of her blunt statement.
“Is it that obvious?” I sighed.
There was no point denying it seeing as she pretty much had me pegged and knew it judging by the knowing expression on her face.
“No.” She quickly blurted with slightly widened eyes, clearly lying. “Well…Not obvious to Grace…” She added, which was much more believable.
“That’s not really what I wanted to talk about…” I trailed off, still unsure how to tell her. Kristy was known for meddling and although she always meant well I was treading on dangerous territory by telling her anything scandelous about anyone. Knowing it involved Gracie, our mutual best friend, only made the situation stickier.
“Go on.” She told me with a raised eyebrow. She picked up a plastic lunch tray from the top of a towering stack and I mimicked.
“Well…Paul…doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to girls.” I decided to say.
“I know.” She said simply, confusing the hell out of me. She placed a slice of pizza on her tray and inched her way up in the line.
“So...don’t you think we should stop her?” I said, exasperation leaking in my voice as I slapped a slice of pizza on my tray a little harder than necessary.
Kristy was already paying the lunch lady for her food and I hurried to keep up.
“Brandon...” Kristy began soothingly as if she were trying to explain this to an idiot and bracing me for imminent disappointment at the same time. “She just has to learn on her own. If we try to get in the way of their relationship she’ll just end up hating us.”
And with that said, Kristy walked back to our booth as I stood dumbfounded in the middle of the cafeteria. No longer hungry but not wanting to waste food, I grabbed the pizza off my tray, handed the dirty tray to a lunch lady, and walked straight to the doorway that led out of the room to wander around outside in the cool fall breeze and avoid seeing Paul playing Gracie like a game of poker while I slowly picked at my pizza.