CHAPTER 12:
LILY'S POV:
This place is so cool. It's all laid back and low key. The places I went to with Dante in Rome were all about image.
Jordana seems pretty cool too, even though she sort of indirectly put me down with all the shit-talking about the homecoming dance. Not that I wanted to go to the dance anyways. Micah sort of guilted me into it by bringing up the fact that I was nominated.
It's just me and Jordana sitting at the table as Jeremy, Corbin and some other guys set up their equipment onstage. I've never hung out with someone like Jordana. All my friends have been sort of, I guess you could say, preppy.
I think I recognize Jordana from school. I think she's a grade younger than me, which would make her sixteen. It's kind of hard not to remember the hair. It's straight, black and the tips of it are dyed red. Even the bangs. She doesn't wear any makeup except black eyeliner and dresses sort of goth-like. She's wearing black skinny jeans and a dark purple velvet corset top. I'd bet anything that under the table, on her feet, are either a pair of black or purple converse, or some sort of black combat boots.
I look down at my Spinnerette tank top. Funny how I was kind of overdressed earlier and now, sitting across from Jordana, I feel kind of sloppy.
I finally notice that Jordana is looking at me with her eyebrows raised. Crap! I just realized that I was staring at her. I bite my lip and she starts laughing, "Oh my god! The prom queen has the hots for me!"
My mouth drops open in shock, "I so do not! And it's homecoming queen!"
She waves her hand in the air in a 'whatever' gesture. "It's alright. I know I'm pure sexiness. Even the straight girls want a piece of me."
Is this girl for real? "I'm not a lesbian and I don't want you. No offense."
Her eyes go wide and her mouth forms a little open circle. "Wow."
"What?" I ask self-consciously.
"My brother was right. You are naïve." She has a grin on her face and, for perhaps the first time ever, I want to hit another girl. The only other person that I've ever wanted to hit was my brother, Ben.
"You are as annoying as your brother," I tell her.
She makes a disgusted face, "Ugh, don't compare me to that loser."
Hmm, seems like I have just the right person in front of me to get information about the mysterious Jeremy. "So, what's your brother like?" I ask nonchalantly.
I guess not nonchalantly enough because she gets a sneaky expression on her face. "Aren't you engaged?"
I blush and say, "I'm not interested in your brother. I'm just curious, that's all."
She gets a knowing look on her face, "Whatever you say. So, what do you want to know?"
I want to know if he has a girlfriend, but if I ask that, she'll think I like her brother. I so don't. I have enough guy problems as it is. "He takes care of you?"
She rolls her eyes, "He's been a like a freaking drill sergeant since our parents died."
"I'm sorry," I tell her sympathetically.
"Thanks. It's been three years and we're okay now," she says while not looking me in the eyes.
Just then, the band starts playing and I turn my attention to them. That Corbin guy is the lead singer. He kind of has that sexy lead singer thing going on. He's wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a black vest with nothing underneath and a chain hooked onto his jeans, going from his belt loop to his wallet in his back pocket. He is also wearing a black fedora, with his black hair sticking out.
Jeremy is the guitarist and I had noticed that he'd changed back at the apartment. He's wearing a white tank top, black leather barracuda jacket, jeans and red converse. He looks hot. Not that I care. I have enough men in my life.
He is really cute though, in a bad boy, I don't give a damn what you think of me, kind of way. He keeps his brown hair short, like he can't be bothered with it. He's so different than Dante or Micah. Dante is the cultured European type and Micah is the boy next door jock all-American type. Jeremy is the pure cool type.
Their music is pretty awesome. Not like what I usually listen to, but kind of like the 30 Seconds to Mars album from 2006 that Ben used to always listen to. I think it was called 'A Beautiful Lie'. Actually, Corbin's hair kind of looks like the lead singer's in the video for 'The Kill'. I think Ben would really like this band.
Thoughts of Micah and how worried he probably is flitters through my mind. Well, I probably should just forget about him for now. Dante too. I can't do anything about that mess of a situation while I'm here. I am NOT looking forward to dealing with those two. They suffocate me.
The drummer of the band has his hair bleached blond with a black streak in the front, covering one of his eyes. As he's drumming and whipping his head from side to side, the black streak is flying all over the place. It's kind of mesmerizing to watch.
The bassist is a short Asian guy that has his black hair in a faux-hawk style, but the center strip of it is dyed a bright blue. So, it's like blue down the middle and black on the sides. Interesting.
I go back to staring, I mean looking at Jeremy play his guitar. For some reason, I'm kind of miffed that he hasn't looked at me since he got up there. It's like he forgot that I'm even here. I know that I'm being ridiculous. We aren't together. We are barely friends. We just met.
Several songs later, Jeremy finally looks up from his guitar and locks eyes with me. We hold each other's gaze for less than a minute, but in that minute, something happens. I don't think I could even describe it if someone asked me. It's like there's a magnetism between us. Like I'm drawn to him in a way that I've never been drawn to any guy before.
With Micah, my love grew steadily over the years and before I left for Italy, he was the ideal in my mind. Safe. With Dante, he was the guy who healed my broken heart. Dante was my first taste of grown-up love.
I just met Jeremy, but with him, it's different. Not love. After all, we did just meet. This is a more primal attraction. Like an awakening.
Before Jeremy looks away from me, his expression turns into a scowl. Okay, maybe the feeling is one-sided and he's not feeling me the way that I'm feeling him.
Oh well, I have enough guy problems.
When they finish their set, a group of girls swarm the band. I hate them already. Jordana smacks her hand down on the table, "Hey, quit drooling over my brother."
"I wasn't-" I start to protest.
She cuts me off, "I'm just teasing you. Jeez you're gullible."
I scowl at her and she laughs, "You know Lily, your hair would look really cool with some pink streaks in it. Maybe on the tips."
"You think so?"
Jordana looks thoughtful, "Yeah, you should let me do it."
"Okay, I think I'd like that. Although, my fiancé probably wouldn't." I start to have second thoughts.
"Screw him. If he doesn't like it, it's because he's a douche," she says. I almost laugh at the remark. Almost. I don't want to think about Dante and the way he treated me earlier tonight.
I make a sour face, "Yeah, he is kind of a douche."
"A rich douche," she adds.
"I don't care about stuff like that," I mumble.
"You know," she begins, "Jeremy isn't poor. I mean, he's not as rich as an international soccer star. When our parents died we got a lot of money from their life insurance." Is she trying to convince me to like her brother? She makes an annoyed face, "Of course, he doesn't hardly let us spend any of it."
"Does he go to school?" I ask, not even caring anymore if my curiosity is obvious.
"Yeah, he's studying political science at the college, but he also works at a record store," she tells me. Surprising.
I finally get the nerve to ask the question that I've been dying to know, and blurt out, "Does he have a girlfriend?"
She laughs, "How long have you wanted to ask that?"
I laugh with her, "Since I first met him."
She shakes her head, "Not right now, he doesn't."
"Is he a player?"
She rolls her eyes, "I'm more of a player than he is. He's too busy to be a player. He's had girlfriends, and I'm assuming a few one night stands, but nothing too player-ish. He probably thinks that he needs to be a good influence for me."
I gesture up and down at her ensemble and the place that we are currently hanging out at, "I don't think it's working."
She shrugs, "What can I say? I'm a lost cause. He just hasn't figured it out yet."
Jeremy starts to walk over to us and I gesture to her, while saying, "Sh!"
I think I hear her mutter something like, "Oh please, it's just the loser."
When he gets to the table, he ignores me and glares at his little sister, "Go home, Jordana."
"You ain't my daddy," she says in a belligerent tone.
"You got that right. Your daddy wouldn't have locked you in your room. I would." I look at the table, trying to stay out of this argument.
Corbin walks up, "Are you two fighting again?"
"Corbin, do me a favor and make sure that my sister makes it home," Jeremy tells him.
Jordana stands up out of her chair, "I need to get laid anyways. Come on Corbin."
"Jordana!" Jeremy yells.
She holds up her hands, laughing, "Just kidding!"
As Corbin is escorting Jordana out of the bar, she calls out, "Don't forget to give my brother your number, Lily!"
"Jordana!" He yells once again, while scowling.
"So I can do her hair, loser! She doesn't like you anyways! She prefers chicks!" Jordana yells before she goes out the door. The entire bar hears it and some of them look at me. I cover my face with my hands in mortification.
When I uncover my face, Jeremy is grinning, "Well, that solves your guy problems right there."
I give him a dirty look, "Yes, it would . . . if it were true."
He gestures towards the door, "Come on Lil. Let's get you home. Hopefully, the coast is clear at your house."
"Hopefully," I repeat. I wouldn't be surprised if Dante and Micah were still waiting outside my house.
When we get in his car, I feel nervous. I don't know why because I've already been in his car and on the back of his motorcycle tonight. I just keep thinking back to when he was playing and we had, what I thought was, a moment. He doesn't act like he's interested in me like that, though.
I have the urge to touch him. Anywhere. On the arm. On his face.
When we park in front of my house, Dante and Micah's vehicles are thankfully absent. Jeremy pulls out his phone. "I need your number." Then he quickly says, "For my sister. I don't like you like that."
"I don't like you either," I say stubbornly.
"I mean, I don't have time for a girl. Plus, you have all of your guy issues to work out. You're engaged for Christ's sake."
"I don't like you either," I repeat, but I think it's lost a little of it's spunk. I give him my cell number and tell him, "Tell your sister to call me whenever."
"Will do," he says quietly. As I start to open the car door , I get one leg out when I feel him wrap his fingers around my wrist. I turn my head to look at him. He mutters, "I already know that I'm going to regret this." Then he places his other palm on my cheek and comes forward for a kiss.
An earth-shattering, explosions and fireworks kiss. At the end of it, I'm breathless. Speechless. Finally, I catch my breath, regain the use of speech, "So, do you?"
"What?" He asks, looking a little dazed himself.
"Regret it?" I ask.
His mouth tugs up in what could be the start of a smile, "Not yet. But, it can't happen again. I don't have time for a girl."
"I have enough guy problems already."
"Bye, Lil."
I get out of the car while saying, "Bye Jeremy."
I step out onto the sidewalk and close the car door. He starts to pull forward. Then he slams on the brakes and gets out of the car. I'm standing on the sidewalk, waiting to see what he's up to. He gets out of the car and comes around to stand in front of me.
He has a scowl on his face, "One more time."
Then he ever-so-gently places my face in his hands and brushes his lips across mine.
He mutters, "No time."
I mutter, "Guy problems."
Then all muttering ceases as we kiss.
A minute later or an hour later, we break apart. I've lost track of time and don't even know anymore. He whispers, "I have to go."
"Me too," I whisper back.
We break apart and I definitely don't misinterpret the reluctance coming from both sides. He tells me before getting back into his car, "Work out your guy problems, because I'm going to find the time."
"Hey Jeremy?"
"Yes Lil?"
"I like you like that," I say shyly.
He smiles and shuts his car door to drive off. I turn around and look at the house. I am home way later than curfew. God knows what my parents have heard from Dante, Micah and Ben.
This calls for sneaking through my window. I walk to the side gate of the house. Quietly unlatch it and shut it behind me. I tiptoe to the back of the house, even though I'm walking on squishy grass and it's not like my footsteps will be heard.
When I get to my bedroom window, I thank god that I didn't lock it. I slide it open and climb inside. While kneeling on my bedroom floor, I slide it back shut. I don't want to turn on my bedroom light and alert the house to my arrival, so I crawl to my closet and turn on the light.
As I start to pull the Spinnerette tank top over my head, I hear a male voice ask from behind me, "So, who is he?"
*******************************************
So, who do you think it is?
Ben?
Dante?
Micah?
How should Lily work out her 'guy problems'?
COMMENT!
VOTE!
THANK YOU!