Tyler was last off the stage and stayed when the rest of the band headed into the crowd. To my dismay, the other kids followed the band. The gorgeous camera boy looked back and gave me a final smile and snapped another photo of me. It made my heart skip a beat. I stood there awkwardly, as James and Tyler talked for a few minutes, kind of hoping that James would officially introduce us. Finally, Tyler looked at me and smiled a perfectly, crooked grin. He was cute but had nothing on Camera Boy.
"Alex right?" I couldn't tell if he was asking James or me.
James looked at me then; seeming to finally realize that I was still there. "Oh shit, my bad, yeah Ty this is Alex. Alex, Ty. Sorry, I forget you don't really know each other."
I did a small wave. Tyler's grin multiplied. He stuck out his hand and I shook it like we were two people meeting for the first time not just the first time in over three years.
"Long time no see Alex. What's it been; like 5 hours?"
I smiled, "And about three years before that."
He made sure to have my gaze before he spoke again. "I still can't believe the little girl who used to play street hockey with us in the summer is all grown up and gorgeous."
That made me blush. I kept quiet though and just shrugged.
James rolled his eyes, "Cut the shit man, she's still my baby cousin."
Tyler smirked harder, "Sorry Alex, I forgot. You being related to this turd makes you automatically hideous. I'll have to remember that."
"I thought your brother Gavin dates James' sister Laura?"
"I guess Mason likes ugly girls too."
I laughed but James was starting to look annoyed.
I rolled my eyes. "Sorry. I'll stop pretending to flirt with your friend here and go grab myself a soda."
The word pretending caught both of their attentions I could tell but I was already walking towards the crowd. I was actually focused on trying to find Camera Boy in the among the masses. He didn't seem to be anywhere. I gave up after a few minutes and actually went to get the drink. My mouth was dry from all the trying not to pass out earlier.
I was almost back when I saw the rest of the band heading back towards the stage area. Elle and the blonde guy she was sitting next to earlier were walking with them but Camera Boy was still M.I.A. I watched as Brenna kissed Tyler like his lungs were her only source of oxygen.
I walked up right as he finally had to come up for air. She looked over and noticed me. She seemed to look curious at first and then her features just turned into a bitch face. Brenna turned back around and said louder than necessary, "Hey Babe, the band is heading out, you better come on."
My ears were red. I wasn't sure why I felt embarrassed. I knew Tyler and Brenna were together but Tyler calling me gorgeous earlier had me doing an automatic comparison now that I was next to the girl that was actually his type.
Brenna was thin and dainty with a dancer's body. She looked like Ariel and I felt like Ursula next to her. She had to be at least four inches shorter than me wearing high heeled boots. I towered over her wearing Converses. I became uncomfortably aware that the neon bra she was wearing wasn't padded. She didn't t look like she really needed a bra anyways. That made me somehow self-conscious about my own chest size. I missed the days when I could get away without wearing anything under my clothes. I unfortunately got breasts from Mother Nature as a 13th birthday present.
My size ten ass looked like She-Hulk's standing next to her. She seemed to be taking me in as well. I noticed her hand wrap possessively around Tyler's waist. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
"Hi." was all I could muster as a greeting to her.
She looked confused at my presence. "I thought we voted that groupies had to wait out front like all the other fans? Only family and close friends back stage?"
The way she said family made it clear she mean members of The Families.
I looked down at the soda in my hand wanting to disappear. James let out a laugh that I would almost call a cackle. My eyes shifted up to see if he was okay and then focused on Tyler. He untangled himself from her vice grip and rolled his eyes. Brenna looked annoyed at not being in on the apparent joke.
Tyler looked annoyed at Brenna. "This is James' cousin Alex. You know the one he's been saying was moving here for the last four months. You were around for a few of the summers she spent here."
James had come to stand by me while Tyler was speaking. He put an arm around my shoulder and squeezed me into his side, "Sorry that Arianna Grande over here didn't realize that you are family. Alex, not sure if you remember that the Munro's dad married Brenna's mom."
Her voice sounded sweetly acidic, "Sorry Alex."
She looked like she wanted to kill Tyler and possibly me next.
I nodded, "Hey. Your last name is still Evans right? You have a sister too?"
"Yep. Sorry I didn't recognize you. Feels like ages since you used to follow Elle and I around like a lost puppy when Dylan wouldn't let you follow him."
Excuse me Bitch? No.
There was a reason I hated most people. I straightened up and smiled, "Really? Hmm. Don't remember that part. I just remember you begging me to hang out at my aunt's house so you could stalk, how'd you put it... Oh yeah, 'my hotter than Takis' cousins."
James and Tyler burst into laughter. I noticed a small twitch in her eye as she tried to not to show any emotion.
"Hmm. Can't say I remember that. I was also a preteen; so who knows what stupid shit came out of my mouth?"
"Yeah, you would think you would stop saying such stupid shit by now, right?"
Her eyes were about ready to pop out of her head. I might be quiet at first but this bitch just figured out how to set off my ticking time bomb.
Tyler could tell it was time to break it up. He started to speak but James beat him to it. "So what did you think of Running With Scissors Alex?"
I had to process that one. "What?"
"Our band?" Brenna said it like I should just know that was what the RWS meant. It was good to finally know though.
I kept my eyes on Tyler. "Y'all were great."
He smirked and in an over exaggerated accent said, "Well are y'all stayin' to hang out here more or are y'all comin' with us?"
I rolled my eyes dramatically but let James answer for us, "No we're going to stick around for the next set. Don't want to overwhelm Alex her first night here with all you fucks."
They bro-hugged it out and Tyler hugged me goodbye. Brenna just glared. So much for picking up that childhood friendship where it left off? Was her sister this bad?
It wasn't long after that it was just James and me. We hung out listening to a band called Train Station. All I wanted to do was pester my cousin with questions about Tyler and Brenna and gorgeous Camera Boy. I also wondered how could a guy who seemed so nice like Tyler be with a girl like that? I wanted to text Patrick all about it but I wasn't sure if that would just be weird? Plus I didn't want to admit to anyone from back home that I was actually enjoying my first night here on Planet Cabbage.
I was finally relaxing. It felt like I hadn't released the tension between my shoulder blades in years. James saw some friends and headed in their direction. He looked back for me but I nodded that I was good for him to go alone. Not in the mood for more introductions tonight, I walked around the club listening to the rhythm of the music alone. The beat was hypnotic. I had just begun to fully absorb my surroundings when the floor felt like it was about to absorb me. I felt arms around my waist catching me as I almost face planted into the floor. When my head finally caught up and I registered that I had tripped over someone's foot my eyes darted up to see who had saved me.
The gorgeous camera boy's blue-gray eyes stared back.
My hands instantly clung to his arms trying to steady myself. He held me to his chest for a second before allowing some distance between us. He still had his had his hands on my waist. I felt my cheeks go scarlet.
"Oh shit, I am so sorry."
Great that was real lady like.
I could hear Jordan's lecture on using my vocabulary, not trashcan words.
"No sweat." His voice was soft and deep and made my stomach do those shit inducing cartwheels again.
I tried to think of something to say and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I thought you left with the band?"
He shook his head, "Nope. I stayed with my friends to take some more shots." He released one of his hands from my waist and pointed; I followed his finger. Over in a corner were the blonde boy (Aaron?) and Elle. She noticed us. A quizzical look was on her face but it was better than her sister's. The camera was on the table.
I felt his hand return to my waist like it was supposed to be there. I tried to swim to the surface of my thoughts and speak coherently.
"Cool. I'm Alex." Is what I managed.
He smiled and nodded, "I know. I'm Ari."
Ari Munro. Elle's and Brenna's step brother. My eyes widened as that puzzle piece clicked into place.
The band on stage began to play a slower song. Ari held on tighter as we began to dance, drifting further into the crowd. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his neck pulling us even closer together. His eyes just stared into mine.
There was no hesitation, no fear. It was intoxicating. The song ended and I began to pull away he held me in place not letting me budge an inch. Another song played. I didn't try to pull apart this time when the song finished. The next song started and we danced without saying another word. We were probably too close for this song and the beat wasn't slow but we kept slowly grinding against each other. He kept his hands just above any part of me that would have crossed the line. I moved mine down from his neck, to his biceps, to slowly feeling the muscles in his stomach pulse as my hands made their way back up. I was pretty sure I could feel his junk through his tight pants. I had never danced like this. Tim would have flipped. His fault for letting me go out in a strange town.
After the fifth song I felt a tap on my shoulder. I jumped at the new contact and felt Ari's hands leave my body for the first time in half an hour. James was behind me with a playful smile on his face.
"Time to go home Cinderella."
I blushed and nodded. Turning back I smiled shyly at Ari. "Don't want to turn into a pumpkin."
He leaned back in to hug me and whispered in my ear, "I'll see you around Alex."
That prospect made my skin tingle. I turned back around and followed James out of the club. The night air made me realize how heated my skin had become in the club. James saw me shiver and handed me a jacket when we got into his truck. He had an amused look on his face that confused me. "Did you have fun tonight cuz?"
"Yeah?" I was suspicious and hesitant to say more. James had too much of an I know something you don't know look on his face. "It was awesome."
"So do you know who you were Dirty Dancing with tonight?"
"We weren't dirty dancing!"
"Oh please, mom made me watch that stupid movie. You were so the Baby to his Johnny."
Okay my cousin should not know 1980s girl coming of age movies. That was my thing. Well mine and Elyse's thing.
"I'm pretty sure he was Ari Munro, right?"
James smirked and shook his head yes, "I was surprised you recognized him. He looks a lot different than when you were last here."
"I feel like I went through a time jump and everyone is now either a brooding teenager or hockey buff."
He laughed, "You don't look the same either dude."
I eyed him but let it go. I'm sure I did look different too.
A few minutes later I was home. I maneuvered around boxes and climbed under my covers; ignoring my usual personal hygiene routine. That night I dreamed of Ari's hips grinding into mine. He twirled me around the dance floor and I got lost in his eyes as I slept.
Needless to say I woke up feeling refreshed. The feeling didn't last long. Waking up to see my stuff in a new place was really disorienting. It made me cranky. I got up slowly and tried to remember where I packed all of my toiletries.
I stopped short when I passed a photo on my desk.