: Chapter 8

In my years of watching movies, I had noticed a pattern in the romance genre. They all had an epic dressing-up scene. The girl stands with her bestie and tries on designer clothes while an upbeat song plays in the background.

This was not a scene from one of those movies.

‘Why are we going to Chase’s party again?’ I groaned.

‘To spend some time together.’ Lana was throwing a dress across the room when she answered, ‘Now help me pick out something to wear.’

I stared at Lana’s wardrobe with my hands on my hips ‘How about you wear that pink dress with the big bow on it?’

‘I’ve wore that to a party before.’ She replied, ‘Why don’t I just wear jeans and a top like you are?’

My eyes went to the full-length mirror and to what I was wearing. My dark choice of outfit gave off a spy vibe. I was confident in saying that it was more James Bond than Austin Powers.  My ripped jeans were topped off with a black lace top. The material that covered my chest ended at my stomach and was close fitted which made it look like a corset.

Clothes flew everywhere as Lana kept on searching for what she wanted to wear. She eventually pulled out a red long-sleeved dress and placed it against her chest to see what it looked like.

‘I forgot I bought this.’ She uttered to herself ‘It’s beautiful, but I think it might be a little too short.’

‘Put it on.’ I insisted ‘Who cares if it is too short? You will get a breeze right up your—’

‘Okay.’ She stopped me mid-sentence ‘I’m putting it on.’

Lana changed into the dress and proved me right that it was amazing on her. The red colour suited her. It was apparent she liked it too because she swirled around as she looked at herself in the mirror.

‘You look great. Brennan is missing out.’ I commented with a wink.

Her light happy expression dropped slightly.

‘When we told the boys about the party, it never seemed like he cared.’ She delivered quietly before adding ‘Not compared to the other person at the table.’

The memory of Stone gnarling as we mentioned Chase’s party came to mind.

‘Stone always looks pissed off.’ I stated before mentioning ‘Maybe Brennan will show up at Chase’s party. I think it would be totally romantic. He can’t stand the idea of guys admiring your dress and trying to talk to you, so he comes to stop it.’

She went back to looking at herself in the mirror while she replied ‘I think you should wear this dress instead. You are much smaller so it would fit you better.’

‘No way! You have the best legs out of the two of us.’ I affirmed ‘Plus, I can’t wear red with my green hair. I will look like a Christmas tree.’

We went downstairs and said a quick goodbye to Mrs Armstrong. She gave a few words of warning to behave ourselves and to be careful. Which was a reasonable response to us going to a party. The last party we both went to ended up with Lana walking home herself as I took Chase to the emergency room.

After leaving the house, we made our way to my little green car and began our drive towards the beachfront. The radio was blaring from the speakers as Lana and I sang along to the lyrics.

‘Have you been to Chase’s house before?’ She shouted over the music.

‘Once or twice.’ I answered her while tapping a beat on the steering wheel ‘He plays a mean game of Mario Kart.’

‘Is Mario Kart code for something?’

‘It is not a euphemism.’ I sent a frown her way as I denied her claim ‘If that is what you are asking.’

‘Then why do you spend time with him?’ Lana questioned while I turned the car as we approached a junction.

What I wanted to tell her was the truth. I wanted to tell her that I sometimes went to Chase’s when I felt lonely.

‘We are not sleeping together.’ I promised her ‘Chase and I are just friends that sometimes go a little further. I have fooled around with him in the past, but I haven’t even kissed him since…’

Lana turned to face me and encouraged me to continue my sentence ‘Since what?’

‘Since you met Brennan.’

‘I don’t think it has anything to do with me or Brennan.’ She commented before hiding her face from me as she looked out the window.

The view was stunning from the beachfront. The lights of the amusements from the pier were in the distance. I studied the colours of the orangey-pink sky while I pretended to ignore what she had said.

Lana made conversation by asking ‘Do you have any idea where Brennan and Stone went on Tuesday?’

‘I don’t know.’ I told her before explaining ‘I never got the opportunity to ask. Stone and I were too busy insulting each other. Then today after the whole conversation about the party, the giant went into one of his foul moods and looked like he wanted to kill everyone.’

‘Yeah.’ Lana agreed but she then added, ‘But he still talked to you.’

‘I have come to the conclusion that I hate him.’ I voiced.

She let out a laugh like she did not believe me ‘How did you conclude that?’

‘I…I… I just do.’ I uttered.

The feeling was too strong to be dislike. The fierce emotion built up at the pit of my stomach when I saw him and when I thought about him. Sometimes the burning sensation at the core of me overtook my whole body and fuelled me.

It was earlier in English class when I was staring at him that I discovered that I hated him.

I hated his tallness and how he towered me. I hated his strength and largeness. I hated the smirk he wore when I would insult him. I hated his chuckle when he called me Medusa. I hated the heat that would rise to my skin as his hand brushed against mine accidentally. I hated that sometimes I thought about him and could not stop. I hated how it was not rational and it was completely relentless. I hated him so much.

I hated Stone as much as he hated me.

Lana’s voice broke me out of my thoughts ‘Did your dad give you a curfew?’

Running a hand through my hair, I replied ‘I can be home anytime.’

‘Ella.’ She said softly before questioning ‘I am always here for you if you needed to talk. You do know that, don’t you?’

‘Of course, I know that.’ I told her confidently before assuring her ‘You have nothing to worry about, Barbie.’

She stayed quiet as I parked the little green car on the sidewalk adjacent to the largest and noisiest house on the street.

‘Let’s go then, Freak Show.’ Lana insisted as we both started to get out of the car.

I took a minute to admire the house as I walked up the path towards it.

The house near the beach was huge. It was a modern two-storey white house that appeared to have only been built only a few years ago. It might as well have been made with dollar bills because it radiated richness.

Even from outside of the building, I could hear the head-banging music and the noise of drunk people clattering about. The flashing lights and silhouettes were visible through the large front window.

Walking into the house held the same experience. The hallway was just as fancy as the outside with the same theme of clean white marble walls. The house appeared more of a showroom rather than a home. There was no ornaments or photographs in sight.

I nudged Lana who was busy looking around the place ‘Are you looking for an exit already?’

She never answered.

‘It was you that wanted to come here.’ I pointed out.

Her voice sounded sarcastic as she remarked ‘I’m just looking for the pool and the butler’s quarters.’

The indoor pool was situated downstairs, but I did not tell her that. It would only have her asking more questions about much I visited the house.

A door at the end of the corridor led to a big open-spaced room. It was the size of my whole apartment. The walls were white but the multicoloured lights from the disco lights danced on the marble and lit up the place.

There were about thirty people in the room. Some I recognised from school and most I recognised from the football team.

Before I could think about asking Lana if she wanted to head home, Chase was in front of us with a beer in each hand.

None of the beers in his hands were for us.

‘Thanks for coming.’ Chase said to the both of us and then he leaned in and kissed the corner of my mouth as he added quietly ‘I’m sorry about the whole thing at gym. I’m glad you came.’

I nodded and smiled back at him as he nodded in Lana’s direction.

I had not fully forgiven him but there was no point arguing with him over the loud sound of the music.

Lana nodded politely at him before speaking ‘Hi Chase. Cool party.’

‘Thanks.’ He replied, taking a sip of his beer before he motioned across the room ‘I have someone for you to meet.’

Another guy that looked similar to the quarterback himself was standing near the large window of the living room. He had Sandy blonde hair and bright green eyes.

Chase introduced him as Kyle.

Lana grabbed my arm and pulled me to her so that she could whisper ‘I didn’t know Chase was a matchmaker.’

‘Neither did I.’ I muttered back.

Kyle offered me a small smile before he waved his beer bottle at Lana and asked, ‘So you are Ella’s friend?’

‘Yeah.’ She answered him shortly.

The four of us talked for a while. It was the typical small talk and it felt extremely forced. It was not at all easy and carefree like it was with the two men that sat at our lunch table.

It was awkward and it had me missing aggressively conversing with Stone.

Chase took a gulp of his beer before he spoke again ‘So I have this theory.’

His words had caught my attention.

I loved theories and it had me thinking that perhaps me and the quarterback had more in common than I had originally thought.

‘You know how they say you can laugh a girl into bed.’ He remarked completely seriously ‘I think you can play her into bed.’

I removed the last thought from my brain as soon as the words left his beer-breathed mouth.

‘I have known you three years and I have heard some pretty bad stuff leave you mouth.’ I pointed out with a roll of my eyes ‘But this has to trump them all.’

‘Not like that. Hear me out.’ Chase held up in his hands in a faux surrender while he quickly tried to explain himself ‘You can play music to get a girl into bed.’

‘How is that sentence any better than your first?’ I gritted out.

Chase faced his friend Kyle as he gave the scenario ‘So picture this. You are driving your date home and you want to score. You judge the girl and put on a song you think they will like. It gets them in the mood.’

I could not believe what I was hearing.

‘What ground-breaking logic do you have behind that?’ I huffed out.

Chase shrugged before speaking again ‘If I wanted Lana then I would play something like One Direction’

Lana stood there uncomfortable, not saying anything.

I made a funny face at her while motioning my head to the boys. She smiled a little, but I could tell she was starting to regret coming here.

‘I need something strong to drink if I am going to listen to you.’ I spoke but then remembered my car was parked outside so I sighed ‘Never mind, I drove here.’

Drinking from his two beer bottles, Chase glanced at Lana before questioning ‘Do you want anything?’

‘I take it there is no chance of a Piña Colada.’ Lana joked.

‘It is a house party.’ Chase dismissed ‘Not a bar in the Bahamas.’

‘Maybe the hospitality would be better there.’ I claimed with a clipped tone.

The boys continued to talk while ‘e and Lana stood there making funny faces at each other and generally making fun of them.

When he finished talking about his new sports car, Kyle asked my friend ‘So what do you like to do?’

Lana started telling him about her music and song writing. Kyle seemed uninterested and I had the urge to hit him. He was being so rude, and Chase was trying to talk to him while she was speaking.

Kyle replied with a bored tone ‘What else do you do?’

Her eyes went to me, and I deciphered her secretive look.

She wanted me to make him go away.

‘Well Kyle, I don’t know what you want her to say. You do know that girls are the same as boys.’ I blabbered on in hopes that my rant would scare them away ‘Take me for example. I eat, I sleep and even though I am a lady, I also fart really loudly. Like air horn loud.’

That was maybe a bit too much, but it did the job because both guys looked shocked and a bit weirded out.

I had done such a fantastic job that both Chase and Kyle left us to go to the kitchen.

When they left our sight, Lana turned to me and laughed out ‘What was that?’

‘We wanted to get rid of them and I did.’ I shrugged with a proud smile.

Lana let out another laugh, but her eyes were wide like she thought I was crazy.

‘Like a great philosopher said, the body is a temple.’ I delivered to her like I was some omnipotent being ‘Do not let horny teenage boys in the temple or near it in general.’

She continued to giggle as she asked me ‘What great philosopher said that?’

‘Me.’ I said in a duh tone ‘Obviously.’

A deep and rough voice thundered from behind me ‘Who the fuck is trying to get into your temple?’

I knew I had jinxed it by admitting to myself that I had missed him slightly.

I did not need to turn around to know who it was. Nobody else sounded as authoritative or as commanding as the giant.

‘Too many people to count.’ I deadpanned while turning around to meet his eye.

Stone had on his normal leather jacket encasing his broad shoulders. He also had on his usual black t-shirt that fitted tightly against his muscles which were currently bulging in time with his ticking jaw.

‘Who?’ He barked.

Grinning up at him, I lied ‘Too many to name.’

‘Medusa.’ He growled.

His eyes had turned into two small eclipses as he roamed me from head to toe. His study on my laced corset top with a V-shaped neckline lasted a few more seconds than I thought was intended.

He did not comment on my wardrobe. He had learnt his lesson from last time.

Brennan laughed at the scene in front of him before commenting ‘Ella, I think you have a bodyguard for that temple of yours.’

I continued to glare at Stone who was continuing to look at me.

Clearing his throat, Brennan turned to the blonde girl and greeted ‘Fancy meeting you here, Lovely Lana.’

Lovely Lana’s face had turned a shade of pink when she pressed the question ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I would love to say it was to see you in that dress, but it wasn’t my idea to come.’ Brennan informed her while wrapping his arm around her shoulders ‘It was Stone’s.’

My attention went back to the leather jacket-wearing pain in my ass.

‘I don’t remember you being invited.’ I remarked, tilting my chin up and facing him.

‘I don’t remember giving a fuck.’ Stone grumbled in return.

‘So, what do I owe the pleasure of your company?’

He stepped closer and towered over me before demanding to know ‘What are you doing here is my question?’

‘It was Lana’s idea.’ I chose to be honest because expression gave away that he was not in the mood for jokes ‘I did not want to come.’

Stone’s wide shoulders visibly relaxed.

Lana spoke up ‘You can play Mario Kart with him but not go to his party. That doesn’t make sense.’

The giant shoulders that had just eased up suddenly tensed again as he searched the room with a darkened gaze.

‘I was mad too, Lurch. He never let me play as Luigi.’ I let out a laugh as I mentioned up to him ‘Green is my colour.’

His crazed gaze stopped searching the room when he heard my laugh. His attention quickly ventured back down to me and stayed tethered there.

‘Yes.’ The gravelly voice agreed ‘It is.’

I frowned up at him as I tilted my head. I wondered if I had imagined the words leaving his mouth.

Noticing my confusion, Stone took a step closer and questioned ‘What is wrong, Medusa?’

‘If I stare hard enough at you, I might incinerate you.’ I rebutted while continuing to keep my chin up and my eyes on him ‘The chances are low, but I need to try everything in an attempt to get rid of you.’

He leant over so he was closer to my face and so that his warm breath tickled the tip of my nose as he chuckled deeply ‘You are going to have to try harder than that.’

Underneath the rough and scary exterior of the mountain of a man, there had to be a soft spot.

I shuffled away from Stone and moved closer to Brennan before asking him ‘What is Lurch’s weakness?’

Brennan smirked right at me as he answered, ‘I only know of one weakness of his.’

Just as I was about to ask what it was, the appearance of a new person approaching the small circle we were standing in stopped me from talking.

The girl’s heel clicked against the floor before she came to a stop right next to the giant man. She glanced at the other male in the small circle before she turned her head to Stone.

‘Hi, I’m Lacey.’ The new girl introduced herself before drawing out her next sentence in a honeyed voice ‘I haven’t seen you at one of Chase’s parties before.’

Lacey carried herself with confidence and glamour. Her small periwinkle coloured dress was tight against her curves and showed off her long legs. Her hair was styled into long blonde curls and her lips were painted a dark blue colour.

I quickly looked up at Stone to see what his reaction was to her.

He had not even acknowledged her. He continued to keep his firm gaze down on me.

The beautiful blonde girl was not discouraged by the silence because she continued speaking to the well-built man.

I tuned out of the one-sided conversation and turned to face Lana and Brennan.

Brennan had dropped his arm from Lana. His flexing hands were by his side. His attention was directed upwards at the ceiling as the tendons in his neck looked ready to snap.

I neared Lana and put my mouth up to ear so that she could hear me over the music ‘I’m going to get a drink.’

I turned on my foot before she could say anything.

A large hand caught my wrist and tugged me gently back as I took a step away.

Stone kept his touch on me. He squeezed my hand carefully like he was trying hard to keep me in his embrace but also trying not to hurt me.

I looked down at where my skin had grown goosebumps from his touch and then I peered up at him.

‘Stay, Medusa.’ He rasped out, his dark eyes on me as the half-plead half-demand left his mouth.

Watching a girl flirt her way into his mind was not on my list of things I would like to see. Leaving and not standing like the odd one out was at the top of that figurative list.

Nothing came to mind that I could reply. I could not muster up any words, so I pulled myself out of his grip and walked towards the kitchen.

Chase and his friends were taking shots when I arrived. They were all huddled around the island counter and cheering as they downed the full glasses of alcohol.

The smell of whisky hit me, and it lingered in my nose as I took a step closer. The smell was a reminder of my father and how he drank the whisky to forget about me and the memory of my mother.

I was reminded that I had nobody to go home to. I was reminded that nobody cared.

I sauntered past the group of people towards the counter full of drinks. I picked up a bottle with my shaky hand and turned the lid with a quick sudden movement.

Twenty minutes later and I was perched on the marble counter and entertaining myself in a drinking game.

I poured myself a shot of straight alcohol every time a jock mentioned football. I poured myself a shot every time someone hinted, I had slept with Chase. I poured myself a shot every time I thought about how empty and lonely my house was and how I was.

My vision grew slightly blurred and the room felt like it had tilted as I jumped off the countertop.

‘Do you boys never find something else to talk about?’ I let out an irritated sigh before I increased the volume of my voice as I addressed the group of jocks ‘Don’t you just get bored of talking about your last hook-up or your last touchdown?’

Chase’s head shot up when heard my voice. His eyes went to my face and then to the counter behind me where the empty bottle of whisky was.

‘Ella?’ Chase softened his voice as he addressed me ‘Are you drunk?’

‘No!’ I tried to deny but my words were coming up in hiccups ‘What a ridiculous thought. Why would you think that?’

One of his friends hollered from beside him ‘She won’t be any use to you tonight.’

I stuck the middle finger up in the direction the guy was standing that had said it.

The room was spinning like a broken carousel, and everything looked like it was dancing to a rather fast hip hop track.

‘How much have you had to drink?’ Chase spoke louder and he almost sounded concerned.

Some other guy to the left of me started speaking ‘I heard she was hanging around with the god.’

I figured I had misheard him because of the ringing noise in my ear.

‘She is drunk.’ A new male voice whooped to the rest of the guys standing around the counter ‘Ask her some questions…’

A different jock shouted the question in my direction ‘Who do you think is the hottest at school?’

‘I will tell him.’ I answered, pointing an unsteady finger at Chase and motioning for him to come closer ‘I need to whisper it to you. It is a secret.’

Chase rushed over to me. He placed his hands on my elbow and tried to steady me on my feet.

‘You shouldn’t have drunk so much, Ella.’ He mumbled his words like he did not want anyone else but me to hear them ‘Do you want to sleep it off upstairs?’

I rose on my toes and whispered ‘Stone.’

‘What?’ He said a few seconds later ‘It is Stone.’ I muttered, unable to keep the words to myself.

He pulled away from me when he realised what I meant. He dropped his hands off me and I stumbled backwards slightly.

The quarterback walked back to his friends and left me standing there.

‘I bet she is crazy in bed.’ One of Chase’s friends hooted ‘She looks like a little freak in the sheets.’

I watched them all as they fell into a chorus of laughter.

‘She is. Just like the Joker.’ Chase said to them before laughing ‘Get it because she has green hair.’

A rush of heat shot up my toes to the top of my head. A streak of fury made its way into my body, and I suddenly felt the urge to scream.

‘If I am the joker then does that make you Catwoman?’ I delivered loudly so that everyone including the quarterback himself could hear it.

‘I don’t get it’ A random guy commented.

I stumbled my way across the kitchen until I was standing in front of Chase. I looked up at him with an expression full of disgust.

‘Catwoman because you are a pussy.’ I sneered.

The crowd went wild with laughter. A cheer of Oh’s and ah’s filled the air.

‘You are too scared to be yourself. You are always trying to be the big man and centre of attention.’ I pointed up at the blonde man that I once considered my friend ‘You are always trying to be something you are not, and I feel sorry for you.’

Chase studied the room and his friends before he sent me a bored look.

‘I would never sleep with Chase Andrews.’ I delivered to the whole of the audience that I had gained ‘I would never even touch him with my pinky finger again. I might be the joker, but I am certainly not joking.’

The room was filled with whoops and cheers from the football team.

‘I thought she was your girl, Chase.’ A male voice called out through his laughter.

I uttered lowly so that it was only me and the quarterback that could my words ‘Just because I sucked your dick a few times does not make me yours.’

Every person in the room was still howling with laughter as I left.

The room was spinning, and I felt like I was spinning with it.

I was nearly out of the kitchen when I took a stumble. I grabbed ahold of the doorframe and tried to regain my balance.

Lana’s blonde hair and rosy cheeks came into view when she rushed over to me.

‘Where have you been?’ She questioned loudly so she could be heard over the music ‘Stone has been looking all over for you. I think he has had enough of being a third wheel.’

‘Was he not with that girl?’ I hiccupped my sentence.

‘He didn’t even speak to her once.’ Lana informed with a laugh ‘He got rid of her with one glare.’

A giggle escaped me as I voiced ‘Lurch is such a meanie.’

My best friend studied my current predicament. She studied the way I was hugging the doorframe and holding on to it.

‘Are you okay?’ Lana frowned while the rhetorical question left her ‘I want to dance.’ I waved off her concern and whined ‘Can we dance? Let’s go dance.’

Nobody else was dancing but I wanted to dance.

Her eyes widened and she exclaimed, ‘You are drunk!’

I unwrapped myself from the doorframe and let out a cry.

‘I am such a terrible friend. I can’t drive you or myself home.’ I told her while I staggered over to her and wrapped my arms around her ‘I’m sorry. I just wanted to forget for a while.’

Her arms wrapped around me, and she rested her chin on my shoulder as she murmured ‘What is going on, Ella?’

I was about to tell her the truth but a familiar face across the room caught my attention, so I raced towards him.

‘Brennan!’ I shouted excitedly while I made my way through the crowd to him.

He stopped when he saw me. His eyes scanned my clumsy movements before he let out a curse.

‘You came here for Lana.’ I cooed up at him before hardening my tone ‘You better take care of her, or I will destroy you.’

Brennan let out a small, strained laugh.

‘Just not right now because I feel like I am on the spinning teacups.’ I told while holding onto my head.

The surfer murmured, ‘He is not going to be happy about this.’

I continued smiling up at Brennan when I admitted ‘I like looking at you.’

‘W-what?’ His voice shook slightly when he questioned me.

‘I like looking at you.’ I repeated.

‘Fuck.’ Brennan mumbled under his breath ‘He is going to kill me.’

‘I am not attracted to you!’ I quickly disclosed in the nicest way possible ‘I just like looking at your face like I like looking at a painting.’

His blue eyes blinked before he replied, ‘Thank you, I guess.’

‘You are welcome.’ I told him with a lazy grin.

Brennan was huge and he was all man. He was at least six foot four and he had to have weighed over two hundred pounds.

I never noticed how big Brennan was. It was probably due to my fascination with his friend and how my eyes always seemed to be on Stone.

The room would not stop spinning. It kept going around and around and around.

‘Where is Stone?’ I questioned, realising that his attractive face was not in the room.

‘He was looking for you.’ Brennan informed before he added distractedly ‘Although, I don’t think we should let him see you.’

Lana stood beside Brennan, and she was watching me worriedly.

I hated the concern on her face, so I looked away at something else.

The first thing that caught my eye was the huge muscular figure ducking to get through the door.

His eyes scanned the room like he was on some sort of mission. The black eyes then zoned in on me and his gaze stayed in place.

‘Lurch! You are here!’ I shouted eagerly before I took off on a run towards the outraged giant.