Back To You (16 page)

*****

I called Paulette and Lindsey to see what they were doing that night.  It had been a few months since I felt like there was absolutely nothing to do.  Neither of them could come over.  Randy was going to be with Paulette.  He offered to come over, but I told him I was fine.  I think Randy was worried about me.  And Jack.  And wondering why Jack was going out without me.  I played it off as no big deal, he was free to go out when he wanted.  It didn’t mean anything.  Randy wasn’t stupid.  He could hear the doubt in my voice.

Mom left me money to order a pizza if I wanted.  I d
idn’t think she even noticed that I wasn’t going out or that Jack wasn’t coming over.  She had other things on her mind.  Which was okay with me.  If I couldn’t hang out with friends, then I didn’t want to hang out with ANYONE.

I figured I would order the pizza.  Throw on some
music and sing for a while, as loud as I wanted.  Maybe watch some TV or read my book.  Maybe I would just go to bed early.  HA!  Like that would happen when I would spend every second wondering what Jack was doing and if he missed me.  Pathetic.

*****

“Hey man!  Glad you came!”  Darrin met Jack at the door.  Everyone was starting at Jeff’s house first. The plans after that were up in the air.

“Yeah.  Didn’t wanna miss out.” 
Jack said.

It wasn’t long before he got sucked in to the party.  Someone had managed to buy beer, so everyone was drinking and laughing.  Jeff even had a pool table in his basement and there was a heated game going on.  Jack was having fun.  By the time he had a couple of beers in him, he was ready to play a game of pool.

“So this is what you guys do all the time?”  he asked.

“Yep.  Most of the time.  When we aren’t with a chick.”

“Huh.  Pretty cool.”  And he knocked the seven ball into the pocket.

*****

Ugh.  I was so full.  Over an hour and a half, I had managed to eat almost an entire pizza.  Granted, it was a small one, but I had never eaten that much pizza in one night.

Poops went nuts barking her head off when I saw hea
dlights pulling into my driveway.  I didn’t want company.  Maybe Mom was home early.  Fat chance.

Knocking.  Damn, I wish I had one of those door viewer thingys.  Should I pretend I am not home?

“Suzy, open the door.  We know you are in there.”  It was Randy and Paulette.  I let them in.

“Go get dressed.”

“Why?”

“Because, we don’t want to go out without you.”

“Oh.”

“Let’s go.”  Paulette grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall to my room.

“I am okay, really.”

“Sure you are.  But we want you to go out with us.  So get dressed.”

“But...”

“No buts!”  I heard Randy shout down the hall.

“Well then, go put on makeup and do your hair, I will pick out something for you to wear,” Paulette muttered as she started rummaging through my closet.

“Okay.  Fine.  Where are we going?”

Paulette smiled.  “Dancing.”

*****

A couple more beers and Jack found himself cornered by a few of the guys.  His head was a little fuzzy.

“So where
’s Suzy?”

“I d
unno.  She didn’t say she had plans, so I guess she’s at home.”

“Dude!  Maybe she went out with someone.”  Jeff said.  Everyone laughed.

“No.  She wouldn’t do that.”

“Jack, she is one hot babe!  I’d do her...”

“Excuse me?”  Jack was shocked that someone would say that in front of him.

Jeff stammered.  “I, I mean, if she was single, I would go out with her.”

Darrin laughed.  “Jeff, she wouldn’t go out with you!  You are too stupid!”

Jack couldn’t believe they were talking about his gir
lfriend right in front of him.  “Well, she isn’t single, so you don’t have to worry about it.”  He told Jeff and laughed too.

“You guys act like you are married, man.”  Jeff said back.  “You are just her ball and chain.”

Chad piped in, “What good is having a steady girlfriend anyway?  Sex when you want it?  Hell I can have sex with any of the cheerleaders and don’t have to worry about having a ‘relationship’.” (He used his fingers to make the quotations signs in the air.)

“In your dreams, man”, Darrin punched Chad’s arm.

“Well, it’s better than being tied down to one chick.  That gets boring.  No variety.  No excitement.  Besides, when they think they have you trapped in a relationship, the sex runs dry.  Give me a one night stand any day.”

“You don’t know what you are missing,” Jack said.

“Yeah I do.  I am missing listening to them gossip on the phone all night, talking about so and so and doing their hair and what to wear and shit.  I hate that stuff!  I don’t have to spend money on dinner and movies and flowers or teddy bears or any of that.  I know who to call when I want someone to suck me off or spread her legs so I can get my rocks off.”  Chad was making obscene gestures to the air.

Jack had heard this type of talk before.  He knew that a lot of it was just guys talking.  He also knew that there were some girls who felt just like Chad did, and they were happy to spread their legs for a football player.  It made them feel popular.

“Freedom is what it’s about.”  Chad laughed.  “Having a new flavor each week.  Being able to drink and hang out with the guys whenever you feel like it, without having to answer to a jealous and insecure girlfriend.  Yep, that’s the way I like it.”

“Sounds lonely to me.”

“Nah, it’s great!  No ties.  No ball and chain for me.”

Jack
thought about Chad’s statement.  Freedom.  Do what you want.  No ties.  But he liked being with Suzy.  She made him laugh.  He didn’t like feeling like he was doing something wrong because he didn’t go out with her.  He saw the look in her eyes.  She was hurt.  Would she always be hurt when he wanted a little space to himself? 
“You act like you guys are married”
kept running through his thoughts. 
I don’t want to be married, he thought.  Not now.  I am supposed to be acting like a typical guy.  Being stupid. I don’t want to miss out on this either
.

“C’mon guys.  This is lame!  Let’s go and see who
’s out tonight.”  Darrin said.

“Think you are gonna get laid, D?”  Jeff teased.

“Maybe, maybe not.  I just like looking, especially when it’s hot out and the shorts are just short enough to see...”

“Shut up!  You will get about as close to someone’s ass as you would to buying your own car tonight.”  Chad got in on the tea
sing.

“Wanna bet?”

“Sure.”

“Okay then, I bet I get a handful of someone’s ass before the night is up.”

“You are talking about a girl’s ass, right?”  Jack was laughing at them.

Darrin looked insulted, “Hell yeah!”

“Then let’s get out of here and see if Mr. Big Shot here can handle this bet.  Who’s in?  How much are we betting?”  Jeff piped in as he headed out of the door.

Jack followed them out to the
driveway.  They all piled into two cars.  “Where are we going?”

“To the one place guaranteed to produce some fine ass...”  And they headed toward Monopoly’s.

*****

Randy played Van Halen as loud as he could in his car. 
Unfortunately, he had a car intended to be a two seater, but I ended up squished in the sorry excuse of a backseat.  I was more than thankful to unfold myself and get out at Monopoly’s.

“Well?”  Paulette asked.

“Well what?”

“Isn’t this better than stuffing yourself with pizza all alone?”

I laughed.  “Yes it is!”

I was greeted with a chorus of “Hey’s” and “Hi’s” and “Where have you been’s” as I made my way back to see Justin.

“Where’s your other half?”  He asked after a big bear hug.

“Out.”

Justin raised an eyebrow at me.

“With some friends.”

The other eyebrow came up.

I smiled.  “Don’t worry!”  I was in a good mood so I didn’t want to talk about anything that might make me d
epressed.  “You got some AC/DC for me?”

“Anything for you.  Now go.  Dance.  Have some fun.”

“Yes sir!”

Randy had gotten us all
some ice water and was headed out to the dance floor when I got back down on “game board” level.  As if on cue, “Shook Me All Night Long” started up.

After that song, I felt a tap on my shoulder.  When I turned around, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

*****

Jack was a little nervous riding with Darrin after he had been drinking. 
Jack wasn’t a perfect angel, but this was the worst thing he had done in his sixteen years.  Drinking and driving.  His parents would croak.

Of course the guys had to gun it at each stop light, racing down the streets of Hammond.  It was hot so they had the wi
ndows down.  Darrin and Chad must have wolf-whistled twenty times by the time they pulled into the parking lot at Monopoly’s.  It was still early, and there were plenty of girls making their way to stand in line at the door.  He thought about Suzy.  She knew the owners so she never had to wait in line.  She got to walk right in.

“Stop thinking about her, Jack.”  Darrin nudged him in the ribs.  “Let loose a little.  Relax.  Have some fun.”

Jack nodded.  It didn’t take long for the guys to make him laugh.  He really was having fun.  Darrin and Chad were back to making bets about how much ass they could get before they left.  Chad was pointing to a girl from Ponchatoula and winking in Jack’s direction.  Then he put his hands up in a “grabbing/squeezing” motion.  Poor girl.  Jack hoped she knew what she was in for.  Jack wondered if Chad was going to get lucky or get slapped.

It took a while, but they were finally in.  Slammed with the lights from the dance floor and smoke from people sneaking cig
arettes behind the door, they worked their way into the room.  The music was loud.  People were dancing and sweating.  Girls were hanging on the rail, waiting for someone, anyone, to ask them to dance.  He heard Suzy’s favorite dance song, “Shook Me All Night Long”.  For a minute he wished he could see her now.  He realized he had no idea what she was doing that night.  But the floor was packed and he couldn’t see two feet in front of him anyway.  He moved closer to the dance floor.  And that was when he saw her.  Wrapped in the arms of another guy.

*****

“Oh my God!”  I cried and jumped into his hug.  “I can’t believe you’re here!”

Carlos hugged me tight.  He had a huge smile on his face.  “I can’t believe you are still coming to this place.  Don’t you have a boyfriend by now?”  He teased.

“Of course I do!”  I teased.  “So how have you been?”

“Great.”  He said as he put her back on her feet.  “Just came in for a visit before I head out on orders.”

“Orders?  You enlisted?”

“Yep.  Time to do my duty.  Besides, I need money for co
llege.”

“Wow!  Where are you headed?”

“First to Tennessee for basic training.  Then who knows where?”

“I am so glad you came
tonight!  It’s good to see you.”  I remembered the flutter his kiss gave me a couple of years ago.  “Especially after you stood me up.”

“What?  When did I stand you up?”  He looked co
nfused.

“New Year’s Eve.  It doesn’t matter now.  I am just ha
ppy to see you.”

“But, I, wait, New Year’s Eve?  I wasn’t even in town.”

“Really?  But Joel said you were.”  I saw Joel talking to another girl on the dance floor.  When he looked up and caught my eye, I glared at him.  He just grinned.  Asshole.

“I wouldn’t stand you up, silly!  I love dancing with you!”  He smiled.  “Speaking of, you think you could spare a dance for an old friend?”

“For you?  Anytime.”  I smiled back.  It was like the old days.  I knew we would never be more than friends, but he did make me feel like I was someone special. 

“Let’s dance.”  The next song was a slow one.  I looked over at Randy and Paulette, they were happily wrapped up in each other’s arms, swaying back and forth.  I wanted Jack to be here.  To have him take me in his arms and sway to the music.  But he wasn’t here.  And Carlos was asking me to dance.

“I promise, no funny business.  Just in case that boyfriend of yours is bigger than I am.”

I giggled.  “Well, he is a bit taller...”

*****

“Holy shit!  Who
’s that?”  Darrin asked Jack.