Damaged and the Beast (4 page)

“Did I have something on my face?” I asked, thinking I was such a dork to walk around with crap on me.
Yeah, mirrors existed for a reason, dummy.

“No,” he said, stepping back and surveying me. “I might sit next to you in class next week. If I do, try not to be a bitch about it.”

Confident flirting officially over
,
I lowered my gaze and nodded. I’d never dated in high school and clearly had no idea what I was doing. Better to keep my head down, work hard, and forget about guys for a while. Well, Sweetie Pie might still be an option. I suspected he used the word bitch less frequently than Cooper.

Leaning forward, Cooper grinned. “I’m teasing you. Don’t be so serious. Life is short and all that.”

“Why next week and not tomorrow?” I asked before realizing I was an idiot to show more interest.

“I’m done with school for the week. I never attend Friday classes either.”

“Good for you.”

Still grinning, Cooper reached out and rubbed my bottom lip again. He held my gaze, almost daring me to complain.

“Thanks for the extra whip cream,” he said, grabbing his bag and walking to the front with his check.

After watching him go, I realized he left me a twenty dollar tip. With anyone else, I might have thought it was an accident and taken the money to them. With Tattooed Moneybags, I figured he was showing off.

Slipping the twenty into my pocket, I figured Cooper could show off, tease, call me bitch, and whatever else he wanted as long as he kept leaving big tips.

On Tuesday, I made my first friend. Her name was Skye Goldstein and she simply plopped down in the chair next to me in Government class. Suddenly, she was my friend and I nearly cried in relief because the negative part of my brain was convinced I would go four years without anyone to talk to.

Skye was pretty, but not so pretty that I felt ugly in her presence. She was one of those 50/50 girls. Fifty percent was pure luck in the genetic lottery. The other fifty was maintenance. Short, curvy, blonde, and tanned, she looked like a tiny Barbie doll. While Skye never said she came from money, she lived in the dorms and I knew that wasn’t cheap. Plus, she mentioned having a single room and that
really
wasn’t cheap.

The best thing about Skye was how she talked a lot. Like she sat down, started talking, and kept talking whenever the instructor wasn’t speaking. I never had to say anything to keep her interested. Instead, I sat back and listened as she explained why she was at New Hampton.

“My parents know people here and they didn’t want me going anywhere without someone spying on me,” Skye said, giving me a wink.

After we left class, I planned to eat a P&J on the quad before my last classes. Skye frowned at the sandwich then shook her head.

“I might have a peanut allergy. I don’t know for sure, but you shouldn’t eat that around me.” Frowning at my sandwich, I assumed I would eat alone like I planned. Skye brushed hair away from her sweaty neck and continued, “I’m really into tacos right now. There’s a truck by the senior hall entrance. Let’s pig out.”

There were times in my life when I lost the ability to react. I froze in the moment, unable to respond. This moment was the first one since arriving in Ellsberg. I didn’t have money to blow on a taco, let alone on however many tacos were necessary to pig out. While I wanted to have fun like everyone else, I also needed to save up enough money for Tawny to join me. If we were both working and careful, we could schedule pig out days. Yet, I sensed Skye didn’t consider the prices of food.

“I didn’t bring cash,” I finally said after she stared at me, maybe realizing my brain was broken.

“Oh, I’ve got it.”

Even wanting to say yes, I felt guilty for pretending. “I can’t pay you back,” I blurted out as she tugged me towards the senior hall. “I have a lot of expenses for school and my parents aren’t helping me much.”

Skye snorted. “Parents are so lame sometimes. Mine think I’m a virgin. They also think I’d never drink beer because I’m a calorie freak. No one is that much of a calorie freak.”

Frowning as she yanked me along, I wondered about the calories in those tacos. Skye must have sensed my concerns because she snorted again.

“The freshman fifteen is expected. If we don’t pack on a little weight, people will think we’re full of ourselves. Those girls over there,” she said, waving her hand in the direction of a bevy of pretty sorority girls. “They’re obsessed with being hot. Unfortunately, while you can snag a man by being hot, you can’t keep him. To keep them, you have to be confident and I am. I’m just confident enough to pack on a few pounds from eating tacos. I’m a keeper while those bitches are bang and hang girls.”

“Bang and hang?”

“Guys bang them then hang up when the girl calls for a second date.”

“So they’re sluts?” I asked, not sure what the hell Skye was talking about anymore.

“Oh, we’re all sluts. I’m liberated enough to cut me some notches on my bedpost, if you catch my drift? No, those girls are shallow. It’s why they have to work in a flock. They can’t go solo because their fragile egos can’t handle the stress. I have no patience for weak girls.”

As we neared the food truck, I worried I was weak. I worked hard and didn’t take the easy path. Did this make me strong? Maybe, but I wasn’t confident like Skye. I wasn’t even as confident as the bang and hang girls.

“You seem down to earth,” Skye announced, again just knowing what I was thinking. “I feel like you won’t stab me in the back by stealing my guy or talking shit about me. You’re solid and I need a solid friend in college. I visited here growing up, but I don’t have a gang of girls who will be there when I need to work off my freshman fifteen. You think those bang and hang girls would say no to a hot guy I wanted? Hell no. They’d jump him in a minute. You wouldn’t. You’ve got good character. I know about that stuff because of my mom. She’s sort of a stuck-up bitch, but she knows how to see through people and tell who has good character. Like, you’d look at my mom and think she’s a plastic ho who doesn’t care about anything except appearances and showing off. She acts like those Housewives bitches, but my mom is solid inside. Her friends are too, but she had to work to find good friends because sometimes the outside isn’t what’s on the inside. See, I might seem shallow because I’m so well put together, but I just dress nice for guys. I don’t do it so I can be better than you or those whores over there. I do it to attract my prey.”

At first, I didn’t understand Skye was kidding, but then she winked at me and I laughed.

“I like that you’re quiet because I need someone who won’t interrupt. I was an only child for most of my life and had two nannies at all times.
Two.
I’m used to being the center of the universe. I’m my daddy’s angel and the pride of my mom’s loins. I can’t have people interrupting me because I take it personally.”

Nodding, I looked over the menu, searching for the cheapest items.

“If you’re a good friend to me, Farah,” she said, suddenly serious, “I’ll be a good friend to you. I’m loyal. I’ve been tight with my best friend in Memphis since second grade. Even when she got fat then slutty then went klepto, I supported her. Eventually, she settled down and got skinny, only slept with guys who respected her, and stopped stealing everyone’s shit. She’s solid now, but she decided not to go to college because she needs to find herself first. I sure hope that doesn’t mean she’ll become a fat slutty klepto again.”

Like I said, Skye loved to talk. After she forced me to eat what she was eating, we sat at a picnic table. Skye then talked and talked even while stuffing her face. She never made a mess though. A lifetime of talking nonstop gave her mad skills.

Even though I barely spoke the whole time, I realized Skye was the perfect friend. She took all of the pressure off me. I didn’t have to keep the conversation going. I didn’t have to decide where we would eat or what I would order. I didn’t need to worry over cost because she liked spending her parents’ money. Skye claimed her parents expected her to waste their money and would be insulted if she didn’t.

By the time we split up to head to our separate afternoon classes, Skye decided she would chauffeur me to and from work. She didn’t like her new best friend taking busses at night. After all, what would people think? Besides, Skye hadn’t finished telling me her life story. Apparently, it was very long so she needed the extra time to get me up to speed.

Skye proved to be a reliable chauffeur until Friday when something mysterious happened to her car. That was how she phrased it.
Something mysterious.
She couldn’t pick me up from work, so I would have to find another way home.

Cooper sat in the back booth, reading a book he clearly hated with a passion. Occasionally, he smacked the book onto the table then glared at it hatefully. Finally, he returned to reading. I had to admit he looked especially hot in the white tee clinging to his strong chest. The contrast of such bright white against his tanned flesh made it difficult not to stare, let alone drool.

While I considered asking Cooper for a ride, I immediately shot down the idea. I had successfully avoided him most of the week, seeing him only on Wednesday night when he came in for dinner. He did a lot of his intense staring and made a few comments squarely in the domain of inappropriate. He also left me another twenty dollar tip. We had created a nice relationship so far, but owing him anything was a mistake.

Cooper just wanted to fuck me. Though I wasn’t wholly against the idea of sex with him, I sensed he would be rough and I’d cry. My tears would likely piss him off and he would find a way to punish me. Maybe I assumed too much, but I didn’t want to take the chance of ruining my life in Ellsberg.

Giving up on asking him or anyone else, I walked outside towards the bus stop. As I hurried through the parking lot, I realized Cooper never left after paying his bill. When I glanced in the direction where he was talking on the phone, I found him staring at me. I turned away quickly, not needing any trouble. Hearing his motorcycle rev, I prayed he was heading to a party and would speed right past me.

“Need a ride?” Cooper asked, pulling over as I walked down the street. “Let me rephrase that. I know you need a ride, but are you desperate enough to take one from me?”

“Why desperate?”

“You tell me. You act like I’m a stalkey douche you can’t shake loose.”

Uh, I wasn’t touching that statement.

“My ride cancelled and it’d be a pain to take three busses.”

“Is that your way of saying you’re desperate enough?”

Studying his grin and the rumbling hog, I figured the ride would take five minutes tops. As for owing him, maybe I could buy him dessert or take notes for him at school. You know, repay him with something besides my body.

“Yes, please,” I said softly, hoping he didn’t get mean or creepy during the ride.

“I don’t know,” Cooper said, scratching at his stubbled cheek. “I have somewhere I need to go first. Are you in a patient mood or will you give me crap?”

“I’ll give you crap so you should take me home first.”

“Nope.”

Grinning, I tried to seem friendly, but not too friendly. “Will another please get me what I want?”

“No, not a please, but I can think of other things that’ll make your case.”

“Never mind,” I said, walking away. “You’re busy.”

Cooper grunted. “Oh, lord, here we go. Now, I’m the one fucking begging. Just get on, will ya?”

“You’ll take me home first before your thing?”

“Sure.”

Walking over to him, I gingerly slid onto the back of the motorcycle. The feel of it between my legs returned my mind to the ugly incident never to be discussed.

“Hold on,” he warned, glancing back at me. “If you fall off, it’ll hurt like a muther.”

Remembering nearly the same words said five years ago, I held on like my life depended on it. My first ride on a Harley had been terrifying, but I reminded myself I was safe this time. Cooper was a pain, but he was mostly bark and no bite. The rich ones usually were.

“I live at…”

“I know, but we’re making a detour. I think I mentioned that.”

“Wait…”

Glancing back at me, Cooper grinned then revved the engine on his Harley. Quickly into traffic, we headed away from my apartment complex. Irritated, I held on tightly and closed my eyes.

To avoid freaking out, I imagined myself home for the evening. After a hot shower, I could watch something relaxing on TV while catching up with schoolwork. Maybe my mom would join me. We wouldn’t talk, but simply enjoy each others’ company. If Mom wasn’t available and she likely wouldn’t be, I could call Tawny. All I had to do was get through Cooper’s detour and his attempts to fuck me.

Without knowing the town well, I wasn’t sure where we were when Cooper pulled over and parked his bike. I lifted my head from his back and removed my hands from the feel of his beating heart. Stumbling off the Harley, I wasn‘t selling cool and I didn’t even want to know what my hair looked like. As for Cooper, he had the kind of windblown hair that made him hotter.

“What is this place?” I asked, hearing loud country music coming from a house with people flowing in and out of the front door. “A party?”