Hooked (2 page)

    
"No thanks
,
Jake.  I can't be out that long, so I'm
gonna
go hurry her along." 

    
I run up the stairs hearing a very faint
,
"
G
ood luck!" 

    
Cara is a girly girl.  Her room is all pink and she has all of her crowns and
trophies
from winning
pageants all over
her room.  She won't go anywhere without makeup.  It's kind of funny to think about how different we are.  She is always dressed to the tee.  Cara is not your typical
pageant
girl
though
,
s
he is very sweet and thoughtful.  She is always welcoming new students at school and she tries to make everyone feel comfortable.  You will never have a birthday that she doesn't remember.  Usually, every year, she makes me cupcakes and brings them to school.

    
Cara is
lying
on her bed
in a pink track suit
talking on her cell phone when I come in.  She holds up one finger to let me know she's getting off the phone soon. 

    
"Okay Jason, I'll call you when I get home.  I love you
,
too."

    
"So, what's Jason up to tonight?" 

    
"Not much, he just got home from football practice." 

Cara and Jason have been dating for almost three years.  Jason asked her to the ba
ck to
school danc
e in 9th grade and they soon fel
l in love after that.  Jason is good to her, but last year they broke up for a few months.  It was mutual because they decided they should try dating someone else because they were you
ng.  Cara dated a few guys we
met while hanging out in a town
that sits next to ours.
  I have always thought Jason loved her.  He treats her well, but when he started dating other girls, he dated girls from our school.  I don't know why, but I always thought that was skanky of him.  It was like he was throwing it in her face.  She always held her head high though.  It would have killed me, seeing my boyfriend, the person I love with someone else.  I know Cara loves him mainly because she slept with him.  She and I are a
lot alike in that aspect.  It's not that I am waiting on marriage or anything, but I definitely know that I will love the person I sleep with. 
I
,
however
,
have not met that person yet, hence my status as a virgin.

    
"So
,
you ready to see how I got over here?"  I ask. 

    
"Yeah, girl, you better have your own wheels!"  We both laugh because I have been begging my parents for so long for a car. 

    
We go down stairs and she lets her folks know we'll be back in a couple of hours.  Cara has more freedom than I have.  We both have a theory on this.  She thinks it is because she has an older brother.  Her idea is, she is the second child
and therefore,
her parents are not as strict on her because they practiced on Jake.  I have my own idea though.  It is one reason, and that is because her dad is not a police officer.  Whatever the reason, I usually spend the night with her on the weekends because her curfew is later than mine. 

    
We get out to the car and we both start
squealing
.  It's not that she's impressed with the car, Cara drives an Audi.  She is just that happy for me. 

    
"You look so good in this
,
Millie!" 

    
"I can't bel
ieve my dad finally gave in. 
I don't even want to know what my mom had to
do to
make this happen."  We both laugh at the thought and drive towards Jessica's
apartment
.

    
I don't really think my dad like
s
me going to Jess' apartment.  It is not in a great part of town and she doesn't have any parents at home.  He doesn't say anything though, because she can't help it.
  It's funny because
out of all
of
mine and my brother's friends, my dad likes Jessica the best.  He never says this
,
but I can tell.  I think her personality is closest to what my dad was like when he was our age. 

    
Jessica is sarcastic and witty.  She doesn't put up with any crap either.  I think she enjoys keeping people on their toes.  Looking at her, you would think she was growing
up in the 90's. She has long brown hair, that she wears both curly and straight.  Every pair of jeans she owns
has
at least one hole in them.  She likes to show off her belly piercing
,
so mostly she'll throw on a short tank and ALWAYS has on a flannel shirt.  She has one in every color.  Her shoes...
b
lack Dr.
M
artins. 
She will occasionally wear flip flops or tennis shoes, but only during the summer time. 

    
About two years ago, her mother died of cancer.  Jess really went through a rough time
and had a tough time dealing with it.
Her dad has never been in the picture, so her older sister Anna had to raise her.  It hasn't been easy either.  Anna is only three years older than Jess, so she is only
twenty-two
.  Jess kind of got dark there for about a year.  She started dating older guys and slept with most of them.  I never judged her for it.  I think she just didn't care about herself or anything when her mom died.  She has pulled herself back up and now she plays basketball with me for the school and gets along with her sister.  I think Jess now appreciates everything Anna did for her
while
she grieved for her mother.  She realized that it was a
lot on Anna and started trying to help instead of
rebelling against her at every turn.

    
"Have you thought about any boyfriend prospects for you
r
wonderful senior year
that’s
about to begin?" Cara says over the radio. 

    
"Not
really, I
guess I'll wait until tomorrow and see if we have any new students
,
"
I say being sarcastic. 

    
Cara ignores my comment and says, "You know Cameron likes you.  Why not give him a shot?" 

    
"I don't know. I guess I just don't see him like that, you know?  I like him and
everything
he's just so abrasive with me.  It kind of turns me off, I guess." 

    
"Well, I expect to be the
first
person to know when you are attracted to someone." 

    
I smile at her
,
but secretly wonder if I ever will find that.  I have never had a real boyfriend before.  I mean, I have gone out with guys, but it is always once or twice before we figure we are better off being friends.  The only real crush I've ever had was Jake, and I think that was just because he was around a
lot.  He's more into girly girls though.  That's who he usually dates anyways.

    
We pull into the parking lot and Jessica is waiting for us by her door.  She runs up to my car yelling
,
"Oh yeah
,
baby!"  We laugh at her. 

    
Jess is dressed in baggy jeans with both of the knees ripped out of them, her signature tank top and flannel she has wrapped around her waist.  She
has on
a
beanie
cap (even though it is September) and black Dr. Martins boots. She usually has her
iPod
with her.  I think it amuses her to stick it in when some of the cheerleaders start talking to her.  Even so, you will always find, Alice and Chains, Nirvana and Pearl Jam on her playlist
every day
.

    
Jess has a way about her.  She's very pretty in the
,
I don't give a crap sort of way.  She never looks like she's trying.  She's kind of quiet
,
but when she does speak up, it's usually something sarcastic or funny.  She's really a cool chick.  She doesn't have a boyfriend right now, but that's by choice.  She says the guys at our school are
dillholes
.  I could see her dating someone in a band, but anytime we have been around guys like that lately, she doesn't give them a second glance.  It kind of confuses me, but when I ask her about it she just says she doesn't want to deal with guys and their bullshit right now.  Yes, she cusses...a
lot!  Cara and I have been on her about it, telling
her she sounds like a dude, which in turn
,
makes her sound like the douche bags she despises at the moment.  Call it a little reverse psychology
,
if you will.
  So, here lately, she's been trying to clean it up.

     
Jess gets in the back seat and I pull out onto the road.  "Where
are
we heading girls?" 

    
"I thought we could go for ice cream and give our senior year predictions
,
"
I tell them. 

   
"Sounds good to me
,
" Cara says. 

    
"I'm cool with it
,
" Jess follows up. 

    
Every year, since 9th grade, we have made these predictions.  Now, mind you, not one time have any of them come true. 
I think it’s more of a tradition at this point.

    
"I really think this year will be our year
,
" Cara says.  We all laugh because we know statistically, this will not happen.  We listen to Kings of Leon all the way to the Dairy Queen, trying our best to
out sing
Caleb
Follow
i
ll
.

    
We walk up to the counter and place our orders.  I decide on the way in I'm getting something different from what I normally do, but at the last minute
,
I go with my usual, plain vanilla.  We all pay for our
ice cream
and head to the last booth for privacy.   

    
"So, out with it you two!  Let's hear those
predictions
,
" Cara says. 

    
While I'm waiting for Jess to start, the most
gorgeous
guy I've ever seen walks in.  He is tall and lean
, not s
kinny, just not bulky.  He has unruly jet black hair.  It looks like he messed it up before he came in. 
It is the good kind of messed up, so sexy you just want to run your fingers through it. 
He is wearing dark jeans, a black plain
T-shirt
and black boots like Jessica's.  He looks surly
,
but dangerous.  His shirt is fitted.  I can see that his arms are very muscular because his shirt is tight there.  His eyes are so blue, they look clear. 
Definitely
, the hottest guy I have ever seen...ever!  He has something about him I can't put my finger on.  He is totally
oblivious
to everything around him
, almost
like
he doesn't have time to deal with anyone. 

     
He walks up to the counter and orders a banana split.  All three of us sit there with
ice cream
running all over our hands with our mouths hanging open.  The girl behind the counter, I can't remember her name, but I know
she’s
a junior this year, is trying her best to flirt with him.  She
tries
to start
a
conversation
with him
,
but he doesn't
return
it.  I don't know why, but I really felt like slapping her.  I have no claim on this guy, but it ticked me off a little bit that she was trying to get him.  It made me happy when he didn't return her affection.
  Jess, Cara and I watch like we are waiting for something big to happen.  It doesn’t, he turns and walks out with
out
even looking our way.