Life of the Party (25 page)

“Me and your
father,” she said curtly, “are beginning to realize that we’ve
ignored this situation for far too long.”

I groaned. “So
you did have a meeting.”

She ignored me.
“It’s our fault, if there’s anyone to blame. Our schedules are just
so crazy; it’s not that we haven’t noticed … it’s that we’ve been
too tired to deal with it properly.”

“Are you
talking to me?” I wondered. It seemed she was having a conversation
with herself. I looked at her in confusion.

“Things are
going to change, Mackenzie.” Mom warned. “You need discipline, and
rules, and boundaries.”

I scoffed.
“Yeah, okay mom. I’m graduating in three days. You’re going to
start this all now? Don’t you think you’re a little late?”

The expression
on her face told me she had at least considered that fact. She bit
her lip. “No.” Mom lied. “As long as you’re living under our roof,
things are going to change.”

I slumped back
in my seat. There were no words to voice my frustration. I shut my
eyes and wished for some cocaine. And a cigarette. And to be out of
the car already. Mom pulled furiously into the school parking
lot.

“You come
straight home after school, you hear me?” Mom threatened through a
yawn. “We’ll be waiting. We need to have a good talk, all three of
us.”

“Oh joy.” I
grumbled. I got out of the car and grabbed my things from the
backseat, slamming the door as hard as I could. I turned my back on
her without even a wave, stomping towards the school. Mom watched
me for a minute; I could hear the car sitting there. When finally
she pulled away, I waited until she was down the street before I
dropped my stuff and took a smoke from my purse. There was no way I
could go in and write a major exam without a cigarette first,
especially not with the mood I was in.

My mood was
even fouler by the time I finished my math exam. I had gone through
the questions doggedly, struggling to make my brain work properly,
but most often I’d gone with my best guess. The number closest to
the one I came up with was the one I chose. My head pounded by the
end as I handed in my test, and I frowned at the prospect of going
home for a family meeting. Dealing with my parents was the last
thing on earth I wanted to do. I walked through the empty halls of
the school that echoed with absent students, and headed into the
bright, sunny day totally miserable.

But then I saw
him. My head was down; I didn’t notice him at first. I looked up
from the grey slab sidewalk and there he was, standing there,
waiting for me beside an old white motorcycle that gleamed with
steel. His bare, tanned arms were crossed against his chest; a sexy
grin curved his lips when he noticed me. I could see my reflection
in the large, dark aviator sunglasses that fit his face perfectly.
My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him and I just stood
there, amazed.

I wasn’t sure
what to expect. I hoped for the best, but also braced for the
worst, just in case Grey had come to deliver another “we’re still
just friends, right?” speech. My heart beat nervously as I
approached him, but I tried to stay positive.

“What’s up?” I
wondered. I hoped I looked okay; self-consciously I remembered my
messy, bedraggled hair and obvious lack of make-up. Grey smiled—his
lips curved into the playful smirk that I knew so well, and when he
lifted his glasses, the way he looked at me, I could’ve been the
most beautiful woman in the world. My cheeks flushed pink and I
returned his smile wholeheartedly, my heart surging with
relief.

Grey shrugged
and motioned to the motorcycle beside him. “I thought maybe you’d
like to go for a ride.”

“Wow. And here
I thought you’d forgotten all about me.” I kidded.

“I’m afraid
it’s a little late for that.”

My blush
deepened at his words, and I flashed him a happy, bashful smile. “I
didn’t know you had a bike.” I stepped forward to admire it,
running my hand down the cold steel of the handlebars. I didn’t
recognize the make, but for an older model it seemed in good
condition. The steal gleamed silverly and the white paint looked
pristine.

“I keep telling
you. There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Grey winked slyly. He
flipped the kickstand, grasped the handlebars and straddled the
machine. His black boots planted firmly to keep the bike from
tipping and he looked up at me expectantly, his blue eyes
shining.

“Hop on,
sugar.” He called with a grin. His jeans were tight over his bent
knees; his white t-shirt hugged the hard torso beneath. He put his
glasses back on. I smiled eagerly and let my backpack fall on the
ground next to the sidewalk. Studying was just going to have to
wait.

As I grasped
the hard muscle of his arm and threw my leg over the seat behind
him, fleetingly I imagined my parents—their arms crossed, their
feet tapping impatiently as they watched the front door for my
arrival home from school. They were going to have to wait as well.
There was no way I would give up spending an afternoon with Grey
just because my parents suddenly gave a damn.

As if reading
my thoughts, he turned to me over his shoulder. “Are you going to
get in trouble for this?” He wondered.

“No.” I lied.
“Who cares?”

He chuckled.
“You ever been on a bike before?”

“No. Well,
like, a pedal bike. Does that count?”

“No. This is
easy though. Just lean when I lean.”

“Okay.”

“And
Mackenzie?”

“Yeah?”

“Hold on
tight.”

I laughed and
obliged him willingly, wrapping my arms around his waist, resting
my hands on his hard abdomen. I could smell the delicious warmth of
his skin and his cologne, very subtle, just enough to make me want
more. I smiled happily to myself as a surge of excitement and
anticipation thrilled through me.

The bike roared
to life then, making me jump. I could feel Grey laughing as he
slowly walked the motorbike backwards and away from the curb.

He shouted to
be heard. “Ready?”

I nodded. One
moment we were sitting there, the next we were moving smoothly out
of the parking lot. We sped up upon reaching the street, and I
clutched Grey tighter. It was a totally foreign feeling to me; I
wasn’t used to being so exposed. There was nothing to keep me in,
nothing to protect me from the elements but his form before me.

But it didn’t
take long before I loved it. The wind floated over us, carrying
with it the scent of Grey’s cologne on the warm summer breeze. He
was young, and strong, and gorgeous, sitting just before me,
switching gears expertly, in total control of his vehicle. I had
never been prouder to know someone, to be with someone, to have
others see me with someone. I tipped my head back and let the wind
brush over my face and my neck, a smile curving my lips.

The soft,
gentle breeze was caressing as we rode, and as it stroked my arms
and my skin I caught the promise of adventure, the desire for total
exhilaration that only more speed and wind could bring. I wanted
more. I pressed myself against Grey’s back, my hands hugging his
hard body closer to me. My lips found his ear.

“Faster.” I
requested. Grey didn’t answer me, but the corner of his mouth
curved slightly. I knew that he was smiling. “I want to go
faster.”

“Of course you
do.” Was all he said.

The bike roared
onto the highway. Grey went through the gears like butter, one
right after the other, revving the motorcycle until the engine
growled in response. The countryside whizzed past on either side, a
blur of shapes and shadows that I couldn’t discern. The sun shone
golden down on us but its warmth was whipped away by the wind that
rushed by, cutting through my clothes as if I were wearing nothing
at all. Its bitter fingers pierced the very core of me, stealing my
breath away, making my heart hammer with adrenaline. My skin
erupted in icy shivers.

A smile curved
my lips. This was exactly what I wanted. There was nothing around
me. Nothing but the deafening wind. My hair tore free from its
elastic and fell, caught by the currents, streaming behind me,
whipping and tearing around my face. My smile deepened.

Thoughtlessly I
took my hands from the safety of Grey’s waist. I stretched them in
the air beside me and then threw my head back, embracing the cold,
letting it pour through me until it burned all the heat away. I
felt alive.

I felt like I
was flying. Like Kate Winslet in
Titanic
. In that moment, I
was free. I let the wind take from me all my worries, all my cares,
all my troubles. It swept them far, far away. My parents, my exams,
Riley … none of it mattered. Nothing but the total freedom that I
felt.

I loved it. I
loved him. I hugged myself around Grey again, wrapping my arms
tightly around his waist. He laughed beneath my hands. The engine
revved and we went even faster. I clung to him until there was no
space between us and my heart felt like it might burst with
happiness. I never wanted it to end.

Eventually we
had to slow, re-entering the town limits as the sun swung lazily
over the horizon. Its warmth could be felt again on my frigid skin
due to our leisurely pace, present in the soft, languid breeze that
swept lightly over us. I was chilled right to the very marrow, my
frozen fingers were stiff and numb but I smiled delightfully,
renewed somehow by the invigorating ride.

As we paused at
a stop sign, Grey glanced over his shoulder at me. He nearly had to
yell to be heard. “Where to now?” He asked.

I bit my lip in
thought. The sky was dimming around us, and there was a part of
me—the quiet, easily mollified part—that knew I should go home.
Knew I should deal with the inevitably already pissed off parents.
But the other part of me—the louder, more dominant part—wanted fun
and adventure at any cost. She wanted to stay with Grey for as long
as she possibly could. Who cared how much trouble she’d be in?

I grinned.
“I’ll go anywhere you want to go.”

“Anywhere?”

“Anywhere.”

I sniffed in
deeply and welcomed the pleasant burn that started in my sinuses
and slid down the back of my throat. I passed him the vial,
pinching my nose shut and breathing deep.

Anywhere had
turned out to be Grey’s house. I was so surprised he had taken me
there; I’d always wondered where he lived. His house—no, their
house, he shared it with Alex and Zack—was in the older part of
town. It was obviously lived in by bachelors. There was no kitchen
table; a large beer-can castle took its place, apparently Alex’s
masterpiece. I had to sit on my hands to keep from knocking it
over, the urge was so great. The living room was devoted entirely
to a big screen TV and all its necessary components—sound surround,
DVD towers, a large black, overstuffed sectional. There was a UFC
poster on one wall surrounded by holes punched in around it. Grey
said that when Zack got really ripped, he thought he was Tito Ortiz
and liked to show off his skills, using poor Forrest Griffin in the
poster as his target.

“This is good
shit.” Grey handed the vial back to me. I did another scoop and the
rush of calming heat bore instantly into me. I grinned and shut my
eyes a moment, savouring the sensation.

“I know.” I
sniffed. I felt the rush spread into my tongue, fuelling the speed
of my words as my heart surged in my chest, pushing eager blood
through my veins. “I did some last night when my dad was making me
study but I didn’t get anything done, but it was a blast. But I
haven’t studied for like, one of my tests yet. I’ve probably failed
them all, which will suck when I have to come back next year and do
it all over again … or maybe I just won’t, who knows ….” Shakily I
lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. “Anyway, how did you do in
school? Were you a total brain?”

“Hardly.” He
laughed. “I guess I could’ve been, but I didn’t care enough to try.
I dropped out when I was in grade … ten, was it? Ten or
eleven.”

“You did?”

“Yes. It was
the best thing I ever could have done.”

“Why?”

“That’s how I
met Alex and Zack, when we started the band. I lived in the city
and I knew I wanted to do music, so I just started going to
auditions and stuff after I quit school. Most everyone thought I
was too young, but Tom liked what he saw, anyway.”

“Wait, you
joined
their
band? I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, they
were called Warhorse back then. They were struggling. Not that I
was the answer or anything, but we just work together really well.
Everyone else was already there but Jimmy, he joined after me, a
few years ago. We wrote some new stuff and changed our style a bit
and, well, obviously it’s worked out pretty good, so far.”

“I can’t
believe you’re signed. Like, that’s a big deal, right?”

“Yeah. That’s a
pretty big deal.”

I flicked my
cigarette rapidly over the ashtray; my fingers were trembling. My
heart fluttered hastily in my chest. “So, why don’t I ever see
Jimmy and Tom and … Lucas, right? You only see them at gigs and
stuff?”

“They still
live in the city. We practice and have the Aurora deal out here, so
they come into town at least twice a week. It’s kind of a pain in
the ass, but our jam spot costs way less here than it would in the
city, and the Aurora was our only real steady gig. When I first met
the guys, Tom got me a job at the Red Wheat, ‘cause I guess he
knows Ralph pretty well, and Alex and Zack gave me a place to live.
So I moved out here. It was a lot better than my city situation,
anyway. ”

“And what was
that?”

Grey shook his
head. When he lifted his blue eyes, they looked a bit sad. “Doesn’t
matter.” He shrugged. “That was years ago.”