4. four

Chapter four

“Waiting” - Green Day

“ I sent out an invite to everyone on my MySpace friends list.”

Xander, Abigail, and I were in a three-way call, and I had them on speakerphone while I dug through my closet for my favorite pair of Chucks. “I did, too,” I said.

“You guys do realize my grandparents’ tiny-ass cabin can hold a maximum of twenty people, and you two have to help me clean up in the morning, right?”

“Don’t worry, Xan,” I said. “It’s supposed to be a nice night. Why don’t we just build a bonfire and keep the party outside?”

“I just got a message from Krista. She said the whole softball team is coming after their game. Some girls from the other team wanna come, too.”

I froze in the middle of the pile of sneakers in front of my closet door. Lena was on the softball team. Until now, I hadn’t realized it was a possibility she would be attending this party. Knowing she might watch me interact with Beth made me feel a little weird. How would I balance talking to both of them?

Xander let out a sigh. “So what you’re saying is we’re going to need two kegs. Can you guys chip in?”

“I can help pay for them.” I’d been tutoring elementary school kids for the past year, and I had a few hundred dollars saved up. I wasn’t hanging onto all that cash for anything specific, but I liked having a safety net. And the fact that I’d earned it all with my own little business made me want to be smarter about how I spent it.

I never thought I’d put that money toward beer, but it seemed like a good investment to ensure we all had a good night.

Finally, I spotted my red Chuck Taylors near the back of my closet and sat at the foot of my bed to tie them, half-listening to Xander and Abigail go over their plans for the night. “Do we need to stop by the pharmacy to get Owen some condoms?” Abigail asked with a little giggle.

“I’m covered,” I said, eyeing my top dresser drawer. There was an unopened box in there somewhere. Natalie and I didn’t exactly make it that far, which was okay. But there I was, hours away from potentially having sex with a college girl.

Shit, what was I thinking?

“You guys, I don’t know if I can do this.”

They both immediately protested, shouting over each other so that I could barely decipher their words. “...not letting you go into your senior year still a virgin,” Xander was saying as Abigail’s voice trailed off.

At that very moment, my bedroom door swung open without warning and my brother Jake burst in with a smile so vehemently evil, it was worrisome. “Gotta go,” I said before tossing my phone on the bed. Jake was standing just inside my doorway with his hands on his hips. “What do you want?”

“Do Mom and Dad know where you’re going tonight?”

“Doubt it,” I said, tying my shoes. “And neither do you, so…”

“Brother, the wall between our rooms is very thin, and you sent out a mass invite on the internet. You and your dipshit friends aren’t being very discreet about any of this. You’re supposed to keep that stuff in private messages, idiot.”

I ignored him, standing up to spritz myself with cologne. I was hoping he’d exit my room so I could grab a condom without his judging eyes, but he crossed his arms and leaned against my doorway, making himself comfortable. “Two kegs.” He clicked his tongue. “Maybe you can lose your virginity and do your first keg stand all in the same night.”

“Fuck off.”

“Who’s the unlucky girl?”

“Nobody you know,” I said, glancing down at a text message from Beth. Her brother was picking up the Smirnoff for her, and then she’d be on her way to the cabin. I offered to pick her up, but she wanted to have her own car there, which I could respect. I slid my phone into my back pocket and glared at Jake. “Can you leave?”

“Nah. You’ve got something I want.”

“Which is…?”

“Cold hard cash, baby,” he said.

“What are you talking about?”

“That tutoring money. I know you’ve got a lot saved up now. And don’t say you don’t, because I just heard you telling Xander you’d chip in for those kegs.”

“What the hell makes you think I’m going to share any of that money with you?

A grin slowly stretched across Jake’s face in a way that reminded me of the Grinch, or perhaps Mr. Burns from The Simpsons . It made me want to smack him. “Because if you don’t, I’m telling Mom and Dad what you’re up to.”

“Yeah? I’m not you. They trust me.”

“Wanna bet?” He laughed. “Mom will pull you out of there by your ear and you know it.”

I slowly inhaled. “I’ll just lie and say I didn’t know there was going to be alcohol.”

Jake shifted his feet. “Okay, then I’ll tip you guys off to the police.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I need money,” he said slowly, drawing out each syllable. “And you’ve got it.”

Jake had a job bussing tables at the local Applebee’s until about two weeks ago, when he got fired for clocking in late too many times. He could’ve gotten a replacement job, but no, he’d rather exploit his little brother. “So you’re blackmailing me.”

“Just trying to survive.”

“You’re a piece of shit.”

“What do you choose, little brother?”

I knew I wasn’t going to win this argument, because Jake was the most headstrong person in our family. We had a history of ratting each other out, too, and I knew he wasn’t bluffing. With a sigh, I opened my top desk drawer, where I kept my savings in a clasp envelope. “How much?”

“Fifty ought to do it.”

“Fifty dollars?!” I put the envelope back in the drawer. “That’s two sessions’ worth.”

Jake just smirked.

With a frustrated sigh, I pulled the envelope back out, reaching for a couple of twenties and a ten and handing them to him.

“You made the right choice.” He slapped my shoulder hard and gave me a shit-eating grin. “Anyway, see you at the party.”

“Wait, what?” I gripped his arm. “You’re coming to this thing? What the fuck?”

Jake wriggled from my grasp, pushing me away. “We’ll see how the night goes,” he said, heading for the door. "See you later.”

"You’re such a-” I started, but Jake had already closed my bedroom door behind him. Alone in my room, I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. Just then, my phone chimed with a new text message. I pulled it from my pocket and held it above my face–it was a photo message from Beth showing a six-pack of Smirnoff Ice and a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Beth: If you’re nice, I might share. ??

Biting down on my bottom lip, I sat up and read her message again and again. Could this actually happen tonight? Was I really capable of pulling an older girl like Beth? Doubt nagged at me, but then again, I knew Xander wouldn’t let me back out of this. He’d push me, just like he always did. But maybe that was what I needed–a little push in the right direction.

I stood up and opened my dresser drawer, pocketing a single condom before taking a deep breath. Glancing around my room, I thought to myself, Next time I’m in here, I won’t be a virgin anymore.

…Maybe.

I started typing a reply to Beth, alluding to the fact I could show her just how “nice” I could be, when she sent a follow-up text asking for the address for the party.

I took it as a sign I was pushing my luck with the cheesy pick-up lines, so I deleted what I’d typed and started over entirely.

Owen: 618 Ferndale Rd. Log cabin at the end of a long driveway. Can’t wait ??