Page 58 of Boys Like You

“What’s all this for?”

“A girl has needs, and you keep torturing me with touches.”

He wastes no more time talking, taking me by the waist and sitting me on the bench. Stepping between my legs, his lips take mine, kissing me like there’s no tomorrow. We come up for air when there’s a knock at the door.

Pulling away, my lips feel swollen. He tucks himself up in his pants so whoever is on the other side of the door doesn’t get full view of his crotch. I smooth down my dress as he opens the door. A lanky guy eyes us and shakes his head. We both laugh.

We make it back to our group of friends to see Levi has now joined. He hands me another drink. I end up back in Rocky’s lap. Levi gives me a look and I shrug; we like to keep the PDA to a minimum, not that I’m ashamed to be dating them, it’s more so for my benefit. I would be labelled a whore or slut, taking Edgewater private schools most eligible. Not that they dated before but I know they screwed around. I’m not deaf, I hear the girls when they talk about them in class. They must think me and whoever I have class with can’t hear them, or maybe that’s the point, they want them to know they would go back for seconds. At first it bothered me but now I just brush it off with assurance from the guys that it was before they met me. Sherie asks me to dance, all four of the guys look at me, I know they will all be filled with worry.

“I’ll be fine with your friend; I have my phone in this awesome pocket.” Honestly the dress having a pocket was the selling point of the outfit.

“I’m not worried about what you will do, it’s that ass and those boots; guys will be lining up.” He loosens his grip on me when I wiggle my ass. I lean in to kiss his cheek, but he moves his head so our lips touch. I follow his lead as our lips move together, putting on a show, staking his claim.

“Now you have to explain that to Merce and Levi, good luck.” I peck his cheek this time and sway my hips a bit more than necessary as Sherie and I walk inside towards the dance floor.

“Temperature” by Sean Paul is playing. We hit the dance floor and shake our asses, both laughing at our own dance moves. Whenever any guys try to dance our way, Sherie moves them along so I don’t have to worry.

The beat of a new song comes on and my skin prickles. I know this song, “Everything” by Pitbull. My chest constricts, and I feel the blood rush from my face. I run on wobbly legs up the stairs. As I make the top step, a flash washes over me. There’s a man, I don’t know what it means but he wears a thick gold chain, kind of cliché gangster looking. He’s very attractive. I don’t know who he is but now his face flashes in my mind every time I close my eyes. I’m yelling, and he is there, but it’s all patchy, I don’t know if I’m yelling at him or to him.

Remembering Maximus is up here, I find the door and push it open with so much force it hits the wall hard. I collapse on the floor.

***

“JD.”

My eyes open at the sound of his whispered voice. I look around, disoriented. I must have fainted. I sit up abruptly, almost launching myself at Maximus. A girl with bright orange hair and a grungy style flies through the door followed by Sherie, Mercer, Levi, Rory and Rocky.

“What happened?” Mercer demands, bending down. Maximus has his arms around me. My breathing is still tight.

“We were dancing and when I turned around, she was gone. I thought maybe she went to the toilet but by the end of the song I came back to find you. That’s when she,” Sherie points to the red head, “came running out.”

“Leah,” Levi says, turning to her.

“She pretty much fell through the door and passed out. I thought she was just drunk, but then Maximus said, “guys”, and seeing as I’ve never heard him speak before, I knew it was bad. That’s when I came to get you.”

“There is no way she’s drunk, she had four drinks, that’s it,” Rocky tells the guys.

“Could anyone have slipped her something?” Rory asks, pacing the room.

“Not possible. She was with me the whole time until she went dancing with Sherie.”

“Guys,” I whisper. “I’m not drunk, I just had a moment.” I give them a look, hoping they understand what I mean.

“We should call Beth,” someone says.

“No, I’m fine. Rocky will be sleeping over tonight; he can watch me.”

After arguing for a solid five minutes, they agreed, but only after I promised to leave right away. Rory and Maximus are staying to round up the girls and take them home, but the others all insist on coming home with me.

The guys ask everyone to give us a minute.

“Are you really okay?” Mercer asks as he leads me out to the car.

“Yes, I’m really okay. I just had a flashback.” I peer up at him. “This one was clear. It was triggered by a song. I saw a guy a few years older than us, very attractive but in a gangster kind of way, he had on low hanging jeans, a tight black shirt with thick gold necklaces around his neck and a big diamond stud earring.”

They all look at me with concern in their eyes. With a hand on my shoulder, Mercer asks if I know who he is.

I shake my head. “No. I have no idea.”

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