Page 7 of And Then There's You

“Thanks for not killing me on your motorcycle.”

He pulls back, chuckling, and puts his helmet back on. I turn around when I get to my door in time to see him wave at me.

CHAPTER SIX

Thankstomyparents'neighbor, Sharon, the Dean of Admissions here, I got the perfect college job at a little café and convenience store on campus. It’s easy enough, and I only work one day a week for spending money since I got scholarships to pay for school. Sometimes I pick up an extra shift so I can add to my travel fund. It’s a nice break from my schoolwork or if I need to get out when Avery has been with Miller all week, and I don't feel like day drinking with the girls.

It’s only weird because I don’t like coffee, so I’m not even sure if what I make tastes any good. I usually have to hide my scrunched up face as I make it and hand it to whatever zombie student has wandered in. No one has said anything negative, so I’m hoping they can't tell I don’t even like the smell of what I’m making. Today though, I feel like I can’t smell anything. I'm staring blankly as I ask the girl in front of me her name for the third time, like I’m the zombie.

It’s been over a week, and I haven’t heard from Troy at all. I texted him as soon as I got in bed after he dropped me off to let him know I had a great time on our date. At least I thought it was a date. I mean, he confirmed it was. He paid for dinner too. But the next morning, he never showed up to class, unless I didn’t see him. Carley questioned me about it this week, and I didn’t know what to say. She was as confused as I was after hearing the rundown. He’s missed three classes now. Did he drop it? Or is he just not showing up? I shake my head, trying to clear all the possible scenarios currently running through it, and some of the coffee in the drink I just made sloshes over the edge. I instinctively drop the cup when the hot liquid burns my skin, spilling all over the counter. Dammit. This is why I have spent three years sticking to schoolwork at school.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ifvoluntarilyattendingschoolon a Saturday doesn’t scream how much I need a distraction, I have no idea what else would. At the start of the quarter, my Psychology of Crisis Intervention professor told us about this eight hour weekend course we could take in place of the final if we were interested. I still don’t know what direction I want to go when I graduate, but I do know I probably won’t figure it out unless I explore all my options.

So here I am, on a Saturday morning, waiting for my Psychology: Human Trafficking course to start. I didn’t get to choose the topic, and it sounds dark, but it’ll get me out of the final. Plus, I have been fascinated by anything connected to how the mind works ever since I took a psychology class in high school. I’m probably also curious because sometimes I feel like it’s impossible to figure out how some people’s minds work.

I’m still sitting here, just staring at the front of the classroom that is now empty. Even the professor left a few minutes ago. After the first time Avery and Miller had sex, she ran to me screaming about how her world had been rocked. She claimed she knew at that moment he was the one because of how it made her feel. This is the weirdest comparison, but I feel like my mind was rocked. Eight straight hours, minus a short lunch break, and I wasn’t bored or distracted once. Every heartstring was pulled on, and more than once it took a lot of willpower and self pep talk to keep tears from falling. This is my thing. Okay, well, saying human trafficking is “my thing” is probably not the right choice of words. But I’ve been so worried about finding my purpose, that one thing I want to use as my vehicle for making a difference in life, and now I know what it is. Unfortunately, I still don’t know how exactly I’m going to tackle this issue, but knowing I want to in some way is such a huge step for me.

In the class, we learned about how much of a problem trafficking is, even as close as Portland. That’s less than two hours from here. Most commonly, a lot of these women and children are promised by these men that money will be sent to their families if they come to work for them. It turns into more of a kidnapping, and they are forced into sex labor. Sometimes it's years before they are rescued, and at that point they are behind in education, not to mention traumatized. My teacher mentioned a few organizations that help with the rescue and rehabilitation of these women. I’m going to have to look into it.

CHAPTER EIGHT

I’veneverbeenmuchfor Halloween, but this is my last year in college and there are already so many experiences I have missed out on by always choosing sweats and a book. Even Avery is ditching Miller and their typical couple costume so we can go all out for our last college Halloween with our girl friends. If we do include anyone else in our plans, it’s only ever Alexis, Taylor and Kylie. We met them last year at a just for fun women only kickball tournament over Spring Break, and since then, we’ve gotten together for a few random fitness events on campus or house parties. They are our go to girls when we are in the mood for an adventure.

We know life won’t be the same once we graduate, even if we all stay around Eugene. It hasn’t been said aloud, but I know we want our last year before we enter the real world to have as many high notes as possible. It’s why we all agreed on a group costume. Alexis had the idea for us to go as the Spice Girls. I was assigned “Posh Spice,” mainly because I didn’t care, and she was the last one left.

After going to three thrift stores, I found the perfect outfit. It’s a dark gold strapless dress with a ridiculously high pair of gold platform shoes. You can find anything you need these days if you search hard enough. It’s impractical, but also perfect. Even though we will probably freeze, considering it’s going to be 47° out, I am so excited.

“I hate you for this idea. Why didn’t we go with something that had pants?” I whine at Taylor as I tug on the bottom of my dress. I was right. It’s fucking freezing.

“I’m wearing pants.” She sticks her tongue out at me as she shoves a red Solo cup in my hand with at least two shots worth of an amber liquid swirling around in the bottom. She’s got on a pair of old school, loose fitting Adidas sweats. They are royal blue with bright yellow stripes up the leg that match perfectly with her yellow sports bra. Her shoulder length brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail. “But your dress is perfect. You look like a total babe. Here, take this shot, it will help you warm up!”

“Warm up or throw up?” I laugh to myself before I gulp it down, making a face once the Fireball hits my tastebuds. This stuff is gross.

“Okay, let’s go!” Kylie’s voice gets louder as she comes into the kitchen from the bathroom. She’s wearing a red wig over her usually short blonde hair, a british flag dress–that might actually be a shirt it’s so short–and mid-calf red platform boots.

“Daaaamn,” Taylor and I yell in unison when we get a good look at Kylie as Alexis and Avery come out of Avery’s bedroom in equally skimpy clothes. Alexis has her long, white blonde hair pulled into high pigtails, a silky, light blue spaghetti strap dress that looks more like lingerie and white Go-Go boots.

Avery was made for the Scary Spice look. Her dark brown hair is twisted into two space buns on top of her head, tightly wrapped with gold ribbon, zigzag part and all. She’s got on a cheetah print crop top, black spandex shorts and black combat boots. We all look perfect.

“Where are we going tonight? We should find a costume contest somewhere. We would totally win,” I declare. If we look this good, we might as well make the most of it.

“Oooohhh, There’s one at Rennie’s! Let’s go there!” Alexis squeals.

“I still have a week until my birthday!” I remind her.

“Ehhh, it'll be fine. I think they are doing wristbands tonight, I’ll yank mine off to give to you and go in twice!”

It’s so crowded here. Is this what all the bars are like, or only because it’s Halloween? I’d be worried about losing my friends, but there isn’t any room for them to escape the area where we are standing by the bar. Despite the crowd and the chaos, I keep catching a glimpse of the same guy. It’s probably because he’s nearly naked. His George of the Jungle costume consists of only a leopard print loincloth. A LOINCLOTH. I’m freezing in my dress. I can only imagine how cold he is, not that he seems to mind. If he had entered the crowd judged costume contest, surely he would have won, considering there are more girls in here. I haven’t gotten a full frontal view of him, but even in the dark anyone would be able to tell how sexy he is. The dim lights cast shadows on his back, highlighting the muscles in it and his golden brown hair has that messy, sexy thing happening.

“Maci!” Avery breaks me from my thoughts as George starts to turn around. Before I have a chance to look, my best friend reaches her hand down to help pull me onto the bar with her, which requires all my focus so I don’t fall off it. We won the costume contest. It wasn’t even a competition between everyone who entered.

Apparently winning requires a dance party on top of the bar. I know this contest was my idea, but I wasn’t prepared to be in the spotlight like this. I stand anyway, making sure my legs stay closed as I reach down for a prize shot from the bartender. Everyone is already screaming as “Wannabe”blares over the speakers. This is exactly what I needed. I may not know what my life is going to look like once graduation hits, but I’m happy I’m here now, with my friends, making these memories. I tug on Kylie’s arm, leaning my head on her shoulder. “I loooveee you. Thank you for forcing me to get out tonight,” I yell at her over the music.

“You mean every night we go out?” Her hand pets my hair as she laughs. “I think you’ve had enough to drink, Maci.”

“Okay, yeah, probably, but the night is young! We are still young! Donuts?!” I turn the other way, facing Avery. “Donuts?!”

---