Distance Page 3

  Elena never missed a beat. “You have a valid point. Our freshman year is going to be epic. We will be across the country, not far from the beach in California. We couldn’t have done better. I love the beach too much to move away from it completely, even if the west coast beaches aren’t the beautiful Florida ones.”

  “I agree, but, Elena? Next time you start making out with a random stranger at a party, I’m not going to be rescuing you, okay?”

  “What do you mean? Who was I making out with? I don’t remember that!”

  “Dunno, just some kid from Central. I pulled you off him and dragged you across the yard before Mason saved the day.”

  “Oh-em-gee that’s so embarrassing. For once, I’m glad you made me leave the party. Thanks, Lexi.”

  “No problem, now here’s some aspirin and coffee just the way you like it, cream and three sugars. Drink up.”

  After my story of her drunken dealings, Elena began texting furiously. Her fingers were flying across the screen on her phone.

  I was curious. “Who are you texting?”

  “Oh, I was just talking with Henry. He didn’t remember the guy I was with, but he was telling me about his friend and the crazy thing that happened last night after we left.”

  “What happened?”

  “Hold on, let me finish talking to him and I’ll give you the whole story,” Elena said.

  “Okay…”

  I waited as she continued to text away, loving the gossip, I’m sure. My nails impatiently tapped on the table while I waited.

  When Elena was finally finished, she looked up at me, grinning. “You will not believe what we missed! Henry’s friend’s ex-girlfriend showed up and got really drunk. She put on a strip show in the backyard. I bet all the guys were having fun with that. Henry said she took it all off. When his friend tried to get her to stop, she pulled him down, wrapped her arms around him, and tried to kiss him senseless.”

  “Did he say which friend?”

  “Nope, but his friend apparently got pissed and carried the poor stripper, I mean ex-girlfriend, to his car and drove her home. That’s all I’ve got, but that sounds like quite a show.”

  I couldn’t help shake the feeling that it might be Mason. Gah! Dropping the subject, I headed to my room and Elena followed.

  We spent the rest of the day in some kind of stasis. Not much happened and we didn’t make an attempt to do much. We both showered and changed, but opted to stay in bed and caught up with The Vampire Diaries on my DVR.

  Elena was one hundred percent team Stephan, but I on the other hand was team Damon. He’s just so dangerous and sexy; it wasn’t really a contest. After a couple hours, Elena’s headache subsided, but she still felt like she’d been put through the blender. Being the good friend that I am, I made grilled cheese sandwiches and vanilla milkshakes like we always did after a sleepover.

  Just as I reached the bedroom, I heard my phone’s text message tone. Hopeful, I snatched it off the nightstand and read the text. My hope disappeared when I saw it was from Jameson.

  I miss you, let’s meet up and talk. Christy was a mistake. I realized that when I saw you last night. Please.

  I simply replied, no.

  Then I messaged him again, not wanting to deal with him.

  Stay away from me, Jameson; we are never ever getting back together.

  I sounded like a Taylor Swift song, but that was blunt and to the point.

  Elena watched me carefully. “What on earth was that about? You look like somebody kicked a puppy.”

  “Suddenly, Jameson wants me back. What a jerk! I would never humor him after what happened; he’s so disgusting now. Christy was too much. He’s nothing but her counterpart; a male slut.”

  The phone rang and I picked it up, irritated. “What do you want now, Jameson?”

  There was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. “Hello?” Still, there was no reply. Frowning, I looked at the caller ID, but it was a blocked number. “Hello?” I asked one last time.

  When no one responded yet again, I hung up. That was weird. I stood there glaring at the phone, tired of the nonsense it was dealing me today.

  Wisely, Elena failed to comment and turned the DVR back on.

  For a few hours, I managed to forget about everything and indulge in my favorite television show, but before long, my thoughts drifted to Mason. His smell, his smile, those eyes, everything about him was incredibly sexy. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t nervous around him.

  I had completely zoned out when Elena snapped her fingers in front of me. I broke free of the hold my mind had on me and refocused on her. “Sorry, I kind of phased out there for a minute.”

  “You had one of those vacant stares that you see on zombies. I was starting to worry when you didn’t respond.”

  “I’m not entirely sure where I went, I don’t remember,” I lied.

  “It must’ve been somewhere good, because you had this dopey smile on your face. I know for a fact you weren’t thinking about Jameson. You never look that way when you think about him. Maybe you were thinking about Mason. I wish I was sober enough to meet him last night. You haven’t really given me much to go on, Lexi May.” She was completely exasperated.

  “You’re right, I haven’t. What do you want to know?” I settled into my spot, ready to face the firing squad that was Elena.

  I would tell her whatever she wanted to know. I wanted to prove to her, as much as to convince myself, that he wasn’t a big deal. If it worked, then I was seriously delusional. He was everything I couldn’t want right now, there was no denying that.

  “What did he look like?”

  “Well, he was really tall.”

  “Come on, Lexi May, everyone’s really tall next to you. I need the details, no more stalling.”

  “Okay fine, he’s pretty sexy. He had real sexy, messy brown hair and these amazing green eyes.”

  “Damn girl, you like him!” she said, grinning.

  “Shut up, Elena. He’s just my friend, I already told you. There won’t be a discussion on this. No flings this summer!”

  “Fine, but I still think you’re an idiot.”

  “Good, you were an idiot last night,” I retorted.

  “Thanks, but really, I just love you. I want what’s best for you and blah, blah, blah.”

  “I love you too. Now go home. I’m still tired and I want to take a nap.”

  “It’s a Saturday, Lexi May. You’re not going to sleep the evening away. Get up, we’re going out. I don’t have to work tonight and I want to go out with you! We hardly see each other anymore.”

  Elena worked at a club downtown near her house on most nights. I, however, worked during the day at the local video store, where we had mostly non-existent customers. DVD rentals were trending down and all the new video boxes at every local store were much more convenient. I didn’t mind though, it gave me time to read when we weren’t busy.

  “No way, I had enough last night. It was a disaster and I’m not going to relive it.”

  “Too bad, you’re going even if I have to drag you out in that outfit, but I’d rather you change into something more appropriate.”

  I frowned, resigning. Elena always got her way. “For the record, I didn’t agree to this. What are we doing?”

  “We’re going to the club I work at,” she replied.

  “I’m not so sure about that. That could be a very bad idea. Don’t you ever get tired of being there all the time?”

  “It’s a fun place to work. Don’t overthink it. It’s like two minutes from my house; we’ll drive over and walk. That way we can both drink and neither of us has to drive.”

  “You’re not going to let this go, are you, Elena?”

  “Umm, nope, so let’s get ready.”

  Suddenly, my phone buzzed on my nightstand. I hurried to see who sent me the text, secretly hoping it was Mason. I wasn’t sure if I could handle another text from Jameson right now. Not when the wound from last night was so fresh.
>
  Hey, this is Mason. Do you want to go bowling with me tomorrow afternoon? As friends of course

  I couldn’t help but smile. Did I want to go? Yes, I did. We could be just friends, it’s not like I couldn’t have a friend that’s a guy.

  “What, who is it?” Elena asked as she filtered through the clothes in my closet.

  “Well, it’s Mason. He wants me to go bowling with him tomorrow.”

  “You better text him back and tell him yes!”

  “Chill, I’m going to. You’ve been working a lot of nights this summer and I could use a friend to keep me company in the evenings. He said we could be just friends.”

  “Tell yourself whatever you want, just tell that boy yes.”

  I didn’t like her insinuation, but I wasn’t really going to fight her on anything anymore tonight. My hands typed the message, erasing it a few times until it looked as if I wasn’t too desperate. I had to send the right message across, establish the friendship from the start.

  That would be fun, what time?

  His response was almost instant.

  Eleven if that’s okay. Just text me your address

  Umm, no, I wasn’t going to do that. It was always a good rule of thumb as a girl to keep herself safe with a first date and all. Ahh, I can’t believe I just called it a date! What is wrong with me?

  I’d like to just meet there if you’re cool with that

  Can’t wait!

  I sat my phone down on my bed and turned back around to see Elena watching me with a goofy grin on her face.

  “What? You’d better cut it out or I’m staying home.”

  “Oh no you’re not; let’s find you something to wear.”

  I dug through my closet while Elena sat on my bed and vetoed the clothes I couldn’t wear. She finally okayed my gray lace skirt and a tight-fitting black tank top. I put on simple black mules and came out to show her the final product.

  “That looks hot! It’s a great choice. Now go get your makeup on and I’ll find you some jewelry.”

  “Yes, dear, whatever you say, dear,” I mocked.

  “Ha, ha, laugh now, but you’ll be thanking me later.”

  I just rolled my eyes and headed to the bathroom to put on my makeup, giving my eyes a smoky effect and enhancing them with thick black liner. I was going for a gothic chic kind of look. After adding some blush and lipstick, I took one last look in the mirror. I was almost ready.

  When I came out, Elena practically attacked me trying to get my jewelry on. She chose a thick black leather wristband with black studded crystals on it and a few funky silver and black rings. Several different lengths and styles of necklaces were put around my neck. Then she thrust a pair of black chandelier earrings in my hands.

  After putting in my earrings, Elena put me at arms’ length and turned me around before nodding in approval. I sighed, happy to finally be finished. I tucked money and my ID in my bra, then went in search of my phone and put it in the other side. It was small and compact enough, that it didn’t look too obvious.

  “You look awesome, Lexi May!”

  “Thanks, but I still don’t feel very excited yet.”

  Elena was the only one that called me Lexi May. She was the only one bold enough to use my middle name. I gave up on making her stop a long time ago.

  “Let’s go, it’s already eight and I also have to get ready.”

  We opened my door and began down the hall. Unfortunately, we didn’t get very far. Mom was sitting on the couch in the living room watching television.

  “Hey girls, where are you off to? Lexi, that’s a tad bit revealing, don’t you think?”

  “I know, Mom, but we’re going to the club just down from Elena’s house that she works at and I’m going to spend the night with her.”

  I was almost always honest with Mom; it was part of what made our relationship so strong.

  “It’s just so hard having you all grown up now. College is going to come all too soon and I’m going to be here all alone.”

  Needless to say, Mom was having issues with becoming an empty nester. She was the glue that held me together and it was going to be just as hard for me to be away from home for the first time.

  “Oh come on, Mom, none of that tonight. We’re just going dancing. It’ll be totally fine and I’ll be home tomorrow. I love you,” I said, blowing her a kiss.

  What I didn’t tell her was that since Elena knew all of the staff, we could get away with just about anything. We were getting sloshed and having fun tonight. Heaven knew we needed a night like this together. It’ll be just like college.

  We got into Polly and cranked up the music. Elena picked it and I was pleased with her choice. The song was in my favorite genre, bubble gum goth, which we blasted it all the way to her house.

  After pulling into her driveway, I stepped out into the summer air and smiled. The air was so fresh and warm, reminding me why I loved being outside. There was life all around us and it made me happy. It was hard to drag Princess Elena anywhere near the humid air, unless it was to the beach for a golden tan.

  Elena tugged me through the house and into her bedroom before turning to her closet. She was on a mission to find the perfect outfit, I could tell by the look in her eyes.

  It took forever for Elena to settle on something, but she finally decided to wear a cream halter dress that slung really low on her back and it hit just above her knees and the soft material was pliant against her skin. The dress was skimpy and daring. She put on brown heels and grabbed her brown satin clutch to match.

  Finally set, it was already nine-thirty by the time we stepped out the door.

  “Are you ready for this?” she asked.

  “I think I am. It feels like a great idea. I haven’t partied like this in forever. Jameson hardly ever let me. For the first time, it feels like we’re going to have fun together, not just me watching you.”

  “True story. Okay, let’s go.”

  I WAS NERVOUS and exhilarated at the same time. My heart was racing as excitement coursed through me. If this was what it felt like to be free, then I should thank Jameson.

  “What are you thinking about? You’re very quiet right now.”

  “I was thinking that maybe Jameson did me a favor. This is the most excited I’ve been in a long time.”

  “That’s my girl. We’re going to blow it up tonight, just wait. The club is a lot of fun, I’m glad I finally get to bring you.”

  We turned the corner and disappointment filled me. The line to get in was like a mile long, no joke. It would take a miracle to get in any time soon; so I settled in the back of the line behind a couple of sketchy ogling men.

  “What are you doing, Lexi May?

  “Um, standing in line so we can get in?”

  “Oh no, you’re not; ladies like us don’t stand in lines like this. Trust me, I know a guy,” Elena said, sarcastically.

  “Sure you do,” I sighed.

  Elena tugged on my hand and I followed her to the front of the line. It was then the bouncer smiled and pulled her into a giant bear hug. She giggled and he smiled like a fool. I watched as she leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

  She tilted her head and motioned me forward.

  “Lexi, this is Byron.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lexi. Any friend of Elena’s is a friend of mine.”

  “Thanks.”

  Byron had stopped the line completely and continued to focus his attention on us. He winked and then stamped our hands. Elena was excited to finally be able to drag me to her place of employment. I just hoped tonight went better than last night.

  Once we were inside, I took in the scene around us. Music vibrated through me and a mass of undulating bodies flooded the dance floor. Lights flashed in different colors and provided a temporary respite from the darkness of the club.

  I followed Elena closely. Getting lost in here wasn’t an option. There would be no way I could find her again so easily in this place. It was absolutely
packed.

  Elena made her way to the bar and slipped in as a guy left with his drink. She waved at the bartender to get his attention. When she did, he smiled at her and came over straight away.

  She shouted something at him that I couldn’t understand and he left. He soon returned with two beers and handed them to Elena. She thanked him and turned away, coaxing me forward. We didn’t pay or get carded. I didn’t care; this was about having a good time and letting go.

  I took one of the beers from her and she continued forward. Where we were going, I had no idea. Just in front of us was a curtained wall with a man standing guard. I heard the sound of Elena’s laughter as she approached him.

  He smiled at her and stepped aside to let us enter. I continued to follow Elena, curious.

  On the other side of the curtain, there was a table. A booth surrounded it in a semi-circle and I slid in after Elena. We set our beers down and then she turned her attention on me, reaching over and shouting in my ear. “I’m sorry, Lexi. I know I shouldn’t have meddled, but I had to meet him. It’s not my fault you left your phone out on the bed.”

  “What did you do, Elena?” I hollered back.

  It didn’t take me long to figure out why she was sorry. Soon, we were being joined by none other than Mason and his unknown friend. I glared at her and she just shrugged and gave me this stupid innocent look.

  “Hey!” Mason shouted in my ear. He sat next to me and I instantly felt at ease. It was such a strange reaction for me. I never had it, not even with Jameson.

  I smiled and bumped shoulders with him. It was way too loud to have a conversation. His friend sat next to him and smiled at me. He was cute, but in a surfer kind of way. His blond hair was cropped and he had bright blue eyes, was tan and wearing a polo shirt with khakis. He should totally be on a beach, catching the waves, and probably did often.

  After giving him a broad smile, I turned my attention back to Mason. He looked even hotter than he did last night. Just friends, I had to remind myself. Hoping tonight wouldn’t be a disaster, I drained my beer and a waiter returned with a new beer for all of us. Hmm … this must be the V.I.P. area.