I ran to my room and locked my door. The whole winter break, which had started out so well, was gradually snowballing into one huge disaster. I had laid myself bare to Tyler and lost control of my emotions, exposing my vulnerability to what he thought and what he did. I was setting myself up for disaster.
After I laid on my bed for some time, I decided to dry my tears and leave the house. After all, my pretend date with Josh was not going to happen if I stayed in my room. I needed to get out and to meet a Josh. I searched my closet, carefully picking a red sweater that fell just beneath my buttocks and a pair of thick, gray tights. The sweater fit me like a glove. At least if I was going to go out, I wanted to go out with a bang!
I needed Tyler to see what I was offering “Josh” and what he, Tyler, was missing by hanging out with that whore instead of me. I pulled on my tall boots, the ones that went over my knees. They had been a gift from Lauren, who had whispered in my ear when I had opened the gift: “This will drive men crazy. Makes you look like a little whore, but trust me, it gets the job done.”
I smiled as I wiped away my tears. Lauren was crazy and nothing like a mom; if anything, she felt like a sister, someone I could talk to about anything and everything. She and Dad had left early for work, but I wished I could talk to her about Tyler and me. However, that would hardly be appropriate and would get us in trouble.
After I pulled the boots on, I stood in front of my mirror. My reflection put a smile on my face. Yes, there was no Josh, and yes, I had no date. I was simply going to spend all day at the mall or the movies, but Tyler wouldn’t know that. I wanted him to see me dressed so nice and realize he couldn’t come with me. I wanted to make him insanely jealous and then ignore him.
TYLER
I hadn’t really wanted Jenn to see me with Stacey. Not that I cared, but it seemed wrong and I really couldn’t figure out why. I wasn’t dating Jenn or anything, and I had been allowed to have girls over at the house since I was eighteen. Stacey was not the first girl Jenn had seen me with, but for some reason she had overreacted with Stacey.
At first, when she’d said Josh, I thought she was pulling my leg, but as I remembered our conversations, Josh was a guy who had asked her out last summer. She had joked that it would take a million dollars for her to go on a date with him because he wasn’t her type. I had laughed with her until I met Josh and saw all his muscles. I thought Jenn was crazy for not wanting to hang out with Josh. The guy looked like he hung out in the gym all day. He had a chain of cars most girls would die to ride in, and he was well travelled. He looked like the type of guy that could make any girl happy, any girl except my sister. So I hadn’t believed her when she had mentioned breakfast with Josh. However, when she walked down the stairs dressed like she was going to a VIP event, I believed she had somewhere important to go to.
I heard her call out that she was leaving, and I excused myself from Stacey’s arms to say bye to her. After all, I had asked her to let me know when she was leaving. I fully expected her to be wearing a pair of jeans and a plain sweater, but her outfit took me by surprise.
“Okay,” I said.
“Okay what?”
“You’re going dressed like that?”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“Nothing, just that Josh might get ideas.” I don’t know why I said that, but once the words left my mouth, I knew that’s what she had wanted to hear.
“Oh, good. So I look seductive?”
I looked at her, trying to find the best way to express my mind. “Yes, you do.”
“Great. Thanks, bro. You better go before your date thinks I stole you.”
I could hear the sarcasm in her voice; she didn’t think much of my date. “She’s not my date.”
“Oh, yeah? That’s not what it looks like. Looks like you guys are already more than a date. Wouldn’t be surprised if you proposed to her.”
“Shh…she’ll hear you,” I said.
“Well, this is also my house. If she doesn’t like my words, she can leave. If you don’t like it, you can take her to a motel or up to your room, which I’m sure she’s already visited.”
I looked at Jenn, and in that moment, I noticed something I hadn’t before. She was mad at me, but in particular, she was mad at me for having Stacey around. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d have thought she was jealous. I didn’t understand why that would bother her so much.
“Fine, I get it. She got on your nerves,” I said. “Have a good date.” I watched her look behind me as if Stacey was standing behind. She wasn’t, but Jenn could still see Stacey in the living room.
“Looks like she’s ready for you, brother,” she said, smiling at me, one of those fake smiles I had gotten to know.
I shook my head as I watched her leave the house, her perfect butt shaped by the sweater dress, her small hips swinging side to side, and those legs, those legs that stretched for miles, walking out for a date with another boy.
JENN