Broken and Screwed 2 (The BS Series) (10 page)

“Is that normal?”

“No. People aren’t usually like that, but I think it’s because he’s rarely seen around campus. So when people do see him, they want to go and talk to him. There’s a girl on my floor who has a class with him. She says he always sits in the back and leaves right away. He’s not too social.”

My heart began beating at a fast pace and a fluttering sensation grew in my chest. It wasn’t anger this time.

It was
that night when I learned a pitcher of beer and $2 burgers didn’t end with one pitcher of beer and good conversation. Not with Hannah. When we got to the dive bar, the owner came out to schmooze with her. She was right. He gave off the impression of dirty sex mixed with stalker. We were shown to a back corner booth, between the pool table and the dart games. As dive bars went, it was the prime sitting area. As soon as the owner left, she devoured the first pitcher.

A second was ordered. When it arrived, she poured a glass for me with the order, “You’re drinking tonight.” I started to tell her that I didn’t drink, but she shook her head. “Nope. I don’t care. Getting drunk is a freshmen way of passage. You get to do it the right way, in a hole like this. Others have to do it in a filthy house party so drink up, Elusive Bitch. You’re getting wasted tonight.”

Another argument was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it. She was right. It was a normal thing to do. I might as well get it out of the way so I reached for my glass. It was empty when I put it down. Hannah went nuts. Her eyes lit up, she filled both of our glasses again and began doing a drumroll on the table while I finished another.

We were wasted by the third pitcher.

This was also the time when the music started and a table of guys arrived in the booth across from ours. It wasn’t long before they were at ours and we had a party going. A game of pool was suggested and Hannah enjoyed being taught how to play. Or she enjoyed that the guy she’d been eyeing curved his body over hers to help her ‘learn’ how to play. I was willing to bet on the next pitcher of beer that she knew pool. After she sunk her third ball, she gave me a wink. Oh yes, she knew how to play the game just fine.

Most of the guys had joined the game of pool, but the quieter one stayed behind. He was in the booth with me. I knew where this was going. When he tried talking to me, he scooted closer. I moved farther away, closer to the end of the booth. He scooted again. I was at the end next, but he didn’t get the hint. He draped an arm around my shoulder and crowded against me.

Hannah saw my dilemma. I waited for her help, nope. She laughed and pointed instead. The rest of his friends turned as well. All of them started laughing at my situation. It seemed to give the guy more encouragement and he pressed harder against me. However, this was the time when two more arrivals showed up.

A girl and a guy were holding hands as they paused by the pool table. She had sleek black hair and striking dark eyes. The guy next to her had a similar exotic look with black hair, dark eyes, and a physique that showed he enjoyed lifting weights. The guys who had been flirting with Hannah saw the couple first. Some of them checked the girl out in a blatant manner, which she seemed to enjoy. Her perfect small lips curved up, looking smug. The guy frowned at her and shot a glare around the table.

That was when Hannah caught sight of them.

All hell broke loose after that.

Hannah started cursing at them. The girl cursed back. The guy clamped a hand around his girlfriend’s waist, but he had a few harsh words for Hannah as well.

As I listened to both sides, I started to piece together the puzzle.

The girl had been Hannah’s best friend. She went to Grant West with her, lived with her—my eyes bulged out when I heard Hannah yell at her, “You two are always screwing in the room. It’s my room too!” Bombs went off. They still lived together. The roommate yelled back, “Just because he can get it up for me, don’t blame me for enjoying sex with my boyfriend.” Hannah tried to lunge for her. The guy who had ‘taught’ her how to play pool held her back. He shared an uneasy glance with his friends and I knew they were going to bail. They had started to ease back when the shouting began. Most of his friends were five feet away from the table now. It wouldn’t be long before they completely left.

I glanced at the guy who’d been crowding me. He was still there. He gave me a smile that I knew was aimed at being charming and reassuring.

My stomach protested and I clamped a hand over my mouth. I wasn’t sure if it was the beer or the guy’s cheesy smile, but I darted for the bathroom. I lost it. My stomach emptied out and I was bent over the toilet for the next ten minutes.

Gross.

When I was done and a whole lot more sober, I searched my purse for a breath mint and then I headed back out.

I heard them before I saw them. When they weren’t by the pool table, I followed the shouting. They were in the parking lot and Hannah had a death grip on the girl’s hair, who was trying to claw Hannah’s eyes out. The big guy was yelling at Hannah to let loose, mixed with more curse words and a few derogatory terms, as he was trying to pull his girlfriend away.

No one had Hannah’s back.

It might’ve been the beer. It might’ve been the deliriousness that came with vomiting or nostalgic memories from other friends, but I joined in. Angie and Marissa would’ve been proud. The girl was swinging her hand around, her nails ready to rip into Hannah’s face when my fist blinded her. I punched her in the cheek and she fell to the ground. The guy gaped at her before rounding to me with a snarl.

Hannah stood with a clump of black hair in her hands. Dazed, she looked at the hair, at the girl on the floor, and then at me. The guy started for me, but she threw the hair at him and grabbed my hand. “Run!”

She didn’t have to say it twice.

Holding hands, we took off down the block. We kept going, panting and giggling. We went down two more streets before we slowed outside of a grocery store.

Panting, Hannah swiped her hair from her face and swept it back into a ponytail. As she did, she kept shaking her head at me and laughing. “That was awesome, Alex. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

I shrugged, unable to hold back my own grin. It had felt good. My chest swelled. I wanted to call Angie and Marissa. They would’ve laughed their asses off, but then I remembered reality. Angie and Marissa were no longer my friends. And Hannah wasn’t really a friend either.

The grin fell from my face.

The situation was no longer so funny.

Hannah’s grin faded too. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Who were those two?”

“Oh.” All humor was gone. Her lips pressed together and her shoulders stiffened. “They’re no one.”

I frowned. “Are you kidding? I punched her for you. Who were there?”

“No, I meant they aren’t even worth talking about. Trust me. It’s all stupid drama.”

I remembered some of the shouts and asked, “She’s your roommate?”

Hannah visibly cringed. Her shoulders jerked up, her jaw clenched, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She sat on a bench outside the store. I sat beside her. When she didn’t say anything, I asked the next theory that was mulling in my head. “And he was your boyfriend?”

Her eyes closed. Her head hung down and her shoulders drooped beside me. She was withering before my eyes. In a broken voice, she whispered, “Yeah.”

A light bulb went off for me.

Hannah was broken, just like me.

My hand found hers and I squeezed it, patting it at the same time. “Trust me. I understand.”

“Your boyfriend cheated on you for a whole year, broke up with you because of the long distance relationship, and ended up transferring to Grant West so he could date your roommate/best friend?”

“Well,” I let go of her hand. “No.” I patted her shoulder instead.

“Oh. Because that’s what happened to me. I dated Dylan forever. He went to Cal U, I went to Grant West, and you know the rest.” She sounded defeated. “They got together over the summer after he broke up with me. Angelique didn’t tell me until the day we moved in together. She said she had ‘some news to tell me’ and Dylan strolled in. Fuck me. I thought he had come to beg forgiveness and then they started kissing.”

Bitch.

Her shoulders filled with anger again and she stiffened beside me. “Thanks for punching her. I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”

“Heh.” I waved my hand in a dismissing motion. “Not a problem.”

She grinned at me. “We’re a mess. Sorry about ruining your first drunk moment.”

“I’ve been drunk before.”

“You have?”

I nodded. “But that was the first time I’ve hit someone. It was fulfilling.”

“Oh.” She began to laugh, her shoulders shaking. “Beth’s right. You’re cool. I’m glad my sister hates you.”

“Me too.”

We began laughing together then, unable to hold in the hysterics of the evening. When an elderly couple walked past into the store, a fresh wave came over us again. The old guy seemed intrigued while his wife grabbed his cane and hurried him inside. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there. It was a while before Hannah sighed, hugging herself. She ran a hand over her hair, trying to calm the mess and shuddered. “We should go back.”

“Sure.”

We didn’t move.

Hannah asked, “Do you know how to go back?”

“No idea.”

“Oh. Okay.”

We remained sitting. The elderly couple came out, followed by a grocery clerk with their purchases. When he wheeled his cart back in, his gaze lingered on us, mostly on Hannah and her hair, before he went back inside.

She glanced over. “I have a feeling if we don’t leave they’re going to call the cops on us.”

“You’re right. Probably think we’re drug dealers—” I started.

She finished, with a wicked grin, “—or prostitutes!”

I nodded and stuck my lip so I’d look full of knowledge. “You’re right. I’d go with the hookers. They think we’re hookers.”

She eyed my outfit before she leaned over, took hold of my sleeves, and ripped them off.

My mouth fell open. “That was my favorite shirt.”

“It was?”

Doubling over with more laughter, I shook my head. “No. I think I’m still drunk.”

“Me too.” She pressed a hand to her forehead. “But you look more like a hooker. Maybe we can get a ride.”

“Or call for a ride.” I pointed at her pockets. “Call Beth.”

“Oh yeah!” More giggles spilled from her as she fumbled with the buttons, but by the end of the conversation Beth was on her way for us.

We didn’t have to wait long. She pulled into the parking lot in the red Camaro from before. Hannah bounced into the front seat, exclaiming, “You got my car. How’d you do that?”

Beth seemed less than happy to see us. She skimmed a hard look over both of us as I got into the back seat, then she turned out of the parking lot. “I got a ride to Mitch’s. You left your stuff there so I found your keys. They were going to call the cops on you, but then you ran.”

Hannah scrunched her face up. “Were they still there?”

“Angelique and Dylan?”

Her lips pressed even tighter together.

Beth gentled her tone, “No and Mitch said they’ve been banned.”

“Oh Mitchy.” Hannah slumped down in her chair, a sloppy grin on her face. “He wants my sister so bad, doesn’t he?”

“He asked me to tell Tiffany that he was looking out for you.”

Hannah snorted and pumped her hand in the air. Her middle finger was extended to the ceiling. “Fuck you, Mitch Carinns. He ain’t getting anywhere near Tiffany. He didn’t do crap for me, told me to take it outside. That was all. And they were going to call the cops? He’s pathetic.” She jerked upright. “We should trash his bar tonight.”

Beth shrugged. “If you want.”

I kept my face schooled, but damn. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for vandalism.

“I want.” Hannah was heated.

“We’ll have to do it after hours, around five or so in case anyone stays after closing.”

“Four should be okay.”

The two nodded, a crime couple in the making. I was waiting for the fist pump, but it never came. Instead, Hannah slumped back down and Beth kept driving. That was when I realized they’d done this before. I had newfound thoughts on these two. Hannah had always struck me as a loose cannon, but I understood a little bit more why she was that way. But Beth, I wasn’t sure. However, unless they were killing people, I wasn’t fearful of any friendship with them. I was more inclined. I didn’t understand it, but I knew that these two made me feel stronger.

Hannah was still drunk. I was sobering up and Beth didn’t care so we went to another party. This time, instead of a dive bar, we parked on the street for a house party. Cars were lined up and down the block so we had to walk from two blocks away, but as we drew closer, the bass got louder. It was nearly ear splitting by the time we walked up to their opened garage.

Either the neighbors were gone or sleeping. All the lights were off in the houses surrounding.

“Chitty!” A guy opened his arms and Hannah leapt for him. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he caught her, and buried his head in her hair. Some of his friends laughed, swatting Hannah on her butt as the guy disappeared inside with her.

Beth touched my arm, gesturing inside. I nodded. The music was too loud for conversation. She weaved through the crowd, glancing up a few times and waving at people as we passed by. I noted that each person would’ve gained Angie’s disapproval. They either had tattoos, piercings, or both all over them. Some of the guys were large and intimidating, but they nodded at Beth with kindness.

It was like she instantly knew where to go because she never lingered as we went through the house. She led us right to where the keg was and passed a cup to me. Leaning close, I asked in her ear, “What about Hannah?”

She shook her head, sipping from her own cup. “She knows the owner of the house.” She gestured to the ceiling. “She’s probably upstairs with him right now.” Nodding with her head further inside the house, she said, “Come on. I’ll introduce you to some of my friends.”

We went to a back closed-in patio room. Couches lined against the walls with three large beanbags in the middle. People sat everywhere and stood against the wall. Two girls, nearly naked, were lying across the beanbags with two guys rubbing them. One had his hand inside the girls pants, which had been loosened and pulled down, while the other was openly caressing the girl’s breasts.