Love and Fandoms (8 page)

Luci plopped down
in his lap. "I'll be your date. Mandy can be the fifth wheel."

Kareem sputtered
and tripped over his words, making it so nothing intelligible came out.
Everyone laughed, and Allyssa said, "Watch out. His imaginary girlfriend
isn't going to appreciate that."

"That's
okay," Luci said. "I've met her, and she's really cool."

"Wait,
what?" Allyssa said, while Kareem said, "How?"

"Yeah,"
Mandy said. "You started to tell me earlier, but didn't finish the
story."

Luci wrapped her
arm around the back of Kareem's neck. "Do you remember Sylvie Velarde? She
went to your church for a while."

"Yeah. She
was in our teen group before her family moved away."

"She's my
cousin, and she went to school with Noel." She turned to everyone else.
"That's Imaginary Girlfriend's name. And, sorry, dude, but you've been
friend zoned. She already has a boyfriend."

"No, that's
not true. Her parents won't let her date until she's 18."

"Think about
it. She's a year younger. Where are you going to be when she turns 18?"

Realization struck
Kareem, and he muttered, "Stanford."

"And do you
think the two of you will hook up then?"

"You're just
saying all that because you want my hot chocolate body."

"Well, I do,
but ask her next time you see her. Point blank. If I'm lying, I'll buy you a
$50 gift card to your comic book store."

"Sorry,
Kareem," Mandy said, "but when she starts tossing gift cards around,
you know she's serious."

Luci snuggled into
him. "Don't worry. I'll be your consolation prize."

Kareem sat quietly
for a few seconds, but Wyatt saw the gears turning in his head. Finally, he
said, "It's impossible for the prettiest girl in school to be considered a
consolation. No offense to you two pretty ladies," he added to Mandy and
Allyssa. They both laughed and told him how smooth he was. Wyatt only snickered
and shook his head.

Luci rewarded him
with a big kiss to the cheek, and then said to Mandy, "It's official.
You're the only spare wheel here tonight. And about time, too, after all the
times I was with you and Alex."

Everyone laughed,
and Kareem nudged her to her feet. "If this is going to be our first date,
I owe you some ice cream."

"Not going to
say no to any part of that statement." She looked over at Mandy.
"I'll order yours."

Allyssa also
stood, and she kissed the top of Wyatt's head. His throat clenched up a bit
when she did, but he did everything he could to look casual. "I'll be
right back. Need to visit the ladies' room."

And just like
that, he found himself alone with Mandy. He turned to see Allyssa round the
corner, and then did probably the bravest thing he'd ever done in his entire
life. Honestly, he had no idea where he got the courage. He grabbed Mandy's
hands and squeezed. She bit her bottom lip, smiled, and squeezed back. With his
back to Creamy's door, he wouldn't be able to see Allyssa's return, so he had
to hope Mandy, who sat sideways to the door, would notice.

"What's
really wrong?" he asked.

She flinched towards
him like she planned on hugging him, but caught herself. He wished she hadn't
stopped, but it was probably for the best. If Allyssa chose that moment to come
back, there would be no way she'd forgive and forget. In fact, he should
probably let go of her hand now, but he couldn't bear to. Not yet.

"You're not a
gossip, are you?"

He shook his head.
"I won't even tell Kareem."

She lifted his
hand to her lips and kissed his fingers. It ripped the breath from his lungs, even
more so than Allyssa's kiss to his head a minute ago, and he felt light-headed
for a second. It took every ounce of concentration and self-control to snap out
of it and focus on what she said.

"The Pigs are
a horrible influence on Alex, but they're not the real problem. That started this
summer when he was in Michigan for a week without me."

"What
happened?"

She shook her
head. "I didn't even realize there was anything wrong until a couple of
days ago. Once I did, though, I traced it back to when he came home. Tonight,
someone offered him drugs, and when I tried to stop him, he brushed me off and
took them. The worst part is, before we walked into the party, he gave me a big
kiss, basically to show off to the Pigs, but I couldn't get enough. My mind is
a bit unsure of him right now, but my body is still totally into him. It's
frustrating."

Wyatt's stomach
dropped at that last statement. He'd never used his geekdom as wish
fulfillment, using it instead as escapism and mere entertainment, but at the
moment, he really did wish he had some sort of superpower so he could beat the
crap out of Alex for how he was treating Mandy, the most wonderful, most
perfect girl in the world. Spidey's strength and agility would work, or he
could dream big and go full Superman.

Mandy discretely
disengaged her hand from his, and, seconds later, smiled up over his head.
Allyssa's hands dropped to his shoulders and caressed them, and she said,
"I'm going to buy another bottled water. Do you want one? Or something
else?"

"Sure, water
sounds great." He grabbed his wallet and fished out five bucks. She tried
to protest, saying he already bought the ice cream, but he insisted. That
earned him a kiss on the cheek, and another moment of him trying to remember
how to breathe, and she headed back inside.

"She's
great," Mandy said. "I'm glad you asked her out. I can already tell
you two will make an awesome couple." Out of nowhere, she ducked her head.
"I have to admit, though, I'm jealous of her. Like, a lot." She then
leapt to her feet. "I'm going to check on the ice cream." And then
she was gone.

Wyatt sat alone at
the table, staring down at his hands. Everything inside and out was numb. What
had just happened?

MANDY

Three weeks had
passed since that night at Creamy's where she'd basically admitted to Wyatt
that she liked him. God, had she really said it? You wouldn't be able to tell
by their conversations since. Not that they'd had any chance to be alone. If he
wasn't with Kareem, Allyssa was there. Basically every talk they had centered
on school or different types of sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book fandoms. They
still did their Tuesday-Thursday study sessions after school, and those were
her favorite times of the week by far. She got plenty of homework done while
learning about all things geek simply by following along with the
conversations. She couldn't believe she'd let Alex and Luci keep her from all
this entertainment goodness for so long. Though Luci would probably be joining
in the geek parade sooner rather than later.

Luci and Kareem
hit it off quite well and were now officially a couple. Her being off sixth
period was the only thing keeping her from joining the study group. She instead
did her homework with Johnny, who she reported was still on his best behavior,
and Ricky, who completed his homeschool work. Luci's mom confided in her how
proud and happy she was that Luci was making time for her brothers.

Now all five of
them sat on the far side of the bleachers, the "geek seats" as Kareem
dubbed them. Both Luci and Allyssa sat next to Kareem and Wyatt, respectively,
and both so close they might as well have been in their guys' laps.

She was thrilled about
Luci and Kareem. Despite being so pretty, and having such a great personality,
Luci rarely dated. She'd been given the reputation of being too much trouble.
As a freshman, she went out with Jeremy Van Allen, who she'd been crushing on
since seventh grade. He made a move on her that she deemed inappropriate, and
when he wouldn't stop, she smacked him with a few Taekwondo kicks. Needless to
say, they broke up not long after he hit the ground, gripping his stomach and
gasping for breath. Jeremy had been mature about the whole thing, though … not!
The next day at school, he spread nasty rumors about her that took the rest of
the school year for her to live down.

As a sophomore,
she dated John Hartley, but when she brought him home to meet her parents, her
dad scared John so bad that he broke up with her the next day. He made it known
around campus that Luci and her family were psychopaths. After that, she showed
no interest in any guy at school, instead saving her lust for hot actors and
singers she knew she'd never meet.

Until Kareem. So
far their relationship seemed perfect. Of course he hadn't made any
inappropriate moves on her, not that either of them thought he would, nor had
he met her dad, but no doubt he'd handle himself wonderfully when that time
came.

The teams came out
for the second half. Alex had led the Stingers to a 63-0 lead. Coach Kraft
trotted out the kicking team after each touchdown instead of having Alex score
two-point conversions. He'd likely play the first series or two of this second
half before calling it a game. Then he and the Pigs could go to whichever party
had the most beer and drugs.

The Friday after
she'd confronted him about the pills, she and Luci followed him to the party
again. Maybe she thought it would be different this time, but as soon as he
accepted pills from someone, she grabbed Luci's arm and they left. She didn't
tell him they were leaving, and he never mentioned anything about it later.
Luci texted Kareem and found they were on their way to Creamy's again, and she
and Mandy should join them. They did, and had a great time.

The week after, they
didn't even bother going to the party, instead hitting the comic book store and
then Creamy's. Neither she nor Luci had ever set foot inside a comic shop
before, but they both had a ton of fun. Kareem and Wyatt were treated like
superstars by everyone in there, which made all three girls trade smiles and
discrete laughs. While Wyatt and Kareem chatted with the guys playing some sort
of card game, Allyssa took her around and showed her some of the comic books
she thought she should know. Luci tagged along, and Mandy found it hilarious
how attentive she was. Kareem really was having an impact on her.

Orange Grove got
the ball first, and after the kickoff, Alex and the first-team offense took the
field. Their side of fans exploded in cheers, awaiting more amazing plays. She
stood up with everyone else and yelled as loud or louder. Yes, they were having
problems, but she still loved him and wanted him to do the best he could.

She'd been eating
lunch in the bleachers with her soccer friends for the past couple of weeks,
and Alex was fine with it, saying it would only help with team chemistry when
their season started in January. It also meant they hadn't seen much of each
other since then, and, really, that might have been the savior of their
relationship. Maybe they needed this time apart. She hoped so, as she still
loved him, still hungered for his touch.

Alex took the
first snap, dropped back a couple of steps, and fired a laser shot to Harris
Wilson, the speediest wide receiver on the team, who caught it, spun away from
the defensive back, and ran untouched seventy-five yards. After the extra
point, Orange Grove led 70-0, and she could barely hear herself think with the
cheers on their side. Alex gave a fist pump towards the crowd, and they
exploded again. She shook her head and laughed. Luci leaned over, and said,
"Show off," which she could only nod at and laugh louder.

They'd gone on
solo dates the last two Saturdays. The first had been dinner at Chili's and a
movie, a football-oriented action-spy thriller thing. Totally forgettable for
her, but Alex loved it. Afterwards, he drove to a secluded area in the
foothills outside of town where they made out heavily. She even let him take
off her bra and play with and nibble her breasts, as she occasionally had in
the past. But when he tried running his hand up her skirt, she put a stop to
it. He played it off as if it were no big deal, a joke of sorts, but even
though they made out for another five minutes, she felt his passion wilt away,
which pretty much killed hers.

Since she started
dating Alex, her plan was to not have sex with him until marriage. That view
wasn't forced upon her by anything — religion, her parents, or anyone else — it
was simply what she wanted. It felt right. Alex never pressured her in the
first couple years they dated, but by the beginning of junior year, it became a
big thing for him, and he almost constantly hounded her. He wasn't a jerk about
it, though, so she finally relented and told him they could do it at Senior
Prom. Lots of girls lost their virginity after Senior Prom, right? That's what
she understood from so many teen movies, anyway. She loved Alex, lusted after
him, and it felt like a good compromise, one she was (basically) happy with.
Alex wasn't, but he loved her, so he didn't push it. At least until now.

Coach Kraft sent
out the second-team for the first defensive series of the half. Turned out it
didn't matter. The Orangewood quarterback handed the ball off to the running
back, who broke through the line and lumbered towards the first down marker. As
he passed it, one of the Stingers' defensive backs crashed into him, jarring
the ball loose. It bounced right into the arms of another defensive player, who
fell on top of it. She looked towards Alex, but he didn't bother putting on his
helmet as the second-team offense took the field.

"Mop up time,"
Luci said.

"I think the
CIF championship is pretty much a lock again this year," Kareem said.

"Don't jinx
it," Allyssa said. She now sat in the seat in front of Wyatt and leaned
back against him. Mandy nodded in agreement with her statement, but had to
focus on the field. How she longed to trade places with her.

"The only way
we won't win CIF is if we head to Bizzaro World," Wyatt said, and everyone
but Luci laughed. Mandy was proud of herself for getting the reference. Luci
gave her an incredulous look.

She shrugged at
her best friend. "Everything's opposite on Bizzaro World. So if the team
won there, they'd actually lose."

Luci rolled her
eyes. "Whatever."

"You'll learn
to love it, baby," Kareem said, and placed a gentle kiss on her neck.

She gave a low
growl. "I don't know about that, but I'm certainly loving the kisses."

Mandy chuckled and
shook her head, but then saw Allyssa reach up and kiss Wyatt on his jawline.
She again had to turn to the field and focus there, her stomach souring a bit.
Snap
out of it!
She and Alex would be back together soon, better than ever.
Hopefully.

Last Saturday's
date had been dinner at Olive Garden and miniature golf. She loved playing
miniature golf with him because on the harder holes he would wrap himself
around her to help line up the shot. In those instances, she could die and go
to heaven right then and there, especially since he always nuzzled her neck
before he backed away. That night was no exception. Afterwards, he drove her to
the same secluded spot as the week before, and that started out every bit as
wonderful. Even better, actually, since he pulled a trick he'd never done
before. He still had his drink from the miniature golf course, and would take a
swig of the ice cold soda before licking her breasts. The mix of ice cold and
red hot blew her mind, and she wished it would never end.

Until he undid the
top button of her jeans, and she slapped his hand away.

"Alex, no!
I'm not ready."

"How can you
not be ready? We've been together for four years. We're going away to college
together. And, I might add, we love each other."

"Because I
love you, we're doing it on Prom night. I wasn't ready to do it that soon."

He sat up and
started the truck. She scrambled to get her bra back on and readjust her top.
"Whatever. Prom's so far away, it might as well not even exist."

She held her
tongue to keep from lashing out with a comeback they may both regret and simply
sat in silence the entire ride home. When they pulled up in front of her house,
she expected him to mumble a quick goodbye and drive away, but instead he
turned off the engine and let out a deep breath.

"Babe, I'm
sorry. Really. I love you so much, and it kills me to not properly show
you."

She reached over
and caressed his cheek. "I love you, too, Alex, but you know my feelings
on the matter, and they're not going to change. I compromised with you on Prom,
but no further."

He leaned over and
kissed her. Gentle yet deep, and, good grief, with so much passion. This kiss
was her Alex. Maybe this talk brought him back to her. Maybe she could finally
find the courage to ask him what was going on.

This week, as the
week before, they only saw each other in Home Economics and at break. Alex
acted the same as always around her, and she really did think that this
diminished time together was making them stronger. They didn't have a date
lined up for tomorrow night, but that was okay. She could tell herself that
anyway.

If it wasn't for
Wyatt.

Why couldn't they
have been braver in seventh grade? Okay, so he wouldn't have been, but why
hadn't she? She should have bridged the gap caused by their friends. She could
have gone to his house after school, done homework with him, anything. But she
didn't. She could have what Allyssa had now. She glanced over at him, his arms
wrapped around Allyssa's shoulders and upper chest, a look of pure contentment
on his face. She willed the coming tears from her eyes and returned her
attention to the game.

Brandon Barnes
took a handoff and zipped past the Orangewood defenders, no one in his path to
the end zone. Kareem yelled, "Go Bucky!" and Wyatt, Allyssa, and even
Luci hollered, "Bucky!" Mandy shook her head and laughed, hopeful
only good thoughts would remain tonight.

WYATT

The
horribly-horrible awesomeness of Sharknado played on the living room
television, but neither Wyatt nor Allyssa paid it any mind. She straddled his
lap while alternating between lightly nibbling his lips and pushing her tongue
as deep into his mouth as she could. His mom was at work and wouldn't be home
until after midnight, so there was no worry of her walking in on them. He
thought about grabbing Allyssa and taking control of the situation, but that
was fleeting — being under her control was too much fun. She moved her mouth down
to his neck, where she used her tongue to trace patterns along his skin. She
gave a sexy giggle as he let out a groan and ran his hands up and down her
hips.

Earlier, they'd
ordered pizza and watched a Dungeons and Dragons movie, riffing a commentary a
la the Mystery Science Theater 3000 guys. Once that ended, he suggested they do
the same with Sharknado, but right after he pushed play, she climbed on top of
him and began their epic make-out session.

They'd done it one
other time, last Wednesday before school, which was a late-start minimum day. Allyssa
came over after his mom left for work — Mom was subbing in an elementary school
where they got out early instead of starting late.

When he let Allyssa
in and shut the door, she kissed him on the lips, as she often did. Their
relationship had evolved to where they were touching almost constantly —
holding hands, arms around each other, or simply leaning against the other when
they were close — and giving quick kisses on the cheek, top of heads, on their
shoulders, and, of course, lips. But this time, her tongue invaded his mouth.
Not that he minded. Truth be told, it ranked up there as one of the greatest
things that had ever happened to him. Allyssa turned his back to the door and
pushed him up against it. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his
neck, and pushed into him closer than he thought possible with the laws of
nature. Though, really, this was nature at its highest peak, wasn't it? It took
all of his self-control to not giggle maniacally at the thought.