Never Say Never (6 page)

“He’s fine,” I say.

“There’s something about a guy in a band, don’t you think?” She asks, staring at me, waiting for an answer.

“I guess.” Is all I say.

I don’t know much about Max, other than he’s Cameron’s best friend and that they are in this so called band together. The one thing I do know, is Matt and his type. He and I are in several classes together and he is a constant flirt, never giving up. Gabby told me all about him. Stay away unless you want a bad reputation, he tells all to everyone. If that is true, why are these girls putting themselves in that kind of position? Idiots!

As Gabby pulls me toward the door, they meet our steps, opening the glass doors wider. They are both cute in their own way, but nothing compared to Cameron.

Max is the first to speak.“Hey Gabby, Kat. How’s it going?” He asks, then he takes a swig from his can.

In unison we both say, “Hey.”

You could almost see the stars in Gabby’s eyes as she stares at Max, unfortunately Max seems focused on me. Matt is focusing on me as well, although his eyes are actually focused on my chest instead of my eyes.

“So Kat, what brings you here,” Max asks.

I tilt my head and smile, “It’s a party, right?”

Matt jumps in to the conversation, “Yeah, but no one has seen you around outside of school.”

I fold my arms across my chest, “I’m slow to warm up.” As I do this I realize my B cup chest is looking more like a C, as my arms push them up higher, I drop them to my side. Matt is still focusing on them.

Max smacks him, after he notices.

“Can I get you another drink?” Max asks.

I look down at my can, and swirl it around, “Nope, Gabby might want one though,” I tell him.

“Ah, sure. Gabby, did you want something?” He looks at her.

“Absolutely, I’ll come with you,” She tells him. As they walk off, I see her working her best smile, and tossing her hair around. I realize this leaves me standing with Matt, alone. I’m trying to figure out what to say, I take another sip of my warm beer.

“You throw a hell of a party.”

He chuckles. “Thanks, you want a tour?”

A tour, is he serious? Does he really think I don’t know where that will end up?

“No, I’m good,” I tell him, biting my lip.

“All right, how ‘bout seeing the pool house?”He asks.

I glance over his shoulder, looking for Gabby.

“Well?”

“Oh, no thanks. I gotta go find Gabby,” I say, walking away toward the kitchen. As I walk in, I see her throw back a shot of something clear. Oh, great! I pull her aside.

“How’s it going with Max?” I ask.

“Not well. I don’t think he likes me,” she says, pointing in his direction. I glance over and see him talking to a group of girls. She fills up her shot glass again, and slams it.

“Want to get outta here?” I ask, knowing that she’ll probably say no.

“I think Matt likes you, let’s stay,”she says.

“He’s not really my type, besides remember he’s a blabber mouth.”

“Just one more hour, please,” she begs.

“Fine, one hour,” I agree. Although I don’t know why. All I can think of at this point is pulling on my soft jammies and sprawling on the couch to watch a chick flick.

As the minutes tick away, I can’t help but feel Max’s stare from the kitchen. My suspicions are confirmed when he comes up from behind, and touches me on the shoulder, pushing my hair back.

“Nice tattoo,” he says leaning against the wall, touching my neck.

“Thanks,” I say, as I push his hand off of me.

“I see what all the fuss is about.” He steps closer.

I ask, completely uncomfortable how close he is standing, “What fuss?” I move myself back a little further.

“You have to know Kat, that you’re almost every senior’s mission this year. Probably some of the girl’s want a piece of you too,” he says, slurring.

“What?”

He brushes the hair back from my face, again.

“You heard me,” he says, chuckling.

I push him back, “Leave me alone, Max.”

I hear him laughing under his breath as I walk off. I can’t believe that this is Cameron’s best friend, what a jerk. I finally find Gabby, sitting on the couch, making out with some random guy.

I grab her arm, “Gabby, let’s go,” I tell her.

She pushes my hand off of her, “Why?”

“Trust me, please,” I say, watching this guy with his hand up her shirt. He looks at me, but keeps his hand where it is. “She’s fine. I’ll make sure she get’s home,” he tells me as he starts to kiss her again.

“She’s coming with me,” I tell him, grabbing her off the couch. She comes, too drunk to do anything else. He let’s go of her. As we start walking away, Gabby stumbles.

I hear him mumble, “Bitch.”

I grab her bag and her keys, throwing her into her car and drive her back to my house. As we’re driving she pukes all over herself, and her car. Fuck, what the hell am I going to do with her, now? Again, I find myself asking the same question, why do I always have to be the responsible one?

CAMERON

I love my Dad, but really? He’s in town for a surprise weekend, and wants to take me to a Blackhawks’s game. Normally I would be stoked, it’s something we’ve been doing for years. We’ve been seeing games together since I was five, before and after the divorce, it’s the one thing he insists upon. Of all the weekends for him to see me; first there’s Kat, and those amazing eyes and lips. Second, there’s Matt’s party that I’m gonna miss now. Technically I don’t give a shit about Matt or his party, but since Kat didn’t answer her phone. The party wasn’t even an option tonight. My Dad and I were heading to the game.

I flip my phone open as soon as I wake up. I am relieved when I see that Kat texted me last night. I hit the message button, and then I look down and repeat the words out loud.

“Don’t call me anymore, or talk to me for that matter.”

What the fuck happened between yesterday’s kiss and this morning that could possibly warrant that message?

I didn’t know what to do as I stare down at my phone, do I call her? No, she said not to. Don’t make yourself look like an ass anymore than you have, I keep telling myself. For some reason, I don’t listen to myself and dial. No answer, right to voicemail.

Beep.

“Kat, it’s Cameron. Please call me back, I don’t know what happened, but at least let me know why, okay? Bye.”

I shut my phone and wait. Nothing happens, no return call, nothing. I know I can’t just show up at her house after that message, and I also know she will be pissed if someone sees my car parked in her driveway. So I don’t go. I drive to Max’s instead, music always makes me feel better, I’ll go jam with him for a few hours.

Max is heading out the door as I walk up holding my guitar.

“Hey, man,” I say.

He looks at me confused, “What’s up? We don’t have practice today.”

“Nothing, really. I just thought we could jam for a little while. You heading out?” I ask.

“I could jam for a little while, I guess,” he says, shrugging his left shoulder up to his ear.

As we head to his garage, I ask, “How was Matt’s?”

“It was cool, some smoking babes were there. You missed out. Even Kat was there,” he says smirking.

My mind is going in all different directions, Kat was at Matt’s. How’d that happen? God, I hope she didn’t hook up with Matt. Would she do that? I wondered. Nah, not after yesterday. Oh, shit the text, did she meet someone else? All this is running through my head, when I look at Max, “Kat was at Matt’s? I ask.

“Dude, I just said that,” he says, as he pushes the buttons to open he garage.

I’m stumped. “What was she doing there?” I ask, like he would know. He doesn’t even like her, he’s made that obvious more than once.

“Same as everyone else I guess, partying,” He shrugs, walking behind the drums. “If it wasn’t for Gabby, sprawled out on the couch with Adam up her shirt, she probably would have stayed longer, had more fun, if you know what I mean,” he laughs, raising his eyebrows.

“What the fuck did you do to her, Max?” I yell, lifting my guitar back over my head.

“Nothing, dude. You need to lighten up, she’s just some chick, that every guy in school is after, even you. Difference is she knows now,” he says, like I don’t know this already.

“I gotta go,” I say, turning around and practically running out of the garage.

He yells out, “Where ya going, you just got here.” I don’t respond, I jump in my car and head toward Jefferson.

I can’t believe she was at the party last night. Damn it! She’s been here over a month and she’s never gone to any party, but the night I’m not out, she shows up. My luck. I haul ass through town, screeching into Kat’s driveway. I barely have the car in park, when I jump out, running to the back door. All of those years hanging with Ben and hanging in this house, I know this is the best option to see if she is home.

I freeze looking through the glass doors, she is sitting on the counter, eating a bowl of something. I don’t even know what to say to her, I just know I need to find out what her text meant, and why she doesn’t want to see me anymore. I tap on the door lightly, nervous as hell, sweat running down my face. She looks over, closes her eyes and then jumps off the counter and walks toward the door and toward me.

Even in sweats and with her hair pulled back, she is still take your breath-away-good-looking. It isn’t the greeting that I expect or hoped for. She crosses her arms across her chest and glares out the door. I suddenly find myself swallowing a large lump that has formed in my throat. She just glares, not moving one muscle in that perfect little body. I reach out grabbing the silver door knob, turning it once and walk in. I glance around for her parents, but it looks like we are all alone. I walk over cautiously pulling at her arms to unfold them.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask.

She folds her arms across her chest again, and stares into my eyes.

“I think you should leave Cameron,” she says.

What? Why does she want me to leave? I try to unfold her arms again, “Why, what’s going on?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

“I know what you’re up to. Your friend Max filled me in last night. Every senior’s mission, that’s nice, Cameron. Now get OUT,” she screams.

“Max, what are you talking about?”

What the hell is she talking about? What exactly did Max say to her?

She rolls her eyes, and then opens the door, “Goodbye.”

I reach over her shoulder, pushing the door shut.

“Wait, what did Max say to you?” I ask, as I lean over her. God, all I can think of is kissing those pouty little lips, and she wants me to leave. She pushes my arm off of the door, and steps around me.

“It’s not important. I was stupid to think you and I could work. This is exactly what I didn’t want, I should’ve walked away at the park,” she says, whipping herself around.

I just stand there. She turns to look at me and I stare into her ice cold eyes, still thinking that she is exactly what I want.

“I need to know what he said Kat.”

“If you really want to know, go ask him yourself.”

My head is in a daze, what the hell could Max have said to piss her off so much, I never told him anything. If it weren’t for the feeling of cold air on my neck, I wouldn’t have known I was back outside. She is pushing me out the door, telling me over and over to leave.

“Just go.”

“No, I don’t want to go,” I tell her.

She pushes me again, “I don’t want you here. Now leave.”

She storms into the safety of her warm house and locks the door.

I sigh, what else can I do? I leave with my tail between my legs, feeling like I had just been kicked in the balls.

I jump back into my car, I can’t dial Max’s number fast enough. What the hell just happened? I had my senior year all planned out from the moment she walked into History, now what? Fumes could be flying out of my nose at this point, I am pissed. She is the most amazing thing to look at, to talk to and now Max of all people, seems to have ruined it for me. He doesn’t answer.

I drive into town, looking around for several minutes before I spot them walking out of the Barnes and Noble. Max has this thing with bringing girls to B & N to make out in the nonfiction section of the library. He likes the fact that they can get caught doing god knows what. Actually, I do know what.

I roll down my window, yelling out, “Max, wait I need to talk to you.”

He turns, his arm is wrapped around Ellie, one of Stephanie’s friends, and fellow cheerleader. I pull my car into the empty spot, and jump out.

He looks away from Ellie, “Hey, where did you go earlier, Steph’s looking for you,” he says, as he walks toward me.

“Screw Stephanie. What did you say to Kat, last night?” I ask.

He pulls back, “Kat? Why what’s it to you?” He asks.

I look at the two of them, pointing with my eyes to move away from Ellie. She’s the last person I need hearing this. He whispers something into her ear and walks to the corner with me, she stays in front of the bookstore.