Shark Out of Water (Grab Your Pole, #3) (7 page)

Justin:
went 2 lance’s…whr r u?

“Ha! Katy, what’s the address to this shitty party?” I asked her after reading Justin’s text.

“Why?”

“Because Justin went to Lance’s.” Too fuckin’ funny. I swear to God, Lance’s parties
always
get broken up by the cops, that’s why Tristan and I had a rule about only going to his parties as a last resort.

“Umm, here…” she said, handing me her phone so I could copy the address from the text Melissa had sent us with the address and directions on it.

“Okay, Melissa doesn’t know what they did because apparently the guy who booked them and then called to cancel is being real hush-hush about it,” Camie said, coming up to Katy and me. I took the beer she went to hand Katy and drained more than half of it. “Uh, that wasn’t supposed to be yours, but you’re welcome, you crybaby.”

“At least we still get to hear the band,” Katy said, trying to console me in my time of sorrow.

“So it’s what? Fuckin’ double secret probation?” I’m not kidding, the frat house the band was supposed to play at got put on probation…I honestly thought that shit only happened in movies like
Animal House
. Now I’m stuck at this regular high school party as some kind of lame consolation. “I can’t believe I stayed sober last night for this.”

“You
weren’t
sober!” Katy and Camie yelled at me at the same time and then started laughing.

“You can’t count getting high!”

“Um, I’m pretty sure
I
can!” Camie snapped at me again for the stoned offense I made last night.

“Hey, I said I’m sorry…I didn’t know she was gonna be there!”

“Yeah, well I would’ve handled it a hell of a lot better if you hadn’t introduced her as Tristan’s first fuck!”

I couldn’t help it, I started cracking up. Katy looked at me and I saw her lip twitch and then she and Camie both started laughing again. That moment last night when I very formally bowed between them and introduced Camie to Mia, the chick Tristan lost his virginity to and then some, was fuckin’
HI
-larious! It didn’t help Camie much when Mia, who I swear looks like sex on a stick, beamed with pride, did a very ladylike curtsy of her own and said something like, “Taught him everything I know and learned a thing or two in return.”

“Oh God, that was so funny…do you think it was so funny because we were all high?”
 
Katy asked.

“Well at that particular time, I was still
completely
sober,
Jeff,
” Camie said, insinuating it was
my
fault she got pissed off and then decided to take a massively huge hit off the bong that was handed to her after my polite butler-esque introduction and that I did it on purpose, which come on, it totally was and I totally did. Shit, I’m even the one who handed her the bong, but it was completely worth getting smacked around by her for a few minutes to see her get high for the first time ever.

The whole night was comedy. Katy thought I was staying sober—yeah, I don’t know what she was thinking either—I thought she was, and then Camie revealed to us that she was baked beyond belief by eating an entire pizza by herself and stabbing Wayne’s hand with a fork when he tried to take a slice.

So the three of us were standing there, all reminiscing and laughing about how at the end of the night, we discovered that none of us was sober and how with her superior way, Jillian snatched the keys from my hands and drove us all back to my house with Melissa following behind to take Jillian home, when this dude, who’s obviously hot for Camie, came up and joined us.

“I thought I’d circumvent us running into each other like we always do…how ya been?”

I automatically and systematically sized him up. My conclusion was that he’s good looking enough to make a chick look twice but not enough for her boyfriend to worry about, he’s relatively built so
maybe
decent in a fight, but he’d go down quick in any serious brawl. He’s what I call angel cake. Pretty on the outside but nothing of substance on the inside.

“Oh, umm…I’m sorry, I feel like an idiot but I can’t remember what your name is,” Camie apologized and shifted on her feet. It’s one of her tells. She’s uncomfortable but I’m not sure if it’s because she’s trying to come up with a non-profane way of telling this guy to fuck off for having the balls to hit on her with such a cheesy line, or if it’s simply due to the fact that not remembering his name and admitting it was embarrassing.

“It’s cool. Oh, not my name, obviously, but that you can’t remember,” Jesus, dude…what did you do, get your game from reading Come On Lines for Dummies? Add douche to my previous findings on this guy. “My name’s Sc—”

“Scott! Yeah, now I remember…sorry. Um, these are my friends, Kate and Jeff,” Camie said, introducing Katy and me and I have to say, I’m a bit disappointed in her. It wouldn’t have killed her to bow or curtsy just a little.

“Hey, yeah, I remember seeing you guys at the bowling alley a couple months ago. Good to meet you guys. So, where’s your boyfriend tonight?”

That was when I took a
really
good look at him.

The guy is either a moron or he’s got a death wish. Either way he’s psychotic because sane guys don’t hit on a girl who they know has a boyfriend like Tristan. Guys like him, my self included, make it absolutely clear that we wouldn’t have the slightest qualm about pulling a Hannibal Lector on anyone—meaning all potential predators, which means all guys—who even
hint
at wanting a piece of our girlfriends’ asses.

Camie shifted again and then her features took on a rebellious quality that I had to admire, although I did find it the slightest bit amusing that she didn’t come right out and say they aren’t together anymore. I’m guessing she’s not one hundred percent sure she likes this guy sniffing at her heels so she’s leaving herself the easy out. “At the moment, I don’t know, nor do I care.”

“Huh. I guess it sucks to be him then.”

Yep, he wants a piece. Tristan would string this pork-sword up by his scrot for all the world to see while he drank a bottle of Chianti and ate his heart in two seconds flat, and
then
he’d have his nads for dessert like after dinner mints.

I was about to intervene when I caught Katy grinning to herself while she watched them and it all of sudden occurred to me; I don’t give a fuck if Tristan’s ex is being flirted with, badly as it is. Camie seemed fine and I’ve seen the chick cut people into tiny pieces with her razor-like tongue so if she wants this guy to take a hike, she can tell him herself.

I didn’t expect her to take a hike
with
him though.

I don’t know how she knew the instant he showed up, but when Tristan walked in the front door following Mike and Justin, Camie’s head snapped around and when she saw him, she freaked.

“
Oh shit!
I gotta get outta here! Oh for the love of all that is
holy
, there has
got
to be an escape route out of here…” she yammered, wildly looking around for an exit.

“Come on…I got ya covered,” the dickcheese said, making Camie duck at the same time he threw his letterman’s jacket over her shoulders like camouflage, and then he hauled her off towards the backyard.

“Uh-oh…do you think we should go with them? I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to let her just go like that, I mean, we don’t know that guy from Adam…he could be a serial killer or something, you know?” Katy asked. And I heard her, I did, but right then I was too busy to care what happened to Camie. I was fully engrossed with telling my ex-best friend with my eyes that it was high time he and I had a little chat outside.

I couldn’t even
think
past my rage when his response to my challenge was raising his arms to his sides like he was saying, “I’m right here…come and get me, you fuck.”

Let’s get ready to RUUMMMMBLLLE! ~ Brandon

From my vantage point on the small platform stage we’d set up in the family room of Duncan’s house, I could see Camie. When that fuckhead, Scott, started to make a move on her I wanted to holler a warning into the fuckin’ microphone. With Jeff right there I settled for keeping tabs on the situation instead. At least I tried. I couldn’t ignore the increasingly irritated look on Melissa’s face though, or the reason for it. This hot little chick from school, I think her name’s Holly but I’m honestly not all that sure, has been fuckin’ with my head by sucking on a lollipop and giving me seductive looks all night. She totally wants to go and all I’d have to do is look at her in any encouraging way and it’s on. With her
and
Melissa.

The band’s good. We’re
really
good and we all think we have a real shot at making it big, and even though we haven’t made it yet, this shit happens all the time. Having chicks make outrageous advances towards us is just part of the gig. And I’m used to it but I’m not gonna fuckin’ lie, I like the attention. The problem with all that is Melissa. I really dig Melissa, she’s the whole package, but I don’t know how much jealousy bullshit I can take. I’m not gonna cheat on her, I have no reason to, but if she’s gonna be all insecure and shit then we’re gonna have a problem. Cheating isn’t my thing but neither is reassurance. I wanna be with a chick who has faith in me, in my dreams, and trusts me. From the looks of it, Melissa might have a problem with that last bit, but who knows, maybe she’ll just haul off and deck the lollipop chick and leave me out of it.
That
I could handle. Come on, I’m a dude…chick fights are hot.

So anyway, all that shit was goin’ on at the same time the fuckhead shit was goin’ on and when we finished playing the set, I looked over at where Camie
had
been and saw she was gone. So was Jeff. He was easy to locate though. All I had to do was follow the trail of smoke his anger was leaving behind. I looked ahead in the direction he was headed and all thoughts of watching a chick fight disappeared because this isn’t gonna be anything like a chick fight. This one is gonna be hardcore, and it’s gonna be bloody.

By the time I jumped off the stage and got to them, they were already outside. It was raining cats and dogs but somehow, I don’t think either of them gave a shit or even noticed. It was like fuckin’
High Noon
with the way they were facin’ off towards each other, but the weirdest shit was that it looked like Jeff was the only one cocked and loaded, and Kate was shoving me out there like I was supposed to help Jeff or something. Fuck, I didn’t know what to do. On the one hand, I love me a good fight and it’s been a while since I’ve been in one that really did anything for me. I was hoping that pinhead-ex of Melissa’s would start something that day I kidnapped her so I would have an excuse to whoop his quarterback ass, but he read me right and backed off. But on the other hand, I’m supposed to be Switzerland here. If I throw down in this I’m gonna be puttin’ the gun to my own head.

Jeff was giving Tristan a verbal lashing so stepping out onto the lawn; I took a minute to study and appraise the situation. With just one look, you know Tristan can fuck someone’s shit up in a
real
bad way and I for one wouldn’t court trouble with him for
any
reason because it’d be like taking on a fuckin armored tank, but looking at him tonight, you can see his heart isn’t in it. Three guys I didn’t know were kinda hanging back, but then with a closer look, I recognized one of them was that guy, Mike. I met him at Jillian’s birthday party and talked to him a little bit the next night at Camie’s. He’s a pretty cool dude; says exactly what’s on his mind and I can get behind that. Right now he’s just shaking his head back and forth in a wry way, like he knew this shit was bound to happen. Mike and the other guys were tensed up for when the action starts but I’m getting the feeling they’ll be trying to stop it.

Pete on the other hand…that guy’s a fuckin’ contradiction. Normally he’s easy to overlook but if you did, it would be a fuckin’
huge
mistake. That time in the desert, the energy coming off him, warned me then that Pete’s a wild card and one thing I know, being one myself, is that it’s the definition of stupid to overlook a wild card. And right now, that same energy, that same dangerous intensity is rolling off him like a tangible thing. From what I’ve been told, he’s got some serious firepower in those guns of his, but I never really thought I’d get to see what he’s capable of off a pitcher’s mound. However, I might just get the chance tonight. He’s standing there sorta casually but I’m seeing something I think Jeff and the other guys are missing. He’s doing it discreetly, but, he’s most definitely loosening up his left shoulder. He won’t be stoppin’ shit. My bet is he’ll be the one finishing it. Yeah, out of all these guys, I’d put my money on him tonight.

And Jeff? He fuckin’
wants
to let loose. You can see it. He’s just waiting for the invitation and I’d rather have him on my side any day of the week and twice on Sunday, but not if that means having to go up against a flame thrower and a tank—even
if
the tank isn’t up for firing.

Jesus Christ, I fuckin’
love
this shit. In fact, is that…? Could it be? Wood? Yep, sure as shit, I’ve got fight wood. But no…I’m stayin’ Swiss. So does that make it Swiss Wood? Oh fuck it, whatever.

I turned my attention away from my dick and back to the reason for my hard-on. Automatically, I sprang forward just as Jeff lunged at Tristan and with one of the guys I don’t know, we held him back. As he was straining against us I took a gander over my shoulder and saw that neither Tristan nor Pete had moved a fuckin’ muscle. Tristan was standing in the exact same spot he was in right before Jeff went for him, and Pete was standing barely behind Tristan and to the side, like any good second would. Mike and the other guy had come forward to hold Tristan back, but it must have occurred to them at the same time it occurred to me that Tristan wasn’t coming after Jeff because they each gave Tristan an odd look like they didn’t get it and then stepped away. I didn’t get it at first either but with a good look at Tristan and a split second later, I understood all too clearly. Tristan’s gonna
let
Jeff have at him. And then, sure as shit, he proved my theory to be right.