Take One (27 page)

Andi rested her head on his chest again. She was dizzier than before, glad Ben wasn’t suggesting a fourth beer.

“Come on, I wanna show you something.” He slipped his arm around her waist and led her across the street onto campus. At least
it seemed like campus, but Andi wasn’t sure because everything was moving, same way the house did earlier. They found a spot
on the grass near some trees and he pulled her close again, his arms tight around her waist. “All we need is music.” Ben whispered
close to her ear.

She struggled to keep her eyes open. The fun feeling from before was fading, because now she didn’t feel like laughing. She
felt like sleeping and something wasn’t quite right with her stomach. A queasiness was coming over her like a plastic bag.
“Wha’ happened to the party?”

“We don’t need it.” Ben’s voice was kind.

“You’re a nice guy, Ben … thanks for lookin ou’ for me.”

“I told you I’d take care of you.” He cupped the back of her head and brought his lips to hers just once. His kiss, his light
touch, all of it felt nice and it took her mind off the dizziness. “I’ll take care of you all night, Andi.”

She wasn’t keeping real good track of time, but pretty fast his kisses grew stronger, more urgent. “Hey … slow down there.
It was better when we were dancin’.”

“I’ll show you what’s better.” His voice was still kind, but he was rougher now. Before she could stop him or move away, he
had his hands up the back of her sweater. He was holding her tighter than before, too tight.

“Stop it.” She shouted the words, at least she thought she did. But he was breathing too hard to hear her. “Ben! I said …

stop it.”

“Your boyfriend’s not here, Andi … just go with it. I can get you another beer if you want.”

Another beer? The thought made her stomach tighten and convulse. She needed to be free of him, because what was he trying
to do? He felt wild and reckless and out of control, and suddenly she was terrified. “Stop!”

But he kept kissing her, kept moving his hands against her, and at some point the wetness on her face wasn’t only his kisses
but her tears. “Please … stop!”

There was the sound of feet on pavement and then someone shouted. “You okay over there?” The voice wasn’t familiar, and Andi
wondered what sort of scene they must’ve been making. She blinked and tried to focus. A guy and girl were standing there,
and they both looked alarmed. Andi rubbed the palms of her hands beneath her eyes and bent over, trying to make herself breathe
normally again.

Ben was angry, she could feel it in the way he was seething beside her. “Get lost, everything’s fine.” He took a step back
and glared at the couple who had dared to interrupt them.

“She told you to stop, so stop already.” The guy took a step closer to Ben. Then he turned to Andi. “You want him to leave
you alone?”

Andi had stopped crying, but she was still wildly dizzy. She nodded and tried to answer, tried to say yes, of course she wanted
Ben to go. But instead she swayed and braced herself against a tree, adjusting her sweater and trying to figure out … what
had just happened. Then before she could find the words, she felt her stomach convulse into a mass of knots, and without any
other warning, she lurched forward and threw up across the grass and on Ben’s shoes.

“Sick.” Ben stepped away from her, wiping his feet on the damp ground.

A second wave of vomit followed and it knocked Andi down to her hands and knees. She gasped for breath, certain she was dying.
She tried to call out for help, but again her stomach heaved and she could focus only on taking her next bit of air. She could
barely lift her head, but she wanted to make sure Ben wasn’t coming after her again.

She shouldn’t have worried.

Ben was scowling at her, staring at the mess she’d made. “You’re disgusting.” He glared at the couple. “I’m leaving.” He wiped
his feet on the grass again. “You happy?” As he walked away toward the frat house, he yelled back over his shoulder. “Shoulda
known you were only a tease, Andi Ellison.”

Her body was trembling, her breathing still labored and shaky. She looked at the couple and felt her eyes fill with tears
again.

“You okay?” The guy came a step closer. “Want us to call someone?”

Whether it was the vomiting or the harsh reality of what had just happened, Andi felt a slight sense of control returning.
She sat up on her knees and squinted at the bright lights of the party across the street. Then she wiped her hand across her
mouth and shook her head. “I can do it.” She fumbled for her cell phone and found it in the back pocket of her jeans. The
couple waited, hesitant. “Really … it’s okay. I’m fine.”

After another minute of convincing them, the couple finally continued on their way. Andi sat up against the tree trunk and
closed her eyes. Who could she call? Bailey would be so disappointed in her, and her parents … there was no way she could
call them. Then suddenly it occurred to her.

She could call Cody.

After what he’d told her the other night, he would understand about drinking. Him more than anyone else. She opened her eyes
and tried to focus on her cell phone. After a few pathetic tries, she managed to dial his number. The nausea was coming back,
so she tried to hurry.

“Hello?”

Shame and fear caught her breath, and for a few seconds she couldn’t answer.

“Andi? Is that you?” Wherever Cody was the background was quiet. He’d probably been home studying—the way he said he usually
spent his Friday nights. What would he think of her now?

She coughed twice and tried to clear her voice. “It’s me. I … I drank too much and I nee’ your help.”

“Where are you?” His tone was immediately serious and full of alarm.

“The … yellow frat house. Across a’ street.” She was crying again, and she barely had time to hear Cody tell her he was on
his way before she jerked forward and threw up one more time. When her body stopped convulsing, this time she lay on a clean
patch of grass and waited. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, but the next thing she knew, Cody was standing over her,
his hand on her shoulder.

“Come on.” He helped her to her feet. “We need to get you home.” He slipped his arm around her waist and steadied her. “What
in the world are you doing here, Andi?”

She wasn’t sure if his voice was more disappointed or worried for her. “I … I was supposa’ meet Jake here.”

“Jake Olson?” Cody was a strong support for her, keeping her moving. “I thought you learned your lesson about him last week.”

“He said he was sorry.” She wanted to look up at him, stare into those gorgeous eyes and see if he was real or an angel sent
to rescue her. But she could barely keep her head up. Besides, she was too humiliated to look at him now. She wiped her hand
across her mouth again and wondered if she’d gotten her sweater messy.

“So what happened? Did someone hurt you?”

“He was trying … but I … got sick on him …”

Cody stopped every several steps and helped her find her balance again. “That’s crazy, Andi. You could’ve been in big trouble.”

“I … I was in trouble … Some couple came over or else … he woulda …” she started crying again. She stopped and put her arms
around his waist. “Hold me, Cody … I need you to hold me.”

For a few seconds he let her cling to him that way, but then he tenderly removed her hands from his waist. “You need to get
home.”

“No … I need you. A guy like you woul’ never give me all that beer.” Her shame knew no limits, because what was she saying?
She was being moved along again, so she clung to his side. She didn’t care how desperate she sounded. “I need you, Cody. You
have to believe me.”

He didn’t slow, didn’t show any signs of interest. “You need the Lord and a good night’s sleep. We can talk about the rest
later.”

“We can?” She felt a flicker of hope. Maybe Cody was interested in her, after all. Even though she’d made a fool of herself
tonight. “Where a’ we going?”

“Keep walking. We’re almost there.”

They reached a set of stairs that looked vaguely familiar, but when Andi tried to open her eyes there seemed to be two of
everything. And both sets were slipping about, refusing to stay still. “Yikes.” She buried her head in his shoulder. “These
stairs are tough.” Her words ran together, no matter how hard she tried to articulate. She was embarrassed at herself. “I’m
a real winner, hey Cody?”

“We’ll talk about it later.” He was stronger than she had thought. “Hold onto my neck, okay.”

She did as he asked, and he swept her up into his arms. Then he carried her up the stairs and through the door. Once inside
he set her down and helped her along like before until they reached a door. Her door. It all looked familiar again. Of course
… it was the door to her room.

“You have a key?” He waited.

A key? She padded her sweater pockets and then her jeans and finally she felt something. Her key ring. She took it from her
pocket and held it out. “Not sure which one …”

“I’ve got it.” He opened her door in no time and helped her across the small floor to her bed. “Lay here.”

She fell onto her bed and crooked her arm over her eyes. Even then the room was moving in giant circles and her stomach felt
sicker than before. What a fool she’d made of herself. How could Cody ever look at her the same again. “Cody?”

“Just a minute.” There was the sound of running water, and then he was at her side again. He had a cold damp washcloth and
a bottle of water. “Sit up. See if you can drink this.”

She could barely open her eyes, barely understand what he was doing. But when the cool water hit her lips, she figured it
out. He was helping her, trying to ease her drunkenness.

“I’ll leave the water here, okay?” He took the bottle, set it down, and came to her again. “Lay down and let’s get this cloth
on your head.”

But Andi didn’t want to lay down. She wanted Cody to hold her the way Ben and Jake had tried to hold her. It wouldn’t be scary
and rough with someone like Cody, and in that moment all she wanted was to be in his arms, to have him kiss her the way she
wanted to be kissed. She slid to the edge of the bed and circled her arms around his waist. “Stay with me, Cody. Jus’ lay
with me for a while, okay?”

“Andi, you don’t know what you’re saying.” He put his hand on her shoulder and gently tried to ease her back onto the bed.
“Go to sleep. You won’t remember any of this tomorrow.”

“Yessa’ will.” She stood and tried to hug him, but her legs wouldn’t hold her. “Stay, Cody. Bailey’s gone for the weekend.
She won’t know.”

At the mention of Bailey’s name, Cody’s resistance doubled. He took a step back, freeing himself from her embrace. Then he
handed the wet cloth to her and moved for the door. “Sleep. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

Andi was angry at him and humiliated, mad that he’d rejected her offer so easily and completely. But of course he had. She
had to look and smell pathetic after what she’d been through tonight. She didn’t tell him goodbye or thank you or anything.
Instead she flopped back down on the bed and put the cool cloth on her head. Fine. Let him go. She didn’t need Cody to have
a good time. She didn’t need—

Before she could finish the thought, she felt her stomach kick into reverse again. She tried to run for the bathroom, but
she fell to the floor and had to crawl there, instead. Her face barely found a spot over the water when she began throwing
up. For what felt like an hour she sat there against the cold, damp toilet, her stomach convulsing every few minutes.

Somehow she made it back to her bed, but her heart was racing again and she was terrified about what she’d done. The list
of terrible choices screamed at her, until she cried out loud for God to help her, for Him to forgive her. She never should’ve
gone to the party, never should’ve drank. How could she have let Ben treat her like that? And what had she said to Cody for
that matter? How could she ever look him in the face again?

“I’m so bad.” She cried out loud into the darkness. “Do you even love me anymore, God?”

Sometime after that she must’ve fallen asleep, because the next thing she was aware of it was daylight. The time on her clock
read ten thirty, and she blinked a few times before the full force of her headache hit her. She pictured herself in the frat
house kitchen, Ben from her math class all over her, and she felt disgusted with herself. How terrible she must’ve looked,
how loose and cheap. Another image came to mind, Ben pouring something into her beer. She wouldn’t have gotten so sick on
three beers—even if she’d never drank before. He must’ve poured hard liquor into her beer. That would explain how drunk she’d
gotten.

She pictured him leading her to the lawn across from the frat house, and how quickly things had gotten out of control. Only
then did she remember the couple interrupting them and her phone call to Cody. He had come without hesitating, because he
was that kind of guy. She pressed her thumb and forefinger in against her temples and tried to stop the pounding there. Cody
had walked her home, right? Which meant her car was still parked across from the frat house.

“Ughhh.” She groaned as she tried to sit up. Then she remembered the breakfast date she’d had with her mom and Kelly. Her
eyes flew to the clock again, but it was too late. She was supposed to be there at ten o’clock. “What have I done?” She slumped
over her knees and held her head in her hand. She’d made a fool of herself in every possible way, going against her parents
and her conscience, and most of all, her God.

She looked on the nightstand for her cell phone, but she found it still in the back pocket of her jeans. It was on silent
mode, and sure enough, she’d missed three calls from her mother. She ran her tongue over her teeth and grimaced at the disgusting
taste in her mouth. She’d been sick … the memory was coming back now. The alcohol from last night still hung in her breath.

“How could this happen?” she muttered the question and covered her face once more. After a minute she reached into her nightstand
drawer and pulled out Rachel Baugher’s quote book. “You wouldn’t recognize me, Rach.” She flipped through the pages and came
across one she hadn’t noticed before. “Character is a long habit continued.” Plutarch.