The Crescent (6 page)

“No, not Alex.” I paused again. I don’t want to tell her. “It’s nothing. The guy this morning was just as cute as Alex and I just had a vision of Brandon kissing me when I met him, you know, like I did when I met Alex.”

“Ahhh…” Jillian laughed. “Alex has competition.”

“Jillian get serious. That’s not what is going on. I’m going out with Alex. I don’t know what happened with Brandon.” The front door opened. “Hey my folks are home. I’ll talk to you later.” I really had no idea what else to say, so I thought it was best to leave it at that.

SIX

My first three classes were a blur of quizzes and gossiping cheerleaders. I didn’t do any filing in the office this morning; I left it for Courtney to do. I rushed to Econ hoping that Alex would show up before Jillian, but no such luck. They came through the door at the same time, laughing and talking to each other.

“So I’ll pick you up at 8 tonight?” Alex smiled as he set his bag on the table. “Jill you can get there anytime after 8. I would offer to pick you up… but that may be a little weird.” He gave me his amazing grin and ran his fingers down the length of mine making my heart do summersaults while Ashley glared at us.

“Ok class.” Mr. Thompson called us to order. Alex pulled his chair to rest against the front of my table, he didn’t turn to face me, but he was as close as he could get given the circumstances. Jillian looked at me and winked when she realized the daggers Ashley was sending my way.

After Econ was over Alex offered me a ride to the clinic and I nervously accepted. He pulled the door to the beautiful car open and took my hand to help me inside. When the car rumbled to life, I finally got the nerve to ask him. “What should I wear tonight? I mean, what type of party is it?”

“You could show up in your PJ’s and that would be fine with me.” Alex rubbed his fingers down the length of my arm and claimed my hand. Chills rushed up my arm under his touch; he grinned making me wonder if he could sense my inexperience. “Whatever you decide to wear…” He lifted my hand to his face and brushed his lips to the back as a sigh escaped my lips. “…will be fine with me. I want you to be comfortable.”

The ride to the clinic was entirely too quick. We sat out front of the clinic for several moments before either of us moved. When I finally reached for the door, he tugged at my arm pulling me back across the console towards him. Alex’s free hand ran up my neck to brush his thumb against my jaw. My mind blanked out as my body shook slightly.

You’re so beautiful.
He whispered as he pressed his cheek against mine then touched my lips with his. Alex’s kiss was slow and mesmerizing. His tongue enticed me to open my mouth and allow more and without hesitation I did. His hands began to roam, as I stayed focused on the kiss, desperate to make it the best one he’s ever had. When Alex pulled back, it made me wonder if I had done something wrong. But his eyes were glowing and he was breathing just as heavy as I was, giving me hope that I had at least done something right.

“I think your Aunt is watching.” Briefly I looked over at the window to see my Aunt release the mini blinds. I shrugged as I turned back to him.

I leaned forward craving more of him; being bolder than I’d ever been. Thankfully Alex came forward to kiss me again. I was only slightly aware that it was still daylight outside and the windows of the car weren’t tinted. Alex linked his hand around mine and pulled it towards him to rest on his chest.

The kiss didn’t last nearly long enough. He pulled back from me and grinned, as I got embarrassed for wanting more. “I’ll pick you up at 8.”

“Who was the boy you were with?” My Aunt asked as I lifted a poodle onto the table for her to examine.

“That was Alex.” I wasn’t self-conscious when I kissed him, but right now I felt like I was going to burst into flames.

“I’ve never heard of him before…” She raised her eyebrow.

“He’s new. He just moved here this week.” I tried to deflect her questioning as I started to clean the dog’s teeth.

It didn’t work.

“He’s been here a week?” Jamie stopped tending to the dog.

“Yeah.” Can I wave a white flag now?

“And you’re making out with him like that?” Her eyes got wider.

I hadn’t thought of it that way. I didn’t know anything about Alex and the first time he kissed me I felt… repulsed. Now I was even more embarrassed that my Aunt was questioning my make out session… with a stranger. “I don’t know.” I was just hoping she would let the subject die now. But again, she didn’t.

“Do your parent’s now about him? I mean… he didn’t even look like a high school student.”

“Yeah they know him. He brought me home after I passed out at school.”

“Ohhh so it’s that boy.”

“Mom and Dad told you?”

Aunt Jamie smirked and started to laugh. “Yeah. They told me about him. He is a very handsome young man. You have a date tonight?”

“Alex invited me to a party. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a date.” I responded trying hard not to show my excitement.

“I would.” She smiled as she took over cleaning the dog’s teeth. “He sounds like a great guy… and he’s gorgeous.”

I escaped to the cat kennels to retrieve Mr. Tinkles, the McMillan’s tabby cat. I’ve never gotten along with this particular feline and today wasn’t going to be any different. Slowly opening the cage, I waited for the cat to stop hissing and clawing at me.

“Stop you stupid cat.” I wondered if I could refuse to treat cats when I got my Veterinary License. I grabbed the cat a little rough around the ribs and felt the cat lurch. “Stop. Tinkles. Stop.” After trying to wrangle the cat for several minutes, he got free and ran all over the room causing all the other cats to start to hiss and claw at the doors of their cages.

“Ok, OK!” Mr. Tinkles finally perched himself high on top of the shelves. I waited for him to make the first move, but when I shifted back on my heels, the damn cat pounced straight down on top of me. Fury ripped through me as the cat’s claws dug deep into the thin skin over my breastplate. Without thinking, I grabbed the cat around the scruff of the neck and tossed it forcefully at the wall. I had never done anything to harm any animal…ever. The cat hit the wall, bounced off and then scurried under the cabinet.

Hanging my head in shame as tears formed in my eyes, I shuffled down the hallway towards Aunt Jamie’s office to confess my sins. My t-shirt stained with my own blood and more trickling through by the minute. “I had a…”

“Oh shit! What happened?” Jamie jumped up from her desk and started to pull my shirt over my head. The large scratches and the big hole in my chest sent a thin line of blood down between my breasts.

“I had a run in with Mr. Tinkles.” I said as more tears formed. “He clawed me and I threw him against the wall. I’m afraid he’s hurt.”

“Ok, Ok. Don’t worry about it.” I didn’t know what had gotten into me, the poor cat. “I’m sure the cat is fine. They have nine lives… remember?” She smiled as I let out a small laugh.

“Don’t try to make me feel better.” She tried to cheer me up by making funny faces, but nothing could make me smile once the burn from the antiseptic came.

“I guess you won’t be wearing anything too revealing tonight.” I looked in the mirror to see my face red from tears, my hair disheveled and large pink marks running from my collarbone almost to my breasts. The cat had clawed me worse than I thought. Aunt Jamie finished covering each of my opened wounds with medicine and gauze; I winced each time she applied more antiseptic. “Go ahead and get going. Put some peroxide on it later before you go out. It’ll help.”

Yeah, right.
I thought. I might as well pour straight alcohol onto the wounds too. I walked back to the house shuffling my feet the whole way. I’d have to call first thing in the morning to make sure the cat was ok.

I jumped in the shower being mindful not to get the water on the over abundance of gauze my Aunt put all over my chest. It looked like I was ready for Halloween and going to the party as a mummy.

It took me almost an hour to decide to wear my crystal blue v-neck wrap top with dark blue jeans and black heels. This was dressier than I normally was, but you could still see the top of the pink scratches. I grabbed some cover up and called for mom to help me. Mom came through the doorway with Grant on her heels.

“WOW. You look wonderful.” My hair was down and slightly curled at the ends to let it bounce freely. My blue contacts were even more accentuated by the shirt.

“Thanks. Can you help me with this?” I held up the tube of makeup. Grant came over and whined at my feet almost causing me lose my balance. I wasn’t steady in the high heels as it was, but I wanted to wear them so I wouldn’t be so short compared to Alex. Not to mention they made me feel sexy.

Mom made quick work of applying the concealer to the lines on my chest. “He is going to be blown away.” Mom said; she tended to over exaggerate. She walked over to my jewelry box and pulled out my heart pendent necklace and diamond earrings dad gave me for my sixteenth birthday. “Just a few finishing touches.” She helped me put the necklace and earrings on. “So…” Mom hesitated and I looked at her in the reflection of the mirror. Grant sprawled across my bed. “Aunt Jamie said she…”

Oh no. She told mom about my make out session. I knew where this is going. I needed to head off the talk. “Mom I don’t want to have the sex talk right now.” My parents didn’t know that I had already lost my virginity. I hadn’t even had a boyfriend really for all they knew.

“I know you don’t. But it’s important for you to know that we know it’s going to happen for you sometime… and if it’s with Alex…” Mom hesitated. It was painfully apparent that this conversation would happen now.

“Look, I just want you to know that sometimes we don’t mean for things to happen, and then they do. If you determine that Alex is the one, well, your father and I think he’s nice and we’d like to get to know him better. If that is what you want. We know you are a senior and you are going to start making very important relationships that are going to last.”

I’m not sure what would last. Next year I’d be in San Diego. I didn’t plan on getting serious with anyone. Alex sort of came out of nowhere. Grant groaned and rolled over on the bed to look at me upside down. Maybe I could find an apartment that would let me at least take him with me. I reached over and scratched his belly and rubbed his head. “Yes Grant, I love you too.” Mom gave me a knowing look; she knew I was strategically changing the subject on her.

“You know I love your dog, but your dad wants him gone.”

“I know I’ve put up signs and put ads in the paper. No one has responded.”

“Well, maybe it’s time to start looking for a home for him.” Grant let out a small, low growl that I could’ve sworn only I heard. Mom went un-phased. “You know how your dad feels about having pets. Having Tippy was a fluke.”

“Mom, I don’t want to get rid of him. Can’t we at least keep him with us until I go to college?”

“You are still insistent on going to San Diego?”

“Mom, we already talked about this.”

“I know. I was just hoping you changed your mind.”

No chance.

“I have to finish getting ready.” I went back to my bathroom to finish with my makeup. Mom left and Grant got up to follow her. The doorbell rang and my father’s voice echoed up the stairs calling for me to hurry up. I wasn’t sure that I was really ready for tonight, but I couldn’t back out now.

SEVEN

Alex looked like a male model straight out of Vogue with a dark black t-shirt and crisp new jeans. ”Wow.” He outstretched his hand to reveal a bouquet of orchids with red roses and lilies mixed in. They were the most vibrant, beautiful flowers I had ever seen. “For you.”

“Thank you.” I said feeling uncomfortable from my Dad’s prying eyes.

“It’s good to see you again Alex. Don’t be a stranger. Do you like to fish?” Dad loved to fish, but hadn’t been in years.

“I haven’t been fishing since I was a kid. But if you have a trip planned…”

“We’ll have to talk!” Dad said upbeat. The ever-present bags under his eyes were less pronounced tonight. Mom came walking out of the kitchen with a tray full of glasses and a pitcher of tea. I glanced at Alex hoping he would tell them we needed to get going. I slightly raised my shoulder, hoping he would get the hint. Alex reached out and took my hand.

“We really need to get going. I told Jillian she could come too.”
Thank you
Alex.
Both my parents looked disappointed.

“Home by 1. Ok?” Dad said to Alex.

“Yes sir.” Alex shook my dad’s hand and then we were out the door.

“Well, that was strange.” I mumbled, thankful to be free from the house.

“What happened to your chest?” Damn. Even with the makeup, he realized the cat had attacked me.

“I had a run in with a rather wrangly cat.” I tried to laugh it off. There was no way I would tell him what I had done.

“I hate cats.” I was so thankful to hear that. “There’s just something about them. You can’t trust them. They don’t listen, you can’t train them.” He rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand making it hard for me to think about anything but the feeling of his skin. “Don’t get me wrong, I love animals. But I’m more of a dog person.”

“Me too.” I respond trying to fight the warmth spreading through me.

“Guess we have one more thing in common.”

I forced myself to pay attention. “One more thing?”

“Yeah, I listened to your iPod when I brought you home the other day.” He looked at me sheepishly. “Sorry, I know some people see that as a violation of privacy. I just wondered what you’re always listening to.” He spied on me… well… sort of. Should I feel violated or excited that he was curious enough to browse through my iPod while I was passed out? Alex was silent waiting for me to respond to his sneakiness.

I hesitated, not sure that I was really offended. “So, what on there did you like?”