They Walk (2 page)

I know I should just give in. She’ll never stop being infuriating if I don’t. She never does.

I sigh. “Fine, you win. I’ll do my hair and use that weird glitter face lotion you got me for Christmas.” I wiggle one boney finger at her as she backs away with a knowing smile. “But that’s all you’re getting out of me tonight, so don’t even try anything girlie.”

She throws her hands in the air in surrender. Then marches back over to my closet. The digging commences for a second before she turns back to me. My heart rate spikes at the sight of her. God I’m such a chicken. I should have known she’d end up forcing me into wearing something I’d hate.

It happens every time and yet I’m still shocked that it occurs.

But something strange happens next. She eyes the skirt I’m still wearing and says. “Let me have that skirt you tried on, I think I want to wear it.”

Ha! I
so
win this round, yay me!

Of course, by the time Dan come’s barging into my room forty minutes later to see if we’re ready, I’m not so sure of my win. Mostly because I have a serious aversion to getting dressed up. Oh the horror, I know. What girl hates getting dressed up right? Well…she would be me.

I must say though, I am rather satisfied with my hair tonight. It’s usually a giant mass of frizziness. Now it falls down my back in soft waves. God bless spray in conditioner. It almost makes me kind of excited to be going out…almost, but not quite. How I became so brilliantly optimistic at my young age surrounded by outgoing family and friends I’ll never know. Clearly they all see something beneath my negative charge of an outlook on life, which is good. Otherwise I’d be very much of a loner. And
that
I am not.

Yet.

Getting downstairs is a lot of work. I blame Clare. She’s buzzing with excitement, something I lack. If I had to compare her to anything, I’d say she resembles that of a lightning rod currently, only because she is bouncing in her
way too
high heels. Clearly she’s excited to move onto her next conquest. Something tells me that she’ll be disappearing on me as soon as we get to the party. In fact, if she had any sort of super power, it would totally be teleportation. Waiting is like torture for her, even if it
is
only for twenty more minutes for the drive.

Thank goodness I’ll have Matt to talk to later on. If anything else it’ll be nice to be able to count on the antisocial connection we share. Really I should say the connection that I kind of force on him, especially since he’s the opposite of antisocial. Heck, the boy has a job already. He’s completely comfortable with being social, or as much as a worker at a pizza restaurant has to be. With our little predicament this evening, I might be flying solo without my boyfriend backup. When I called him earlier to change our plans, he was still at work. Something came up with one of his coworkers, so he had to stay until closing time.

He promised to be look for me after, so here’s hoping it won’t be too long till his arrival; crosses fingers.

When the three of us finally come to a stop at the base of the stares, I peek around the bouncing Claire to find Maria waiting for us at the door. Her face lights up when Dan goes to give her a kiss. They act like it’s been a lifetime since they’ve embraced one another, even though he was upstairs less than a minute. I think it’s sweet. But then, that’s our Maria. She’s the embodiment of sweet, with her long blonde hair and rosy cherub face. She’s good for my punk brother. She blushes bright pink when he steps back from her. It’s not long before she smiles and shyly glances away from mine and Clare’s stares. Acknowledging the interaction of the two of them is something I avoid, partly because our Maria scares easily, but also because it’s totally gross to watch them go at it.

Speaking of those that would rather avoid pda like the plague. I can’t help looking around the entry hall for my mother. She is usually pretty adamant about these kinds of things, but the house is quiet.

“
No one’s home, she already left to meet dad for that gallery thing in the city.” Dan quips seeing my wandering eyes.

Taking in the silence, I realize that’s right. Naturally I should’ve already known the house is empty, but being observant is
not
one of my best qualities. Our dad is a busy accountant who works mostly is the city. He and mom don’t really get out too much short of going to work or keeping us kids preoccupied with none house burning activities and so, when a client of his hands out tickets for some fancy art show in Brunswick, he can’t very well turn the opportunity down. Mom may have mentioned at some point that they were going to get a late dinner after and wouldn’t be home until sometime late.

Now I know why I wanted plans alone with Matt tonight.

The house will be empty.

This party better be worth it, if not Claire owes me, big time.

Secretly hoping I have a reason to stay home now, I say “So if they have the cars, how are we getting to this grand party?”

No such luck as Maria’s blush darkens.

“
I have my car, and don’t mind driving us.” She says in a quiet voice. “They’re more than enough room.”

See? She is way too sweet for words and far too nice. How my loud mouth joker of a brother managed to get such a nice girl, I have no clue. He flashes one of his pleased smiles and places an arm around her shoulder pulling her close.

“
So, we’re good to go.” He pauses to give me a wide cheeky grin, this is never good. “Just one more stop to make though…Gabe is coming with us too.”

For some reason the urge to smack him rises inside me, but this isn’t new. What’s new is his aspiring need to throw his stupid best friend and the boy’s hatred of me right in my face. Either I’m getting worse at perfecting my poker face or Claire just knows me too well, because in the next instant she is fully facing me.

Effectively blocking Dan from my view, she places her hands over her bored eyes as if warding off my anger.

“
Oh boy, here we go.” Claire says.

Already fuming, I don’t even here her. Of all the guys at our small town school, my brother just
has
to befriend the biggest jerk. Seriously, the boy is like my nemesis. He never has anything nice to say, at least to me anyways. Even when I first met him three years ago, it was an instant dislike. I honestly wouldn’t mind never seeing him again, ever, but he just has this way about him. While it’s pretty an annoying way, it also seems to get under my skin and not in the way I’d like.

Then there is the fact that he’s far too cocky for his own good. Is it wrong that I take great pleasure in constantly putting him in his place? No, yes, maybe...doesn’t matter, because I totally do.

With Matt not around to act as a buffer, all I need for tonight is to have Gabe tease me. He tends to be tamer in his torture techniques if Matt’s around. If memory serves me right, then I swear Gabe got a Motorcycle this past spring. I’m one to know, he’s always asking me to ride with him so he can be a bad influence. Or so he says.

So what’s all this
needing a ride
nonsense.

“
Doesn’t he have his own death trap to drag him to the party?” I ask Dan, as I try
not
to sound overly irritated.

“
He does, but it’s in the shop. I offered for him to come along, so stop whining. He’s not that bad.”

I snort in disbelief and shake my head. Not that bad, my left foot.

Figures his motorcycle would break down, now of all nights, not that I’d ever trust those things. But, as to not let it show that he bothers me so much, or to come off as whiny, I just shrug. Yup that’s me, not bothered by punk boys.

Is it believable though?

Dan just laughs.

Nope, I’m more see-through than a three-way mirror.

By the time he ushers us out to Marias car, where he immediately calls for shotgun by the way, I’m convinced there is literally steam pouring out of my ears. Shivering, I reach for the backseat door wishing I had remembered to snag a jacket. It’s oddly cool for a late June night, or maybe it’s not really. We do live in Maine, so no one can ever try to guess how the weather will turn out.

What really makes me feel cold is the fact that it’s too quiet out.

Usually at this time of night, I can hear crickets and frogs going at it, but tonight it’s silent. I have to wonder if maybe a storm is coming, usually things get quiet around these parts before something happens. I just hope we’re home before the floodgates open.

Getting in the car beside Claire, I push these thoughts out of my head.

Chapter Three

What could have been a quick twenty minute drive to party headquarters turns into an extra half hour detour to pick up the devil, even though he lives in the same subdivision as us. That’s just the way it is in our town though, it’s small, but for all its space the homes have a lot of land in between. Maria smoothly pulls the car into Gabe’s dark driveway. As the headlights shine over his house I see that he’s already sitting on the porch.

He rises before the car is even in park and saunters over to us.

I steal a moment to take in his appearance. It’s a shame he’s so downright rotten. He’s taller than me, but then most everyone is, and he is well built. In a habit I’m too acquainted with, he has to toss his head to shake the mess of dark hair out of his eyes as he leans toward the door on my side. When he moves to open the door, his light eyes shine brightly in the reflective headlights.

He doesn’t say anything, just stares at me through the open door, only then do I realize that he’s waiting for me to move over.

Great, I’m going to be stuck in the middle.

That’s what I get for daydreaming over the enemy. Not to looking at him again, I scoot over next to Claire. Not that she realizes anything is going on really. She’s been texting Brian, the lucky guy of the night, the whole drive. She pushes herself closer to the door to make room and the whole time I seriously hope it’s too dark for Gabe to see me blushing.

Not that I am, because I’m totally not.

He slams the door behind him and even though he has ample room in the back with me and Claire practically sitting in each other’s lap, he chooses to squeeze in closer to me. His knee brushes mine I can as he stretches out to get comfortable and I can actually feel heat coming off him. He’s so close that try as I might, I can’t help but to pick up on the scent of fresh air and moss that is radiating off of him.

Trying to be coy, I risk a glance at him, only having to quickly look everywhere by him. Why you ask…because he’s already got his eyes on me. Now I’m sure he can definitely see my blush, his smirking smile confirms that my night is going to be a living hell.

He moves in closer to me, if that is at all possible, his breath causing my hair to tickle my neck.

“
You’re looking good Mag pie.” He pauses to glance around in mock worry, as Claire pulls her car out of the drive and back on the road. “Where’s your better half then? You’re not
alone
are you?”

Dan chuckles softly in the front seat. I shake my head and ignore that way Gabe’s breath makes goosebumps dance across my skin.

“
He had to work late, so we’re meeting up at the party.”

He turns in his seat so that he’s facing me. I try not to move as he rests his arm behind my head.

“
You’re such a party animal that you couldn’t wait for him huh? I did not know that about you Mags.”

“
Oh yeah, that’s me, a real wild child.”

“
Damn, lock your liquor cabinet’s folks. We’ve got a future sponsor for rehab riding with us.”

Boys are so dumb, especially this one.

“
Gosh, aren’t you a buddle of laughs tonight Gabe. What did you do stock up these comments for the perfect chance to use them?”

Leaning back, he winks one of his pretty eyes at me. “I save the best for you babe. Can’t you tell by my suave techniques by now?”

I shove him off me as he starts to leer.

He makes like I shoved him harder than I did, and slams him into the door with a laugh. At a loss for words, I just glare at him, and try not to give into his antagonizing efforts.

Sighing, I say “I’m hardly in the mood for partying…Gabe…and even
less
for dumb guys trying to flirt with me.”

He clutches his chest like my words wounded him. “Oh yeah sure, that’s what they all say kitten.”

“
I don’t even want to know what you’re talking about, because um, nasty. But if you must know, I’m just going to support Claire.”

He leans around me and looks to my oblivious bestie. She doesn’t even have the decency to take her eyes
off
her Ipad. She simply nods in his general direction, confirming that I could’ve just cured cancer for all she knows.

This sends him roaring with laughter. I resist the urge to smack him.

“
Well it’s good to know some things never change.” He says jauntily before leaning back into the seat.