Under His Skin (2 page)

Chapter 4

For my eighteenth birthday, I asked for a car.  I told my parents I didn’t care what kind, I just wanted a car.  That old expression, “be careful what you wish for” smacked me right in the face when they presented me with a brand new Buick Century Station Wagon.  My dad worked for a used car lot and he got it at a great bargain.  I should have been grateful to get a car, but it was embarrassing pulling up to school in that thing.  Fortunately, there were only a few more weeks of high school remaining.

I pulled up to Petey’s house right at 8:30 and honked the horn.

“I’m coming chill man.  The party’s not going anywhere!” He yelled out the front door. 

He turned back to say something to someone inside.  I fidgeted with the radio and when I looked up, he was in the car.

“Your precious Addie will still be there when we get there man.”

“Fuck you Petey, it’s not all about Addie.  I told you we are seniors and we’re graduating in a few weeks.  I want to do something different.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever man.  Come on, let’s go.”

Jeff’s family had a cabin off of Lake Erie that they used in the summer months.  There were cars and people everywhere.  I recognized most of the people I passed as we drove up to the house, but there were quite a few I didn’t.  I figured they were lower classmen trying to make reputations for themselves with the upper classmen “in crowd” or they were from other schools.

I found a spot on the side of the house and parked.  Petey immediately spotted Emily Parks, a junior, he’d been crushing on.  He liked to talk smack about me and my crush on Addie, but Petey had it just as bad for Emily.

“Hey man, I’ll catch up with you,” Petey said as he jumped out of the wagon.

“Are you going to say something to her tonight?”

“Hey, we’re seniors and trying new things right?  Maybe I will,” he smirked and walked off.

As I sat in the driver’s seat looking for some gum, a strange feeling hit me.  I couldn’t figure out if it was good or bad, but I knew something major would happen at this party that would impact me in a major way. 

Chapter 5

I walked up the stairs to the cabin and ran into Drew Spellman coming out.

“Hey Nick man, what’s up?”

Drew and I grew up around the corner from each other.  We had been good friends until freshman year.  Wanting to start a new time in our lives on the popular side of things we tried out for the basketball team.  He made it and I didn’t.  After that, he became part of an entirely different social circle.  He hung out with the jocks and I, well didn’t.  He was always cool whenever we ran into each other, but he never attempted to hang out like we used to.  High school politics, it’s something you learn fast.

“Hey Drew not much.  How is it in there?”

“It’s pretty wild man.  I’m headed out for a beer run right now.  I’m glad you made it Nick!”

“Thanks man, I’ll see you when you get back.”

I walked into the cabin half expecting the football or hockey team to terrorize me, but no one noticed me as I walked through.  You would think that after years of going unnoticed I would be used to it and in the beginning I was.  As a freshman, I was short for my age; I stood 5’5”.  The summer before my sophomore something changed.  Maybe it was the Wheaties I had been eating, but I had a major growth spurt and didn’t stop until I hit 6’2”.  I thought for sure when I went back to school it would make a difference.  Sadly, it didn’t. 

I moved through the crowd with one thing on my mind, finding Addie.  Just a glimpse was all I needed to make me happy.  I had no idea what I would do after graduation when I couldn’t see her every day.  I didn’t even want to think that far ahead, right now it was all about seeing her. 

There was a big table that had food and punch on it.  I grabbed a glass and scooped some punch into a red solo cup.  As soon as I put the cup to my mouth to take a sip I immediately smelled the alcohol.  I had never had alcohol before that.  Before that I never saw the appeal in it.  Tonight I decided
what the hell
.  Plus that nagging feeling that had started in my gut when I first arrived was gnawing away at me.  I needed something to distract me from it.

I took a big swig,
blech that’s nasty,
I thought.  I shook my head and took another big swig.  It wasn’t long before I felt my face flush.  I was leaning up against a counter taking in the scene when I saw her.  She was standing next to Chad.  He had his arm around her waist and a red cup in his other hand.  He was talking to one of his buddies and she looked upset.  Trish walked over and they started talking.  She shrugged and turned to say something to Chad.  He didn’t even acknowledge her.  She swatted him on the chest and he turned his attention toward her like she was an annoying little bug he was about to squash.  She began talking to him in an animated fashion, he shrugged and smirked at her then she reached up and slapped him across the face.  The whole party turned to see the commotion.

“I knew you were sleeping with her! You lying bastard.”

“Baby, calm down.  I didn’t sleep with her, I promise.”

“Liar!  Shelby told Tammy, Tammy told Angie, who told Lisa, who told Trish!”

“Seriously, do you know how ridiculous that sounds?  Let’s go somewhere and talk about this.”

He grabbed her elbow and led her to a room off to the side.  My guess was that it must have been the master bedroom.  I wanted to get closer, to hear what was going on.  I took another swig of punch, filled my cup up and crossed the room. 

I was standing directly outside of the bedroom door, it was cracked just enough to her what was happening on the other side.  I heard her voice.

“Chad, please don’t lie. Just tell me.  Did you sleep with Shelby?”

“Addie, I did not sleep with her.”

“Why is she telling everyone you did?”

“I don’t know! That chick is crazy.  She wants me bad.  She started showing up to lacrosse practices and she would follow me around school sometimes.”

“Okay, but she knows that we are together right?”

“Of course Ad, everyone knows.”

“Did you tell her to leave you alone?”

“Yes Ad, are we done now?”

“Chad, I’m asking you one last time and I’m begging you to be honest with me.  Did you sleep with Shelby?  If you did just admit it!  It’s better if you tell me now.  If I find out from someone else that you are lying, we are over!  So tell me the truth, did you sleep with her?”

“Fuck Addie, what do you want me to say?”

“The truth Chad!”

“Dammit Addie, yes I did. We slept together are you fucking happy now?”

“How could you?  We’ve been together for four years.  You are the only person I’ve ever been with!  How could you do that to me?”

“Addie, it was a mistake.  Like I said, she wouldn’t leave me alone.  She followed me home from lacrosse practice one day.  I was tired and no one was home. It was stupid Addie and I’m sorry.  It was one time and I regret it!  I never wanted you to find out.  She means nothing to me baby.  I’m sorry.”

I heard sounds of movement and what sounded like another slap.

“Don’t touch me Chad Reynolds.  Get away from me!”

“Addie come on, I’m sorry!”

“Leave me alone, you asshole!”

“Fine, whatever.  When you calm the fuck down come and find me.”

The door swung open and Chad came out in a huff.  I looked inside the room and Addie was sitting on the edge of the bed crying.  I felt my stomach drop.  I wanted to go to her, to hold her and make her feel better. 
I would never make you cry that way,
I thought.

The liquid courage kicked in and I walked into the room.

“Um… excuse me Addie, are you ok?”

She looked up, eyes puffy and swollen.

“Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“No, really I’m fine.”

“Um… I’m not trying to pry, but I think you deserve better than that.” Liquid courage had obviously taken over the conversation.  She looked at me like she tasted something bitter.

“Do I know you?”

“Me...Oh… um… well.  My name’s Nick.  We’ve had a few classes together.  You’re in my English Class.”

“Oh, right, I remember you sit up front.  You always know the answers. You’re really smart.”

I felt myself turn red.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen you around some.  You’re usually with some other nerdy kid.”

“Um… yeah, that other nerdy kid is my best friend Petey.”

She realized her mistake and put her head down briefly.

“Sorry I didn’t mean anything by that.”

I shrugged. 
Hey, at least she noticed me
, I thought.

“Can I get you a tissue? Maybe something to drink?”

“What are you drinking?”

“I just got some of the punch, do you want some?”

“I don’t want to be any trouble.  Can I just have some of yours?”

“Absolutely,” I practically shoved the cup in her face. 

She took a giant gulp.  It slowly dawned on me that I was standing here, face-to-face with Addie McDaniels.  The girl I had been in love with my entire high school career.  She took a drink and looked up at me through her eyelashes. 
Oh my god she’s gorgeous.  She’s even prettier up close,
I thought.

“Nick, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Do you think I’m pretty?”

The question caught me off guard.  Was Addie McDaniels asking me if
I
thought
she
was pretty?  What the hell was going on?  If it wasn’t for the knot in my stomach I would have thought I was dreaming.  I looked down into the face I’d been dreaming about for years, liquid courage answered for me.

“Addie I think you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.  I think Chad is a very lucky guy, and he’s stupid if he does anything to mess that up.”

She batted her eyelashes at me and then turned away seemingly embarrassed.

“Thank you,” she smiled.

She patted the spot on the bed next to her.  I looked at the spot, then at the open door.  This was my last chance to flee to safety, but did I want to leave?  My obsession was sitting right in front of me, asking for me to sit with her.  I did what anyone would do, I sat.

“So you think I’m that beautiful.”

“Yes, I do.  I would gladly trade places with Chad in a heartbeat.”

“Well Chad is a non-issue at the moment.”

She stood up, set the cup on a night stand and walked across the room to close and lock the door.  The vision of her burned into my memory.  She had on a denim mini skirt, yellow tank top and white summer sweater.  Her hair was loose and fell to her shoulders.  She had on a pink gloss that looked so good on her full lips.  Her honey-brown skin had hints of glitter on it.  She walked back over to the bed and sat next to me again.

“Nicky? Would you like to kiss me?”

I was so shocked all I could do was swallow hard and nod.

She turned to face me and placed her hand on my face, I shivered.  Next, she leaned in and brushed her lips softly against mine.  She tasted like cherries. She pulled back and her scent filled my head.  She smelled like vanilla cupcakes.  I licked my lips, trying to savor the taste.  My eyes fluttered open, and she was watching me. 

“Did you like that Nicky?”  I nodded again.

She leaned in and pressed her lips against mine.  I felt a slick wetness I realized was her tongue.  She coaxed my mouth open with it.  She was exploring my mouth with her tongue. 
God, she’s so soft. 
I had never kissed a girl before, so I was unsure of what to do. I followed her lead.  I gave her my tongue, she sucked on it.  She nipped it with her teeth and sucked on my bottom lip.  I felt a sensation in my lower half I had only experienced in the privacy of my bedroom with thoughts of her running through my mind.  I had fantasies about her more times than I could count but this was so much better.  I grabbed her face gently and entwined my fingers in her hair.  I couldn’t get enough of her taste, her scent.  I was engulfed in her.  She pulled back breathlessly.

“You’re a good kisser Nicky.”

I smiled.  She stood up and unzipped her skirt, it fell to the floor.  She had on white cotton panties with “Bon Jour” written across the front.  She straddled me, grabbed my arms and wrapped them around her.  My hands found her firm rear end.  I squeezed.
Oh my god, I just felt Addie’s ass,
I thought. She dipped her head down to kiss me and I squeezed again.  She moaned into my mouth.  Liquid courage showed up again and took over.  My hands slid from her delicious ass up her back and down to her ass again.  I was slowly exploring her body. Her skin was so soft.  I felt another tug in my jeans.  She kissed me and my hands found their way all over her body.  I reached under her and felt her dampness through her cotton panties.
Holy shit Addie McDaniels is wet for me.
  My hardness was impossible to hide through my jeans and she took notice.

“Do you like me Nicky?” I nodded again.

“Show me.” 

She stood up and stepped out of her panties.  She pushed me back and unbuckled my pants.  My erection fought its way out of its confined space in my boxers.

“Wow, Nicky.  That’s pretty impressive.”

Being the shy guy I was, I was never one that was eager to get undressed in front of other people.  I avoided the locker room like the plague and the times I could not avoid it, I usually changed in the bathroom stall.  I had no idea until that moment that I was “impressive.”  I blushed.  She pulled my jeans off my legs.