Waiting for Perfect (36 page)

“Nick!”
 
He steps up to us, and Kendra
immediately backs away.
 
He offers
her a cup of juice and gives me a plastic smile.
 
“You look great, man.
 
I’m glad you made it.”

The
tension between us is thick.
 
There
are a lot of words we want to say to each other, but we both remain
silent.
 
This is not the time or
place.
 
He gives me a knowing smile
and gently sweeps his hand to Kendra’s lower back, leading her away from me.

 
“Bye, Nick,” she says, offering a
sympathetic smile.
 
I stand on the
dance floor alone, watching the love of my life walk away from me.
 
I guess she’s made her choice.
 
I need to let her go.
 
I need to give up this fight.
 
But how?
 
How can I possibly get this girl out of my mind?
 
She’s everything to me.

SEBASTIAN

That’s
the first time we’ve talked in the last week.
 
I still feel like an asshole for how this whole thing went
down.
 
But I’m completely falling
for Kendra.
 
There’s no going back
now.
 
I need her in my life.

I’m
sitting with Troy and Jeff at one of the tables, watching Kendra dance with her
friends in the middle of the dance floor.
 
She looks breathtaking in that dress.
 
My heart almost stopped when I first saw her in it.
 
Her creamy skin is flawless under the purple
fabric, and her hair in loose spirals looks incredible.
 
I think about pulling it when I kiss
her later, making her gasp in pleasurable pain.
 
Okay, I’ve really got to knock off these thoughts.

Jeff
nudges me, and my eyes unglue from Kendra.
 
“What’s up?” I ask.

He
nods in the direction of the door.
 
“Look who just showed up.”

Ryan
Morgan is coming through the gym door.
 
He’s wearing a white tux with a red bow tie that matches his date’s red
dress.
 
He has his usual cocky
smirk on his face that I want to slap off of him.
 
My body instantly tenses, like the air changed when he
arrived, causing electric currents that put my whole being on edge.

Troy
speaks up, “No fighting tonight, guys.
 
Our girlfriends will kill us.”

“Agreed,”
says Jeff.
 
“Sebastian?
 
You cool, dude?”

My
eyes lock with Ryan’s when he sees me.
 
He drops his smile and narrows his eyes.
 
We acknowledge each other with mutual contempt.

“For
now,” I say.
 
“But if he starts any
shit, he’s a dead man.”

The
girls are laughing when they get back to the table.
 
Kendra walks over to me and kisses my cheek.
 
I grab her waist and sit her down on my
lap.
 
“Have I told you how
beautiful you look tonight?”

She
giggles.
 
“A few times.
 
And thank you.
 
I tried to look nice for you now that
you’ll be the star basketball player this year.”

I
smile, happy to have gotten the acceptance from the coach yesterday.
 
I nuzzle my face into her neck and
whisper in her ear.
 
“You never
have to
try
to look nice.
 
You steal my breath every time I see
you.”

I
feel her melt into my arms, my words having the desired effect.
 
I can’t get enough of this girl.
 
I wrap my arms around her and squeeze
her close to me.

She
puts her hands on my thighs to push herself to stand, and then looks to
Lexi.
 
“I’m going to the
restroom.
 
Want to come?”

I’ll
never understand why girls have to go to the bathroom together.
 
Another song starts, and Lexi squeals.

“Sorry,
Kendra.
 
I love this song.
 
Troy has to dance with me to this
one.”
 
She stands and pulls Troy
onto the dance floor.
 
He looks at
us with pleading eyes, and we laugh.

“I’ll
be right back,” Kendra says to me.

I
grab her hand.
 
“Do you want me to
go with you?” I ask.

She
shakes her head.
 
“No, it’s
okay.
 
I’ll be right back.”

I
watch as she prances off.
 
Her legs
look amazing in those high heels.

I
hear Jeff say, “You are totally sprung.”

I
smile.
 
“Yep.
 
Completely.”

He
laughs.
 
“Good.
 
Kendra’s cool.
 
I think you guys are good together.”

I’m
watching Nick and Candace across the room.
 
I’m kind of amazed that he’s here.
 
And with Candace.
 
I wonder if they might have a thing for each other.
 
Probably not.
 
Nick is in love with my girlfriend.
 
Shit.
 
I wonder if he’s going to get over this.
 
We live in the same house, in the same
bedroom for Christ’s sake.
 
How are
we supposed to keep avoiding each other?

And
what the hell was he doing dancing with her earlier?
 
She chose me.
 
He needs to stop trying.
 
I
am positive he would steal her away in an instant if he could.
 
But she wouldn’t go to him, right?
 
It’s
me
she chose.
 
It’s
me
she wants to be with.
 
I replay the sight of them dancing
together.
 
He needs to keep his
hands off what is mine.

Ten
minutes have gone by, and Kendra is still not back.
 
She has probably met up with some friends and is chatting
away.
 
I scan the room to see if I
can find her, but I don’t see her anywhere.
 
My eyes try to find Nick.
 
If he snuck off after her to try to convince her of his
undying love or some shit, I’m going to kill him.

Just
when I’m getting worked up about Nick trying to steal Kendra from me, I see him
with Candace by the punch bowl.
 
What
the heck?
 
Where can she be?

All
at once, a cold sweat breaks out across my forehead.
 
Morgan.
 
He saw
me here.
 
He must know I’m here
with Kendra.
 
My eyes desperately
search for her again, but come up with nothing.
 
I sit up straight in my chair, my eyes scanning the gym for
Ryan.

Jeff
notices my behavior.
 
He leans over
to ask quietly, “What’s up, man?”

“Kendra.
 
She’s not back yet.
 
And I don’t see Morgan either.”
 
My eyes squint to focus in on the deepest
corners of the gym, trying to find him.
 
Still, I see nothing.
 
“Shit,
man.
 
I’m going to look for
her.”
 
I stand up.

“You
want me to come with you?”
 
He
starts to stand.

I
shake my head.
 
“No.
 
No, stay here in case she comes
back.
 
Make her stay here to wait
for me.
 
I need to make sure she’s
okay.”

“I’ll
stay right here.
 
Come get us if
you need us.
 
You know we’ll back
you up.”

“Thanks,
man.
 
I’ll be right back.”

I
walk over to the huge line of girls waiting for the women’s restroom.
 
I wait there for a few minutes,
thinking she might still be in there if she had to wait in that line.
 
Several girls come out over the next
few minutes, but none of them is Kendra.
 
When I see Megan emerge from the door, I grab her arm.

“Megan,
is Kendra in there?”

“Well,
hello, Sebastian.
 
My, don’t you
look delicious tonight.”
 
Her eyes
rove over me.
 
I actually feel
violated.

“Megan,
this is serious.
 
I can’t find
her.
 
Is she in there?”
 
I can see in her eyes she doesn’t give
a shit about Kendra.

She
takes a step closer to me and, without even hesitating, kisses me right on the
lips.
 
She locks me into her arms
and crushes her mouth to mine.
 
I’m
trying to break away from her when the bathroom door flies open.

Over
Megan’s shoulder, I see Kendra.
 
Seeing her beautiful face fall, I yank myself away from Megan.
 
But it’s too late.
 
Kendra is already running in the opposite
direction to escape me.

“Shit,
Megan!
 
You’re such a bitch!
 
You knew she was going to be coming
out.
 
You set that up!
 
What is wrong with you?”

I
turn to go after Kendra and hear Megan yelling to me.
 
“Forget about her!
 
I’m the whole package, Sebastian.
 
You’ll never be satisfied with her!”

I
ignore her and run after Kendra.
 
I’m pretty sure she ran into the building attached to the gym, where some
classrooms are located.
 
I walk
through the door, and into the hallway.
 
The music fades as the door shuts behind me.

“Kendra!”
I call out.
 
The hallway is
dark.
 
There are only a few lights
that illuminate my path.
 
I can’t
see a damn thing.
 
“Kendra!
 
Please!
 
It’s not what it looked like.
 
I promise you!”
 
I walk farther away from the gym in the direction I think she ran.
 
“Please!
 
Can we talk about this?”

The
farther I walk into the hallway, the darker it gets.
 
I wonder now if I was wrong, and she didn’t come this way at
all.
 
I stop to listen if I can
hear anything.
 
When I don’t, I
turn back around toward the gym.
 
I’ll
go back to our table to see if she’s there.
 
She might have run to Lexi.
 
Dammit!
 
I need
to find her and fix this.

KENDRA

“It’s
not what it looked like.
 
I promise
you!
 
Please!
 
Can we talk about this?”

I
hear him yelling for me, but I can’t even look at him right now.
 
I knew I shouldn’t have trusted
him!
 
I knew it!
 
I’m crouching behind some lockers,
hoping he doesn’t walk all the way back here and find me.
 
I need for him to leave me alone right
now.

I
gave him my heart.
 
I let myself
fall for him.
 
I knew better!
 
I knew he would hurt me.
 
How could I have been so stupid?
 
I try to keep my breath steady.
 
I don’t want him to hear me cry.
 
I don’t want him to see the tears I’m
crying over him.
 
I feel like an
idiot!

I
waited in line forever to go to the bathroom.
 
Megan was in line in front of me.
 
I tried not to talk to her, but she insisted on making small
talk.
 
Then she told me that she
and Sebastian have been seeing each other behind my back.
 
She admitted it was wrong and told me
she felt awful about it.
 
I didn’t
believe her.
 
I didn’t want to
believe her.
 
I locked myself in
the stall and waited for her to leave before I came out.
 
I didn’t want to hear her
bullshit.
 
But when I came out of
that bathroom and saw him kissing her, I lost it.
 
I had to believe her.
 
I hate Megan.
 
I realize now
she’s never been my friend.

I
hear his footsteps grow quieter as he walks away.
 
Either he’s looking for me elsewhere or he’s giving up.
 
He knows I know.
 
Maybe he’ll just go be with Megan now.

Oh
my God, how is this happening?
 
I
thought we were happy.
 
I thought
he was happy with me.
 
I am a fool.
 
I knew he was a player.
 
Did I think I’d be the one to change
him?
 
Am I actually
that
girl?
 
The one that dates the bad boy, thinking she can change
him.
 
I am.
 
God, I hate myself right now.
 
I hate Megan.
 
I hate Sebastian for making me fall in love with him and
then ruining me.

When
I hear the door shut, I stand up and straighten my dress.
 
I just want to go home.
 
I walk down the hall toward the exit that
leads outside.
 
It’s nearly pitch
black in here, and the only thing I see is the red exit sign hanging above the
door.
 
I walk toward it, sniffing
back tears and cursing myself.

Before
I can reach the exit, I hear the gym door open again.
 
I really don’t want Sebastian to see what he’s reduced me
to.
 
I hurry to the exit door
before he can see me.
 
I push the
door handle to get out of here to call Derrick for a ride home, but the door
doesn’t budge.
 
It’s locked.

I
sigh heavily, feeling the weight of the night bearing down on me.
 
Now I have to walk toward Sebastian,
listen to him give me bullshit excuses, and walk through the gym with tears and
makeup streaming down my face.
 
Like my peers don’t already have enough material to gossip about
me.
 
This will just add to my
demise.

I
turn around and start walking toward the gym.
 
Sebastian is only a silhouette in the dark.
 
He’s standing midway down the hall
waiting for me.
 
He doesn’t say a
word.
 
I know he’s probably feeling
guilty that he got caught cheating on me.
 
I’m glad.
 
I hope he feels
like shit.
 
He and Megan are
perfect together.

When
I get closer to him, I say, “Leave me alone, Sebastian.
 
I don’t want to hear your excuses right
now.”
 
I keep walking, but he
doesn’t say anything.

I’m
about five feet away from him when a dim light from one of the classrooms
lights up the side of his face.
 
I
am very familiar with that face, and it is not Sebastian’s.

“Kendra.
 
Beautiful Kendra.
 
I was wondering when we’d be alone
together again.”
  
He keeps
his voice low and takes a step forward.

“Ryan.”
 
I step back, but I already know the
other door is locked.
 
I’m trapped
in this hallway.

“Aren’t
you happy to see me?” he asks.

I
try to remain calm.
 
Maybe I can
talk him out of this.
 
“Ryan, you
don’t want to do this.”

“Do
what, Kendra?
 
I was hoping we
could just talk.”

“Talk?
 
About what?” I take another step back.

He
moves closer.
 
“Hillary Brooks.”

“Hillary?
 
What about Hillary?”
 
Where is he going with this?

“Oh,
didn’t you hear?
 
Hillary filed
charges against me yesterday.
 
She
named you as another victim.
 
Three
others have already agreed to testify against me.”

What?
 
Five girls?
 
He’s done this to five girls?
 
He takes another slow step toward me.
 
He’s lost in the shadows.
 
Even though he’s only a few feet from
me, I can’t even see his face.

 
“You’re sick, Ryan.
 
You need help.”

He
laughs sadistically.
 
“Since I’m
probably going to jail, I needed to see you one last time.”

“Why?
 
Why me?”
 
I back up.
 
The
exit door is about ten feet away.
 
I know I’m trapping myself by walking toward it, but there’s nowhere
else to go.

He
steps closer, and I continue to back up.
 
Finally, my heel hits the door behind me.
 
Ryan closes in until he is inches from my face.
 
It’s so dark that I barely see him, but
I can feel his hot breath.
 
He
grabs each of my wrists and pulls them above my head.
 
I try to break free, but he’s stronger than me.
 

“Why,
Ryan?
 
Why me?”
 
I’m yelling now, but I know with the
music blaring in the other room, no one will hear me.

“Because
we were interrupted before, and you were the only girl I didn’t get to
finish.
 
So we’re going to remedy
that right now.”

He
moves both my wrists into one of his large hands and runs his other hand down
my body, cupping my ass and pressing me close to him.
 
He leans in and kisses me on the lips.
 
I try to turn my head, but he moves his
hand under my jaw and forces me to be still.
 
He shoves his tongue into my mouth, and I bite down hard.

“Bitch!”
he screams.
 
Then I feel a hard
slap across my face.
 
The sting
shocks me.
 
I try to gasp for
breath, but when I open my mouth, he’s shoving his tongue in again.
 
He moves to kiss my neck, his hand
still holding my arms together above me.

“Help!”
I scream.
 
“Somebody help me!”
 
I know no one will come.
 
They can’t hear me.
 
I try to remember something Sebastian
taught me that day in the gym.
 
He
taught me a few kicks.
 
If I don’t
fight, I will never have a chance against Ryan.
 
I contemplate a mere second before I bring up my knee and
kick him full force between his legs.

He
releases my wrists and doubles over in pain.
 
I break away from him and start running for the gym door,
but he’s right behind me.
 
Before I
can reach the door, I feel cold fingers wrap around my ankle, pulling me
back.
 
I fall to the ground,
hitting my face on the floor.
 
He
drags me toward him.

“You’re
not going anywhere, Kendra.
 
Tonight, we finish this.”

Pain
stabs through my head and nose.
 
I
taste blood in my mouth.
 
My nose
must be bleeding.
 
I’m dazed from
hitting the ground.

He’s
dragging me by both ankles toward the back door, into the darkness.
 
I know I need to fight him.
 
I gather as much strength as I can find
and start flailing my legs wildly.
 
One of my legs gets free, and I’m thrashing and kicking, trying to break
away from him.
 
Suddenly, he’s on
top of me, straddling me.
 
He slaps
me again across the face.
 
I can’t
even see him in the dark.
 
I wonder
how he can see me.
 
He hits me
again.

“Please!
 
Ryan, please stop!”
 
I plead with him, but he seems to be
enjoying the fight.
 
He is trying
to pry my legs apart with his knees.
 
I am hitting his back, his head, anything to try to stop him.

Then,
I feel his hands come down on my throat.
 
Instantly, panic rises up in me.
 
He’s going to kill me.
 
He’s
gone completely mad.
 
I’m clawing
at his hands, trying to get them off my windpipe.
 
I can’t breathe.
 
I’m scratching at his face, but he just grips harder, cutting off my
oxygen.
 
My legs are losing
strength, and he pries them open easily and presses himself against me.

“Shhh,
Kendra.
 
You will enjoy this.
 
They all do.”

My
arms lose feeling.
 
I can’t breath
anymore.
 
The darkness goes darker
until I can’t see anything but black.