“I’m sorry you guys but I don’t think I can make it.” I said dejectedly.
“Why?” Jamie asked hitting my back with a pillow.
“I’m going out with Aaron that night.”
“Again?” James asked with a frown. “You came back tonight instead of tomorrow morning. You’re wearing your clothes instead of his. And your hair is still in place. Those are signs of a bad date.”
“Is someone jealous?” I teased as I lay on my bed beside Jamie.
“What do you think?” he said as he folded his hands across his chest.
“I came back early cause his sis went into labor, I was at the hospital with him before I came back.” I mock-frowned.
“You poor thing,” Jamie said as she wrapped her arms around me and patted my back sympathetically.
“I will survive. But it’s not that, his brother in law invited me to their family barbeque.”
“Already met the in laws, I see.” Allyson said
“Well I promised Aaron, I would go as his date, and I can’t go back on that.”
“Or you’re simply avoiding a certain somebody you kissed.” Jamie said.
“Don’t be ridiculous, I’ve kissed tons of guys I have no feelings for, why should his case be any different?”
“You tell us” Allyson said “why does he have you all rattled up. I’m guessing you do have feelings for him.”
“This doesn’t make sense.” I said giving her the death glare. “I’ve had feelings for Aaron for as long as I can remember…and now that I know he has feelings for me too, I instantly like someone else?”
“The thrill is over.” James added.
“That’s ridiculous.” I paused… "but I really want to go for Maggie’s party.”
“Then you’ll have to make a choice….” Allyson said in that her sweet innocent voice.
I smiled as I looked at Jamie, she smiled back. I love that we have similar functioning evil brains, and I could tell she was thinking the same thing I was.
“……or come up with a plan.” We said together.
“What do you need that for?” Allyson asked as she was entered the room.
“You never know.”I said flipping through the pages of the book I was reading. It was 'the art of war' by Sun Tzu.
I know what you’re thinking, what am I thinking, but I have to be prepared. I have to find a way to let Aaron down gently so that I couldn’t go to the masquerade ball.
So you’re choosing Jeremy over Aaron, you ask? Oh hell no, but I’m choosing a masquerade ball over Aaron. It may not seem like I have my priorities straight right now, but it’s A MASQUERADE BALL, I definitely have my priorities in order, trust me.
Shame on me, I know. But honestly, I feel like everything isn’t real, somehow. I mean, I’ve known Jeremy for less than a week now, I’ve seen him only twice, the night we kissed and the day he came to see me (you know, the memorable day Aaron asked me out) but I feel like I’m falling for him. How weird is that?
And Aaron, I’ve been in love with him since forever and now I MIGHT have found someone else I could have been interested in, he asks me out. In one night, the night of our first date, I met his whole family. His brother in law, his parents, his brother in law’s parent. What the hell? Last night, I didn’t notice but today, this morning it’s overwhelming. That’s why I chose the masquerade ball.
Everything has a pattern. Aaron and I, we date for a couple of months. He thinks I’m really amazing but is scared to take me home. Finally, we have a huge fight that threatens our relationship, then he realizes he loves me more than anything, THEN he takes me home to meet his family. P.s, I’m not twisted, it’s just how I think.
“You know what, you’re right. I’m not going to need this.” I said flinging the book on the coffee table beside my bed “So what do you want to do?” I asked Allyson.
Although she was roommate, she was the person I spent least time with. There was just something ‘innocent’ about her that made me uncomfortable. She was a good person. Nice, sweet, adorable and everyone loved her. I can’t remember the last time I met anyone like that, kindergarten maybe. Between, trucker mouth Jamie, gay James, teaser Aaron, troublesome Maggie, and skanky me—Allyson was just unique.
“I don’t know…I was just with James, and you know how he is about carbs…he didn’t let me get ice cream.” She said.
“Perfect,” I said springing up from my bed “let’s go get ice cream” I added. “I’m suddenly craving.”
Allyson’s smile was her way of agreeing with me. She smiled her sweet innocent, babyish, smile that everyone loved…it made me want to shoot her in the face, in a good way. How?
No one was that innocent. Lets say, me shooting her in the face would send her to the hospital and on her death bed she realizes all her life she has been pretending to be innocent then she survive and decides to be crazy and wild like her awesome roommate, me, thus becoming a better person hence me saving her by letting her be her REAL self...so it is actually a good thing.
“You’re right, caramel is fantastic.” Allyson said to me as she ate her ice cream."Can't believe I've never tried it."
I couldn’t think of an appropriate response, I didn’t know what to say to her. We were rarely alone together, and when we were, there was no need for conversation. I wanted to change all that but I didn’t how to. “Next round we’ll try the hazelnut.”
“We’re going for a next round?” she asked surprised “James will never forgive us.” She laughed.
“Oh, he’ll get over it.” I said. At that moment, I realized that she spent more time with James than she did with me or Jamie, that was probably why she had to consult with James, even mentally before she did anything. “you know we’re ALL friends, right?”
“Of course.”
“…so you can come to Jamie and I also, if you need anything, not just James.”
“I know.” She mumbled.
“Then, why don’t you?” I asked. And for some weird reason, I knew Jamie and I were partially at fault. Maybe we pushed her away, maybe we didn’t try enough to include her in what we were doing or maybe we (and by we, I mean Jamie) made too much fun of her. I don’t make fun of people, it’s not my style.
When she didn’t answer, I chose not to prod her. “So what are you wearing to the masquerade ball tomorrow…how about we go shopping?” I added excitedly.
“Yeah, I’d love that.” She looked excited too.
“Great--” I started to say when I saw Jeremy walk in to the ice cream shop we were in. He looked gorgeous with his shaggy hazel brown hair, his light eyes, and his fit body, and soft pink lips, and those magic hands, and---
“—lanie, Melanie…”Allyson called snapping me out of my reverie “You’re moping.” She said
“Oh,” I said as Jeremy looked over to where we were, I immediately dug into my cup of ice cream, hoping he wouldn’t come over.
If he wasn’t going to come over, I’ll never know. “Hey Jeremy.” Allyson called waving him over. “Play it cool,” she whispered to me. “We haven’t seen you since that night.” She said to him when he reached our table.
“Yeah, I know…but we never actually saw before that. So there really isn't any difference.” He said with a soft smile.
“But we’re friends now, aren’t we?” she said turning on her best puppy dog face, there was no way he was going to say no to that.
“Yeah we are.” He said. “Melanie….” He said looking at me.
I loved the way he said my name. “Jeremy…hey” I said.
“I’ll be right back.” Allyson said getting up from the table. “…hazelnut.” She said pointing to her now empty cup. Bitch.
I smiled at Jeremy, I didn’t want things to be awkward. More awkward than the oozing sexual chemistry between us. I could feel him undress me in his mind, and I relived every moment of that night in an instant second. “So, what brings a good looking guy like you, to a shady place like this.” I said gesturing to the white, and coffee brown shop.
He laughed, it was the first time I heard him laugh, it was nice. “What can I say, I like it bad.”
“I’ll say.” I smiled
There was that awkward silence again. I looked at him, his smile was gone. He had on his tortured, I’m-so-deep look on again.
“Melanie, I came by to offer you an explanation but you were with that guy..” he said, I saw jealousy flash when he said ‘that guy’, not a furious kind, just a mild one, I liked it “…I shouldn’t have kissed you..” he said.
“You shouldn’t have kissed me or you shouldn’t have run away after you did?” I asked.
“Its complicated.”
“Trust me, I know complicated, I’m living complicated right now.”
“I like you Melanie, I really do.” He said and then looked down at my lips “and I want to kiss you again.” his eyes fell to my cleavage “…and I want to touch you again….” He said, then he reached for the tip of my falling hair, and played with it lightly “…and I want to pass my fingers through your hair.”
As he said every phrase, it didn’t make any sense. We didn’t even know each other, why so much chemistry? “Why don’t you?” I asked, even as I did I knew it was mistake, I was with Aaron now…I think.
“Because I can’t.” He said, he finally looked back at my face into my eyes, he inched forward to kiss me again, I was ready.
“I have to go.” He said.
“Again?” I asked “You won’t even get your ice cream?” I asked
“I don’t need it…see you around.” He said before leaving.
I let out a deep grunt as Allyson came back...i was angry at her for leaving me with him but I was also grateful. I knew it wasn’t her I was really angry at...it was a certain heir to a multi million dollar fortune that was also the teaching assistant to my psychology professor. I mean Jeremy, I’m angry at Jeremy.
“Room, now!!!” I said getting up from the table and storming away.
“…he lead me on...and then ran away…AGAIN.” I said to Jamie and Allyson, James was nowhere to be found. “I never want to be in the same room with him again, I can’t stand him.” I said. The two girls just watched me as I paced “or do I go in the sexiest looking gown I can find and tease him as well, I know he likes me. He indirectly said it. Well, actually, he directly said it.” I said
“But you can’t let Aaron down.” Allyson said. She was right. “You have to make a choice...Mel.”
“You’re right…wait, maybe I could go for the both of them.” I added.
“The only fucking way you can pull a messed up stunt like that is if you can effing be in both places at the same motherfreaking time.” Jamie laughed.
She just gave me an idea…. “who said anything, about the same time?”
To be continued...........
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