“You don’t understand, Dave,” I said, as he lead us into a bedroom at the end of the hall. “Tay cannot get caught...”
“We won’t, we won’t.I know he’s got his image to uphold,” Dave said, his tone rather biting.
“Well what’s your plan then?”
Dave smirked and opened the closet door, “Ladies first.”
“What kind of girl do you think I am?” I asked. “Pervert...” I mumbled.
“The cops don’t really go over the place with a fine-toothed comb. Trust me, I’ve done this through about a thousand parties,” he explained as Tay and I crawled on the floor and into the corner of the dark closet. Dave followed, clicking off the light and shutting the closet door. We pulled some random blankets that were piled on the floor over our heads... just in case.
“I can’t breathe,” I said, choking on the blanket that reeked of mothballs.
“Shh.”
Someone’s hand slid up my thigh. Not knowing which boy it was because we were all jumbled and tangled and unable to see, I simply slid it back off, praying it was Tay’s. We sat that way for a long time. I thought I’d be in that closet for the rest of my life. Then we heard footsteps on the stairs and voices. I think I stopped breathing. One of them squeezed my hand as the voices passed the closet. We waited for a long time, and then Dave whispered that we had to leave. He instructed that we were to climb out of the window, climb down the tree next to it, and run through the backyard.
“You do realize that we’re on the second floor,” I said, hushed.
“Yea, but the kid’s parents are probably home now.”
“You always do everything the hard way,” I whispered. We tiptoed silently to the window, and Dave shimmied down expertly.
“Dude, this is kinda scary,” I whispered to Tay.
“It’s dangerous. My parents will lock me in our house forever if anyone finds out about this.”
“I think someone’s coming!” I heard muffled footsteps in the hall. “Go!” I pushed him to the window. As soon as he was on the ground, I started out the window. The door to the room we were in cracked open.
“Jump!” Dave instructed when I made him aware of the person that had entered the room. If they went even near the window, they’d see me clinging to the tree. “I’ll catch you!”
“Are you drunk?” I whispered loudly.
“Just jump,” Tay called up.
I saw the shadow approach the window, and although it took all my courage, I let go of the branch I was dangling from. I careened throught the air, trying not to scream, and landed in Dave’s arms.
“Shh,” Dave put his finger to my lips. I wished he wouldn’t keep holding my waist like that in front of Taylor.
The shadow of the figure moved closer to the window and spotted us. We could see his mouth open wide, but before he could say anything, we too off running through the neighbor’s yard. We made a mad rush from that yard across the street, down two blocks, and stopped in the park.
“Dude,” I huffed, “didn’t you leave your car there?”
“I gave the keys to Heidi.”
“What about my brothers?” Tay wondered.
“They went with her.”
“So how are we supposed to get home?” I asked, “We’re like twenty miles away and Heidi doesn’t have a cell phone.”
“Relax, relax,” Dave clamed me. “We can walk to a payphone and call them. They’ll come pick us up.”
Crossing through the park, we walked about a half mile to a fast food place. “So,” I sighed as I held out my hand for change, “whose house did they go to?”
Dave’s face looked puzzled. “I dunno...”
“You don’t know?”
“I didn’t think to ask.”
“Now what?” I put the receiver down.
“Call everywhere.” I did. I called my house, Tay’s house, Dave’s house, Oscar’s house, Muf’s house, and a few random numbers Dave told me. They weren’t anywhere.
“Well?”
“We can walk.”
“I don’t think so. Besides, I’m half crippled, and Tay needs to be home very soon.”
“I can call this kid James I know who lives around here.”
I glanced sideways at Taylor. “James Einway?” Taylor asked.
“You know him?” Dave was surprised.
“Wait,” I put my hand on Tay’s arm, “James as in James from that time we played football?” Tay nodded.
“You know him, too?”
“He tried to rape me in the middle of the night.”
“Oh, so you do know him,” Dave laughed.
“It’s not f*@$ing funny!” I punched him in the arm. “I’m being serious.”
“You can sit in the backseat,” Dave had a smirk on his face as he pushed past me to make the phone call.
“I don’t believe this,” I said to Tay, angrily crossing my arms over my chest.
“It will be okay,” Tay offered, half-heartedly.
“Chill, Tayler,” Dave pressed the numbers on the phone, “He probably wasn’t serious anyway.”
“So you think I’m lying?” I was really angry as Dave started talking into the phone. He put his finger in his ear to block me out.
“I don’t believe this!” I repeated.
When Dave finished talking on the phone, he elbowed me, saying, “Dude, do yo wanna walk home?”
That suddenly struck me as really evil, and I smacked him really hard across his face, “F*CK YOU!”
His mouth wide open, surprised as hell, Dave put his hand up to his face without saying a word.
“I really hate you,” I growled, and stormed away. Could he really not care that James had like attacked me in the middle of the night? And how dare he say that James was joking! Someone grabbed my arm hard, and spun me around. “Let go of me, a$$hole!” I tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but Dave’s fingers dug into my skin. “Ow! Let me go!” The look in his eyes really scared me. He was so much bigger than I was, so much stronger...
“Guys,” Tay said calmly, pushing us apart, “Come on.”
Neither Dave nor I said a word, and Dave just kept staring at me in that evil way.
“Stop,” Tay’s voice was soft as he spoke to us.
Looking away from Dave’s eyes, I could feel my arm throbbing where his had had curled around it.
Taylor took me gently by the arm and lead me away from Dave. His hand seemed to cool the throbbing of my elbow. Taking me by the shoulders, he directed me to sit on a damp picnic table that was outside the restaurant. “Are you okay?” his voice was almost at a whisper.
I nodded, little tears forming at the corners of my eyes. I was upset, but I refused to let Dave make me cry. I looked behing Tay. Dave was nothing but a shadow by the payphone, lighting a stog.
“I really don’t believe he’s being so nonchalant,” I sighed, rubbing my eyes. Tay didn’t say a word as he sat down next to me. I half-laughed, “And I can’t believe I hit him.” Tay smiled. Sighing, I buried my head in Tay’s shoulder.
Speaking for the first time, Tay asked quietly, “Are you gonna stay at my house tonight?”
“If you’ll have me.”
“I’d have you anytime you’d let me have you,” he replied with a smirk.
“I’m not talking to him anymore,” I said matter of factly, throwing me keyes on the living room floor after I told the whole story to Heidi.
“That was harsh of him,” Heidi agreed.
“He thought it was really funny, too. He’s all asking James about his love life and if he’s gotten any lately, and if he’d ever met me before.God, he’s such an ass sometimes!”
“What was James like?”
“At first he was kinda wigging out, but then he thought he was all cool cuz Dave was going along with it. I’m really pissed,” I threw my keys on the floor of the hallway and took Tay’s hand to lead him upstairs. “Is my mother here?”
“She’s in her room.”
I walked up the stairs and popped my head in my mother’s room. She was reading. “Why are you still awake?”
“How did it go?”
“Pretty well.”
“I’m going to go to sleep now,” my mother smiled.
“I’m staying at Tay’s tonight. If Dave calls anytime, tell him I don’t wish to speak to him anymore.”
“What happened?”
“We’re talking about Dave here, Mom.”
She laughed and turned the light out. I lead Tay into my room where I gathered stuff together. “I know it seems like I’m getting pissed over nothing, but I really can’t believe Dave was being like that. My best friend is supposed to be there for me, and understand...”
“Robinson,” Tay patted my hand, “I understand.”
“He’s just so mean to me sometimes,” I sighed, resting my head on Tay’s shoulder.
He kissed the top of my head, “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for? You’re nothing but sweet to me.”
“I’m sorry I can’t prevent him from hurting you.”
I blushed, “Don’t say things like that... you’re too nice to me.” There was a strangely uncomfortavle silence, and I sighed. “I’m ready to go.”
“Huh?” he looked shock.
“To your house?” I reminded him.
“Oh,” he blushed.
“What did you think I meant?”
“Um, nothing,” he looked embarrassed.
