MORE THAN THAT
Chapter Seventeen

Friday, October 31, 2003

Every year, the students of Saint Edmund's had no school on Halloween day because of a faculty retreat. Like always, the teenagers got wild whenever they had a day off, especially when Halloween was involved. It was just like them to go out and smoke some weed or get drunk. They would toilet paper someone's house and bomb it with eggs. All the students tried to top each other with the biggest Halloween prank, then retreat to a costume party.

This year the party was at a senior, Amanda Walsh's, house. Therefore, the party was made up mainly of seniors. There were a large number of juniors, a variety of sophomores, and very few freshmen.

It was a new atmosphere for Jack. The last time he had been to a Halloween party was in the sixth grade. In the years after that, he would hang around his friends’ houses.

So far, the evening was going great. They didn't care if they pulled the best prank, because either way they enjoyed it. Their religion teacher, Mr. Shivers, was their target this year. Toilet paper cascaded over his trees and house. They had thrown stink bombs in his garbage cans and placed eggs underneath his welcome mat. Hannah and Christina had stuck their gum on his doorknob, while the boys sprayed silly string everywhere that there was toilet paper. After they were done, they took a picture for a keepsake of the night. Jack was delighted to be in on the whole thing.

Here they were at the party. Everyone was lively, but some of them were puking. It was only fifteen minutes into the hour of ten and people were already drunk. Jack followed close behind his friends as they entered the house. The scenery glowed with a dark green light. There were spider web decorations on the walls. The room was clouded with smoke. He wasn't sure if it was part of the scenery or if they were smoking way too much in there. Other than that, the place looked great.

The music was so loud that he had to cover his ears. His friends were yelling into each other’s ears just to get across what they were saying.

"It's so hot in here!" Hannah yelled.

"Are you gonna complain now? You just said you were freezing outside!" Fabrizio yelled back. Hannah had come dressed in a Playboy bunny outfit. The only thing she had to keep warm was the peacoat she had worn.

"Ah!" Hannah screamed, and hit Fabrizio for squeezing her bunny tail.

"You know you like it, babe!" Fabrizio said, and kissed her.

"You guys certainly came dressed as a cute couple!" Christina said to them. "This just proves what you are, Fabri! The playboy emperor, Hugh Hefner!" Christina said.

"Damn right I am, little miss girl scout!" he responded. Christina had had Tommy come with her as a boy scout. Jack looked at the couples’ matching costumes and smiled. He was the only one there without a partner, so he had decided to come as a priest for some amusement.

"Look at this one here! He comes with us to give us his blessing!" Tommy commented to Jack, who had a smirk on his face.

"It's not my job to forgive your sins but the Lord himself!" Jack said, and they laughed at him.

"Ooh! Tommy, babe, we have to dance! This is my song!" Christina said, and grabbed Tommy's hand. She started to sing Milkshake, by Kelis. "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and they be like it's better than yours. Damn right it's better than yours! I could teach you but I have to charge!"

"I'm gonna go munch on some candy!" Fabrizio said.

"Fine! But don't be gone too long! Don't want the evening to be cut short by you eating too much!" Hannah said.

Fabrizio went to the candy table while Hannah stayed with Jack. Hannah was talking to him, but his eyes were searching for Rose. So far, he hadn't even mentioned her name, but the image of her face was imprinted in his head.

"Tell Fabri I went to the little girls’ room!" Hannah told him. He nodded his head and she ran off.

Jack thought of his two friends, Christina and Hannah. They were beautiful, just like Rose. If they weren't dating Tommy or Fabrizio, he would most definitely be into them. But, of course, that wouldn't be the case if Rose was available to him, either. Rose was just so different. He was drawn to her. It was like a magnetic force. Her beauty hypnotized him. The fact that he knew she was taken just made him want her more.

He took a beer that one of his friends from art gave him. Jack didn't bother to take a sip of it. He looked down on the floor, still only thinking of the same old thing.

In an instant, he jerked his head up. It was like he had an aura whenever Rose was around. He saw her beautiful face and red tendrils blowing. Her presence lit up the whole room. The music was blocked off and he could no longer hear the voices in the room. The only thing that existed in the room were the two of them.

*****

Rose wasn't really thrilled about being at the party. For all she cared, she could have stayed at home, giving candy to the trick-or-treaters. Of course, Cal had used his possessive ways to sway her to come.

She was the only one dressed differently in the group. Cal and the others were dressed like they had come from the mafia or something. Lovejoy looked like a bodyguard. Rose nearly laughed when she saw him. Cal had tried to make her match up with him, but she had refused. She already had her costume, and she had desperately wanted to dress up in it for a very long time.

Rose had come as the laundry maid, Madeleine, from the movie Quills. The costumes Kate Winslet had worn fascinated her, so she had had her costume custom made for her so it could be exact. Cal had wanted her to change because the dress made her breasts look more full and brought them up, showing a lot of cleavage. He had almost hit her, but his friends were right behind him. The only friend of Cal's who knew of his brutal behavior was Lovejoy. Other than that, she looked absolutely gorgeous, and he knew it. Her hair was worn just as it was in the movie. Some of her hair was tied back, while much of it was loose; she had even worn the head wrap.

Already she wanted to leave the party. It just seemed like every other party she'd been to. People were getting drunk, high, or both. There were people passed out on the lawn, throwing up on the porch, passed out on the porch, throwing up on the lawn, or both. The music was so loud that it racked her nerves.

When she got inside the house, everyone was either making out with someone or dancing. Other people were standing around, drinking and talking with their friends.

She spotted Christina, dancing very close to Tommy. Rose smiled at how cute they were together. She had to admit, their costumes were adorable. In the crowd, she could see Hannah running around with her bunny ears. She ran up to Fabrizio, who was obviously dressed as Hugh Hefner in the red robe, and gave him a huge hug.

Then she spotted Jack. Nothing else in the room existed to her but him. He was staring straight ahead at her. The room made him look very mysterious. His eyes stood out, but his blonde hair looked like another color. In his priest outfit, he resembled Joaquin Phoenix when he was in Quills. Very strange, but true.

"Come on, sweetpea, we're dancing!" Cal grabbed her hand and brought her to the middle of the room, breaking away all her thoughts. His back was facing Jack. Rose had her chin on Cal's shoulder, and stared at Jack as he looked away. Cal pulled away from Rose and looked into her eyes. She looked back at him. "I love you, Rose." He tilted his head forward and kissed her. It felt more like a controlling way than passionate. However, it felt good to her. She rested her head back on his shoulder and saw that Jack was not there.

*****

Watching them kiss was excruciating. The red cup that had beer in it was emptied with one big gulp. It ended up crushed and dropped onto the floor. By now, it was being dragged and tossed around by people's feet.

He went into the kitchen and grabbed a new cup. He filled it with beer from the keg and once again gulped it down. Jack wasn't a drinker at all, but he had a craving for it now. It was a huge adrenaline rush. After finishing that beer, he took another and another. The room began to feel like a scorching fire. Beads of sweat glided down his beet red face.

He rushed out the kitchen and grabbed a girl to dance. She was dancing rather provocatively around him, causing him to get aroused. The girl had blonde hair and was dressed as Tinkerbell. Soon, he pictured Rose dancing in front of him, her hands touching his face. He grabbed her hands and started to kiss her fingertips. A second later, her face was cupped in his hands and their tongues were intertwined. Her hands were going through his hair and she began to kiss his neck. He lifted her head up and kissed her mouth again.

There was so much passion put into it, he did not want to let go. Her mouth was sweet, just like honey. The perfume he smelled on her was sweet. It felt like he had gotten lost in paradise. Two minutes later, he pulled away. He saw the girl he was kissing wasn't the image of Rose anymore.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." He looked at the girl closely now and shook his head. He stumbled back and placed his hands on his face. "Sorry, Pam."

"Don't be sorry, Jack. I have had my eye on you for quite a while now. You are an amazing kisser."

"I have to go!" He ran off.

*****

Cal went off to go drink with his friends, somewhere in the back of the house. Rose looked around. Some nodded their heads at her, not bothering to talk to her. Her friends were off with the guys, probably talking about getting nose jobs or some shit that disinterested Rose.

She folded her arms and leaned against a wall. The party bored her so much that she started to feel tired. It was as if she was the only one not having fun. Everyone was laughing about something except her. Christina sat on Tommy's lap while talking to Danny Zappone and Tammy Carter. Hannah and Fabrizio were making out with each other while they slow danced to a fast song. Then she spotted Jack with Pamela Parker.

He seemed to be entranced. Pamela was all over Jack. Her body rubbed up against him seductively as he watched. His hands were on her hips and his eyes were glowing. Rose felt a pang of jealousy run deep down inside of her.

Then there she saw it. Jack started to kiss Pamela. It was with so much passion, and so seductive. Rose looked on as Pamela kissed his neck. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was getting off on it. Rose couldn't help but let it bother her. There he went again, kissing Pamela's mouth. It went deeper and deeper.

Then he pulled away from her. Rose tried reading his mouth, but she couldn't comprehend what was being said. Jack looked tired and lost as he placed a hand over his face. From the way Rose saw it, Pamela tried to get him to stay with her, but he ran off.

Rose ran across the room to see where he was going. She saw him run up the stairs in the house. She grabbed the skirts of her dress and crept behind him. Nervously, she looked around to see if Cal's puppet was around. The coast was clear.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she saw him run into a room and close the door behind him. Rose ran up to the door and turned the knob.

*****

He kept panting and panting, trying to catch his breath. Never before had he done something like that. It was like he was possessed. He couldn't contain himself. His testosterone level was at an all-time high.

He placed his hands on the sink and looked into the mirror. His face was red and drenched with sweat. The look in his eyes was demonic. Jack turned the faucet and splashed cold water onto his face.

The collar of his costume made him feel as though he were choking. He opened it, fanned himself, and started coughing. Then he heard the doorknob. He looked at it turning, and finally it opened.

Rose crept in. She closed the door behind her and locked it. You are so beautiful, he wanted to tell her. Instead, he said, "What are you doing in here?"

"I wanted to see if you were all right," she answered him, stepping closer.

"And you care? Don't you have your rich posse downstairs? Call them up here so they can beat the shit out of me for talking to you!"

"Oh, fuck you!" Rose turned to leave. She opened the door, but Jack rushed up behind her and slammed it shut, locking it. She turned around, trapped between his arms.

They were staring into each other's eyes. Jack licked his lips and placed his hand on her cheek. Rose began to breathe heavily, wondering what was going to happen next.

No longer able to control himself, he kissed her. It was slow and gentle. He pulled away after a few seconds. Rose looked at him, her eyes still closed. A second later, she opened them and placed her fingers over her mouth and looked at him. Jack pulled her hand away from her mouth and kissed her again. It was passionate, and it warmed her up inside. He placed his hands on her waist, as hers were running through his hair. They kissed each other deeper and deeper. His hands were going up her back and then cupped her face.

Rose pulled away. "I can't--" she said, and was cut off by Jack kissing her. She pulled away from him again, pushing him back with her hands. "We can't do this, Jack! My boyfriend is downstairs!"

"Oh, fuck Cal! He treats you like shit!" Jack said, and began kissing her neck.

"I have to go!" She pushed him back, unlocked the door, and ran out of the bathroom. Jack pursued, following her, and began yelling her name.

"Rose!" he called after her. "Rose!" He came to an abrupt stop when he bumped into the guy he had seen with Cal and his friends a week ago at the movies. "Excuse me."

"Let me give you some advice. Stay away from what doesn't belong to you. Trouble will come your way if you don't."

Chapter Eighteen
Stories