Breaking Their Hold

I drove to school the next morning, trying to think of ways to avoid Tyler. I didn't want to go on a real date with him, but I knew if he succeeded in asking me, I would say yes. A date with Tyler would be easier than having to tell Jaimi and Tori that I wasn't interested in him anymore. I was afraid they would notice my fascination with the new guys if they found out Tyler was no longer my crush.

I was late for pre-calculus on purpose. Lecture had already begun when I slipped into the classroom, so Tyler couldn't talk to me. I felt him staring at me and pretended to be absorbed in the lesson.

"Jordan," he said as soon as the bell rang. "Can we--"

"Bathroom." I flashed him an apologetic smile and hurried away.

Thankfully, none of my other classes, except athletics, was with him. On the down side, every class from fourth period on was with the new guys.

I stepped into Mr. Wilson's classroom and my eyes involuntarily strayed to the back row of desks. They were there, oblivious to the looks they were receiving from the other students. Jimmy was drumming on his desk with two pens. Matt was writing in a notebook. Zacky was talking with Brian and Johnny while absentmindedly playing with his nose ring.

My mind flashed back to the night before, to Brian with his arms around that girl. Had he taken her home? Why did I care?

Brian suddenly looked up. Our eyes met, and a cocky, teasing smirk curved his sensuous lips. I somehow managed a scathing glare before tearing my gaze from his. I spent the remainder of the period, as well as fifth and sixth periods, ignoring him and his friends. I skipped lunch. Being in a room with my friends and the new guys all at the same time wasn't something I wanted to do more than once in a day.

I went to seventh period, feeling mildly nauseated. There was no way I could dodge Tyler and Brian unless I didn't go to class.

Once I was in my gym clothes, I reluctantly walked to the basketball court. Tyler, Evan, and Sam were playing Horse. The new guys weren't there. Something deep inside me relaxed.

"So," Tori said as I sat beside her on the bleachers, "has Tyler asked you out yet?"

I shook my head.

Jaimi frowned. "He said he was gonna call you last night."

"I had my phone off last night. I wasn't feeling well," I lied. I realized both girls were focused on something behind me. I turned around.

Jimmy, Brian, Zacky, and Matt were filing out onto the far end of the court. Matt had a basketball. They were all dressed in muscle shirts and silky shorts.

"Who are they kidding? Everyone knows Cali boys can't shoot," Evan cracked, loud enough for Matt, Jimmy, Zacky, and Brian to hear.

"That's not true. Boys from Cali can shoot. Losers can't, though," Sam taunted.

Matt, Brian, Zacky, and Jimmy didn't even glance up. They started a fast-paced game: Matt and Zacky against Brian and Jimmy. All four of them were good, but Matt and Jimmy were the best.

I could see Tyler, Sam, and Evan watching, though they tried to act like they weren't. Jaimi and Tori were talking quietly. I didn't even attempt to contribute to their conversation.

Brian and Jimmy won the game. Jimmy threw his arms up in triumph. Matt chuckled and led the way off the court. They hadn't yet reached the door to the back hallway and the locker rooms beyond when Matt stripped off his shirt. Brian soon followed suit. My mouth went dry. They were both built like gods.

Brian's dark eyes flicked to me. He flashed another cocky smirk and disappeared through the door.

Tyler, Evan, and Sam were still shooting. I decided to leave early so I wouldn't have to deal with Tyler.

"See y'all tomorrow," I said to Jaimi and Tori. I didn't bother to get out of my gym clothes. Digging my keys out of my purse, I walked briskly toward my car.

"Jordan, wait up!"

Cursing under my breath, I stopped and Tyler approached.

"I called you last night," he stated.

"My phone was off," I said.

"Oh. Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go out tomorrow night?"

I spotted Jimmy, Zacky, Matt, and Brian emerging from the gym. "Yeah," I agreed quickly, not wanting to face Brian again. "Sure."

Tyler smiled. "Great. I'll see you tomorrow."

I gave him a little wave and rushed to my car.

*****

The only good thing about school on Friday was that the new guys weren't there. Every time I saw Tyler, he smiled at me. We finalized our plans for the evening during lunch—he would pick me up at seven and we would go to Club Red in Huntsville.

I left before athletics and spent the hours until Tyler got to my house dreading the night and thinking of the new guys, specifically Brian. Tyler showed up at seven on the dot and we drove to Huntsville.

I walked into Club Red with Tyler. I had been to the club every weekend for nearly a year now, but always with a group of people or with one of my girlfriends, never alone with one of my male friends. It felt weird to be here alone with Tyler. This was practically a date, though the word hadn't passed Tyler's or my lips. I didn't consider it a date. However, I knew Tyler probably did.

We found an empty table. "Can I get you a drink?" he questioned as I sat down.

"A Coke," I replied.

He disappeared in the direction of the bar. I looked around the club with a sigh. Club Red was the exact opposite of The Pit. Club Red was populated with bleach blonds and blank-faced jocks. The dress code seemed to be any mix of American Eagle and Aeropostale, the girls in tiny skirts and slutty tops while the boys wore jeans and tee-shirts. The girls chatted perkily with each other, the boys surveyed the girls. The dance floor was filled with dirty-dancing females and guys trying to look cool. I almost laughed out loud. It was a well-known fact that very few jocks could dance worth a shit.

This was a typical Friday night crowd. To me, tonight felt different and it wasn't only because I was here alone with Tyler. I suddenly found it depressing that I fit in so well with these people.

Then, I caught a flash of black in my peripheral vision. I turned quickly to see who dared wear black in Club Red, and my throat tightened. It was them. Matt, Jimmy, Zacky, Johnny, and Brian were standing along the wall. They didn't seem to notice that they were receiving quite a bit of attention. Jimmy and Johnny were laughing as though they were sharing a private joke. Matt and Zacky were stealthily passing a fifth of Jack Daniels back and forth. Brian wore his black fedora pulled low over his face. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

I had time to wonder why the hell they were there, then Tyler returned with our drinks. "Aren't those the new guys at school?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the five black-clad teens.

Pretending I hadn't seen them yet, I glanced over my shoulder. "Yeah."

Tyler frowned. "Freaks. What are they doing here? Can't they see they don't belong?"

"They don't care" was out of my mouth before I even realized I was speaking.

Tyler didn't seem to notice my defensive tone. "Well, obviously." He looked thoughtful for a second. "Do you think any of them are straight?"

My mind flashed to an image of Brian and the brunette at The Pit. "Umm…maybe the tall one."

"Yeah. So I guess they're here looking for dates." Tyler chuckled. "They should try The Pit. That's the fag club."

I thought that it would be easy to mistake the guys here for homosexuals. Out loud I said, "I have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

I walked towards the restrooms, passing Matt, Johnny, Jimmy, Zacky, and Brian. I couldn't help checking Brian out. He had on a tight crimson muscle shirt and baggy black jeans. Now that I was closer, I could see the black eyeliner that emphasized his dark eyes. Before I could look away, Matt raised his eyes and met my gaze. Blushing, I continued to the restrooms.

I pushed through the heavy wooden door. The room was surprisingly empty. I was almost into one of the stalls when I sensed someone behind me. I spun around and was shoved into the metal wall of the stall. My eyes landed on Matt's face.

"What in the hell are you doing?" I demanded.

He slipped the lock on the door into place.

"Matt!" I protested.

He feigned shock. "You know my name. Wow. What did I do to deserve such an honor?"

"Matt, this is the ladies' room," I said. "Unless there's something about your anatomy, like a lack thereof, that I don't know about then you need to leave."

"What would you like to know about my anatomy?" he said in a low voice, pressing his body against mine. "Because there's plenty I'd love to show you. And I do mean plenty."

I opened my mouth, but I was speechless.

"Of course, I don't think it's me you're stalking," he remarked.

"Stalking?" I repeated. "I'm not stalking anyone."

"Oh," he said, disbelief in his voice. "So I suppose The Pit is a usual hangout of yours?"

"The Pit?" I faked confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Good try," he said. "But I saw you there and then you practically ran me down on your way out."

I shifted uncomfortably.

"Now, the question is who has you interested enough that you would venture into a low-class place like The Pit. It's not me, which is a shame." He paused. "Is it Johnny?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Uh, no."

"Jimmy?" he guessed.

I shook my head. "No. Matt, I don't like any of you losers."

"It's Zacky," Matt stated as if I hadn't spoken. "A lot of girls like Zacky."

I glared at him, saying nothing.

"Not Zacky," he said. "Okay, that leaves Brian."

I couldn't look at him. I was afraid the truth would be written clearly on my face. Unfortunately, my actions gave me away.

"That explains why you left in such a hurry," Matt said. "You were jealous of Brian and his lady friend."

"Whatever!" I muttered. "Just go away."

"I'm sure Brian would be flattered to know that such a high-class bitch thinks he's attractive," Matt taunted. "You should come talk to him."

"I wouldn't waste my breath," I spat.

We heard the outer door open. Matt shook his head, smirking. He strode out of the stall. The girl who had just come in looked at him with wide eyes. He left. Her eyes moved to me. I knew what she was thinking and I was too angry to try to explain. I stormed out of the bathroom. I felt Matt's eyes on me as I breezed past him and his friends, but I ignored them.

"We need to leave," I said to Tyler the instant I reached our booth.

"Is everything okay?" His tone held worry.

"I don't feel well," I lied.

We made our way out of the club. The ride home was silent. I was too irritated to talk, and Tyler respected my desire for quiet because he thought I was sick.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he said as I climbed from his truck.

I nodded, slammed the door, and went inside