Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf

Right after Puck left, I turned back to Aileen with a look that clearly said, ‘Ohhhh, boy.’ But to my utter surprise, Aileen kind of smiled a bit and said, “He’s…kind of charming.”

“I know that much,” I laughed. “But he’s kind of strange.”

“In a cute way. Him checking me out was a bit much, but who can help it?” She tossed her curls behind her shoulder and grinned at me cockily, which made me laugh. I loved how much the two of us were like each other, despite the fact that we spent no time together in our childhoods.

“I’m going to do my homework,” I announced, tossing my bag on my shoulder and starting toward the stairs.

“Oh, wait!” Aileen called after me when I was half-way to my goal. “I’m going to be out late tomorrow night with some of my friends from college. We’re probably going to go out for drinks and stuff. And I’m going to be cursing the fact that they’re married with kids, while I have…”

“Me!” I grinned. “But okay. What time are you talking?”

She cocked an eyebrow at me. “Planning on making a hot date?”

“Uh…no… I was just curious.”

“Probably one thirty. Maybe later. I dunno. Because I’m not a teenager and I don’t have a curfew.” She stuck her tongue out at me, which only got me to roll my eyes before finishing the journey to my room, throwing my bag on the floor and staring at the wall for a second.

Staying alone until late at night could be pretty cool.

School on Friday went by very slowly, considering that I was looking forward to being home alone, no Aileen to watch over me.

It wasn’t like she was controlling or even uncool at all, but I just really felt the need to keep my Converse on indoors, prop them up on the coffee table (her one pet-peeve) as I watched TV, and eat. All night. I didn’t care if I gained twenty pounds because it would be so worth it.

Once I got home, driven by Sam, that was what I did exactly. Well, right after changing into sweats and throwing my hair up into a ponytail that was done so haphazardly that there were still wavy strands framing my face. Not that I cared because Aileen couldn’t call me a ragamuffin! Yeah…I know.

So I was all ready with a bowl of popcorn sitting on my lap, complete with the movie theater butter, as I started to watch an episode of Our America with Lisa Ling. Then…there was a knock on the door.

Immediately, my heart started racing. People knocking on the door was a definite bad thing when someone was home alone. Knocks on the door meant murderers, rapists, ghosts, the like. So my first instinct was to run toward the bathroom.

On my way, I heard another strong knock. “Ellie!” a familiar voice called. “Open up!”

Slowly, I made my way toward the door and looking through the peephole. Sighing incredibly dramatically, I threw the door open and stared at Puck, who was standing there, grinning like there was no tomorrow.

“I thought you could pick locks,” was the first thing I said to him as he brushed past me into the house without an invitation.

“I could. But I figured, since Aileen’s car wasn’t in the driveway, that you were home alone and that would freak you out.”

“And knocking didn’t? I just had a heart attack because of you.”

“Hm. Well, anyway, what are you up to?”

“About to watch Our America. Why are you here?”

“Because,” he reached behind him and pulled out a pack of beer, “I have different plans.”

My eyes narrowed. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not having a party here, Puck. Aileen trusts me. Plus, I don’t want all that grossness. People getting drunk, puking everywhere, having sex in my bed…” I let out a tremendous shudder. “Doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.”

“Oh, please.” He rolled his eyes. “This isn’t enough beer for a party. It’s just a party of two.”

I stared at him, running that last sentence through my head a few times. “You’re expecting me to be stupid enough to get drunk with you. Alone. In my house. Just us?”

“Why not? What’s the worst that can happen?”

Uh, we say stupid things? We do stupid things? We have sex? You find out that I still love you?

But none of those thoughts left my head. “Stuff can happen.”

“Ellie, I’m not gonna hurt you, okay? Let’s just have a little fun. When’s the last time you’ve had fun, anyway?”

Not since I broke up with him, really. I mean, I liked hanging out with Sam, but he didn’t give me the same joy that Puck did.

Finally, I caved in. The second the words, “Alright, fine,” came out of my mouth, I rejected them, but it was too late to take them back then.

I turned off the TV, pouting a little as I realized that I was going to have to put off watching Our America AGAIN (I was already three episodes behind), and settled on the floor. Puck had already opened a couple of cans already, holding one out for me to take.

Ever-so-hesitantly, I took a sip. It was gross, the taste overwhelming my taste buds for a second. After a couple sips, it got a little better though. And by the end of the can, I was already starting to get a little buzzed.

“Alright, now how about we play Truth?” Puck questioned as he opened a second can for me. He was already on his second. “This game is so much more fun when you’re drunk.”

“No…” I trailed off, shaking my head and taking another gulp. “I don’t think so. I’m going to say something stupid.”

“That’s part of the fun, though!”

And, as I let him talk me into every damn thing, I agreed to that. But it was just because I was starting to get tipsy, I told myself. Not because of that cute smile or those gorgeous eyes.

“You starting?” I asked, trying to suppress a hiccup that was threatening to come out. How embarrassing would that have been?

“Yeah. Alright, so…I’ll start off easy. Do you like Sam like you ever liked me?”

“No,” I responded. “Sam’s kind of like a brother to me, you know? A best friend. But no, I wouldn’t consider him for a boyfriend.”

Puck nodded as he considered this, then sat back as he waited for my question.

“Did you like sleeping with Santana?”

He laughed. “Yeah, since I was picturing it was you. But you’d never give me gonorrhea. So glad that’s gone!”

“Cheers!” I giggled a little too loudly as we clapped our cans together. “Okay, your turn.”

“Does Aileen like me?”

“She thinks that you’re, quote, ‘charming.’ So I’ll take that as a, ‘you’re on your way.’”

“Better than nothing.”

“My turn?” He nodded. “Hmm…Did you come over here tonight with alcohol just to get me drunk and sleep with me?”

“No,” he admitted. “I like spending time with you. But I did want to get you drunk so that I knew that you’d tell me the truth about one specific thing.”

Opening a third can, I turned to him with my eyebrows drawn. “And what would that be, Puckasaurus?” Did I just call him Puckasaurus? Oh, dear lord, save me now.

“Do you still love me?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “A lot.”

And things just got worse from there.