Chapters On A Page

I was supposed to be up in an hour to get ready for work. I knew this because when I woke briefly, I dared a glance at the clock, mostly to make sure the alarm wasn't going to go off in twenty seconds. When I was assured that I was safe, I let my head fall back to the pillow while closing my heavy lids once more. I fell into what I thought was a long slumber, it was so peaceful, and I believed I was going to be late. But when my eyes flew open again, it was only ten minutes later. My phone was ringing from the other side of the room, on the desk where I always left it to charge. I had to contemplate for a moment if I really wanted to get up and answer it, because doing so would pretty much guarantee I wouldn't get my last fifty minutes of sleep. By the time I had decided I probably should get it, the ringing stopped. I snuggled back into my pillow and thin blanket, fully prepared to fall back asleep without distress about who it had been. But then I could hear the house phone ringing now, the cordless in my mom's room screeching. Then the footsteps on the stairs began, more pounding the closer they got to my room.

My mom appeared in my doorway, the phone from downstairs held out in her hand and a stern look on her face. "It's Sherri," she informed me, and held out the phone even further in a gesture that said I needed to take it, now. "She's disappointed with you," she told me as I slipped from the sheets and began making my way over to her.

I couldn't suppress the sigh or the blatant roll of my eyes as I took the phone from her. I was going to be at work in an hour and a half; I couldn't imagine what my manager could possibly want when I was going to see her sooner than I'd like. I barely got out a greeting, feigning delight, when she practically barked out her reason for calling. "You're late, Valerie. You know I can't call everyone who's late and I won't always make an exception for you just because your mother is a good friend of mine," she droned on. After her statement telling me I was late, I didn't bother continuing to listen. I took a quick glance at my clock to make sure of the time and even pushed passed Trix to get to her room, double checking on her alarm clock. The times were the same, and that meant I wasn't late at all. Once I heard that she had finally ended her lecture, I pointed out my findings by asking what she was talking about. "No," she corrected after I reminded her of my shift, already sounding condescending and treating me like a five-year-old, "You were supposed to be here an hour ago. I had to tweak the schedule."

Well, it would have been nice for someone to tell me, I thought. I wanted to say it, so terribly. I was at the end of my rope with this job and she wasn't making it any better. But I bit my tongue, almost literally, and told her I would be there as soon as possible. As I passed her again, I handed the phone back to my mother and tried to drown out everything she was saying about how I needed to respect Sherri more. I gave a noncommittal nod to lead her to believe that I agreed and understood, and grabbed some makeup from its spot on my dresser. The sink in the bathroom I used was finally fixed after a bit of yelling at the plumber when he finally showed up again and I could get ready in there, which I did as quick as possible. I sat in a stoney silence in the car, not at all looking forward to stepping foot in the department store. I never had a good day working there but this one was already off to a bad start.

The first fifteen minutes before what was to be my original shift, I had to spend getting another lecture. If this was the restaurant, I would have actually listened and made the attempt to mend my mistake. But again, I was barely paying attention and just said something that would pass as my understanding when Sherri finished talking. As punishment, I was sent to the fitting rooms to gather the clothes that people had decided against for whatever reason and was condemned to putting them in their rightful places. If this was supposed to make me think about what I had done, it didn't work. This was a simple task, one that allowed me to virtually hide from everyone and be on my cell phone when I wasn't supposed to be. I was still angry with my manager, but being able to conceal myself between racks of clothes made me begin to forget about it.

It was impossible to hide from the person that found me though. He always seemed to be able to find me, no matter how stealthy I believed myself to be. I swear he appeared out of nowhere, suddenly jumping out from behind a corner I had just rounded. I turned around again to head back that way, realizing I still had a shirt that belonged on a rack I had passed up. But as I tried to step around the corner, there Alex stood, blocking my way and causing me to start. I dropped everything that had been hanging from my fingers, the hangers clattering together as they hit the carpeted floor. When he began chuckling at my reaction, I smacked him lightly in the chest before bending down to retrieve all I had dropped. He wasn't bothering to stifle his laughing, but he crouched down to help me.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned, faking exasperation as we straightened back up. He had picked me up here countless times but he had never once come inside. I couldn't really say I worried a lot when I witnessed someone doing something out of their norm, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't struck with terror for just a split second. I couldn't help but imagine one of our friends terribly injured, and maybe it was just because I had new friends to worry about for the first time since my sister died. I hurriedly reminded myself though that he wouldn't be his normal carefree self if something had happened.

"Shopping with my mom," he answered only a second after I had asked. My fast thoughts must not have showed up on my face because he didn't voice any concerns. "Jack's around here somewhere," he said, stretching his neck and standing on his tiptoes as if being slightly taller would allow him to see around the entire store and find his best friend. "He got bored and decided he wanted to go see if he could discreetly break as many plates as possible in housewares." He shook his head in slight disbelief as I laughed.

"Well, I haven't heard anything and no one's been kicked out today. So my guess is he got distracted somewhere along the way. Which isn't really that surprising when you think about who we're talking about," I responded, twisting my torso to look around just as Alex was even though I was well aware it was unlikely to see Jack anywhere near us.

As I was turning back to him, I noticed a small change, but it had nothing to do with him. The music in the store was something I had learned to tune out long ago so as not to drive myself crazy. There were a few different rotations that contained a variety of songs, but they still only covered about an hour of my time and two were never used during the same day anyway. But the soft piano seeping through the speakers overhead told me that something new was playing for the first time I could remember, and I knew instantly what song it was. One meeting of my eyes with Alex's told me that he did, too, and before I knew fully what was going on, we were giving our own rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart right there in the middle of the store where I was supposed to be hanging up clothes.

I knew people were staring at us and probably making fun of our grand gestures as we threw our arms out as we sang, causing the clothes in our hands to fly about. But I didn't care because this showed how absolutely easy our friendship was. That was why we never let our kisses affect us, why we were so rarely awkward around each other now that we had gotten to know all of our ins and outs. There was no need to be and never any cause for it. We were fighting fits of giggles but still managing to belt out the lyrics, both of us singing the male and female parts. Then I cut off briskly, the words getting caught in my throat to choke me at the appearance of Sherri right behind Alex. He noticed I was no longer participating after a moment and stopped himself. A question formed on his lips and then he spun around once he caught on that my gaze was pointed behind him. There wasn't enough room between the two of them though and he fell back into me trying to get away from her.

"Sherri, I was talking to my friend here. But I was just getting back to-" I tried to explain, taking hold of the back of Alex's arms to steady him and peeking out from behind him. Seeming almost intimidated by my manager showing up so suddenly, he slowly reached his hand around while I spoke so that I could take back the shirts he had picked up for me.

Sherri cut me off before I could even lie to her about doing my job, speaking over my words with the astringent voice she surely reserved especially for me. "First you were late, and now you're disrupting the entire store." At that exact moment, my phone decided to tell me I had a new text by blaring the sound I used for when Dominic called or texted me. "And you have your phone on you. Maybe this isn't the punishment for you. Should I try to find something more fitting?" she questioned, crossing her arms to appear smug and authoritative.

I could feel the rage begin to build up in my veins and my vision was blurring with it. Everything I had been putting away and attempting to forget about this morning was coming back and being piled on top of everything else I had ever hated about working here. She had only spoken a few sentences, pointing out my discrepancies of the day. But it was in front of my friend, in front of Alex, who was also a customer in a store that she maintained. I wasn't sure I was completely in control of my anger or my vocal cords, but I let whatever was coming come. "Something worse will probably be unnecessary considering I'm officially giving you my two week notice," I replied calmly but with a hint of the acerbic tone I rarely ever used but had always wanted to throw at her. I was tempted to just walk out, towing Alex away with me by the hand. But I knew I still had my shift to finish along with fourteen others after this. Storming out wouldn't work at all when I would just have to return later.

Sherri looked appalled, maybe thinking that I wasn't ever going to leave this place. I wouldn't doubt that she was under the delusion that I would take whatever she threw at me forever. "Are… are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, stumbling over her words but still trying to sound just as nasty as her threat had. I wasn't sure how I was expecting her to react to this. Angry as usual was a given, and maybe even acting like I was giving up the greatest opportunity I had ever been given. Hidden remorse had not been on even my long list of guesses. As answer though, I simply nodded pompously and pulled my phone out of my pocket before I turned to walk away. I wasn't going to start feeling bad for her now.

Alex followed after hastily, not appearing confused at all as to what was going on even though I knew I would be if in his position. I could tell he did want to ask what exactly the hell had just happened just to sort it out in his head. I was mostly focusing on my phone now though, reading the message from Dominic, and I told Alex I would break it all down for him later. He accepted this and announced that he should go find Jack so they could get back to his mom, but he didn't run off before he enveloped me in a hug and told me that I had done an awesome job finally quitting. I smiled at his back as he walked away, knowing that he was proud of me for doing this. It hadn't fully hit me yet, but I was proud of myself, too. And what better way to embrace and celebrate the time before the horror at having actually quit took hold of me than accepting the invitation to Dominic's impromptu birthday party?

I had about an hour left to my shift, and not once did I dwell on the happenings of the day. I couldn't question myself now, not when I had been so sure about it all when I had been living it. I didn't say a word to Sherri as I clocked out and, once I grabbed my things, I joyfully ran outside to slip into Nic's car. Gwen was already in the passenger seat so the three of us could get ready for the party at my house. As we drove, I allowed myself a moment to be baffled at how I had gotten talked in to so many parties this summer, events I hated with an almost undying passion. But I was still promising to be at yet another one even though I knew it was going to be the exact same drunken affair as every one before this. At least I could take comfort in the fact that it was not my own party this time, and also that it was being thrown by the boy I had what I was now considering a major crush on. Because of this latter reason, I was actually looking forward to it.

Murph had beat us to the house and was waiting for us in my room. Since my mother wasn't home yet, I found it to be the perfect time to break the -excellent- news that I had quit my job. I was bouncing excitedly from my room to the bathroom, retelling everything that had happened, even including the sudden duet with Alex. This part probably wouldn't sit well with Nic or Murph, the two of them constantly fearing that I was falling in love with this boy. But it was essential to the story and they could yell at me some other time if they felt the need to. I was breathless by the time I finished, standing there without a shirt on yet holding one in front of my chest, just waiting for them to burst out in applause or tell me how great I had done before I actually put it on. It came slowly, and maybe a little reluctantly. I wasn't sure why exactly they weren't seeing all the good in this. Or maybe they were and they were just having a hard time believing that I had finally done something no one, not even myself, thought I would do. I did get hugs after several seconds and a high-five from Murph who turned his head to the side and told me to put my shirt on so he could stop staring at my boobs covered by only my bra. This earned a round of laughs from all four of us that continued until we were heading out the door.

It was already late evening by the time we arrived at Dominic's, which was out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe nowhere wasn't the right word, but it was close. He had given me directions when I had told him I'd be there, and I hadn't even recognized most of the street names he provided the closer they got to his house. We were closer to the drive-in than the town, but I could see the appeal of living out this far instead of in the city. Every time a house popped up as we drove, it was large, bordering on huge. This was clearly where the well-to-do built their homes so that no one could tell them how it should look or what they couldn't do once it was finished. It was the perfect area for a party. I always had a bit of anxiety at the cops being called and all of us getting caught when someone managed to drag me to some keg party. But it was fading the closer we got to Dominic's, and it had disappeared altogether when we got to the end of his long driveway.

Cars were lined all up and down both sides of the lane that we had just driven down, but Nic parked in a random spot that I was sure wasn't even meant for cars, and hopped out without a second glance. She was already off to the backyard where most everyone was already congregated when I got out of the backseat, causing Murph and I to shake our heads at each other. Without the real intention to do so, my other two best friends and I split up. I headed through the front door, breaking my way in through a group of people that seemed to want nothing more than to stay right in the threshold. They were already drunk and reeked of whatever cheap beer they were drinking and had more than likely spilled on themselves. I wasn't sure of where I was going, but I followed the sound of the music bouncing off the high ceiling of the living room. Exposed beams ran across the ceiling and there was a balcony on the other side of the room that was accessible by a spiral staircase and looked to contain a small library. There were a dozen or so people up there and also more than I could count on the floor before me. But none of them were the boy I was looking for, so I headed through a doorway that brought me into the kitchen. This was where all of the drinks were set out and being mixed, but the only people that were really in the room were by the door that led outside and the counter was blocked off with only one guy standing by it.

Not wanting to spend too much time questioning it, I slipped outside to where the party was ten times bigger than inside. With a glance to my left, I realized that the reason no one could walk between the island and the counter inside was because you were supposed to treat it as a drive-thru and order your drinks from the guy I had seen standing there. I wanted to find Dominic to wish him a happy birthday and maybe sneak in a few kisses, but I figured killing a few minutes by getting a drink wasn't going to hurt.

I approached the window, already putting a smile on my face in case he was drunk and couldn't understand me. Inebriated people always seemed to work better if you were grinning. He didn't smile back when he asked me what I wanted to drink so I automatically dropped mine as well. "Iced tea?" I told him, turning it into a question so I didn't sound demanding.

"Don't have any," he claimed gruffly. I could get a better look at him as we stared at each other through the window. He was tall and stocky, his shoulders wide and burly. His blond hair was close to the same color as mine, but it was cropped close and stuck up in short spikes that did nothing but accentuate his heavy brow that made him look like he was permanently scowling. He was obviously a football player, there was no denying this. Not when he wore his jersey so proudly to a house party. I highly doubted though that he was second string like Dominic.

"Water then," I tried after my brief examination of him. Water was a simple request because there was no way that he could say there was none when he was standing right next to the sink. So it was safe to say that I was taken by surprise when he reached to the side and came back with the spray nozzle to the sink. My reaction was automatic. I bent my knees slightly though it didn't hide me from the window completely and I held both of my hands in front of my face. "What the fuck is this? Coyote Ugly?!" I bellowed at him. Before he had the chance to turn on the water and press down on the button on the back of the nozzle, someone jumped between the two of us. Slowly, I lowered my hands and stood straight again.

"Whoa, whoa! How dare you try to spray her!" Dominic yelled at the guy, but it was light and joking. He turned just enough to hold his arm open, indicating that I should step forward. When I did, he wrapped it securely around my waist and pulled me close to him. "This is my girl. If she wants water, she gets water," he asserted, pointing a finger at the kid while the others remained tightly around the red plastic cup in his hand. He nodded with satisfaction when his demand was met with obedience and gave me a smirk when it was handed to me. "I'm so glad you came," he stated as he pulled me away. His voice was low though and he was pulling me into a dark area of the deck we stood on, void of people though the whole place was crowded.

"It's your birthday. I wasn't going to miss it," I reminded him, not trying to pull away or alter his course in the least. "Happy birthday, by the way," I whispered when we made it to the railing shaded by some trees. I turned toward him, slipping away from his arm but pulling him closer to me by the front of his shirt. Our lips met and I felt my heart jump with the same urgency that was presented in our lips. Like Alex on the night of the full moon, Dominic tasted like alcohol but it was beer instead of a burning liquor. I knew it was wrong to think about one while I was kissing the other, but it was tough not to in a moment that was almost identical.

"What a great birthday present," he breathed when we broke apart, and he leaned down to connect our lips for just one more quick second. I reached up and ruffled his already messy brown hair that looked black in the lack of lighting where we stood. His eyes were dark over here as well, but I could see that they were filled with want. Want for me. This was always a strange thing for me to recognize, but I couldn't say that I didn't like it. I pulled him down to kiss me again, knowingly fulfilling that want. But just before my eyes closed and our lips brushed against the other's, I caught a glimpse of Alex, staring at us from beside the drink window. I couldn't describe the look on his face and I couldn't explain the anxiety that was hollowing out the pit of my stomach. So I just let my eyes fall shut as Dominic pulled me against him, curving my body into his.