The More Boys I Meet

It might have been strange if someone had passed by us, along the deserted highway that Friday night, the start of spring break. I say it would be weird only because if someone did pass by, they would see two girls fighting out their differences in the pouring rain and mud, next to their broken down car.

That was what Alice and I were doing then.

“Take it back!” Alice screeched, pulling me down into the mud. “Take it back right now!” she shouted, punching me in the shoulder.

I pushed her off of me and wrestled her down, so she was on her back. “No way Alice! It’s your damn fault we’re stuck here!”

“Me!” she threw mud at me. “Who has the direction skills of a squirrel? Well it’s not me!”

“Who’s car broke down?! I ASKED YOU FIVE TIMES IF IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE!”

“IF YOU WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN US LOST WE WOULD HAVE BROKEN DOWN CLOSER TO CHICAGO!”

We went at it for another twenty minutes, before we were out of breath and we sat on top of the car, side by side in silence as the rain poured on us harder than before.

“I didn’t really mean it when I said your direction skills were those of a squirrel,” Alice finally broke the silence. “Maybe a small child.”

I chuckled. “I’m sorry for insulting your car. She at least got us this far. . . in the wrong direction.”

“What time is it?”

I checked my phone. “Late enough to where they should be worrying.”

She sighed. “Awesome.”

Our phones were useless. No signal. No car. No warm clothes. “Do you think they could track us?” I thought out loud.

She snorted, leaning back on her trunk, only to slip off. I burst into laughter as she climbed back on, her hair sticking to her face. “That was not funny,” she huffed. “And I don’t know Ells. . .I’m hoping they do, but let’s face it. We’re dealing with a bunch of idiots here. We’re stuck out here.”

More silence. “Alice?”

“Yes?”

“I’m fucking cold.”

She smiled, sliding off intentionally that time. “Me too. Let’s get in the car and strip off some of these clothes.”

That time, I snorted but followed her into the backseat. “Because them showing up with us only in our bra and underwear will be great.”

She shrugged, trying to peel off her jeans. “Marcus will love it.”

“So will Viktor,” I smirked.

She slapped me with her wet shirt. “We are not dating!”

“I saw you two on Valentines Day!” I pointed at her.

She got quiet. “He’s like that with every girl,” she muttered.

“Oh my God!” I gasped in realization. “You really like him, don’t you? OH MY GOD YOU LIKE VIKTOR STALBERG!” I jumped up and hit my head on the roof of the car, falling back to reality. “Ouch!”

She laughed. “You deserved it! You cannot tell him!”

“You think he’s gorgeous! You want to kiss him!” I sang at the top of my lungs.

She shook her head, letting a small smile on her lips. “But, he doesn’t like me like that! It was a one night stand and nothing else. We were both single and lonely.”

“You remember how I was in denial about Marcus?” I asked, scooting closer to her for body warmth.

She pulled out a sweatshirt she had hidden under the seats and spread it over our legs. “I think I might be able to find the memory,” she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah that’s you about Viktor right now,” I said. “Nope,” I held up my hand in her face. “Do not argue with me. Just sit there and contemplate your life choices, and by that I mean ask Viktor out.”

She huffed, but didn’t try to argue with me. “That’s what I thought,” I smiled victoriously.

We must have fallen asleep because we woke to someone trying to break into the car. “Wake up Alice!” I panicked, shoving her hard.

“What?!” she sat up.

“Someone’s trying to break in!” I whispered.

She looked down at me and then at herself. “Maybe getting down to our bras and underwear wasn’t the best idea,” she said, her eyes wide.

“What do we do?!”

She searched around frantically, and came up with a thing of hair spray. She tossed it to me. “Catch them off guard and burn their eyes out. I’ll jump on his back and take him out like that.”

“And what if there’s more than one?!”

“Aim for the balls. Always aim for the balls,” she reminded me. “Ready. . . ATTACK!” she pushed me out first as I sprayed hair spray everywhere. Except. Except there was no more hair spray left in the canister.

I stood there like an idiot, shaking it in the freezing cold rain. “Ellie. . . .?” a familiar voice sounded very confused. “Ellie why aren’t you wearing pants?”

I looked up and saw Marcus standing there, trying to break into the front door with a crow bar.

“Oh my God!” I jumped in his arms.

Alice jumped out. “Oh thank God!”

A coat was thrown over Alice’s shoulders and she looked surprised to see Viktor zipping her into it. “You’re going to catch a cold or something. What is wrong with you idiots?” he asked. “Why are you almost naked?”

Alice and I met eyes and looked away. “We got into a fight that resulted in the mud pit over there,” I mumbled.

The guys exchanged long looks. “I’ve got nothing,” Viktor finally said.

“Me neither,” Marcus agreed. “Come on. Let’s get you girls in the car.”

I got into the passenger seat while Viktor and Alice slid in the back. I turned up the heat to the highest setting, while Marcus dug out a blanket to throw over Alice. He took off his coat and sweatshirt for me.

“You’re going to be cold then,” I said, trying to hand him back the coat.

“I’m going to die of the heat if you keep it that hot,” he pointed out. “Get warm, okay? That’s what is important.”

“How’d you guys find us?” Alice asked as Marcus left her car on the side of the road.

“Tracking your phones,” Viktor answered easily. “Though, Alice’s phone was not near where you guys actually were,” he eyed her questionably.

She glared at me and I slumped down in my seat. “Remind me to tell Pat we owe Alice a new cell phone.”

Marcus looked at me. “Do I even want to know?”

“I got mad.”

“So you threw her phone out the window?” he asked.

“Something like that,” I answered.

“No!” Alice jumped in. “Not something like that. Something exactly like that!”

“Okay then,” Viktor pulled Alice closer to him and started to rub her arms, trying to get her warm.

I had to bite down the smile that was threatening to cross my face. She looked absolutely shell shocked. Then she caught me not smiling in the front seat and she puffed out a breath. “You win this round Ellie Reese,” she said before laying her head on Viktor’s chest.

“What did she mean by you won?” Marcus asked once they both fell into a heavy, snoring induced sleep coma.

I smiled to myself, pulling my knees into the sweatshirt. “Nothing. Does Viktor like Alice?” I asked casually.

He snuck a glance at me. “Guy code prevents me from sharing such information,” he said.

“Oh, okay. Because Pat said that he did.”

“What?! Dammit Kaner, he promised he wouldn’t tell you that!”

“Ha! So he does!” I pointed at him as he lost color.

“I cannot believe you just did that.”

“I cannot believe you fell for it!”

He sighed. “Maybe he has a little crush on Alice. Does she like him?”

I shrugged. “You know that I can’t tell you. Girl code.”

“I hate you.”

I smiled, closing my eyes, leaving my arm on the middle console tapping a happy tune. After a moment, his hand wrapped around mine and his thumb was slowly stroking my hand. “I love you too babe,” I said, before falling asleep.