All For You (Boys of the South) by Marquita Valentine, The 12 NAs of Christmas Page A

not at all like the sweet girl I’d used to
dream about kissing. Or the one I’d actually kissed.
Everywhere.
    But I’d done
that to her. Yeah, I hadn’t thrown anything, but I hadn’t
stopped it either. I’d been shocked, arriving in the middle of
it all, watching in disbelief as the party-goers threw dirt and grass
at McKenzie. Charlie, my on-again off-again girlfriend, had run to
me, tears in her eyes as she grabbed at my arm.
    “ They’re
like animals. I can’t stop them,” she whispers. “We
have to get out of here.”
    “ I have to
do something,” I say, rooted to the spot.
    Finally, Julia
shows up and screams at everyone. They listen and move on. Still, I
stand and watch Julia lead McKenzie away while that beautiful girl,
covered in dirt from head to toe, assures her best friend she’s
okay. That nothing’s broken and begs to be taken home.
    Only then did I
move, backing into the shadows so McKenzie wouldn’t see me.
    A damn coward in
every sense of the word.
    You’re not
that guy anymore ,
I remind myself. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
    “Leave with
you?” She shakes her head, scrunching her nose at the same
time. “I think I’ve had enough pranks pulled on me, but
thanks.”
    Jaw clenching, I
nod. “Maybe later this week?”
    “You’re
completely delusional.” She turns and walks back outside.
    Julia punches me in
the shoulder. “Do you know how long it took me to convince her
to come tonight?”
    “A long time,
I’d imagine.” I shove my hands into my pockets, glad that
McKenzie has a friend like her. Although glad isn’t the right
word. Relieved maybe? Knowing McKenzie’s had Julia at her side
all this time makes me feel a little better.
    Not that I deserve
to feel anything good.
    Julia takes a step
toward me. “You’re damn right.”
    “I didn’t
know she’d be here.”
    “Like that’s
an excuse,” she snaps. “God, you haven’t changed at
all, have you?”
    The door blows open
and I see McKenzie just under the streetlight by the curb. She
standing there, arms wrapped around her middle. I want to go to her,
to kiss her cold hands, and tell her that everything will be all
right. That my arrival didn’t mean everything would be like
before… that she was safe.
    “Give him a
break, Julia. It was years ago. Hell, you pantsed me in front of the
entire cafeteria our sophomore year. Should I still be pissed about
that?” Parker asks.
    Julie makes a noise,
the turns around and starts to make her way to McKenzie.
    Nothing about this
evening is how I imagined things. Nothing.
    “Thanks, I…”
I begin, turning my attention back to Parker. His green eyes are cold
and suddenly, I can’t remember what the hell I was going to say
next.
    “Don’t
thank me,” he says. “You could have stopped all the
bullying with one word, but you didn’t.”
    I swallow down my
unrighteous anger. Parker’s right. I could have stopped it
all.
    “I’m
going to fix this, Park. I swear it.” When word had gotten
around school and he’d found out what I’d allowed to
happen at the last party McKenzie attended, Parker stopped hanging
out with me. He wouldn’t answer my texts, my phone calls, and
then when I finally manned-up and went to his house, we beat the shit
out of each other.
    Until his older
brother, Cole, had come outside and kicked both our asses. Mine more
than Parker’s, because I’d been the one to start it.
    It had taken a year
for Parker and me to get back to the way things used to be with us.
And now I think I’ve screwed up all over again.

Chapter Two

    McKenzie
    I’ve just
turned the closed sign to open when a familiar black Porsche pulls
up. My heart stutters in my chest. I know that car, know the driver,
but what I don’t know is why he’s here of all places.
    Our gazes collide
and he smiles. He holds up a bag and two to-go cups, then heads
toward me.
    I begin to panic.
    There’s no one
here but me. My dad’s out with his crew, going over a project
for a new