most obvious
glass, the rest can wait.
I glance
over at the pile of outfits. My current threads are far sexier than I ever
anticipated wearing to a party with Justin, but I’ve lost my taste for dress up
completely. I decide just to head over to his place, even if I am early and
overdressed.
I’m just belting
into the driver’s seat when I see Buick standing in the driveway, tail pumping
like mad, something large and black in his mouth. “No, Buick!” I shout. “Nasty.
Bad. Drop it. Drop it Buick!” I command. Buick trots past me with the bird in
his mouth and crosses the lawn to the circle of birds, placing his crow
gingerly into formation with the other birds. He turns shining eyes to me, tail
wagging, sitting proudly before his work. I gulp and slam the door, hard.
Justin isn’t quite
ready, his mom tells me pleasantly, when I get there. So I fidget on the living
room couch, becoming ever more aware that we are enacting a dating archetype.
Justin’s mom is sweet, plump and extremely maternal. She’s kind and
well-meaning and talks to me like I matter as a person. On any given day I
would trade families with Justin, except I wouldn’t wanted to saddle him with
mine.
Sitting
quietly waiting for Justin gives me time to worry. Why hasn’t Ephraim
reappeared yet? What’s taking so long? We haven’t been apart this long since I
died. Something has to be wrong.
Justin
clears his throat from the doorway. I jump to my feet and then check myself.
Justin is dressed in the dark, button-down style of shirt that he knows I like,
unbuttoned enough to give a glimpse of his strong neck and well formed collar
bones. His sleeves are rolled up, revealing muscled forearms. His hair is
slicked back and the smell of aftershave and cool, tangy cologne fills the air.
He’s taller than I realized and, honestly, kind of hot. How had I never
realized that before?
He waits
for me to take in his transformation, his eyes sweeping over me as he does so.
“Nice,” he says approvingly and walks into the room.
I try to
recover my senses but I’m still reeling from the day’s events. Chatting with
Derrick, grinning cats, accidentally asking out my best friend, realizing he turned
good looking while I wasn’t paying attention, it’s all one confusing blur in my
thoughts. “You like?” Justin asks with a grin, and does a little turn for me.
“You’ll do,”
I retort, falling back on our old banter for some stability.
“You too,” he
says in his smoothest and most provocative tone. He holds out his arm to me.
“Shall we go?”
Chapter 7: Festivities
The drive over to
Mandy’s house is excruciating and wonderful at the same time. Justin is
charming and flirty in the gentle, teasing way I’ve seen him use with other
girls, but never with me. He smells amazing and I keep sneaking sly little
looks over at him. When he catches me looking he winks and grins his old,
reassuring grin at me. I’m feeling the Justin Effect pretty strongly.
On the
other hand I’m twisting with guilt and anxiety. He isn’t some random boy. He’s
my Justin; my lifelong best friend. And I’m no expert but what’s happening here
could ruin all that pretty quickly.
Still,
standing with the cool evening grass lapping my toes, gazing up at the spill of
bright lights streaming out of Mandy’s six bedroom mini-mansion, all I can
focus on is how happy Justin seems and how little happiness I’ve brought anyone
lately.
Mandy’s
house is pulsing with bodies, heat and sound. The impression of chaos that hits
me as soon as the doors swing open is overwhelming. We press ourselves in,
trying to thread through the crowd. Justin, ahead of me, reaches behind him and
takes my hand, to keep us from
glass, the rest can wait.
I glance
over at the pile of outfits. My current threads are far sexier than I ever
anticipated wearing to a party with Justin, but I’ve lost my taste for dress up
completely. I decide just to head over to his place, even if I am early and
overdressed.
I’m just belting
into the driver’s seat when I see Buick standing in the driveway, tail pumping
like mad, something large and black in his mouth. “No, Buick!” I shout. “Nasty.
Bad. Drop it. Drop it Buick!” I command. Buick trots past me with the bird in
his mouth and crosses the lawn to the circle of birds, placing his crow
gingerly into formation with the other birds. He turns shining eyes to me, tail
wagging, sitting proudly before his work. I gulp and slam the door, hard.
Justin isn’t quite
ready, his mom tells me pleasantly, when I get there. So I fidget on the living
room couch, becoming ever more aware that we are enacting a dating archetype.
Justin’s mom is sweet, plump and extremely maternal. She’s kind and
well-meaning and talks to me like I matter as a person. On any given day I
would trade families with Justin, except I wouldn’t wanted to saddle him with
mine.
Sitting
quietly waiting for Justin gives me time to worry. Why hasn’t Ephraim
reappeared yet? What’s taking so long? We haven’t been apart this long since I
died. Something has to be wrong.
Justin
clears his throat from the doorway. I jump to my feet and then check myself.
Justin is dressed in the dark, button-down style of shirt that he knows I like,
unbuttoned enough to give a glimpse of his strong neck and well formed collar
bones. His sleeves are rolled up, revealing muscled forearms. His hair is
slicked back and the smell of aftershave and cool, tangy cologne fills the air.
He’s taller than I realized and, honestly, kind of hot. How had I never
realized that before?
He waits
for me to take in his transformation, his eyes sweeping over me as he does so.
“Nice,” he says approvingly and walks into the room.
I try to
recover my senses but I’m still reeling from the day’s events. Chatting with
Derrick, grinning cats, accidentally asking out my best friend, realizing he turned
good looking while I wasn’t paying attention, it’s all one confusing blur in my
thoughts. “You like?” Justin asks with a grin, and does a little turn for me.
“You’ll do,”
I retort, falling back on our old banter for some stability.
“You too,” he
says in his smoothest and most provocative tone. He holds out his arm to me.
“Shall we go?”
Chapter 7: Festivities
The drive over to
Mandy’s house is excruciating and wonderful at the same time. Justin is
charming and flirty in the gentle, teasing way I’ve seen him use with other
girls, but never with me. He smells amazing and I keep sneaking sly little
looks over at him. When he catches me looking he winks and grins his old,
reassuring grin at me. I’m feeling the Justin Effect pretty strongly.
On the
other hand I’m twisting with guilt and anxiety. He isn’t some random boy. He’s
my Justin; my lifelong best friend. And I’m no expert but what’s happening here
could ruin all that pretty quickly.
Still,
standing with the cool evening grass lapping my toes, gazing up at the spill of
bright lights streaming out of Mandy’s six bedroom mini-mansion, all I can
focus on is how happy Justin seems and how little happiness I’ve brought anyone
lately.
Mandy’s
house is pulsing with bodies, heat and sound. The impression of chaos that hits
me as soon as the doors swing open is overwhelming. We press ourselves in,
trying to thread through the crowd. Justin, ahead of me, reaches behind him and
takes my hand, to keep us from
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