Wildflower (Chapter 34)

Chapter 34

 

            Today was going to be an interesting day. Nicolas was not happy with his father at the moment for a number of reasons but mostly the old man needed to know who the real boss was. He wore a nice suit today, not that he owned anything that wasn’t nice but today was a special day. Yesterday he not only had to deal with his sister with her homicidal ex-husband, he had to deal with his brother who suddenly had a conscience 37 years too late. Then he came home to find out his father dropped by to harass his fiancé and two of the kids skipped school. Instead of getting mad about anything, he was going to do one thing he should have done at the beginning of the summer. Today when the kids came home from school and Tammy made them a snack, they would find that none of their bedrooms had locks. Next it would be doorknobs, teenagers did not deserve privacy. Nothing was going to ruin this day.

            After sex, a shower and breakfast, he headed out. Jose was responsible for getting Delanoz to the office with the appearance that he wasn’t a big mess. Later maybe he would do something about Delanoz and his new found guilt, but not right now. That would involve him figuring out exactly what it was his brother did to his latest victim. And he did need to locate Alvin before Katrina ended up dead. His siblings’ problems were going to wait until he felt like dealing with them. They depended on him to fix everything for them and he always came through. The good thing about that was that all four of them owed him.

            Gloria informed him that his brothers were in his office when he arrived. Good they were early for once and he was happy to see that they both at least appeared sane and ready. He went to sit behind his desk happily. His wonderful assistant already called his father and requested that he come by Nicolas’ office. Any minute he was going to inform his father of his retirement. It was so nice to have power, today he felt very powerful.

            “Do you have to look so smug?” Jose asked.

            “Yes, I do because he shouldn’t have come to my house yesterday,” he replied.

            “Why is this girl so important to you?” Delanoz asked. “You’re doing this because of her, just like everything else you’ve done since you met her.”

            “Actually it has nothing to do with her; I’ve been waiting for this day for years. If you want to know the truth this is because of you,” he told him. Unless he imagined it there was a look of shame on his brother’s face that was a first.

            “This is long overdue,” Jose said. “Besides I get a bigger office and more money, I might buy a house.”

            “Are you sure today is the right time?” Delanoz asked he looked so pathetic.

            “Perfect time,” he replied. “Why are you so broke up about this girl? You’ve done worse to ones that lived.”

            “Because I think I was falling in love with her and I have no idea what happened. It’s like I blank out at least 48 hours.”

            “Where were you the last time you remember?” Nicolas asked, he was ignoring the fact that his brother said he was in love with whoever the unfortunate victim was.

            “She made dinner and I remember that and having a drink after and that’s it. I woke up on the floor two days later and it was a gruesome scene,” Delanoz said looking scared. He never once looked scared until now, which made Nicolas think that maybe for once his brother was innocent.

            “Did you get the pictures?” Jose asked and Nicolas nodded and opened his email. When he found the picture he turned the screen to face Delanoz, his face went pale.

            “That’s her,” he whispered pointing at one of the women in the picture.

            “You do remember the Mandrakes, right?” Nicolas asked and his oldest brother nodded slowly.

            “We should have gotten rid of the rest of them a long time ago,” Jose said. “They probably you up, you are an idiot Delanoz.”

            “How could I have known?”

            “I don’t know maybe because they have been after us for years ever since you killed their sister,” Nicolas said annoyed.

            “That was an accident,” Delanoz shook his head. “I wish Caroline for weeks and I had no idea she was one of them. But that makes no sense, why wouldn’t they have just killed me?”

            “Wow no wonder we have to clean up after you,” Jose said sounding annoyed. “Dumb a*s, they want you to get caught because if the police get you then I’m willing to be a lot of people would be coming forward. And though I would love to see you pay, we would go down with you and I’m too pretty for jail.”

            “It wasn’t my fault,” Delanoz said.

            “Yes it was all of it is your fault,” Nicolas said now he was really annoyed. “But I won’t let you ruin this day for me and after our meeting we will discuss what to do about you. Like sending you to a country without an extradition treaty for starters because this could be it for you and we are not going down with you. And I will clear when I say that I would rather see dead then let you ruin our lives.”

            “Thanks little brother,” Delanoz said staring pitifully at the floor.

            “I’m just being honest, you made this mess and we all knew that you would pay for it eventually. Well I guess you didn’t because that would involve you thinking,” he replied.

            “D, I just can’t believe you would fall for one of the sisters and I’m betting she’s not really dead. There are drugs out there where you can fake it for a certain amount of time slows things down so it seems like you’re dead. But of course they wanted you to get caught with a body,” Jose said.

            “I cleaned everything and didn’t leave anything behind,” Delanoz said solemnly.

            “You better pray to God you didn’t leave anything behind,” Nicolas said. There was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal their father.

            “Nicolas, you requested that I come to speak with you?” Emilio said when he came in and looked around at them suspicious.

            “Have a seat,” he said and Jose got up to let their father sit in his chair.

            “You went to retrieve your brother?” Emilio asked as if Delanoz was not sitting beside him.

            “No, he came back on his own, he is not as useless as you think he is,” Nicolas said. “But I didn’t ask you here to talk about Delanoz.”

            “What did you want? Does it have something to do with your woman?”

            “No it has nothing to do with her but I do not appreciate you coming in my house trying to cause problems, if you can’t be nice then don’t come by.”

            “This is about business,” Jose said. He was standing beside Nicolas’ chair; it was good that he pulled the conversation back to what was important.

            “Business? What business?” Emilio asked looking even more suspicious.

            “We have been talking and we think its time for you to retire,” Nicolas said cheerfully. He had been waiting for this day for so long, his grandfather had prepared him for it and advised him how to properly overthrow his father.

            “Oh so now the three of you have decided to work together? You want me out?”

            “Father, we can do this the easy quiet way where you bow out gracefully or we can call a board meeting,” Jose said. It was obvious that he was feeling the same way, and he was going to be president once Nicolas took over as CEO.

            “I will not let you children try to ruin me,” Emilio said angrily.

            “We have to think of what’s best for the company,” Nicolas told him. Then he handed over an envelope to his father.

            “What is this?”

            “Abuelo wrote a message for you,” he replied.

            “He’s been dead for 12 years,” Emilio said.

            “Yup, he wrote it back then, thought we might need it.”

            While their father read the letter they were all silent. Delanoz sat there looking pathetic and he was being wise by not adding anything. Jose stood beside Nicolas looking very amused. Nicolas was patiently waiting; he knew what the letter said and was there when his grandfather wrote it. For most of their lives they all lived in the same house, their grandparents basically forbade them from leaving. Fernando Sr. had six children, four daughters and two sons; he decided that his oldest son had to stay in his house. Originally it had been to groom Emilio to head the company, which of course he did after his father died. But somewhere along the way Fernando Sr. decided that he didn’t want either of his sons to own his business, he picked his grandson. But when he died Nicolas was only 16 and he couldn’t take care of the business, so he let his father take over. With high school and then college he just let his father keep running things, everybody in the family resented him for being the favorite.

            Because Nicolas was the obedient son he did whatever his father said without question. Of course that couldn’t last forever and they all knew one day he was going to take over, he had the ruling interest in the company. Emilio had about 10%, most of the rest was divided between family and long time investors. But with both of his brothers who together had about 5%, he could do anything he wanted. And since most people were afraid of him, nobody would ever dare vote against him. If Emilio didn’t just except his defeat, the defeat that his own father set up years ago, then it would be humiliating. His own siblings would have no choice but to vote against him, they feared Nicolas too. Part of him liked that everyone was afraid of him, even his brothers were afraid of him but unlike everybody else they didn’t act like it.

            The letter informed Emilio of thing his father told him years ago. That he meant for Nicolas to take over and that he didn’t care what it was Emilio wanted. It said a lot of things, like how Fernando Sr. was disappointed in his oldest son. Because of course he knew that nothing had changed with Emilio, he was the same person that he always was. Cold, selfish and uncaring, he faked it most of the time but that was just how he was. He put business before and above everything else and that was one of the reasons Fernando Sr. did not want him to run the business. Family was what came first to him, and that was what was most important.

            “So what is your decision?” Nicolas asked after awhile.

            “This is what you want?” Emilio asked with a burning fury in his eyes.

            “Seems that way,” Jose answered.

            “How can you do this to me? I’ve given you everything and this is how you repay me? And all this because Nicky decided to lay around with some trailer trash girl? You want revenge after I tried to accept this idiotic behavior and after all I’ve done for you Delanoz. After everything all of you turn on me?”

            “Nobody is turning on you,” Delanoz said surprising all of them. “This was how it was supposed to be all of us have always known it, I’m surprised he let you keep this up for this long. I do not feel like being here right now so can you just say that you will retire because it’s not like you have a choice.”

            “What if I say I will not retire?”

            “Then I will have Gloria set up a board meeting and we can take a vote,” Nicolas said. “Even if everybody siding with you, which they never would, my vote will always be the one that matters.”

            “Not if you are seen as unfit,” his father replied.

            “Try it, I dare you,” Nicolas said with a smile.

            “You are all so ungrateful,” he said looking disgusted. “Fine, have it your way, I’ll go, I will retire.”

            “Good, it’s all for the best,” Nicolas said. His father stared at him like he was seeing him for the first time; maybe he was finally realizing that he wasn’t a little boy anymore. It really was a good day.

 

 

            Friday came and with it was the first football game at St. Ivy. The first game that Allie had ever attended since starting school here, the reason was mostly Aaron. After he stepped on her heart she decided to hate football, yet here she was a cheerleader. Cheering at her first football game ever, but Tony was playing so that made all the difference. Maybe when she decided to get into cheerleading she might have saw it as a way to get back at Aaron and Kristy. But none of that mattered tonight because she was cheering just for Tony, nobody else mattered. Everybody was there, almost everybody, Ivan was absent. Maybe that was a good thing, she hadn’t seen him since the last time they had sex. Being around him would be too much.

            It surprised her that she actually liked cheering and having friends. Before she didn’t care about anything or anyone but somehow she managed not to get bad grades. Despite what everybody thought she was not dumb and she wouldn’t just have sex with anybody. In the past high school parties bored her but she was going to be a normal high schooler and go party with people she mostly didn’t like. Just because she decided to change didn’t mean the haters would. Only some of the cheerleaders liked her, a few were afraid of her and others hated her and didn’t hide it. It didn’t matter to her, they were just jealous of her, if she wanted she could have their boyfriends and they knew it. But no guy got her attention except for Tony.

            Now at home all their bedrooms didn’t have locks on them and she knew that was her fault. But at least she still had a home, her mother currently moved into a rental property belonging to Capriani Industries. Unfortunately her grandmother was staying with her mother and also there were guards around the house. It was just another sign of how dysfunctional this family was that her father was trying to kill her mother. And the rumor around the house was that her uncles forced her grandfather into retirement. There was never a dull moment in the Capriani family.

            St. Ivy won their first game of the season. When she found Tony she kissed him and she didn't care who saw, but she did feel Aaron’s eyes on her. All week he glared at her and that was the most attention he gave her since he told the world that they had sex. Wasn’t it bad enough that Kristy was on the cheerleading squad? Their family came down to congratulate Tony for his first big game. They were heading home and Evan, Sammie, Corey and Jenny (Corey’s girlfriend), were headed out to the truck. Before going to change Allie and Tony did a bit of making out.

            “I want you tonight,” he whispered in her ear.

            “Good,” she replied. “Now go get ready.”

            “Fine,” he said and kissed her one last time.

            It was when she was going back to the girl’s locker room that somebody grabbed her arm. She turned expecting it to be Tony, but it wasn’t, it was Ivan. For a moment she just stared at him and she felt that familiar thrill. He pulled her away from the locker rooms, somewhere secluded, this was bad. Somehow she thought he couldn’t affect her anymore, but that was not true. She just had to remember that what happened between them was just sex and he did not care about her. Tony cared about her and she wanted to be with Tony. So why was he here?

            “What do you want?” Allie asked trying to appear braver than she actually was.

            “Having fun with my brother?” Ivan asked, he had that jealous look in his eyes.

            “We are not supposed to talk to each other,” she told him.

            “I know,” he said. “Just tell me why you are with him.”

            “It has nothing to do with you, if that’s what you think. Tony and I are happy together, all you want to do is ruin it. Stay away from me Ivan, we are over,” she said. Why did he have to look at her the way he was? It made her feel naked.

            “You are a cute little cheerleader,” he said.

            “Ivan, why are you even here? What happened between us was just sex and I was just confused and it was wrong.”

            “Was it just sex? Because I remember our conversations and it didn’t seem like that,” he said. The way he was watching her made it hard for her to breathe.

            “Does it matter anymore? I moved on and you should too, I have enough problems Ivan and I don’t need you to be another. I am with Tony for real; I’m not just his dirty little secret or his plaything. And I need to live with your sister so I’m not going to do anything else to cause problems. If she doesn’t want me there I have nowhere to go my mom doesn’t have a house,” she said.

            “I love you,” he said.

            Time literally seemed to stopped. Did he really just say that? It was what she’d wanted to hear all summer but it was definitely not the right time. She thought back over the time she spent with Ivan over the summer and how pathetic she was. Then she thought about Tony, sweet Tony that worshipped her. The decision of what to do wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be. Ivan was giving her exactly what she wanted.

            “No you don’t, we just had sex get over it,” she said and turned and walked away.

            Most of the other girls were getting dressed to go to the party, so there were curling irons and make up and clothes everywhere. Allie dragged herself over to where her stuff was and where Danika and Bianca were chattering. She halfway paid attention to their conversation while she got dressed. Focusing on her pretty satin dress with the jeweled empire waist was better then thinking about anything else. Even if she could let herself believe that Ivan loved her for real, she could not hurt Tony. Besides she couldn’t be with Ivan for a million reasons, the number 1 being that she was living with his sister. There was only so much she was going to get away with before wildflower just gave up on her and nothing was worth losing the one person that always believed in her. This was the right thing to do.

            After she was dressed and ready she told her friends that she would see them at the party. She went to wait for Tony outside the boy’s locker room. Telling him about Ivan was probably a bad idea but she was probably going to do it anyway. Her relationship with Tony was more important to her than some stupid mistake from her past. And as if tonight was the night for the past to catch up with her Aaron came out and stared at her. Why tonight? What did she do to karmicly deserve this? In almost 2 years she hadn’t spoken to Aaron, and he made it a hobby to talk about her.

            “Waiting for your boyfriend?” Aaron asked, it was weird he never talked directly to her just about her.

            “Looks like it,” she replied.

            “Why do you call yourself Allie now?”

            “Because it’s my name, I was born Allesandra.”

            “I take it you’re going to this party?”

            “Why the hell do you care? I think you’ve made it pretty damn clear how you feel about me. So I’m wondering why are you talking to me?” She asked very annoyed.

            “Just talking,” he shrugged. “I just find it funny that you are a little cheerleader now and your little boyfriend is a football player, ironic isn’t it?”

            “It has nothing to do with you or your bitchy sister,” she said.

            “Really? You didn’t do this to make me jealous?”

            “What? Why would it make you jealous? You hate me, remember?”

            “I never said I hated you,” he said.

            “Well when someone does nothing but talk bad about a person for like what two and a half years that sounds like hate. And I did nothing to you, if I remember correctly you told me you didn’t care anything about me and I was just a good time. Do you remember that because I sure do,” she said staring at him. What she ever saw in him she did not know, yeah he was attractive but he was such a mean person.

            “That was a long time ago,” he said like it was nothing. “I wasn’t the on that was talking about you, Kristy was. But don’t act all innocent, I wasn’t going to be with someone who cheated on me.”

            “What the hell are you talking about? I never cheated on you dumb a*s, I was just stupid crazy about you and I was just sex for you.”

            “Kristy told me,” he said.

            “Then you should have asked me, but this is not the time to get into the past. Its over so whatever, thank you so much Aaron for being an a*s,” she said. If Tony didn’t comer out soon she was going to stab Aaron with something.

            “So you are saying it wasn’t true?” He asked as if it actually mattered.

            “That’s exactly what I’m saying, I never cheated on you. Why do you care? If you couldn’t ask me at the time then why are you asking me now?”

            “Because maybe things would have been different,” he said.

            “Well I guess its too bad that you relied on your sister to think for you. I mean who really cared if you broke my heart and used me and have tried to make my life hell ever since. None of it matters anymore,” she told him.

            Why did it feel like it did matter? She hated Aaron and she had a good reason to, her hurt her so bad. Until now she never got why he changed so out of the blue, now she knew it was Kristy. Of course Kristy didn’t want them together that would mean the world didn’t revolve around her and that she couldn’t accept. Kristy was always complaining about the girls her brother dated and she even controlled which guys her sister Jenna dated. Now Allie had a whole new reason to hate Kristy but it shouldn’t even now, it was years ago. Aaron never asked her if she cheated on him, never gave her an explanation for anything. But if that’s what he thought then the way he acted made sense, it was unacceptable but she got it now. So why was he leaning against the wall looking at her like he use to? This was ridiculous, nothing Aaron said mattered because he had his chance and he hurt her.

            When he reached out and cupped her face in his hand, she didn’t pull back like she wanted to. She let him touch her and that was bad. He just stood there studying her face like he was remembering the past. It was the past for a reason, it was over and done with. And Tony was what was important to her now, Tony would never hurt her. So she pushed Aaron’s hand away and turned to walk away. Of course because this was the worse night of her life Tony was there looking at her. Why tonight? It wasn’t supposed to be like this, she wanted to have fun with her boyfriend. Instead she had to be dragged back to things she wanted to forget and feel emotions she didn’t want. Looking amused and triumphant Aaron walked pass them and waved to her. Boarding school was looking like heaven at the moment or an all girl’s Catholic school.

            “Are you ready?” She asked Tony, at this point she was so emotionally drained that she just wanted to go home and cry.

            “Yeah,” he said and pulled her into a hug. “Did he upset you?”

            “That’s a hell of an understatement,” she said burying her face against him.

            “Do you want to just go home?”

            “Kind of,” she whispered.

            “Corey can drive them to the party and we can just go home,” he told her.

            “Ok,” she nodded. Being around people would just be too much for her right now.

            “Alright,” he said. “Shall I carry you?”

            “I’m not yet that pathetic but if one more thing happens to me today I am going to die,” she told him as he led her away. “Ivan was here,” when she said that he stopped and made her turn to look at him.

            “What did he say to you?”

            “That he loves me.”

            “And what did you say to him?” He asked staring at her with the oddest expression, was it mistrust?

            “Don’t you trust me?”

            “I know you wanted him to love you, if that’s what you want then ok.”

            “Tony I just had ghosts of my past decide that they wanted me out of nowhere. Both Ivan and Aaron are the past and I’m here with you,” she told him.

            “Sorry,” he said and kissed her.

            “Not your fault people are just trying to drive me insane,” she sighed. Tonight was supposed to be about fun but if she went to this party she was going to get drunk and probably do things she would regret.

            “Come on I’m going to carry you,” Tony said. Before she could protest he picked her up and she was too tired to fight.

            As usual Tony was being her hero and trying to make her feel better. Allie did not mind at all, tonight was just a big mess. First Ivan and then Aaron what was wrong with people? Especially Aaron, why after all this time did he suddenly want to talk to her? That made no sense and she knew Kristy was going to make a big deal about Aaron because he was stupid and would tell her about their conversation. If it wasn’t for Tony she didn’t know what she would have done. Just thinking about him kept her from doing anything crazy. But since it was the night of horrors and getting to go home with Tony would have just been easy, something else had to happen. Tony stopped and he was staring at something, she opened her eyes to see what or who. And the who wasn’t much of a shock considering the day she was having.

 

            Tony froze when he saw Joe walking towards him. Wasn’t it bad enough that his girlfriend’s exes wanted her back? And one of those exes was his own brother. No apparently this night had to get much worse. Why hadn’t he expected this after he got his sister to change his cell phone number? It wasn’t hard to figure out there was a game tonight so he should have known. But why couldn’t his ex-friend get the picture? For a half a second he questioned himself but Allie helped him to see the truth. He absently set her down and took her hand, of course she’d figured out who that was.

            “Tony,” Joe called as he approached them. “I need to talk to you.”

            “No, you do not,” Tony replied. But it was too late when he was in front of them.

            “So you are the girlfriend? I didn’t get your name,” Joe said.

            “I’m Allie,” she said. She looked as stunned as he did, then again this was just adding to her bad day.

            “It’s nice to meet you Allie,” Joe said pleasantly. He took her hand and kissed it. “So how long have you two been together?”

            “None of your business,” Tony answered. “Stay away from me, I already told you I have nothing to say to you.”

            “I guess not since your girlfriend had to call me,” Joe said. “You are very pretty Allie, much prettier then his usual type.”

            “What do you want?” Tony asked, he was annoyed and he needed to go somewhere far away from this guy. It was making him think of his sister’s stalker, that was basically what this had come to.

            “To see you,” Joe said looking at him again. His eyes kept traveling to Allie like he thought their relationship was a joke. “And I wanted to see your girlfriend, we use to be close and you would tell me about the girls you liked. But I never hear about an Allie.”

            “That’s because I use to go by Sugar,” she said.

            “Oh now I remember,” Joe nodded.

            “Is there a point to this? We have somewhere to be and I have nothing to say to you that I haven’t already said a million times. Leave me alone and stay away from me,” Tony told him.

            “I thought maybe if we could talk face to face you would be different,” Joe said. There was a hurt look in his eyes and Tony couldn’t make himself care.

            This guy was here to try to ruin his life. What happened before was a mistake and Joe needed to get over it. Before the incident he never suspected Joe was gay, of course Ricky did and neglected to tell him because it amused him. Then again maybe his brother didn’t say anything because it would have made him feel weird about Joe. Other than Ricky he didn’t know or talk to any gay guys and at the moment he wasn’t even sure if his brother was all that gay. Gay guys did not have sex with women or at least that was what he always thought but nobody in his family ever made sense. But the important fact was that even if his brother clearly went both ways, he didn’t and he never would. A kiss was not that big of a deal and he was really drunk when that happened. If more happened then maybe he would keep torturing himself about this but it didn’t and he was happy with Allie. Or at least he was happy before Ivan confessed his love to her and Aaron decided he wanted to talk to her. A lot of people told him in the strictest of confidence that Aaron seemed to be a bit obsessed with her and said unkind things but at the same time seemed to be interested. This had to be the worse first week of school there ever was.

            “Nothing has changed,” Tony said. “I have a girlfriend and I want to be with her.”

            “And you love him? That’s what you said,” Joe said to Allie. That was news to him because she never really told him what they talked about.

            “Like I said, I’ve always loved Tony,” she said and she looked up at him. Another thing to talk about later, he was never going to get a break.

            “Alright,” Joe nodded and surprisingly he walked away.

            “Boyfriend,” Allie said when they were alone. “We’re going to this party because I need to drink and have sex and I can’t do that at home.”

            “Fine,” Tony said. At the moment that sounded pretty good. “You still got your cigarettes?” He asked while they walked to the truck.

            “Always, I’m probably going to need to restock,” she said. She dug around in her bag and handed him one and a lighter. Anymore stress and he was going to just jump off a bridge.

 

 

            Sammie never really went to parties unless of course her cousin bribed and blackmailed her. So here she was at a party that one of the guys on the football team’s cousin was throwing because his parents were out of town. It was just what she expected all the “popular kids” were there, they were mostly people she didn’t like. Some of her friends were there. There was of course lots of drinking and loud music and dancing and hooking up. Not her scene at all but she was here with Evan. Allie and Tony were acting weird and she told her she would talk to her at home about that. They were sharing a cigarette in the car and when Sugar smoked in the past it was because something bad happened. But upon arrival they disappeared somewhere and so did Corey and his girlfriend.

            Her cousin’s stupid idea that she was actually going to do couldn’t happen because they had no locks on their doors because of Allie and Tony. But she had pretty much talked herself out of it anyway. Evan had his arm around her waist while they walked around. Allie had suggested about a thousand times that she take a shot to loosen her up. Part of her wanted to do that but she was a chicken and she knew she wouldn’t. When someone pulled her away suddenly she was surprised to see her cousin.

            “I love you Sam, but you are such a good girl,” she whispered in her ear. “I’m borrowing her Evan,” she said and dragged her to the kitchen. Abby, Danika and Bianca waved them over to where they were behind an island counter.

            “We bought you something,” Abby said setting down a shot glass. It had her name on it.

            “Thanks,” Sammie said. Bianca poured something golden brown and smelly in the glass. “What is this?”

            “Tequila,” Allie answered. “Drink it quick.”

            “I don’t think I should,” she said making a face.

            “Come on Sammie its just one shot,” Danika told her.

            “Samantha you have to do it,” Allie said handing it to her.

            “Fine,” she said. Trying to be different for once she took it and drank it down. Abby and Bianca took pictures, but Sammie’s throat burned and she had a nasty taste in her mouth. “That was disgusting.” They applauded her.

            “More?” Bianca asked giggling.

            “Hell no,” Sammie said and they all laughed.

            “You should go take Evan upstairs, there are a lot of empty bedrooms,” Abby told her. “It would be good for you.”

            “Stop you’re going to traumatize her,” Danika said.

            Being surrounded by pretty girls did not help her confidence much, she never use to think about it. But Allie was gorgeous and so were her cheerleader friends, they were her friends too, sort of. Abby was the tall leggy red head, she had recently cut her curly so that it was shoulder length. Danika was the Asian beauty with her olive skin and long black hair and hazel eyes, her grandparents were from China. And then there was Bianca, she had milk chocolate skin, brown hair with highlights and she had a body like the girls you saw in music videos. And she was plain boring Sammie who was forced into wearing a “nice” shirt with her jeans. She hated the shirt because the V in it was too long for her and unlike the other girls she never showed cleavage.

            “Sam, just go make out with him,” Allie told her.

            “Evan is sooo cute, you have to at least do that,” Abby said. The others all nodded at her. “You have to live some time”

            “How long have you been together?” Bianca asked.

            “I don’t know,” she shrugged.

            “Since June 27^th,” Allie said after she took a shot. “It was the day of the engagement party.”

            “So that’s what?” Bianca said obviously counting in her head. “Two months a week and a day.”

            “Stop being so damn smart,” Danika said. “But yeah Sammie go make out with your boyfriend, you have to have sex with him, I’m still very proudly a virgin.”

            “Barely you mean,” Bianca laughed.

            “Samantha Aimee Memphis-Capriani you will either take another shot or go kiss Evan,” Allie said. Of course the others encouraged her too.

            “Allesandra, I hate you,” she said.

            “Take the shot then go get him,” Abby said pouring her more.

            “It’s so gross,” she replied.

            “Suck on a lime,” Danika said handing her one. “Then take the shot.”

            This was definitely peer pressure and she knew it and she knew better. But the need to fit in for once in her life and not be so boring drove her to take the lime from Danika. Sammie was not one of these party girls, it wasn’t who she was. Fifteen year olds should be home or just hanging with friends, not at crazy unsupervised parties. Even though she did not want to she took the second shot. The girls applauded happily, it was disgusting but she liked the attention a little bit. Jordan was never going to believe she did this and maybe that was why this was even harder, Jordan wasn’t her. Without him she felt like part of her was missing. Then there was the fact that Evan still didn’t tell her about him and Sugar. And here she was filling that void with crazy girlie girl friends and drinking at a party. Who was she anymore?

            “Never thought I’d see that,” Evan said. She turned and he was behind her laughing with Tony and George who was Danika’s boyfriend.

            “Sam is party girl at heart,” Allie said. She giggled when Tony wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear. Everybody definitely knew what they were up to; everybody was looking to hook up.

            “Hey Evan,” Abby said. “Sammie really needs to talk to you, in private.” The other girls giggled and nodded and they all ran off leaving her with Evan.

            “You took a shot,” Evan said leaning against the counter watching her.

            “Actually I took two,” Sammie corrected. Could she really be like the other girls and stop second guessing herself and chickening out?

            “I’m surprised you let them talk you into that,” he said. Then he picked up the shot glass with her name on it. “So what did you want to talk about?”

            “Um,” she started not knowing what to do or say. “Why don’t we go upstairs?”

            “What?” He stared at her like she had said something incredibly insane.

            “Do not make me repeat myself because I will lose my nerve completely,” she told him and he smiled.

            “Just nod if you are serious then,” he said and she nodded. He took her hand then and led her away; maybe it was the liquor that was making her do this. She was definitely going to blame it rather then think deeper into it.

 

            It was after two in the morning and Allie and Sammie were lying in Sammie’s bed. They got home after 1 am and everybody was still up. Oddly enough her brother was actually hanging out with everybody; she still wasn’t speaking to him. Uncle Nick, Wildflower, Brooke, Jay, Ricky, Jose, Tammy, Isaiah and Christina were all outside having drinks. And surprisingly nobody cared they were out late, it was strange considering their bedrooms no longer locked. They were all warned that teenagers did not deserve privacy and if any of them did anything else next would be doorknobs and after that actual doors. The punishments were at least creative.

            “So tell me what had you smoking earlier?” Sammie asked.

            “Ivan told me he loved me,” she confessed.

            “What?” That had Sammie sitting up staring at her.

            “I guess he was at the game and he cornered on my way to change and he said. Somehow I managed not to drop dead and told him to leave me alone. Then after I was dressed and waiting for Tony, Aaron decided to break his silence and speak to me,” she told her. “And he said the reason he was mean to me was because Kristy told him I cheated on him or something.”

            “Wow ok that is all cigarette worthy,” Sammie said stunned. “Why would Aaron tell you that now when he could have told you that years ago?”

            “I don’t know, but he was looking at me like he did when we use to be whatever and he touched my face. Then Tony came out and thank God he didn’t freak out about it because I couldn’t have handled that,” she sighed.

            “So telling all that to Tony made him smoke too?”

            “No, that made him want to bring me home so I wouldn’t die from emotional overload. His freaking stalker happened to catch us on the way out. We weren’t taking forever because we were making out like everybody thinks. How I wish that had been the case, because that would be so much easier.”

            “What did he say?”

            “Not much, he wanted to meet me and I don’t know try to talk to Tony. Who of course didn’t have anything to say to the guy, I feel bad he’s like in love with him. He asked me if I love Tony.”

            “What did you say?”

            “That I have always loved Tony, because I have just not like as a boyfriend.”

            “Did you and Tony talk about any of this?”

            “Uh a little but mostly we just had sex, he is such an amazing lover,” she said dreamily. “Anyway my like sucks, what did you do with Evan?”

            “Thanks by the way for sending Jordan a picture of me drinking,” Sammie said glaring at her. “And thank you for getting the other girls to pressure me to drink.”

            “Avoider,” she said.

            “Ok,” Sammie said laying back and closing her eyes. “Well we made out and there was definitely touching and um…”

            “Um? What did you do?”

            “This is so freaking embarrassing,” Sammie said covering her face with a pillow.

            “Fine then I will guess so you don’t have to say it, ok?”

            “Alright,” Sammie nodded beneath her pillow.

            “So did it involved clothing being removed?” She asked and she was surprised she got a nod. “Ok um were they your clothes?” Nod. “Did he take clothes off too?” Nod. “Were any of this removed clothes your panties?” Pause and then a nod, and that almost gave her a heart attack. “And there was touching? But you didn’t have sex, right?”

            “Of course not,” Sammie said.

            “Ok, did his mouth touch something other than your lips?” Another pause and this one was longer so she knew before she got the nod. “Uh would what happened be considered as third base?” There was another pause and then the nod came and she pulled the pillow off her cousin’s face. “Samantha, are you saying what I think you are?”

            “I can’t say,” Sammie said with fire engine red cheeks.

            “You can’t? Fine then I’ll go ask Evan,” Allie said and she got up from the bed.

            “Do not go ask him I would die if you did Alessandra,” Sammie said.

            “Fine I will not ask Evan anything,” she said grabbing her phone from the nightstand.

            “Texting him is asking him,” Sammie said trying to take the phone.

            “I’m texting Tony and you didn’t say Tony can’t ask him,” she said.

            “You are so mean; I don’t want Tony to know. Just because I know about you having sex and taking showers together does not mean I want him to know my business.”

            “Like he doesn’t know already? I’m willing to bet Evan told him,” she told her. 

Technically knowing how secretive Evan was that could be untrue. Even so both boys came into the room like her text requested. Corey had spent the night of his girlfriend’s house. Her strange parents trusted her and had no problem with him staying over. Parenting like that usually got somebody pregnant but considering it was Corey and with the way he was raised he would be careful. Ricky apparently made it clear to all of them that babies were unacceptable. Except of course Ariela who he adored, but Isaiah was grown when she was born anyway.

“Is this going to cause us to loose our doorknobs?” Evan asked, that didn’t stop him from sitting on Sammie’s side of the bed.

“Those drunks are still outside,” Allie said dismissively. Tony came over and kissed her and sat on the bed beside her. “Anyway, we were talking and I want you Evan to tell me what you would consider 3^rd base?”

“Why are you asking me? Ask your boyfriend,” Evan said. He looked over at Sammie who was hugging her pillow and avoiding eye contact with everybody.

“I know what he considers 3^rd base,” she said and Tony gave her a half smile. “Tell me what you consider to be 3^rd base.

“I guess oral, why?” He asked then it seemed to dawn on him.

“Wait, you two did that?” Tony asked laughing.

“What we do or don’t do isn’t your business,” Evan said annoyed. At this point poor Sammie was hugging her pillow tight and it was hiding half of her face.

“There is nothing wrong with exploring your sexuality,” Allie said. Sammie hit her with the pillow.

“First you get me to drink and now you want to embarrass me?”

“It isn’t embarrassing, I could tell you in detail what Tony and I did earlier.”

“Are you sure you would want to do that?” Tony asked her, she just leaned in to kiss him.

“Please don’t,” Evan said. He squeezed Sammie’s thigh and she smiled at him with her cheeks red again. “It isn’t you business if we may have done things that can be considered as third base. Just because all the two of you do it paw at each other doesn't mean everybody else has to.”

“Whatever,” Allie rolled her eyes. The truth was that she thought it was completely adorable.

Reviews

[deeps]

Wow! Quite the intense chapter here. Full of drama. So much detail and wonderful imagery.
I like it it read nicely.