Tantalize

Saturday, 11:00 am

The sunlight was dull and cold that morning, but it was enough to drag me from the recesses of sleep that I clung to. My eyelids were heavy and my head was pounding, my body drowning in the deepest hangover I'd ever experienced. I felt disgusting. I didn't even remember coming home last night, much less getting into bed.

The house was quiet, somber. Mom was probably out buying the week's groceries. My sisters were downstairs watching cartoons: I could barely hear the faint rumble of animated voices from below. I rolled over groggily, wincing at my sore muscles and wondering what the hell had happened the night before.

I'd been at Kyle's. A party. Graduation party. On the back deck, the pool filled with bikini-clad girls and the ice chests stocked with beer... But that was the extent of my memory. The rest was a drunken blur.

I tried to remember. Ella hadn't been there. She was a junior, not graduating yet. Not to mention her parents were aware of Kyle's reputation as a notorious supplier of booze. I'd tried to convince her to come anyway. "I'll take the heat if you're caught," I'd promised. But as always, she shook her head with a sad smile and refused, giving me that loving green-eyed gaze that was as good as any kiss.

I rolled across the bed and heaved my laptop from the nightstand. There would definitely be pictures on Facebook. Sure enough, my notifications had shot up exponentially from the usual one or two. Kyle Kendrick tagged you in 15 pictures. Myra George mentioned you in a status. Leighton Johnson tagged you in 3 photos...

My stomach dropped. I could feel the alcohol brewing inside me, threatening to come up. Leighton.



Friday, 8:00 pm

You could never miss the Kendrick home when there was a party on. They had miles of colored lights that their gardeners strung along every windowsill and balcony in exchange for a few hours of extra pay. Their backyard speaker system pulsed with music. And, of course, the vast yard was littered with trash and party guests.

To be fair, Kyle's parents didn't have parties like this. They were more of the sit-down dinner type. But they were lenient parents, allowing Kyle to throw parties for every occasion. It helped that they were one of the oldest and most influential families in town. None of the noise violation charges ever amounted to anything.

The sun was just going down when I pulled up to the Kendrick home. Kyle greeted me warmly on the back deck and offered me a can of beer dripping with condensation. I flipped the top open easily and guzzled it down, immediately reveling in the familiar warm feeling I felt in my stomach.

"Great night, eh?" Kyle said, leaning against the railing. "We're finally done. Graduated. It's our time now!" His eyes flickered with the excitement that was pulsating through the air. We were all high on freedom.

"No kidding." I turned to find the origin of the voice and my eyes landed on Leighton Johnson. "Having fun, Connor?" she asked me, arching her eyebrows mischievously.

I was speechless. Leighton was by far the most attractive girl in our class. Big blue eyes framed with thick lashes and a luscious mess of bright red hair that hung down to her waist in curly tresses. Her lean limbs stood out against the black dress that barely covered her body. I'd admired her from a distance since we were freshmen. She'd never spoken to me before, and I'd quickly given up on my hormone-driven fantasies of her. But here she was, the summer breeze twisting her hair playfully and her soft pink lips parted ever so slightly...

"Sure," I replied, shaking the thoughts from my head and picturing Ella's lovely smile and soft green eyes. I looked over at Kyle to see him grinning at me from ear to ear. He knew how I'd obsessed over Leighton as a freshman.

"Well, I'll see you around," she said, biting her lip. She turned and headed towards a gaggle of girls by the pool. I had to tear my eyes away from her swaying frame.

Kyle nudged me with his elbow. "How about that?" he teased. "I told you it'd be a great night!"

"Shut up, man," I replied, but I couldn't help but smile.

The next few hours were a blur. Empty beer cans piled up all over the yard. Chicken fights and cannonball contests filled the pool with excited screams, and couples wedged themselves into every nook and cranny for drunken make-out sessions. Kyle and I were sitting on the couch, laughing stupidly at something someone said that didn’t make any sense, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Hey, handsome.”

Leighton’s eyes were pink with chlorine and drink, but she still managed to leave me speechless. She giggled a little and I felt all eyes on the two of us.

“I need your help with something,” she went on. “Come here and have a look?”

I hesitated, and Kyle shoved me. “Go on, man,” he slurred.

I stumbled to my feet and followed Leighton down the hall, tripping after her up the stairs. When we reached the landing, I turned to her. “So, what do you need me to –”

But my words were muffled by her lips, softer than I’d imagined and pressed fervently against mine. I pulled away reluctantly. “I have a girlfriend…” I mumbled.

“She isn’t here, silly,” she crooned. Her fiery hair tickled my face and her breath was alcoholic and sweet all at once. And then her lips were on mine again, this time with more enthusiasm.

I didn’t fight. I didn’t really understand what was happening. My brain was drowning and I felt like I was being swept up by a tornado. We moved along the walls and I heard her hand turn the knob of Kyle’s bedroom. We fell through the threshold and onto the bed.

I was making out with Leighton Johnson. And it was raw and filthy and thrilling. Something I'd never had with Ella. Something I never thought I wanted with Ella. But my head was buzzing and my pulse was racing and I couldn't keep my mind off of what I knew was hidden underneath that snug black dress that wrapped around Leighton's body...

So my fingers found the clasps and then the dress was gone. And suddenly my clothes were gone too and I didn’t go back. I didn’t stop. I was falling and couldn’t find footing but in a way I didn’t even care…



Saturday, 11:06 am

I was frozen, paralyzed by the memory. I was all there, perfectly clear. Well, as clear as I could have remembered it in the haze I'd been in. I was dead. If Ella found out I was dead. Even if she forgave me, it didn't matter. It'd kill me if she knew.

Suddenly I heard a buzzing sound. My phone vibrated on the bedside table. I swallowed hard and grabbed the device.

Message From: Ella

Hey, Connor How was the party last night?