Cursed (4 page)

I truly looked like a Goth; there was no denying
it.

“Omg you are not wearing that. Take your clothes
off I will be right back.” Alise was in and out before I could
register what had happened and suddenly she was stripping the
clothes off of me. Roughly she tore off the sweater and pulled on a
pink t-shirt. It had red lips on it low on the left side and was
really long. She undid my jeans to tear them off as she knocked me
to the bed and pulled at them.

She rambled on about being old enough to dress
myself, which made me blush as my sister dragged a new pair of
jeans on my rail thin body. They were very light blue with frayed
pockets in the back and subtle whiskers in the front.

I hated them instantly and wanted to undress the
minute I saw myself in the mirror regardless of the fact the girl
in the mirror looked a lot better, there was no doubt about it.

That being said I felt like I was wearing a
flashing sign that said, ‘look at me!’

“You’ve gotten too skinny for skinny jeans and
you look horrid in black. You’re a spring/summer Aimee, you need
color.”

She grabbed my arm and dragged me to her room.
It was cluttered and disgusting with an odor I couldn’t quite
place, maybe I could it was L’eau de homeless man peed his pants
and ate nachos.

“You want Blake to like you Aims you need to put
a little make up on and try a little harder. Guys don’t ask out
women who’ve already crossed over into spinsterhood. Here try
this.” She said as she made me sit in her make up chair and started
applying things to my face.

I never spoke, I shut my sister out like usual
and I told myself I could wash my face when this was over.

Alise tweezed and groomed like Edward
Sissorhands using both hands to do the work.

“You like Blake right?” she asked without
waiting for me to answer, “Well you need to grab a guy like him and
tell him you like him. He’s smart but not in relationships.”

I nodded trying to pacify her as she ranted
while holding something that looked like a torture device, “You
know when I liked Benny, he never knew for the first few weeks but
then I just told him one night at a pit party and we dated for like
six months. Till I caught him with that slut Meagan, that was
disgusting.”

This was the story of Alise’s life; she had
already dated at least fifteen boys in the last four years.

I had still not dated a boy once.

It wasn’t from lack of desire but more lack of
options. The only boy I had ever really liked was the one my sister
was dating currently, Shane. I had liked him since grade two but I
never told anyone and now he was ruined forever having no doubt had
sex with my sister. I threw up a tiny bit in my mouth and grimaced
thinking about it.

Now I was stuck with Blake, not that it was a
bad option but I knew there wasn’t any romance in the choice and
even worse he was shyer than I was.

I had come to terms with my being made for him
and vise versa the day I found out about Shane and Alise.

She messed with my hair ignoring the faces I was
making while processing my love life. “You can’t graduate a virgin
Aimee, university is not the place to lose it. And my god if you
continue the way you’re going you’ll be in your twenties and no
guys want to date a twenty five year old virgin. There, what do you
think?”

She stepped back and swung the chair to face her
mirror.

I prepared myself for the worst, painted whore
like her friends or maybe like a clown since Alise was being oddly
kind to me and I had roped her into a month of extra laundry but
instead I barely recognized myself. I looked remarkable.

The girl staring back at me looked attractive
and I could barely see the makeup, she had actually respected the
fact I was a minimalist.

“You have a talent Alise, this is miraculous.” I
whispered as I touched my cheeks not feelings greasy makeup. My
lips looked full and plump and my blue eyes were noticeable and
sparkly.

She stood behind me in the mirror smiling at her
work, “You look like we could even be friends, like a cheer leader
or something.”

And there it was, the old mean and nasty snot of
a sister I was accustomed to, “Yeah well don’t get your hopes
up.”

She crossed her arms giving me the look of doom,
“Don’t do anything to get dirty or make a mess of yourself, and
don’t eat. Just sit somewhere till eight.”

I laughed as I left her room feeling like an
idiot for being talked into this. I walked back to my room to play
WOW while I waited for it to be time.

Lost in the game a while later I was interrupted
deep in thought about the Alliance member I was creaming.

“You really are doing this?” Dad asked as I
slaughtered a noob twelve year old Allie with my fellow
guildies.

“Play World of Warcraft, yeah. I play everyday.
Dad please you need to start paying attention to our comings and
goings its getting frightening in here without any parental
control.”

“I know you play, it costs me fifteen dollars
every month kiddo I notice. Whoever thought that game up is a
genius.” He sighed almost chuckling.

I never took my eyes off the screen as I spoke,
“Duly noted.”

“No I meant the party, it’s not your thing. You
don’t have to go.” His voice was flat as if he were playing it up
and saying it but secretly excited I was going.

“Yeah well she promised me the moon and stars.”
my eyes still never left the screen.

“Be safe and don’t drink okay.” His voice was
yielding as he spoke.

I turned to face him while the flags reset in my
game of capture the flag, “Dad its ok. When do I drink? I think
you’re in the wrong room, Sleazy Drunks is next door. This is Dorks
with Anonymity. Did you eat yet?”

He shook his head chuckling, “No I ordered some
pizza. Uncle Vince is coming over, he wants to watch the game.”

I smiled, “Who’s playing?”

My once handsome father who had been replaced by
this shorter and more exhausted one smiled almost brightening his
face up, “Oh uhm, well you know me and sports kiddo. But adult
company and some pizza will be a pleasant diversion.”

I laughed at my father, “Yeah I guess we are
both being held hostage for the evening.”

His eyes sparkled for a moment, “Maybe it’s what
we need Aimee, we don’t seem to be getting past this on our own.
You look pretty by the way. Want me to get a veggie burger when I
pick up the pizza?”

I smiled looking him right in the eye, which I
rarely did anymore and nodded as he left my room.

My sister drove like a crazed woman making all
the pickup stops along the way as Blake and I sat squished in the
back with a guy name Tommy who had dated my sister but was now
dating one of her friends and flirted mercilessly with everything
that moved.

“Hey Aimee, looking good. You clean up nice.” He
spoke soothingly as if trying to charm me or tame a wild animal I
wasn’t sure which.

“Yeah I don’t really see how a t-shirt is
cleaned up, but thanks Tommy.” I rolled my eyes at Blake who
muffled a laugh.

“McGinnis, dude you’re way too big for the back
seat. You should have tried out for basketball. What are you six
one?” He asked Blake trying to make conversation.

Blake smiled, “Uhm six three actually but I am
not a sporting sort. That is best left for the coordinated.”

He frowned at me which I knew meant he really
didn’t want to be in this car full of the popular kids asking him
to join sports based on his height and the fact his parents were
ridiculously rich.

I laughed at his grumpy face that softened him
as he whispered to me, “You look really nice. Pink is very
you.”

I stuck my tongue out almost feeling guilty to
be having fun and laughing but I knew my mom would want me to have
a life again, even if it was Alise’s life.

We pulled into a long driveway far from the road
to Shane Bagley’s house. His father and mom had recently split
causing a rift in our small town as Shane’s father had been caught
having relations so to speak with a check out girl at the local
grocery store, which incidentally the Bagley Family owned. Shane’s
mom had kicked him out only to find out he moved in with his
twenty-five year old employee.

Shane was taking this hard. He was only a few
months older than us, which made him eighteen and a half. His new
step mom was seven years older than he was.

Alise had been sucked into the drama as was her
specialty and had gone from nearly dumping Shane to a newly devoted
woman. Shane was smoking hot and he was by far the nicest guy in
our small town. I actually couldn’t figure out what on earth would
possess him to date my sister.

Shane’s mom had been vacationing more than
normal in the last few months, which had most of the small town of
just under three thousand people speculating she was actually in a
center somewhere.

Shane had an older sister in university in the
city who came back on weekends even though it was a five-hour drive
to help him out while his parents were both AWOL.

Shane’s sister had actually gone to high school
two grades below the new step mom; it was a predicament no one
wanted to be caught in.

The music from the house could be heard from the
long driveway; the large waterfront home seemed to have every light
on inside and out.

Cars were lining the driveway as Alise found a
spot up front and the shouting and hollering started up. People
were baling from her old car, boys picking girls up and running
with them over their shoulders and girls screaming in joy. I was
certain I watched someone climb out of the trunk.

The music stopped and my heart skipped a beat
for a second as Shane came out to greet us at the door which when
opened revealed a pretty packed house. The huge windows in the
living room looked like peeking onto a set for an American Pie
movie.

He stood there looking breathtaking, “hey Aimee
I’m glad you came.”

I wanted to take it the wrong way but I knew he
meant because then my sister could come. I noticed out of the
corner of my eye Blake stood closer to me suddenly and puffed up
his chest looking at Shane or the entrance to the house rather. I
blushed thinking he must have noticed my small crush on Shane and
resented it.

I gave Shane a small wave and tiny smile trying
not to look at his lips and imagine what they would be like to
kiss.

My sister walked up and kissed him on the cheek
making me want to disinfect him so I could continue my fantasy.

Blake stood at the car staring dumbfounded.
Neither of he nor I had ever been to a party but after my sisters
little indiscretion of not coming home a month ago our father had
laid down the rule of no more parties without me as her companion,
which translated into chaperone. He had bet on the fact I would
never go and clearly tonight he had bet wrong but I knew deep down
he was happy to see me out socializing with someone beyond Blake
and relieved I would be there to keep an eye on Alise.

I looked at Blake noticing how oddly handsome he
looked and suddenly I realized he didn’t have his glasses on. I
wasn’t sure if Blake even owned contacts or if he was going blindly
to impress the popular kids but either way he looked really nice
without glasses.

I grinned at him, he looked nervous but like he
was excited to be there. I was the opposite, I wasn’t nervous and
didn’t want to be anywhere nears the popular people, well except
one but he had been spit on by Satan like he was the last donut on
the plate, so my only option was viewing him from a distance.

“You want to go in?” I asked him quietly.

He nodded, “Yeah.” He swallowed hard and we
walked up to the house. He was massive with nothing in his hands to
make him stoop over, standing straight in beige cords and a blue
t-shirt with a science camp logo no one here would even come close
to recognizing. I felt short next to him as we walked along the
concrete slab walkway to the front door.

“You cold?” He asked as I felt a warm wind hit
me suddenly and I shivered harshly.

I shook my head frowning as I wondered if my mom
was telling me not to go in. I felt her wind a second time and
decided perhaps it was my mom telling me to have a good time, she
was freeing me to enjoy a regular teenager night out.

My heart couldn’t help but beat harder as my
skin craved feeling that wind again.

I looked to the right and saw a guy I had never
seen before. He was very tall and dark blond with the most stunning
blue eyes I had ever seen, they looked like a husky dogs. Almost
white blue but bright like there was a light shining out from
behind his eyes. He looked like an actor in a movie not a guy at a
teenager party. His face was like something you didn’t see in such
a small town. I felt my breath be taken away as I locked eyes with
him. I wanted to walk to him, I knew him from somewhere. He looked
at me for a moment but his face seemed surprised when I pointed to
him subtly, “Who is that?”

I looked up at Blake for a second but when we
both looked over to the side of the house he was gone.

Blake shrugged, “I didn’t see him.”

“There are a few people from Port Handley here.
They’re friends with Shane.” A girl beside me spoke softly looking
to where I had pointed. I recognized her as my sister’s friend
Giselle. She was easily the most beautiful girl in the world, half
French and half Filipino and the best of both worlds.

She staggered slightly as she entered the
house.

“Clearly not her first drink of the evening.”
Blake whispered as we walked into the house smiling about the joke
only we were privy to.

I looked out the window again hoping to see the
guy from the neighboring town, his eyes had mystified me but he
seemed familiar to me somehow almost like I had dreamt of him
before. He was everything I would have imagined when describing
stunning beauty.