Marked (6 page)

“
Well, you missed Jace at the diner
last night.” She smirked. “He didn’t ask me about you or anything,
but he was definitely looking for you.”

My heart jolted and I found myself smiling,
instantly grateful he was still in town. I clutched my books
tighter to my chest and slipped into chemistry class just before
the tardy bell rang. Sam caught my attention.

“
Hey, missed you yesterday,” he
said with an honest smile that set off his dimples. “You sick or
somethin’?”

I sat in my usual seat in front of him and flashed
him a small smile. “I think I caught a stomach bug.” Images from my
nightmare crept into my mind and made fresh nausea roll through
me.

“
Damn, that sucks. I was hoping we
could hang out tonight or something... but if you’re not feeling up
to it, I can understand,” he said in a deflated tone. “There was
just this party at Pierce Elision’s house going on tonight. I
thought maybe we could go.”

“
Pierce Elision?” I repeated.
Pierce was the quarterback on the football team and one of the
richest kids at school. On the rare occasion he was given the
opportunity to throw a party, anyone who was anyone always tried to
attend.

“
We can go,” I said. “I don’t have
to work and neither does Rachel.”

“
Awesome! I’ll check with Kyle next
period and see if they want to carpool tonight,” he said, flipping
my hair with the tip of his pencil.

Mr. Webber cleared his throat from the front of the
room, and I shifted around in my seat to face him, eager for this
day to be over with.

* * *

“
You know, we should start planning
for your birthday soon,” Rachel said, while we were getting
ourselves ready for the party at my house after school.

“
It’s still like three weeks
away.”

“
So,” she said, putting a hand on
her hip. “Do you still want to throw a party? I bet Jace would let
you have one at his house if you asked.”

“
Are you crazy?” I
scoffed.

“
What?” She smirked. “He probably
would.”

My heart pounded at the thought of it. “Yeah, and
that would go over so well with Sam.”

Rachel shrugged. “Never know.”

I stared at my reflection in the mirror above my
dresser as I twisted my hair into a tight bun on top of my head. It
would be nice to hang out with Jace on my birthday. Hell, who was I
kidding, it would be nice to hang out with Jace again period.
Someone knocked on my door.

“
Come in,” I shouted.

“
You girls look great.” Mom smiled,
leaning against the door frame. “Where are you going?”

“
Movies,” Rachel and I said in
unison, our standard lie for any party that fell on a school
night.

“
Ah.” Mom nodded, skepticism
pooling in her eyes. Maybe the whole speaking in unison thing had
tipped her off. “Which movie are you going to see?”

“
Some creepy movie the guys have
been wanting to see,” I said, without looking at her, while sliding
my final bobby pin into place. “It starts at 7:25.”

“
Then you should have no problem
getting home by ten, right?” Mom raised an eyebrow.

I hated having such an early curfew on school
nights. Now that we were seniors, Rachel’s mom had switched her
weekday curfew to 10:30 and I prayed mine would do the same. So
far, no such luck.

“
Can I stay out until 10:30
tonight?” I asked. “Please, just for tonight?”

Mom rolled her eyes and sighed. “Go ask your
dad.”

“
Thanks, Mom!” I gushed; she’d
practically just said yes.

Rachel winked at me as we walked down the hall
toward the living room and mouthed a comforting
you got this
to me.

“
Hey, Dad?” I asked, peeking my
head into the living room. “Can I stay out until 10:30 tonight? Mom
said to ask you,” I added quickly.

He turned his full attention from the TV to me and I
felt my stomach flip-flop, hoping for a yes. My dad was an
averagely built man with deep chestnut-colored hair and light-green
eyes. His stare sometimes could be intimidating, but I knew how to
make his heart melt.

I flashed him my best smile. “Please, just for
tonight?” I pleaded.

“
Where was it you girls were
going?”

“
The movies,” I answered, my smile
never wavering.

“
All your homework is
done?”

“
Yes.”

“
Have you got your cell phone with
you?” he asked.

“
Yeah,” I said, holding it
up.

“
I don’t see a problem with it
then.” He winked. “10:30 though, no later.”

“
Thanks, Dad!” I said. “Love you.
See you later.”

“
You girls be careful. Love you,
too, honey,” mom called from somewhere deep in the house as we
headed out the door.

Rachel raced down the winding road that lead to
Pierce’s house, slowing only once we reached the wrought iron gate
that opened up to his driveway.

“
Woohoo, all right!” Sam shouted
beside me as a large goofy grin spread on his face.

“
Damn, where do I park?” Rachel
asked, glancing from side to side.

The entire driveway was bombarded with cars; they
lined it, forming a metal wall on either side all the way to
Pierce’s front door. People scrambling all over intensified the
claustrophobic cluster-fuck in progress, and I could see Rachel’s
anxiety was about to get the best of her as she tapped the steering
wheel impatiently.

“
Over there, babe, in front of that
little white truck,” Kyle said, pointing.

After Rachel parallel parked like a pro—shocking Sam
and making him rethink his whole
girls can’t drive
theory—we
all made our way toward the front of the house. The Elision mansion
was a huge red-brick, two-story house with a perfectly manicured
yard. It was beautiful and caused me to suffer from house envy
every time I stepped foot inside. Once the wall to wall people came
into view though, I instantly felt glad it wasn’t mine because I
wouldn’t want my house to get as trashed as this one undoubtedly
would get tonight.

The four of us walked through the front door without
knocking; nobody would have heard us anyway. The bass was so loud I
could feel it reverberating through me the moment we stepped
through the door.

“
Mark! Hey, man, what’s up?” Sam
shouted at some blond guy a few feet away. “I’m gonna go get us
drinks,” he said, his lips brushing against my ear.

I smiled and waved him away. Kyle followed closely
behind him, and Rachel linked her arm with mine, pulling me from
where I stood.

“
Come on, chickie, let’s dance!”
She beamed.

The two of us snaked our way through the clusters of
people talking and headed toward the center of the living room. All
the furniture had been moved elsewhere so the room held plenty of
space for dancing. I glanced around, searching for the pool table
Rachel had mentioned, but didn’t see one.

Once we made it to the center of the room, Rachel
began swaying her hips perfectly in sync with the beat of the bass.
I glanced around, noticing two guys to her right already checking
her out.

“
Let loose, Tessa, dance!” she
demanded, and I felt my face grow hot as I began to move my hips a
little. “Loosin’ up; you look too stiff!” she yelled, grabbing my
hands and shaking them.

I tried to sway a little more, but knew I looked
goofy. Hell, every girl in here did in comparison to her. Rachel
looked like a seductive stripper, minus the pole. I wished I had
half her confidence and moves.

“
Here, drink up,” Sam shouted from
behind me, handing me a red plastic party cup.

“
Thanks,” I said, swallowing big,
greedy gulps. “Who’s the D.D.?” I wondered. It sure wasn’t going to
be me.

“
I am,” Kyle answered with a wink.
“You ladies have fun.”

Rachel cut off a long sip and planted a sloppy kiss
on Kyle’s lips.

* * *

An hour and one more glass of spiked punch later, I
was finally tipsy enough to shed all of my embarrassment and
insecurities and dance like a stripper with Rachel. Kyle sandwiched
himself between us, and Rachel and I giggled while giving him the
dance of his life. Hard arms locked around my waist and jerked me
backward, causing shock to ripple through my body.

“
What the hell are you doing?” Sam
yelled at me, his blue eyes flaring.

“
Whoa, we were just having a good
time, Sam. Calm down,” Kyle said, stepping to my side.

“
I’m talkin’ to her, but maybe I
should be talkin’ to you. Why were you bumpin’ and grindin’ with my
girl like that, man?” Sam asked, shoving Kyle once.

“
Sam, enough!” I shouted. “You’ve
obviously had too much to drink; let’s go! Now!” I grabbed his arm
and pulled him toward the front door. He shook himself free from my
grasp before we’d even made it halfway there.

By the time I’d made it to Rachel’s Jeep, I was
fuming.

“
You gonna tell me what that was
about?” Sam asked, his eyes still burning for a fight.

“
Yeah, it was called
dancing
!” I snapped, turning to face him directly and
crossing my arms over my chest.

“
Oh, is that what you wanna call
it?” He scoffed. “Sure looked like a hell of a lot more than
dancing to me.”

My blood boiled; maybe it was time to break from my
bad habit of a relationship cold turkey.

“
You know what, Sam, I’m sick of
all this… I’m
done
!” I brushed past him to where Rachel and
Kyle stood off to the side, pretending not to watch. “Take me home,
please; I don’t want to be here anymore.”

“
What do you mean,
you’re
done
?” Sam shouted after me.

I walked back to the Jeep and slipped into the
backseat, ignoring him completely.

“
Tessa, answer me,” Sam said,
sliding into the seat beside me. “What do you mean, you’re
done?”

“
Exactly what I said, Sam, I’m
done,” I repeated, glaring out my window.

I spent the entire fifteen minute ride from Pierce’s
house to mine ignoring Sam’s pleas to work things out and
eventually his hurtful words. Rachel stepped out with me once we’d
made it to my house.

“
Well, it’s only 9:42, guess you
didn’t need that curfew extension after all.” She smirked, finding
humor in the situation.

I felt a small smile twist up at the corner of my
mouth. “Guess not.”

“
Are you gonna be okay?” she asked,
concerned.

“
Yeah, are you guys? You’re the
one’s giving that temperamental ass a ride home.”

Rachel grinned. “Don’t worry about us. If he gets
out of line, I’ll karate chop him in the neck!”

I shook my head and grinned. “Thanks for the ride.
Text me when you get home.”

“
Will do. Goodnight,
chick-a-dee.”

“
Night,” I called after her as she
started back toward her Jeep.

I could see Kyle trying to keep Sam from getting out
and noticed him gun it as soon as Rachel closed her door.

“
Tessa, don’t do this!” Sam shouted
out his window as they sped down the street. I rolled my eyes and
stepped inside, hoping my parents hadn’t heard his
bellowing.

“
You’re home early. Was the movie
any good?” dad asked me on my way to my room.

“
Nope, not really. Goodnight, I’m
going to bed,” I said without stopping.

Even though my buzz had died a little while ago, I
still didn’t feel like staying up and hanging around my parents or
telling them I’d dumped Sam.

I stripped out of my clothes and changed into a long
T-shirt and some boy shorts before curling up under the covers with
my cell phone in hand. Twenty long minutes passed, while I
continued to lay in bed and replay my night and its horrible turn
out, before Rachel texted me.

Just dropped off asshole. He’s like a blubbering
baby crying over you right now. I think you’re doing yourself a
favor dumping him.

I sighed. My anger from our fight had almost
dissipated completely, and I wasn’t sure exactly how I felt about
breaking up with him.

Maybe. Is Kyle pissed? ~Tessa

No way. He knows how Sam can be. Don’t wuss out,
Tessa, stick to it for a few days. Who knows, maybe he’ll change or
maybe you’ll have time to finally focus on Jace and never think of
him again.

My heart ached at the sight of Jace’s name.

I haven’t seen him in like four days. I don’t think
there’s much to focus on. ~Tessa

Never know. I’m home. Talk to ya at school
tomorrow.

K ~Tessa

I tossed my cell on my nightstand and prayed for
sleep to stall out my speeding thoughts.

School the next day was awkward and nearly
infuriating. Sam took every chance he could get to corner me and
force me to talk with him. As the day progressed, he went from sad
and somewhat pitiful to angry and completely annoying. I couldn’t
help but wonder if Rachel had been partially right. Maybe I
shouldn’t try to fix things between Sam and me right now, but maybe
I shouldn’t focus on Jace either. Maybe I should focus on myself
for a while.

* * *

By 6:45, almost two hours into my shift at the
diner, I’d finally convinced myself not to get back with Sam
anytime soon and to not even
think
about Jace at all. Five
minutes later, the second half of my resolution crumbled in my mind
like a cookie as Jace walked through the door.