Seeking Karma (5 page)

     Okay, I have to admit, the Salvation Army is pretty awesome.  We’ve found two side tables,
to go along with our leather sofa, and a dinette set.  Thanks to our parents, we still have enough cash to get new beds and mattresses.

     After the guy helping us, puts sold stickers on all of our furniture
, we head back out to Anna’s car.  She still hasn’t told me who she texted earlier.  The bitch!  I know her - she’s up to something. 

     “Are you going to tell me who’s hauling our new furniture, or not?”  I ask, as I click my seatbelt.

     “Or not,” she says evasively, as she starts the ignition.  “So, did you ever find out how you did on that test?”  She looks back over her shoulder, backing out of the parking space.

     “Ye
ah, I got an eighty-five.”  I’m actually really proud of myself, for that one.  I had been torn all to pieces during the whole test.  I’d rushed through most of it, not even reading the questions all the way through.

     “You go girl!”  She holds her hand up to me and I slap it.  “I think that calls for a celebration.”  She turns the radio on, and begins
dancing around in her seat, singing along with the song.  She can’t sing for shit, and she looks so funny.  I burst out laughing.  God, if feels so good to laugh, again.  It’s been so long.!  “Are you going to sing with me, or just keep laughing at me?”  She blinks over at me with wide eyes.  I reach over and turn up the volume on Fifth Harmony’s ‘Miss Moving On’ I belt out the words at the top of my lungs.  Hey, this is my new theme song.  Yeah, I can’t sing either, but I don’t care.  I’m having fun!

     This has been the best day I’ve had in awhile.
We stopped by Dairy Queen, on the way to our new townhome, and got a Blizzard.  There’s just something therapeutic about ice-cream.  It makes me feel like a little girl.  “Ouch!”  The only problem with eating ice-cream too fast – brain freeze. 

     Anna sticks her spoon in her mouth, and shuts off the car.  “You ready for this?”  The entire back end of her car is full of all of our stuff.  I still can’t believe we got it all to fit.

     I glance back over my shoulder and groan.  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

     She nudges me with her elbow.  “Come on.  It’ll be fun.  Plus, when we’re finished
, we won’t need a workout for at least a month.”

     She has a point.  T
his is definitely going to be one hell of a workout.  I hear a truck as I climb out of the car.  The back of it is full of our furniture.  I glance at the driver, and my mouth falls open.

     “What’s up
, girlfriend?”  He says, as he climbs out of the truck.

     “Dusty!”  I shriek and throw myself into his arms.  I can feel tears of pure joy
, stinging my eyes.  Dusty was my best friend in high school.  We were inseparable.  I was the first person he came out to.  When the word spread that he was gay, I was the only one of his friends that stuck by his side.  When Aaron met him, he instantly disliked him.  Not because Dusty was gay, but because he was a guy.  Aaron didn’t like me hanging out with Dusty, so he forbid it, even after I told him that Dusty was gay.  Aaron didn’t care.  He told me it didn’t look good for his girlfriend to be spending so much time with another guy.  I listened to him, like a little bitch, and cut all ties with Dusty.  I was such a bitch to him, and here he is helping us.  I don’t deserve him.

     “I missed you so much.”  I say against his chest.

     “I know, girlie.  I missed you too.”  Dusty knew that Aaron was possessive, but he doesn’t have a clue about the abuse.  He’d probably kill Aaron in his sleep, if he did.  He scrunches his nose up, as he takes in the back of Anna’s car.  “It looks like we’ve got a long night ahead of us.”  He releases me, and reaches inside the cab of his truck.  “We’re going to need this.”  He pulls out a bottle of Jack Daniels.  “Jack will make this a lot more fun, don’t you think?”  He winks at me and turns the bottle to his mouth.  I love this guy!

CHAPTER 15

TRENT

     Damn, I hate studying.  I have stared at this book for so long
, my eyes are starting to cross.  I glance over at the clock.  No wonder!  I’ve been locked up in here for over two hours.  I throw the book onto the floor and force myself off of the bed.  I need a break.

     “Hey Jude, do you want to go get something to eat?”  I stop when I see him.  “What in the Hell are you doing?”  He’s sitting on his knees on the couch, peeking out of the blinds.  What the fuck?

    He turns around and motions for me to come over to him.  “Do you remember me telling you about the hot girls, the other day?”  I nod my head.  “Well, they’re moving in.  Come over here, and check out the tits on the blonde.”

     “Yeah, I think I’m going to pass.”  I’m trying to get my newfound stalking tendencies under control.  I don’t think peeking through blinds at some random girls will help that, very much.

     “Seriously, I’ve never seen a more perfect set.  You’ve got to check this out!”  He grabs my arm and pulls me next to him.  What the hell are we - a couple of thirteen year old girls?  Oh, who am I kidding?  I’m going to look.  Just because I’m obsessed with Karma, doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate another woman’s body, even though, I’m pretty sure no other woman would ever come close to
her
.

     “Which one?,
” It’s hard to see much.  The window has a screen on it.

     “Hold on, that guy is standing in front of her.”  Okay this is just too fucked up.  I’m getting ready to go back to my room, when the guy turns to the side.  Fuck Me!  It’s her!  Holy fucking shit!  Karma is my new neighbor
!.  My jaw nearly hits the floor.  There is a God, and boy does he love me!  Wait a second - Jude is still drooling over her.  Ah fuck that!  I dig my fingers into his shoulder, and drag him off of the couch.

     “What the fuck, Trent?  What’s your problem?”  He’s looking at me, like I’ve completely flipped my lid.  Hell, maybe I have.  I don’t know.

     I get up in his face.  “She’s off limits.  Do you understand me?”  My words have finality to them.  I want to make sure he gets it.

     He holds his hands out in front of him.  “Okay, I won
’t touch her,” he assures me.  “What about the other one?”  Wow, he really is the biggest pervert I’ve ever met.  Don’t get me wrong - all guys are perverts, but Jude takes it to a whole other level.

     “Do whatever you want with the other one.”  I turn around and head to the door.  It’s time to finally sweep my dream girl off of her feet.

     “Hey, where are you going?”  Jude asks, following behind me.

     “It looks like they need help.”  Oh yeah, this is the best day of my life.

     I stop just outside the door, and watch her.  Whoa, she is absolutely breathtaking in the sunlight!.  She’s laughing about something, and I swear, it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.  I haven’t even touched her, yet, and I’m already pussy-whipped.  Jude comes through the door, not paying any attention to where he’s going, and slams into me.  It almost knocks me over.  “What the fuck, man!?”  I shout, causing Karma and her friends to look over at us.  Oh, this is a great way to start off.  Good going Trent, you dumbass!

 
   I walk over to Karma slowly, enjoying the view.  I stop a few feet away from her.  She has a large box in her arms.  “Do you need some help with that?”

     She blinks up at me, and her gray eyes widen.  She remember
s me!  “Um – thanks, but I got it.”  She turns away from me, and I can smell her hair as it swings behind her.  It smells like vanilla and peaches.  My dick hardens instantly.  She doesn’t have a fucking clue, of the effect she has on me. 

     I follow behind her.  “At least let me get the door for you.”  I reach around her, inhaling her scent, like a fucking loser.  She turns her shoulder slightly, so that I can open the door.

     She presses her full lips together and glances up at me.  “Thank you.”  Her voice is smooth as silk.  God!, I want to touch her so badly, but I don’t want to scare her.

     “My name
’s Trent.  We met a couple of weeks ago, at McDonalds.  Do you remember?”  Wow, I sound like a complete douche.

     She nods her head a couple of times.  “Yeah, I remember you.”  She sits the box down on the countertop, and turns towards me.  She opens her mouth like she’s going to say something, but Jude and that other guy walk in
, carrying a sofa.

     “Where do you want this
, girlie?” the guy asks her.  She snaps her jaw shut and walks over to them.

     “I’m not sure.”  She turns to the other girl.  “What do you think, Anna?”

     “Well, take your time, and figure it out.  It’s not like this is heavy or anything.”  Jude says, rolling his eyes.  I’m going to kill that mother fucker!

     “Fine,” Anna says
, smirking at him.  “Put it in front of the window.”  The guys turn around and drop it roughly.  “Hey, take it easy!.  That cost us forty bucks.”  Anna complains.

     Jude arches a brow at her.  “Where in the hell did you find a leather sofa
, for forty dollars?”  He asks incredulously. 

     “At the Salvation Army.”

     Jude shakes his head.  “Whatever.” He looks over at the other guy.  “It’s Dusty, right?”  The guy nods his head.  “Where’s the Jack?  I think I’ve earned a drink.”

     Dusty gives him a big grin.  “Sure, it’s in the truck.”
 

     “Hey, I want some
!.”  Anna whines, as she follows them out, leaving Karma and I alone.  Thank you, Jesus!  Wow, I’m really feeling religious today.

     “Don’t you drink?”
  I ask, desperate to have a conversation with her.

   
She nods her head.  “Sometimes.”  She creases her eyebrows, like she’s trying to think of something to say to me.  “Trent…” 

    
God, the way my name sounds coming from her mouth.  I clench my hands into fists, to keep from throwing her on the couch, and having my way with her.  I don’t think that’d be a great first impression.  But I swear, my dick is so hard, it’s becoming painful.  I’m definitely going to need a cold shower - an ice cold shower.

     I swallow hard, and lean my shoulder up against the wall.  “Yeah?”

     She drops her head so that her long hair is veiling her face.  “I want to thank you.” 

     What?  I didn’t see that coming.  Why is she thanking me?  I straighten up and take a small step in her direction.  I don’t want to scare her.  She seems kind of skittish.  “What for?”

     She looks up, and sucks her bottom lip into her mouth. 
Oh, don’t do that, Beautiful. 
She’s already testing all of my self-control.

     She draws in a shaky breath.  “For saving me.  I know it was you who stopped Aaron.”

     Oh, so that’s what this is about.  I reach out for her, but she flinches away.  I step back to give her some space.  Yep, Aaron definitely hit her.  If I ever come across him again, he won’t get off as easily as the last time.  “I’ll be your knight-in-shining-armor any day, Karma.”  This earns me a small smile.  I made her smile!  I could die a happy man, right now.

CHAPTER 16

KARMA

     Okay, I should probably quit drinking now, but I’m having such a good time.  Who knew moving could be so much fun?  We finished off the Jack over an hour ago.  Jude went over to his place, and brought us all some beer.  I know I’m going to have a major hang-over tomorrow, but right now, I don’t care.

     Anna, Dusty, and I are sitting on the sofa, and Trent and Jude are on the floor.  I don’t even know what we’re laughing about.  We’ve completely given up on unpacking Anna’s car.  At least we got all of the furniture packed in, thanks to Trent and Jude.  They seem pretty cool.  Who would have thought, that I would end up being neighbors with one of Aaron’s frat brothers?

    
Oh, scratch that, his ex-frat brother.  Trent told me that he got kicked out for beating up Aaron.  It’s really not fair, but I’m kind of glad.  It all worked out.  I think we’re going to be good friends.  I still can’t shake the feeling that I know him from somewhere.  It’s a little annoying.

     “Well
, guys, I think I’m going to crash.”  Dusty slurs, slapping a hand down on Anna and me.

     “What?”  I sit up.  “No.  There’s no way you’re driving.”  The guy is completely trashed.  There’s no way in hell I’m letting him drive.  “You can sleep with me.”
  Instead of a full size bed, I chose a queen.  That’s right, I splurged.  So, sue me.  Trent snaps his head up and narrows his eyes at Dusty.  What the hell?

     “Act
ually, I was planning on throwing your asses’ off of the couch.  This bitch is pretty comfortable.”  Dusty leans his head against my shoulder.  “Do you mind, sitting your pretty little ass on the floor?”