I walk through the crowded party, pushing my way through a group of wasted assholes playing some sort of drinking game to occupy their time while trying desperately to fit in. Their bloodshot eyes and stupid grins make me nauseous as I pass them. One by one they give me the same “he’s an asshole” look¸ while tossing plastic balls into beer-filled cups and cheering as if they’ve won some sort of medal for being completely brainwashed into drinking the cheapest beer from shared cups.
When I get to the crowded hallway, I spot Steph and her tagalong. The blond girl looks clueless, completely out of place in the swarm of moving bodies. A drink is pushed into her hand, and she smiles politely, despite the fact that she doesn’t want it. I can tell by the look in her eyes. She takes it, though, bringing the red cup to her mouth.
Another follower. Surprise, surprise.
“Helloooo, Earth to Hardin!” Molly’s voice cuts through the noise. I glance down at her, noting the annoyed expression on her face while she rests her hand on her hip. Her eyes are on Tessa and Steph.
“What were you staring at?” she asks, voice tight.
“Nothing. Mind your damn business.” I continue on, up the stairs and toward my room. Behind me I hear tacky and excessive jewelry clanging in the most annoying way. I turn back to Molly and her puppy-dog eyes. “Are you following me for a reason?”
She flips her pink hair from her shoulder. “I’m bored,” she complains.
“And . . . ?” I pull my phone from my back pocket and pretend to be doing anything but listening to her.
Molly runs her hand down my arm. “Entertain me, asshole.”
I look her up and down, enjoying the way her tiny dress shows off all the things I’ve already seen. Her nails push into my skin, and her smile grows.
“Come on, Hardin, when was the last time you got off?”
She has no shame. I like it.
“Well, considering you blew me two days ago . . .”
Her lips are on mine before I can get another word out. I pull back, she pushes forward.
Ah, may as well. She’s not half bad, and there are worse things I could be doing with my time. Like Steph, hanging out with Goody Theresa all night. That would put anyone to sleep.
Molly leads me to the farthest bedroom on the right; she already knows better than to try to go into my room. No one comes into my room. The door closes behind her, and she’s on me within seconds. Her mouth is hot, her lips painted with sticky gloss.
The act of touching, be it with Molly or someone else, gives me an escape. Doesn’t make much sense to me, but when my mind is turned off for a while, it’s easier. It’s a rush, the only time I really feel much of anything.
Molly leads me to the bed, an empty one without so much as a sheet on the damned thing. These small details don’t make a difference when you don’t feel any of it. Molly lays her small body on mine, grinding herself against my leg. I wrap her pink hair around my fist, pulling her mouth off of mine
“No,” I warn her. She groans, whining like she usually does when I remind her not to kiss me.
“You’re such an asshole,” she complains, but shifts to straddle my waist.
The door clicks open, and she stops moving her hips. Turning around, she sits up, and I lean up on my elbows.
“Can I help you?” Molly’s tone is harsh with impatience and need.
And of course—of course—standing in the doorway is Tessa, Steph’s roommate, with a look on her face that tells me she’s more embarrassed than Molly and I put together.
“Oh . . . no. Sorry,” she stammers. “No, sorry, I was looking for a bathroom; someone spilled a drink on me.” She frowns down at her soiled dress as if it was evidence. This girl spends a lot of time looking down, it seems.
“Okay? So go find a bathroom,” Molly mocks with a flip of her hand. “Go find a bathroom.”
Tessa leaves the room immediately and closes the door.
Still, as Molly starts in on my neck, I can see the shadow of Tessa’s feet under the doorway. Is she listening to us? How fucking weird. A few seconds later she disappears and Molly reaches her hand down between my legs.
.snialpmoc ehs ”,em setatirri lrig taht ,doG“
.reh ”etatirri“ ohw elpoep fo tol a sah erus ylloM ,flesreh dekil llew yrev t’nsi ohw enoemos roF
.secamirg ylloM dna ,sredluohs ym gurhs I ”?su nioj ot reh deksa evah I dluohS“
”.ylraen ezis ym eciwt s’ehs dna ,toh neve ton s’ehS .yaw on ,dud asseT taht tub ,ebyam ,hpetS ro acnaiB .yaw oN .wE“
.sreh fo edutitta taht emat ot nrael dluoc ehs fi taebtraeh a ni ruoved dluow I taht ydob fo dnik eht ,evol nem taht ydob fo dnik eht—ydob ecin a sah ,lla dna nialp ,asseT .reh ta daeh ym ekahs I ”?taht wonk uoy ,hctib a er’uoY“
.kcen ym ot no sehctal htuom s’ylloM ”.ekil uoy taht stit reh tsuj s’tI .revetahW“
.flesym dnefed ot deen eht gnileef ,yas I ”,reh ekil t’nod I“
”.reh kcuf t’ndluow uoy naem t’nseod tahT“ .gnihtemos ro rehtegot terces a no ni er’ew ekil selims ehS .seye ym ta kool ot kcab sward ylloM ”.reh ekil t’nod uoy ylsuoivbo ,lleW“
.enim revo ydob llams reh evom ot seunitnoc ehs dna ,kcoc ym revo eno ,em pirg sdnah reH .ereht niks eht ta gnippin ,waj ym sehctac htuom reH
.hguor saw ti llet nac I tub ,erahs reven ll’ehs dna ,yllaer reh tuoba hcum wonk t’nod I .daeh nwo reh epacse ot noitasnes sesu ,oot ,ehS .gniticxenu dna kaelb syad reh sdnif ,oot ,ehS .timda reve dluow ehs naht em ekil erom si ylloM .em gnidivorp s’ehs erusaelp eht no sucof I dna ,kcen ym tsniaga snaorg ehS .reh revo sregnif ym nur dna shgiht detrap reh neewteb nwod hcaer I ”.gniklat erom oN“
.eman ym syas dna srevocer ylkciuq ehs tub ”,uoL“ fo dnuos eht hctac I ,snaom ehs sa tsuJ .ylkciuq ffo reh teg ot woh won yb gniwonk ,reh otni sregnif ym pmup I sa sekahs ydob s’ylloM
.sdradnats sah yug eht tub—yug ecin a s’eh esuaceb ylpmis—reh ot hguone ecin s’eH .yad fo emit eht reh evig dluow eh kniht ot naht retteb swonk ehS .reh erusaelp I elihw emankcin sih gniyas ,nagoL tuoba gniklat reh fo thguoht eht ta hgual ot ton yrt I ?kcuf eht tahW ?uoL
.ytliarf a seileb taht edutitta yssas dna gnitnar reh htiw ,eno lanoitome eht etiuq s’ehS .raf os deirc sah etammoor s’hpetS semit ynam woh rednow I .sriatsnwod ytrap eht ot srednaw dnim yM .siht wonk htob ew—em sesu ehs dna reh esu I .kcuf a evig t’nod ylpmis I tub ,ti no tuo reh llac dluow I ,derac I fI
