THREE
1559 Words
Dan picks me up in his souped-up black 2500 Dodge Ram the next morning. I throw my duffle bag in the back with a loud thud. "Jesus, what do you have in that thing?"
"Clothes, shower stuff, books, you know the usual,"
"books? You are not spending a party weekend reading your stupid romance novels."
"We'll see how long it takes..."
"for what?"
for you to forget about me "for me to get bored".
He shakes his head and drives to the school, where everyone is waiting by the bus. Talking, socializing, and getting pumped for this weekend.
Dan grunts as he slugs my bag out of the back along with his large duffle. "I got your bag; go ahead and hop in. I gotta talk to the driver before we head out."
I go all the way to the back in search of a quiet place I can take over. Since it's 4:00 a.m. and I'm supposed to be sleeping right now, it's officially summer vacation, and I am awake earlier than I am for school. Stupid boys! Making me do things. Dumb hormones! The drive is three hours away! I'm going to sleep.
I got my pillow and blanket, which I brought, and pulled them close to me as I curled into a ball. Ready to be fast asleep before anyone even enters the bus. I can't fall asleep if people are making noise and moving around me, but if I am already asleep in the blissful silence, I will stay asleep. Nothing can wake me once I drift off into dreamland.
I passed out almost as soon as I laid down. When I woke up, my pillow was gone, and Dan was using it, so his head wasn't lying on the glass window while his lap was my replacement pillow.
It seems I am not the only one who planned to sleep the whole way. The entire bus is full of light snores and soft whispers.
Normally, I would object to Dan being this close to me. So embarrassed that I had my head so close to his junk, but... he must have maneuvered us to this position; might as well enjoy it, I guess.
I lay my head back down and try to go back to sleep. Snuggling in closer to him so I could smell his cologne. Letting it lull me back into a blissful dreamland where I can dream of a world where I could do this with Dan and not have to be asleep
"Saaammmyyypoooo" a mocking whisper, makes my eyes snap open. Not happening.
I look up and find Tyler smirking down from the seat in front of us, having seen me cozy up onto Dan's lap... Dammit. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," he winks and turns back around. This is going to be a long weekend.
As predicted, we arrived just after eight. We stopped at an IHOP for breakfast but otherwise drove straight here. The plantation really is beautiful—four stories high, with white-pillared structures, and a huge lake as clear as what I imagine the Caribbean ocean waters to be with a man-made beach. Nothing but forests surround the entire area. Making us all feel secluded in this large landscape.
Once we get inside, Dan takes over as an enacting governor, like always. Showing everyone how the weekend is going to work, events that are happening, rules, and who goes where for sleeping. We are all supposed to sleep on cots in a large living area. I guess because the owners don't trust a bunch of teenagers to treat their fancy rooms with respect.
We can all use the public bathrooms for showers, dressing, or anything else. Otherwise, we need to stay on the first floor or outside.
Dan goes around talking to everyone as we get settled on what cots we want for the weekend. Everyone changes and goes out to the lake. I can see them all getting some sun and playing water games. Meanwhile, I stay inside, feeling so out of place; I don't know how to talk to these people or start a conversation. I've never tried. So I go with what I do know—books. I keep to myself and read one of my novels.
Around noon, the other school gets here and sets up in the living area as well, picking cots and changing to go outside. A few of the jocks look me up and down with smirks, but other than that, everyone leaves me alone. Once again, I'm invisible in a world of my making.
Five rolls around, and I finished my book, so I head out to get some air before dinner. The bus driver is outside too, cursing to herself about us "greedy teenagers" and how no one will sell to her. She's staring at her empty piece, like if she keeps staring, the pot will magically appear.
"You know you could just smoke the resin," I offer her.
She looks up as if just noticing my presence. "What?"
"Just clean it out and smoke the resin." It is what I do when I don't have any money for more weed.
"You can do that?" Her eyes bug out of her face in awe.
"Yeah, here." I hand her an extra Bobby pin from my hair and show her how to clean it out and make a small ball with it.
She smokes up and drifts off into her own world. As the drugs start to kick in, she gets really giddy and happy, smiling and laughing with me at stupid stuff. Mostly, she nags about bratty children but then tells me how sweet I am. Offering me a hit, but I declined. I am not trying to get stoned around Dan and let something I shouldn't slip out.
Dan comes outside shortly after with his thousand-watt smile that melts me every time. "There you are. Where have you been all day? I've been looking for you for hours. "
Not very hard, considering you just got out of the lake with everyone else. "I've been around."
"Come on! Dinner is ready. " He wraps his arm around me, leading the way.
He sits me next to him and Trinity as they talk about some game thing they're setting up outside. Tyler sits next to Dan, sliding sly smirks my way every few minutes.
In the middle of the meal, the bus driver comes twirling over, eyes red as hell, and gives me a huge hug. "Oh, my god! You're the best person in this whole big, wide world!"
Everyone is now looking at us, so awkward! "Ahh, thank you."
Dan speaks up, very confused. "Ahh, you two know each other?"
"Unlike your grumpy butts, she's a real friend! I love you!" The bus driver is now leaning into me for balance and playing with my curls. "Such pretty hair, so bouncy!"
A giggle escapes me. "Umm... what have you smoked out of that piece before?" I whisper to her, trying to keep her secret, but it is
completely for nothing since the driver is basically shouting everything like we are at a rock concert.
"Pshh everything! Mostly pot, maybe some ecstasy, but I like to lace my haze with Molly sometimes. Boing! boing! boing! boing!" She says, still bouncing my curls. Omg! I got our bus driver high on her own drugs, and she's tripping balls!
I can't help but laugh. "Umm, is there anyone who could find the room the driver is supposed to stay in? She's going to be... a little out of it for a while, I think."
"Damn kitten, what did you do to her?" Dan asks me.
"She's such a good teacher! So smart... and so pretty! Soo soft." She pets me like a damn dog, making everyone else laugh with me.
"She did what now?" Dan and Tyler look two seconds from dying of laughter while everyone is just half cracking up and half in awe.
"Jerry, do you mind taking her to her room, please?"
Jerry's a big guy. Don't let the big jelly belly fool you. There's a lot of muscle under that squishy service. He holds the driver on his shoulder and goes to find her room, all the while she's yelling, "Weeeeee, I'M FLYING!"
When I turn back around, my smile drops, and everyone is staring at me. I hate all eyes on me. That's why I never excelled at being social. I hate the attention.
"Kitten... Wanna explain what the hell that was about?" Dan asks me, still very much confused.
"No, not really. " I dig into the meal. "The potatoes are fantastic!" I try to change the subject, but it does not work out that well.
While Dan seems ok with letting me slide my awkward moment to the side, Tyler isn't. "How the f**k do you know anything about drugs?" he demands.
I say nothing and keep eating, ignoring everyone's watchful eyes. "It seems our sweet and innocent little nerd isn't so sweet and innocent, after all." Trinity smiles at me for the first time and drags everyone's attention back to the game thing.
I can't help but feel Dan and Tyler's eyes on me every so often. What kind of trouble have I gotten myself into?
- Writer
