The Book Fight

CHAPTER 10: Fighting words

ASTON

“Parker! Some girl just kissed me.” Buck hands me a red solo cup the moment we meet in the kitchen.

“I literally went to the bathroom for 2minutes, how did that even happen?” I sniff my cup and get assaulted by the odor of tequila. “Did you add dash to this?”

“They ran out, just take is as a shot, I did.” Buck waves at someone I don’t see. “It’s the girl man,” he explains when I follow his line of sight. “I think she wants to kiss some more.”

“Go buddy, I’ll go look for dash somewhere else.” Buck is already walking away as I add, “this is death in a cup.”

“Good luck,” he gives me a cheeky wink.

The kitchen only has beer and liquor bottles but Ryder—apparently the host—points to the outhouse den that has a fridge full of sodas I can use.

I walk there in such a high and drunk daze, I don’t hear or notice anything till someone grabs my cup and downs it right in front me.

“There, now I stole something of yours.” Sekani unblurs before my eyes.

The first thing that crosses my mind is, people were right—she looks freaking gorgeous.

Some of her brown locs have hair jewelry around them. The gold hoops match the dainty, star gold chain around her neck and the rings on her bony fingers.

She has shiny stuff on her eyelids and it makes her long wispy eyelashes look amazing. She is in a black silk lingerie style top and black skinny jeans that hugs her narrow long legs.

The second thing that crosses my mind, is that she is beautiful and the 3rd thing is that she is f*****g perfect and well—you get the idea.

But finally, the 4th thing to cross my mind is that Sekani just downed almost half a glass of Tequila and that she is freaking stunning.

What? I’m high and drunk and she looks like a dream.

“Did you drink everything?” I take the cup from her to find it empty. “f**k! Didn’t that s**t burn you?”

How drunk is she?

“Not as much as you burned me,” Sekani bites back and I roll my eyes.

Not this again.

“That was undiluted, straight, hard tequila Sekani!” I toss the cup on a pile in the corner.

“So?” Her gaze refuses to meet mine.

I hold her elbow and pull her closer to look into her eyes but it’s pointless because I’m piss high and she is all blurry.

“Why are you in my face?” She moves her head back when I zoom in to get a clearer view.

“Because I can’t see anything,” I let go of her elbow. “What else did you have to drink tonight?”

Maybe it’s not that bad.

“16 shots of Tequila,” she counts with her fingers. “And your drink” she seems proud.

Heavens, no wonder she didn’t feel anything she is probably hammered.

“We need to get you water,” I move for her arm again but she steps back. “Sekani.” I warn.

“Don’t Sekani me. What you need to do is return my f*****g notebook!” She shoves my chest and I let her.

I like the contact if we’re being honest, she has been ignoring me all week and now I have her to myself.

“Sekani this can be discussed after we get water in you—”and when we are both sober.

“Just stop pretending you care Aston.” She frowns, “I only came here to tell you how repulsive and horrible I think you are. Keeping something that’s not yours.”

“Sekani,” my eyes nearly pop out.

“I mean how could you do that to me? I thought we were becoming friends or that you—”

“Jesus Sekani, would you just stop!” I snap.

I search my pockets and find nothing. I don’t even have my wallet on me—just the bills my mother gave me and a lighter for a joint I don’t have.

“What?” Her lips part and her eyes widen to resemble a sad baby.

“No one and I mean nobody, in their right mind wants to be your friend!” I frown. “Let alone me!” She blinks. “By the way, you’re bleeding.” I shrug off my jacket to pull off my t-shirt and put it by her nose.

Since the house is too far, I help her to the den and luckily it has a mini kitchen. After pouring water into a pot I find in the dusty cabinets.

After a few minutes, I assess the bleeding and it seems to have stopped. Which is why I wipe off the dry blood on her upper lip next but it makes her frown.

“Stop,” Sekani steps away. “I don’t want your help Aston.”

“What is your problem?” She wasn’t complaining about my help a second ago as she bled on the only shirt I have.

“You are. The answer is Aston Martin Parker is my problem.” Sekani opens a drawer and removes a takeout napkin.

“Do you get nosebleeds a lot?” I watch her carefully.

She didn’t panic and she seems to know what to do now that she is unfrozen.

“Do you steal things a lot?” She looks at her reflection on the glass and wipes her nose.

“I’m not doing this with you.” I walk to the door but pause when I hear her snap back a “you’ll never do anything with me, ever.”

It’s like my feet get bolted to the ground because I don’t move an inch.

I don’t know why it is the thing to piss me off when she has been saying things similar to that since she found out. I also don’t know why it makes me turn around and walk to her like I’m possessed but it does.

“You know Sekani, I get you are drunk and upset” that I comprehend. “I even get my presence here pisses you off, it is your party” and she can kick me out if she wants.

I won’t leave because I was having fun but I will understand.

“But?” She folds her arms to challenge me.

“But” I put my hands on each side of her and lock her in as her body presses against the cabinet. “Let’s not say things we will regret.”

I look at her lips for a brief moment and my anger melts away. I badly want to kiss her—probably delicious lips—but I want our first kiss to be consensual and with her sober because there is a high chance I won’t be.

“I can’t believe I thought I liked you.” Sekani is looking at my mouth too but I flinch back when I hear those words.

“What?” It’s my turn to blink now.

What did she say?

“I must have been on drugs because right now,” her brown eyes thin. “I regret ever setting eyes on you.”

“Sekani—” I blink again.

“But it’s okay Aston because you might have a talent of being under the radar but mine is turning people into vapor.” Her voice cracks like she is about to cry.

“Sekani, what did you—what?” I stutter, honestly still processing that she said, she liked me.

Sekani liked me?

Me? The stoner loner?

“It doesn’t matter because as of now Aston-Martin Parker,” she leaves our faces inches apart. “To me you don’t exist.”

SEKANI

Stupid.

Stupid.

Stupid little drunk girl!

Not only did I just tell Aston I might like him—which is something I wasn’t sure about to begin with—but I also committed the ultimate sin and embarrassed myself.

Stupid!

To make matters worse, I am drunk and I’m not sure what I said to him but I probably cursed his grandchildren for all I know.

I blame his stupid, perfect face and lips just staring at me. If he just gave back the book, we would have been making out in that dusty den.

Wait—what am I even thinking?

“Pose superstar!” MJ points a camera at me and I give an anime smile. “Sexy! Another one, this time act like a hot boy is calling your name because he is.”

“What?” I look behind me and feel a flash on the side of my face.

“Nice, you really can’t take a bad photo.” I hear MJ say before he walks away or at least that’s what I think he said.

All my concentration is on Aston because he is shirtless now, the bloody t-shirt in his hand as he shrugs on his jacket.

“Who does that?” Steam is blowing out of his ears.

“What?” I step back to add more space.

“First, you steal my drink. Then you bleed all over my shirt,” he lifts it up to show me. “Then you practically curse me out before you admit you might have liked me? And now I am vapor?” The vein is his neck is throbbing. “I get you’re the school princess and everything but what the f**k Sekani?!”

I want to focus on his words but all I see is glimpses of his defined abs through his unbuttoned jacket and I seem to lose my hearing.

“Sekani? Are you even listening to me?” A spinning Aston asks.

Wait, spinning?

I need to get out of here.

I turn but feel a hand on my elbow, “you know I was doing alright before you f****d everything up and made me—” I don’t get to hear the rest of because everything goes black.

I should have drank that water.