Mending Wounds

Chapter Eleven

The look on Derek’s face when the winner of the contest was announced was something I would never forget. When the winner was announced, Derek had his hands between his thighs as his leg shook 100 mile per hour. And when the winner was announced, his face dropped in full disappointment and sadness, it was as he was about to start crying but was holding himself from doing so. I knew how much he wanted to win this, I knew how he hoped that the winning the contest would give him his break though; so I didn’t blame him when we lost the contest to some off campus parking idea.

Not to sound full of ourselves, but we thought that our win is guaranteed because of the idea. The team that won the contest suggested that the best parking solution would off campus parking, where whey would have to buy the very small land next to the campus to extend the parking. It wasn’t something that was creative, it was something that were already in application and something that failed since people would just keep circling campus in hopes of a closer parking; no one wants to walk in the heat and so far to class so that basically did not solve anything.

Our idea should’ve won, and I am not ashamed or want to sound cocky by saying we had the best idea because we believed and worked so hard to come up with solution that was out of the box and not applied around here. It should’ve been the winning idea, not because I want the prize, because Derek wanted it and he wanted so bad to be the winning idea. He worked on this harder than I have ever did. He created the idea of the ride along buddy, a solution that more eco-friendly by carpooling, requires less parking space of the reduced number of cars on campus, allows student to network and get to make new friends, and helps student with gas money since it would be split between each individual. He even built an app that would support the program.

“Are you going to be okay?” I asked Derek.

He smiled with a nod “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little upset” he said “Nothing a little party and good lay won’t fix”

I ruffled his hair “You’re such a guy” I told him “And good luck on the second part because that won’t be happening at this party. There’s literally less than 10 people”

He smirked “It’s a party, Sophia” he reminded me “You can’t call a gathering with 10 people a party”

“Derek who else did you invite” I asked horrified.

“Just a few of my friends, And Alex’s, and Cole’s and a few of their friends as well” Derek said proudly “We haven’t had a good party in a long ass time”

I ran my hand through my hair “f**k you, Derek” I groaned “This was supposed to Alex’s surprise party for close people only”

He grinned “Well f**k that” he said “There’s nothing Alex likes more than a loud ass party with so many gifts. Did you get something?”

I nodded “I bought her a record player” I said as we walked out from behind the stage with our bags on our shoulders.

“Here I’ll carry that” Ben smiled as he reached out for my laptop bag.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw my tutors walk toward me “You two go ahead and take the things to the car, I just need to talk to my teachers for a minute” I told Derek and Ben “I’ll be right behind you in a few minute”

Derek nodded and told Ben to follow him, while I waited with a smile as I watched my tutors’ approach.

“Sophia that was an excellent presentation” Mr. George smiled “Such a different idea”

“I loved it as well. Maybe the idea is too much out there for this place” Mrs. Annabelle said.

“Agree, it was presented really beautifully with all the back up research” Mr. Jones said “It’s too bad that you lost, I really like your idea and the app”

At that moment, I felt myself choking. Out of sadness and anxiousness, I felt as if I was choking on my own words and my mind wasn’t able to get my mouth to open or make up words to reply to them. It’s was too much for me at that moment to have three different figures of authority all in the same place with the thought of how I failed to win, and the fact that after I get out of here I will be thrown in a room full of strangers where I’m going to have to socialise or lock myself in a room to avoid the party especially with the lack of information about what Alex was going to dress me in. I was overwhelmed.

“I disagree” I heard Cole say from behind “I consider this a win. She did not lose”

“How so?” Ms. Jones smiled at him curiously.

Cole turned to me with a small smile “Well obviously you do not know Sophia as much as I do, and for the period of time that I have. Seeing her up on that stage is something that I never thought I would see because of the person I grew up with. I mean when she was younger, she was just a frightened little girl that was scared to speak up and talk to anyone. But now, now she was able to stand on that stage with full confidence and deliver a whole 20 minutes presentation without once getting tongue tied or panic. For me seeing her able to do that and grow like that, it was a win.

“And I think we all knew that she won this contest before she even walked into the room because none of what I saw can top what she and my brother have been working on” he said “It’s just too said that judges were able to see the benefits and the success of the project of it was applied”

My eyes did not leave his face as he spoke to them, heart flattering my chest and stomach tied in knots as I watched him talk in confidence and politeness that I’ve never seen him do. At that moment I just looked at him and wonder where the f**k was this of him that night? What would have happened if he brought that sober and professional side of him to the signing party rather than the drunk and distinctive part of himself.

“Now if it’s okay, we need to be on our way” Cole said as he took my hand in his and lead me out of the building.

When I reached closer to the gate, he dropped his hand then placed in his pocket “You going to be alright there?” he asked, not looking back at me.

I nodded “I’ll be fine. Thank you!” I said

He turned to look at me before turning back around and leading the way to the car.

***

“Did you text your friend the address?” Alex said.

I turned to her from where I was laying on the bed, she was sitting in front of the mirror doing her makeup. At this point of the night, she had her hair straightened and loose and down her back. Her eyelid was covered with a cat liner, two coats of mascara that made her eyes standout, and halfway done with applying her nude lipstick.

“Yeah” I told her “Am I going to see the dress today? Or are you going wait to the last minute so I can’t find anything else to wear”

I smacked her lips once time before she got up and walked to her closet “Just so you know, it is too late to find something else to wear” she pointed out as she dug in the back of her closet “I know that the dress is a bit out there for you, but I know you’re going to like it and would look stunning on you”

“I got something similar to yours, but mine shows more thighs because you know how much I like to be sexy rather than adorable. Adorable and cute is your thing not mine” she continued “And to be frank, I don’t think you can pull off sexy because you are to adorable to do so. You got the whole innocent vibe”

I looked at her offended “I can be sexy if I wanted to, I just rather not” I mumbled.

“Oh please, you even look like a lost kitten most of the time” she said “You know, it wouldn’t hurt if you played the role or the sexy popular rich girl instead of always playing the girl next door. I bet Ben would like some change once in a while”

“I would’ve but the role is always taken by you” I said “Do you when Jeremy and Ben are coming back?”

“In half an hour or so, they just walked out to bring some drinks for the party” she said “And speaking of bed, I’m leaving the key of the door to my room behind the vase in case you decide to give him a little somethin’ somethin’”

“Not happening” I told her “And don’t you f*****g dare bring that up in front of him, Alex. Don’t embarrass me”

She threw the dress at me “If you wear the dress without making a big fuss, it’s a deal” she said as she threw the black fabric at me.

“Deal” I said as I examined the dress.

The black dress wasn’t something that I would usually ever buy nor would consider wearing; I didn’t have occasions where it was appropriate to wear these kind of dress, nor was I fully comfortable to ware those out in the open. She was right though, I did like it so I decided not to argue and let my brain talk me out of it by over thinking.

I didn’t bother going to the bathroom to change, Alex seen me naked multiple times when she dragged me for bra fittings and trying on swimsuit and cloths when we’d go out shopping. The short bodycon dress hugged my few curves making me look curvier than I actually was, and made me look taller since the dress stopped at the mid of my thighs which is a length I’d never wear on daily or even monthly bases. It was the thin knot straps that made me love the dress more; I don’t know what was my deal with knotted straps, but I always thought that they made every dress adorable and gave it more personality.

Despite Alex and I wearing almost the same identical dress, hers having a slit on the right and it being more of a halter dress for the straps part, she projected a whole different vibe that what I was. She looked like a runway model, or like she was a rich ass woman in her mid-twenties and was about to hit the club or the red carpet.

“Always trying to be the start of the show” I said as I rolled my eyes, gaining a giggle from her before I disappear into the bathroom to fix my hair.

Growing up in this house, Alex and Cole have always shared the bathroom since it was a joined bathroom connected to both rooms. It was how I used to sneak into Cole’s room late at night to play cards with him when I couldn’t sleep, but then it developed into me sneaking into his room late at night for things more than just playing cards and watching movies. That was mostly all before we announced to the whole family that we were together.

When I walked into the bathroom, Cole’s bathroom door was open, something that doesn’t usually happen because he doesn’t like leaving the bathroom door open at night-time. It took every single drop of self-control I had to not walk into his room out of curiosity. So instead, I focused on putting my eyeliner and mascara, then grabbed the front part of my hair and tied it loosely black before wrapping a maroon hair ribbon around the hair tie.

“All of this because your boyfriend is here?” I heard Cole say. He was leaning against his door frame.

“Alex insisted I ware this dress she got me” I said as I tugged on a few strand of hair to frame my face “It’s a bit too much in my opinion, but it’s a party so I have not idea what is over the top and what’s okay”

He pushed his hands in his pocket, then he shook his head “No, it’s not over the top. You look stunning” he said.

I gave him an awkward smile as I lowered my head to put my necklace on “Um, thank you!”

He chuckled “Here, let me help you” he said as he walked over to me.

He brushed my hair to one side of my neck, exposing what most of my neck, chest and shoulder. I felt his hand brush mine over mine as he took the ends of the necklace between his finger. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand as his hot breath hit my neck. When his hand dropped the necklace down my chest, he placed both of his hands on my forearms then placed a kiss on my right shoulder.

I tucked my hair behind my ear as I cleared my throat and moved away “Cole, you can’t just do that” I said “We’re not together and I’m dating someone, who by the way is here”

He ran his hands through his hair as a sighed left his mouth “I… fine, I guess”

“Are you alright in there” Ben knocked as he pushed the door open.

A confused look appeared on his face as he looked between Cole and I who were awkwardly just standing there.

“I’ll catch you later I guess” Cole said, then gave Ben a small boyish nod before leaving the bathroom.

I gave Ben a small smile before I turned back to the sink as I gathered my makeup “He was helping me with putting on my necklace, Alex disappeared on me” I explained.

“I wasn’t accusing you or anything, he’s just weird I guess” he said “Not as in a weird person, he’s just weird around me”

“He’s just protective, we grew up together” I told him “And he doesn’t like change either, so it’s a bit weird for him that you’re here”

He pushed the door closed behind him, then walked over to the other side to close the other door and lock it “Well that doesn’t matter now” he then smiled as he walked toward, gently pulling me into him and intertwining his fingers behind my back “What matters is that I finally have you for myself for a couple of minutes before someone else tries to drag me somewhere else”

He placed a kiss on my check making me giggle followed by another one on the corner of my lips, and another one on my nose. He then nudged my nose with his, his grin wider than before are he lowered his lips to mine before planting a small kiss on my lips. I giggled as I slightly pulled away, but he moved his lips back to mine.

“This is weird” I told him; a tad uncomfortable kissing Ben is what happened to be my best friend’s bathroom that is shared with my ex-boyfriend’s bathroom. He was only a few feet away from where I was, right behind the other side of that door “We’re in Alex’s bathroom and the timing is off, Alex is waiting for us downstairs”

It wasn’t till I backed away from his that I noticed the bag hanging on his shoulder “What with the bag” I asked confused.

He pulled me into his arms again with a smile “Well” he started “I got a permission to stay off base for tonight, but I have to be back there at 12 since I have some paperwork to finish. Alex and Jeremy invited me to stay over a week ago”

He planted a kiss on my nose “We’ve always talked about spending the night together, so surprise I guess”

I sighed as I rested my head against his chest.

“You’re not happy?” I heard the frown and confusion his voice.

I shook my head as I leaned back, I then placed a peck on his lips “I’m happy, it’s just I don’t like when Alex plans these kind on things behind my back. At least if I knew in advanced, I would’ve got prepared”

A grin made it’s way on his lips as he tilted his head to the side “Prepared for what? I haven’t thought that far. I didn’t know you had that in your mind, I wouldn’t mind that as well since the only thing I was planning to do is cuddle and made kiss here and there”

I blushed “It didn’t mean it like that” I told him “I… I just meant so I can be at least not bring child-like Pjs, and made sure I look decent for you”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Soph” he chuckled “You look absolutely breath-taking today”

I scrunch my nose “Don’t call me that, Benji” I told him. He didn’t like when I called him that.

“It’s a cute nickname though” I told him.

I pushed back from where he was standing “And so is Benji”

I snorted “I really hope that I didn’t come here for you to be a party pooper”

I gave him an innocent smile “I won’t as long as Alex doesn’t get wasted”