The Circle of Friends

II - Someone Special-3

“See if you can find something worthwhile,” she told Matt before closing the door.

When she returned, Matt was staring at the small screen. He’d secured one of her pillows and wrapped his arms around it. He glanced up as she joined him on the bed.

“I don’t know what it is, but the alien looks pretty cool,” he said.

“Works for me,” Sarah answered.

Matt was lying on his stomach in the middle of her bed. Feeling bold, Sarah decided to use his back and shoulders as a pillow. Placing one arm around his side and the other on his forearm, Sarah rested her head on his right shoulder. She could feel the muscles in his back and enjoyed the sensation. Beneath her, Matt sighed with pleasure.

They watched the movie in silence. Sarah extended her right hand just enough for Matt to grasp and he held on tight. She enjoyed his touch; surprised by its gentleness. It was difficult to concentrate on the movie with him so close and she wondered if he felt as distracted.

Ever since that first night together, Sarah had thought about Matt. Her mind had questioned the probability, though. Lori and Jason might be a perfect match, but she never thought Matt would be interested in her, certainly not on the level he exhibited. He did not date girls for the company, but for physical satisfaction. As she watched the movie, her mind searched for a suitable answer.

“Sarah?”

Matt’s voice penetrated the darkness. She opened her eyes and noticed Matt peering over his shoulder, a faint smile on his lips.

“Hey, I’m sorry. It’s not that I mind you sleeping on me, but I should probably leave before Heather comes back, okay?”

Murmuring in agreement, Sarah lifted her body, her mind in a fog. She ran her fingers through her hair and tried to stifle a yawn. Matt pulled himself upright and stretched before swinging around to sit beside Sarah.

“You’re awfully cute when you sleep,” he said, his shoulder pressing against hers.

“Yeah, right,” Sarah moaned, giving him a playful shove.

“You don’t take compliments well, either.”

“Don’t get them often,” she admitted, her eyes dark.

Matt brushed the hair from her forehead. “Well, let’s see if I can’t change that,” he declared before giving Sarah a kiss.

He rose to his feet and stretched again, stiff from lying in one position for so long. Matt retrieved his book and held out his hand. Thankful for the assistance, she grasped his fingers and walked Matt to the door.

“Thanks for the help,” Matt said.

“No problem,” she replied.

He hesitated in the doorway. Matt wished he could risk spending another night. Heather would be suspicious if she discovered him in Sarah’s bed a second time, though. Grasping her shoulder, he gave her another kiss.

“I like you, Sarah,” he admitted. “You’re the best company I’ve had in a long time.”

“So are you,” she replied.

“Goodnight, then,” Matt answered. “Keep your shotgun handy. Heather’s gonna be a zombie when she finally returns.”

Sarah laughed at his prediction. She watched Matt saunter down the hall to the stairs before closing her door.

Slipping into the bathroom, she prepared for bed. The evening’s joyful energy had vanished. By the time she pulled the covers to her chin, Sarah could no longer hold open her eyes. Her last thought before drifting to sleep was how much she loved Matt’s smile.

The week of final exams was always the hairiest. Everyone was tense and on edge from stress and a lack of sleep. That Sarah and Heather didn’t kill each other during this time amazed her, but somehow they survived the ordeal. Her roommate had been very temperamental this past month and they’d snapped at each other more than once. In high school, Sarah would have been ready to physically take on Heather in a fight. College had taken the edge off her temper and she’d learned to hold her tongue as well as her fists.

Making enemies was easy. Sarah had excelled at that her entire life. What she needed to master was making friends.

She did not see Matt again until Thursday afternoon. He visited their dorm room after his last exam and was disappointed by Heather’s presence. Matt had hoped to find Sarah alone. He asked the girls when they were departing for Greenville.

“Not until Saturday,” Heather answered, still resting on her bed.

Sarah glanced away from her packing. Eager to leave as soon as possible, she had wasted no time clearing her desk. Matt turned to face Sarah, a twinkle in his eye, and she smiled.

“Well, I’m heading out tomorrow. Guess you get to clean up the room,” she told Heather with no trace of an apology.

“Gee, thanks,” Heather growled.

Matt stifled a laugh. “What time?”

“I hope to be ready by noon.”

“I was gonna leave around lunch, too,” said Matt. “If you want, I’ll follow you.”

“Sure,” replied Sarah, trying not to sound too eager. Heather was still clueless and Sarah wanted to maintain the charade a little longer.

“Fine, I’ll just drive home by myself,” Heather quipped, crossing her arms.

“Be ready tomorrow and you won’t,” Matt said, winking at Sarah. “Call me when you’re ready, okay?” he told her as he departed.

Hearing their door close, Sarah returned to her packing. She was now determined not to miss an escort home from Matt. On the other side of the room, Heather gave a disgruntled snort.

“My, we’ve made a friend, haven’t we?” she said.

“Yeah, we both like horror movies,” said Sarah, closing the lid on the box and setting it on the floor.

“You two and your damn scary movies,” growled Heather, covering her eyes with her arm, dismissing the whole conversation.

Sarah smiled to herself. Yes, us two and scary movies, she thought. And car racing, mechanics, dancing, funny movies and about a dozen other things they had in common.

Matt met Sarah outside her dorm room after twelve. Sarah still wondered if he meant to depart at lunch or if it had just been an excuse to follow her home. Pulling up to the driver’s side, Matt rolled down his window and Sarah did the same. He wore an old Yellow Jackets t-shirt and a pair of Ray-Bans covered his eyes. As always though, he sported a big grin and Sarah returned his smile.

“Hey! I need to get gas. Let’s stop at the Citco at exit 86, okay?” called Matt.

“I’ll follow you there,” Sarah told him.

At the gas station, Sarah topped off her tank and got a twenty-ounce Coke for the road. She returned to her vehicle before Matt, and waited in the driver’s seat, her door open to catch the breeze. Already the air was thick from the humidity, typical of a Southern summer. Matt emerged and headed straight for her car. He crouched in the doorframe and Sarah looked at him expectantly.

“I’ll follow you now, okay? Don’t drive slow,” he told her.

Sarah laughed. “Just don’t lose me,” she retorted.

He grinned and leaned forward to kiss her. Pausing, he brought a hand to her cheek, brushing it with his thumb. Now that his sunglasses were in his pocket, Sarah could see his eyes were alive and bright. She found it impossible not to return his ever-present smile. Matt kissed her again, longer this time, and Sarah laid her hand alongside his arm. He pulled away and gave her a wink.

“No one to hide from here,” he said.

“Did you really mean to leave at noon?” she said, still doubtful.

Matt just laughed and patted her knee. Standing upright, he closed her door, still grinning mischievously. Sarah watched him return to his Eclipse, her heart pounding from the short burst of passion they’d just shared. She was no novice when it came to boys, but how he could elicit such a response from her every time confounded Sarah.

Having Matt accompany her home did not mean he was behind Sarah all of the time. On occasion, he would pull up beside her, acting as if he wanted to race. They made faces at each other, steering the cars with their knees. Several times, he jetted ahead of her, weaving through traffic like a maniac. Matt never got very far ahead, always returning to ride shotgun.

Once he grew bored with traffic, he began calling Sarah on her cell phone. Matt never had anything important to tell her and often just made fun of the other drivers. Their conversations bordered on the ridiculous and Sarah loved every minute of it. She’d always thought Matt was just a little crazy and the drive to Greenville confirmed her assessment.

Once in town, Matt followed Sarah to her parents’ house. He had been there last summer when the gang picked her up for an outing, but she was delighted to have him pull into the driveway as her escort. Leaping out of her car, Sarah laughed.

“You are so crazy,” she said.

Matt exited his vehicle and attempted to appear innocent. Unable to fool even himself, he broke into a grin and gave Sarah a hug.

“Made the drive more interesting, didn’t it?” he said.

They heard the front door open. Sarah’s expression changed and Matt watched her close off. Stepping away from him, she turned to face her father as he came out to greet them. Dressed in a light colored polo shirt and khaki shorts, there was an air of professionalism about him, and Matt prepared himself. Sarah waited until her father drew near before speaking.

“Hey, Dad,” she said, gesturing toward her escort. “You remember Matt, don’t you?”

“I certainly do,” her father replied, stepping forward to shake Matt’s hand. “Good to see you again, young man.”

“You too, Dr. Martin,” said Matt, returning his firm grip.

Sarah’s father struck him as a serious man, his dark eyes matching his jet-black hair. A couple inches shorter than Matt and still in good shape for a man in his late forties, Dr. Martin’s stature gave him a commanding air of authority. Matt’s own father featured prominently in the local business world, so he knew how to behave around important and distinguished men.

“Matt followed me home from campus,” said Sarah, placing her hands on her hips and looking proudly at Matt.

“I appreciate the gesture, Matt,” her father proclaimed, nodding his head in approval. “It’s a relief knowing someone responsible watches out for Sarah.”

“Yes, Sir,” said Matt, flashing his most endearing smile. He touched Sarah on the shoulder. “I’d better get home myself. I’ll call you tomorrow, all right?”

“Sounds good. Thanks, Matt,” said Sarah.

Matt shook her father’s hand one more time and returned to his car. Sarah waved goodbye before focusing on the task of unloading her Celica. The drive home had been fun and she wished it’d not ended so soon.

“Well, that was very polite of him,” her father commented.

Pulling a box out of her car, Sarah smiled. She was pleased her father liked Matt.

“He’s really cool,” she answered, feeling hopeful.

“It’s nice to see you bring home someone respectable for a change.”

Biting her tongue, Sarah walked past her father and into the house. Trust her father to start in on her right away. She had not even been home five minutes. However, it was the first time her father had ever approved of her choice of male companionship. Sarah had assumed pleasing her parents in that area impossible and stopped trying years ago. Hopefully she could keep Matt around for a while and make everyone happy.

Sarah spent Friday night and part of Saturday settling back into her room. It felt strange after living in the dorm at college. She was surprised to find her bedroom pretty much the way she’d left it last fall. After years of threatening to throw out her movie paraphernalia and model cars, Sarah had expected her parents to take advantage of her absence and empty her room. But every time she returned home, everything had still been in its place. Judging from the dust, they were probably afraid to even enter her room.