“Yeah, that sounds great,” Lily says. “What do you think, Alex? Want to help keep your girl safe tonight?”
Stella starts to make excuses. She reminds us that it’s Friday night and that we probably have better things to do. I’ve heard enough. “I don’t have any plans. Big game tomorrow and all that; I don’t like to go out the night before. Besides, there’s nothing I’d like more than keeping you safe from the boogie man, Pixie.”
She sighs, but I see a slight smile play on her lips. “I guess.” She shrugs.
“Well, don’t sound so excited,” Hank deadpans
“Can you please at least pick something that isn’t completely terrifying?”
“Oh, we’ll pick something good. We promise.” I give Lily the stink eye because I know her better than anyone and she’s fibbing. She’s going to work with Hank to choose something extra scary.
I cough in my hand, so Stella doesn’t catch me laughing because Hanks philosophy about horror movies? The bloodier the better. No worries, if Stella doesn’t want to watch the movie, we can just go into my bedroom. Alone.
After we finish up dinner, Hank asks the girls to come down to our place in an hour. That will give us time to pick up some snacks and straighten up our place. It’s a pigsty, and I’m pretty sure it stinks like old socks. What do you expect? We’re football players. We smell.
“What’s your room number?” Stella asks.
“We’re in 273. We’ll see you there in sixty. Yeah?” I smile and give her a quick kiss on her lovely lips as I drop her off at her door. Lily and Hank aren’t far behind.
Back in our dorm, Hank works to straighten the living room up while I make my bed and shove my junk underneath. I’m nervous. How in the hell can I be nervous? I feel like this ismy first date ever with someone I want to impress. Part of me thinks I should say “fuck it” and leave the mess, but the other part of me says she’s worth it. She’s worth the effort of making a good impression. “Yo, Hank. Clean the bathroom,” I yell out my door.
“It’s your turn,” he yells back.
“Nah, I did it last year.” I hear him laugh from his room as I chuckle too. I switch on some music from my playlist and work my way out of my bedroom into the kitchen. I make a list of things we need from the store before I wipe down everything and shove the dirty dishes into our tiny dishwasher and turn it on. “I’m going to the store. Back in twenty.”
“Right on. I’ll keep cleaning.”
“Good.” Because I want to make a good impression.
Chapter Eleven
STELLA
When Lily and I get back to the room, we scurry around looking for something to wear to movie night. We could just stay in what we’re wearing now, but it’s important to be comfortable, right? Lily finds her gear and opts to put on her pajamas, if you can call them that. She’s brought a tiny tank top and even smaller boy short bottoms. I recognize them. They’re black and covered with kittens. The shorts are so short that they reveal some of her ass cheeks. She’s got the body to pull them off and, like I said, this girl is dripping with confidence. After dressing, she pulls her long hair back up into a messy bun and reapplies some of her makeup. She looks really cute. That is until she pulls out the biggest, ugliest pair of slippers I’ve ever seen.
“No! Not the beavers, Lily. Those things are disgusting. I think they actually smell like a real beaver now. Plus, is that gum stuck to the side of Lefties head?” Yes, she named each of them.
“Stella, you know damn well they’re bears not beavers, as in Da Bearz, you know, Chicago Bears? I’ve had themforrrreeevvveeerrr, and they’re my favorite and they’re perfect. If you can’t handle them, then tough.”
“Whatever. You still look cute, Lily-kins, even with the roadkill on your feet,” I say in a little teasing tone.
“So, is that what you’re wearing over to Alex’s place?”
I show her my black yoga pants, my black tank top, and my white, oversized slouchy sweatshirt, a laFlashdance, circa 1983. “Yeah.” I look down at myself. “Is it okay?”
“Absolutely. It’s sexy yet demure. I like it,” she says, nodding. “It’s just loose enough for Alex to have access,” she says, raising her eyebrows up and down quickly.
“Oh, is it too loose? I don’t want Alex to get any ideas.”
Lily chokes out a laugh. “Why the hell not?”
“Because I’m not ready for anything like that.”
“Stella, you don’t need to hang on to that V-card so hard.”
“I know. I’m just not ready. Just because you lost yours at prom….”
I maybe could’ve lost mine at prom too, but I didn’t go to prom. Bradley couldn’t get back home because he had some fraternity function to attend, so I stayed home and read a good book and ate a half gallon of double chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. The same was true with the homecoming dance, winter formal, Valentine’s Day, my birthday, my graduation, and my gallbladder surgery. Yeah, he was always too busy.
