Hours later, we stumble through the entrance of our dorm room, barefoot and giggling like two teenage girls, riding the high of the night and the extra shots Lee insisted we knock back. The guys trail behind us, getting us home safely like our own personal bodyguards.
Austin hands me my shoes, a lazy smile spread across his face. “Your shoes, ma’am.” I crinkle my nose and take my shoes from him,
“Ma’am? I’m not sure I like that, sounds too old,” I mumble while booping him on the nose with my index finger. He laughs. “If you’re old, then I’m ancient. And I’m not ancient.”
“You’re old, Austin, don’t fool yourself,” Leah chimes in and slips her dress over her head, changing into an oversized shirt.
“Ah, Jesus Lee, you couldn’t just wait until I leave?” Kash covers his eyes like he just saw her naked and storms out of our room. Leah laughs and shrugs as she finishes getting dressed and hops into her bed, under her fluffy duvet, completely unbothered.
I can feel Austin’s eyes on the side of my face. I look over at him and he smiles, that beautiful smile I’ve dreamed about for so many nights, wondering if I’d ever get to see it again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” he says, hesitating as if there is more he wants to say.
“What?” An awkward smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. He shakes his head, returning my smile and pulls me into a side hug, kissing the top of my head.
“Sleep tight, Vixen,” he says in a low whisper.
“Goodnight, Aussy,” I whisper. His eyes soften, and then he turns and walks away.
I close the door, sliding the lock into place and turn to face the room. I take a deep breath in an attempt to steady my racing heart and head over to my bed, falling backwards in a huff. What a night. The rush of emotions coursing through my body from what this day has brought on is something I’m too far gone to decipher tonight.
“I told you so,” Leah mumbles from the other side of the room.
“Hmm?” I ask half asleep on top of my covers.
“You and Austin,” she chuckles, “you couldn’t stop looking at each otheralllllnight. The eyes, they never lie.”
I smile to myself, not wanting to admit out loud that she wasn’t wrong, at least on my part. My eyes betrayed me the entire night, always finding their way back to him.
SIX
AUSTIN - AGE TWELVE
All she talks about isBrantley this and Brantley that. She never stops going on about him. Two weeks at our school, and the new kid has Vix wrapped around his finger. There’s a school dance tonight, and he’s asked her to go with him. I’m angry that she said yes. I’m angry that she doesn’t want to go with me like we always have before. She tells me this is different, that shelikeshim. I don’t like him though, that’s for damn sure.
“Why are you being so cranky? You got a stick up your butt or something?” she asks. She draws a frowning face on our sacred forest picnic table. This is our spot. Our secret place at the edge of the town’s lake. It has an old picnic table that nobody else knows about. It’s out of place, hidden by trees and brush, secluded from anyone stumbling upon it. We’ve turned it into a masterpiece of artwork, doodles, quotes, and drawings.
“I’m not cranky, I just don’t know what’s so special about Brantley. I’m sick of that kid,” I huff, skipping a rock into the lake.
“You don’t even know him, Aussy, you won’t give him achance. You just decided you didn’t like him for no good reason.” She tries to reason with me.
“I have my reasons,” I mumble under my breath. I slide onto the bench across from her and pick up a marker. We sit in silence, letting our conversation hang heavy between us. After a few moments, Vix perks up.
“Someday I’m going to be covered in art just like this.” She beams, spreading her hands wide across the table, almost hugging it. I feel a tug at the corner of my mouth, a smirk forcing its way onto my face.
“Oh yeah?” I draw a happy face beside her frowning one. “That’s gonna be painful, don’t ya think?” I chuckle, admiring her spunk.
“I can take it. There’s no such thing as beauty without a little pain,” she replies, while starting her next masterpiece.
VIX
I brush my hands down, smoothing out my dress as I gaze at myself in my floor-length mirror. I don’t recognize myself; my emerald green knee-length dress is the girliest thing I’ve ever worn. I’ve never been a girl who likes to dress up and have her hair done in pretty updos, but tonight I want to look my best, not for Brantley, but for Austin. I want him to finally see me. See me as a girl with pretty eyes and pretty hair whom he wants to ask to dance.
He thinks I have a crush on Brantley because... well… I told him I do to make him jealous. He just seems grumpy all the time, though, and I can’t figure out what’s bothering him. I slip on a pair of new black flats and take one last glance at myself, nodding my head in approval before heading out the door.
Descendingthe stairs outside of my house, I see Aussy walking up the driveway to escort me to the school gymnasium. My heart swells at the sight, and I can’t hide my smile. He looks so handsome in his black dress shirt and dress pants. He’s even wearing a dark green tie. Brantley is supposed to meet me at the school so that Austin and I can walk there together like we always do. Austin stiffens.
“Wow… you look…” he trails off, clearing his throat and standing a little taller, “different…” he finishes.
