Page 16 of Girl Like Me

“I told you he doesn’t like me.” Chloe whispers.

“Trust me, he does. Let’s get Clarissa and find this party.” We walk around the other chairs to the lounge they are perched on. I lightly tap her shoulder and they unlock their lips. They both have dazed lust filled expressions and her face is flushed.

“We’re leaving, are you coming?” She glances back to the guy she intertwined in, then turns and smiles at me.

“I’ll meet you there.” She turns back around ready to start kissing the guy again.

“Not so fast,” I state, sticking my hand in between their faces before they can get started. “I don’t know where to go.”

“I do.” Chloe interjects with a whisper. “I may have followed Chev a few times.”

“Ok then, you may resume mauling the guy you claim to hate.” I roll my eyes. “And Chloe and I will meet you there.”

“Don’t wait up.” She winks and locks lips again. Chloe and I take that as our cue that we aren’t wanted anymore. We walk through the back patio and back into the house.

“Can we take your car? I have a bad feeling my car may be getting tracked, my brother made a point to show me how the GPS works.” She nods and leads me into a garage. Flicking on the lights I’m floored, there are at least eight cars lined up inside.

“Most of those are Chevs, if you couldn’t tell with them being all muscle cars. There’s no way he would drive anything newer.” She unhooks a set of keys from a pegboard hanging on the wall and a small sleek sports car’s lights flash.

We both climb into the car, but before Chloe starts it she has to remove her heels. The moment Chloe turns on the ignition the garage door rolls up and Chev along with one of his friends are standing in the driveway. His face torn between wanting to come over here and rip her from the car and annoyance that he actually cares. She moves the car forward slowly pulling up beside him.

“Did you want something?” She asks innocently. He ignores her walking to my side of the car.

“When I find out what you’re up to I will make you pay.” I don’t reply, there’s no point to. It’s not like he believes anything I say anyways. I smirk at him and toss in a wink for good measure. He wants to think the worst of me, and I will happily let him.

“Floor it.” I say and Chloe cruises down the driveway. I glance in the side mirror and see Chev watching as we drive away. “You know he is going to follow us. So, when we get to the party, find a nice guy to flirt with, just don’t take drinks from anyone. Laugh a lot even if the guy is boring. It will drive him crazy.”

“I think I can do that.” She says even though she doesn’t sound very convincing at all.

When we arrive at a very lower-class part of town, I almost feel the need to lock the doors. Chloe parks her car but we’re pretty far from where the party seems to be. Walking arm in arm, we pass a few seedy looking guys, too old to be looking at us like we are something to eat.

The house the music is coming from is one of the more up-kept houses on the street. There are guys in pool chairs lounging in the front yard, a few blow up palm trees surrounding them.

“Ooh, hot damn.” One guy says, looking in our direction.

“Bristol, I didn’t expect to see you again.” I look blankly at him; his face doesn’t ring a bell.

“I’m a sucker for punishment, what can I say.” He laughs like we just shared a joke between old friends. Situations like these just reiterate the need to try unlocking some of these damn memories. A loud rumble comes from down the street, the vibrations rattling my rib cage. It’s an old muscle car and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who it is.

“Hey, can you watch my friend while I go get us something to drink?” I ask the guys sitting in front of us.

Chloe shrinks back and looks mortified.

I lean into her side and whisper in her ear. “Chev will be here in about two minutes, remember laugh and I will be right back.” I look over at the guy standing near us, he looks nice enough.

“How about I give her a drink and you go find boss man. I’m not sure if he will be happy or pissed you are here.” He counters back.

He hands Chloe an unopened cruiser from his cooler. “Name’s Mossy.” He starts introducing her to the others in the circle. I take the steps of the house one at a time, my heart thrumming in my chest. The front door is open and rap music blasts through the house. It sounds like it might be Eminem but I’m too focused on finding the guy from my flashbacks, I’m almost positive he is here.

I push past a few burly looking guys, all too old for this to be a high school party. A large crowd is gathered around a table intently watching what is happening, but there’s too many to figure out what is going on. I push myself in closer and it seems to be a group of guys playing poker. What a weird party. I can’t believe the me I used to be would come to a place like this. Something doesn’t fit.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the rich bitch greeting us with her presence.”

Before I can stop them, words are spilling from my mouth. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the boy from the wrong side of the tracks.” His face lights up from across the table. It’s the guy from my flashbacks and despite the chain hanging around his neck and the white wife beater he is wearing, he is gorgeous. He could pass as the love child of Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, his perfect jaw and sparkling blue eyes. Just looking at him takes my breath away and now I know why the old me came all this way.

“I’m out guys.” He says throwing down his hand and standing from the table. He stalks towards me like I’m his prey. “I didn’t think I would see you again.” I decide to go with some truth and see where it gets me.

“Well after being beaten within an inch of my life and losing my memory, I had flashes of your face.” He looks pained at my admission and like what I have said makes no sense. “I was hoping for some blanks to be filled in.” He grabs my arm and leads me into a room, flicking the light on before shutting the door behind us.

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