Page 54 of Jar of Hearts
No.
She pushed him away. “Kai, I can’t.”
“Geo—” His breath was coming fast, his face flushed.
“Barb’s waiting for you.”
“Let’s talk about this.”
She moved past him and opened the laundry room door. The music flooded back in, surrounding them, taking away the intimacy. At the end of the hallway, Barb was talking to another girl, looking over her shoulder periodically at the laundry room. When she saw Kaiser, she looked relieved.
“She’s a nice girl, Kai,” Geo said. “Go, have fun.”
“And what about you?” Kaiser was staring at her, his expression a blend of frustration and longing. “This thing with Calvin… it’s real?”
“I love him,” she said again. “And if you love me, you’ll be happy for me. Like I’m happy for you.”
She left the laundry room, walking quickly down the hallway and back to the front door. She gave Barb’s arm a quick squeeze before she left.
“He’s all yours,” Geo said.
The cold night air blasted her in the face when she left the house. Chad Fenton’s parties usually went on long past midnight, but she was fading fast. Her father was working at the hospital tonight, and Calvin was expecting her to stop by his place for a bit, but she was too tired to go over there now. Oh, well. They could fight about it tomorrow.
There was a presence behind her on the sidewalk, and she turned around. Angela was a few steps back and hustling to catch up, the wind whipping her unbuttoned coat back. Neither one of them, in their short dresses, was dressed appropriately for this weather, which was colder than usual.
“What are you doing?” Geo said in surprise. “I thought you were staying.”
“Fuck him,” Angela said breathlessly, finally catching up. She was carrying her oversize purse and she switched it from her left shoulder to the right. Her camera must be inside it; Geo had seen her snapping pictures of everyone earlier that night. “He is so gay. His tongue was doing all the right things, but his dick? Like an overcooked spaghetti noodle.”
Geo had to laugh.
“We’re still going to prom, though. Assuming nobody better comes along. For me, not him. I’m as good as it gets, as far as he’s concerned.” Angela said this matter-of-factly, without a trace of arrogance. When it came to her social status, she was practical. If Mike Bennett was gay and in the closet, then he needed her to keep up appearances. Which was fine, as long as there was something in it for her.
“What about your car?” Geo said, the wind biting her bare legs.
“Still at Chad’s. I’ve had three beers.” Puffs of white breath accompanied Angela’s words. “I can’t drive home like this. My dad will be in the kitchen playing poker with his golf buddies and he’ll smell me. I’ll come back for the car in the morning. My parents think I’m sleeping at your place, anyway, so they won’t even know.”
“I told my dad I was sleeping at your place so I could stay out late.” Geo shivered under her thin coat. “Do you have an extra sweater in your bag?”
“No, all I have is my camera. It weighs a ton.” Angela thought for moment. “Let’s go to Calvin’s.”
Geo gave her a side glance. “Seriously?”
Her best friend shrugged. “I told you I was willing to get to know him, and I meant it. Besides, maybe he can call Jonas to come overand we can all hang out. It would be nice to make out with a guy I can actually turn on.”
Geo considered it. She was tired, but she did promise Calvin she’d go over there. “Let’s go this way, then. It’ll take us twenty minutes to walk there. I should call him.”
“Nah, let’s surprise him,” Angela said. “Besides, I don’t want to go back to Chad’s. When I left, Kai was in the corner with Backseat Barbie. Swear to god, her hands were down his pants.”
“Shut up,” Geo said. “I don’t want to know that.”
“Knew it bothered you.” Her friend’s voice was triumphant.
Geo considered telling her about the kiss in the laundry room, then decided against it. That was between her and Kaiser. Some things were private, after all.
Calvin lived in a house on Trelawney Street, in a two-story Craftsman that had been converted into three apartments. The main floor housed an unmarried couple with a baby, and the apartment on the second floor was shared by two sisters in their thirties, both single, both of whom had hit on Calvin numerous times. He lived in the small studio above the garage. It used to be where the owner practiced his drums, and it was fully soundproofed. The studio had a separate entrance at the back, and Geo and Angela giggled as they made their way up the steep steps.
The lights were off inside the apartment, but Geo could see the flickering of the TV behind the window blinds. She rapped on the door and waited. No answer.
