Karma: Chapter Four

When I went inside last night, my dad had seen the whole thing. He wouldn’t stop teasing me about it. Then he lectured me about condoms and gave me the sex talk…again.

Anna was staring at my neck, her hazel eyes growing to be as large as saucers. “What. Is. That?”

I subconsciously fixed my hair. “What? Do I have something in my teeth?”

“Audrey, you have a hickey on your neck.”

I had a…“WHAT!?”

I snatched the compact mirror Anna usually kept in her purse and looked at my reflection. Sure enough, there was a swollen, purplish, almond sized, bruise-resembling hickey on the side of my neck, sitting there for the world to see. I was going to kill Gavin when I saw him.

“That little…”

“Hello Anna,” Angelo said, sliding into the desk next to hers.

“Hi Angelo!”

“I’m just chopped liver over here…” I muttered.

They didn’t hear me. They were too busy making goo goo eyes at each other. It was so sweet, it almost made me sick. I sank into my seat and for once, listened to Mr. Lord lecture on and on about some country in the Middle East.

When World History was over, I lazily slid myself to my locker, which was at the other end of the building. I was feeling kind of sluggish today, more than usual. As I passed Cameron’s locker, I saw Julia leaned back against his locker. They were having a make out session. He didn’t like PDA! What a hypocrite. At least the hallway was fairly empty, so it’s not like the entire school was witnessing what they should be doing in private. Or better yet, they shouldn’t be doing it at all.

I slung my tattered checkered backpack over my shoulder and slammed my locker shut. Cameron and Julia were walking hand in hand toward the door at the end of the hallway that led to the student parking lot.

“Nice love bite,” Julia complimented, smirking.

I scowled at her and went the opposite way. I loved the sounds my ankle boots made as I walked. Click, clack, click, cla–”

“Audrey! Wait up.”

I smiled wryly before turning around and placing my hands on my hips. “Yes Cameron?” I said, pretending to be irritated.

“You have a hickey. You never let me give you hickeys,” he accused. “I bet that Gaston kid gave it to you, didn’t he?”

“It’s really none of your business anymore, is it? And it’s Gavin. Why do you care anyway?”

“Because you’ve known this guy for like three days and he’s already marked you. I’ve known you since we were little and not once would you let me.”

“That’s all in the past now. Maybe I want a fresh start.”

He huffed. “You were begging for me to take you back the other day.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Like I said, that’s all in the past. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have homework to do.”

I turned around and walked away, when all I really wanted to do was just jump into his arms. I wasn’t going to be the weak one. I would make him come back to me.

“You don’t do homework.”

“Don’t you have to go back to the devil—I mean your girlfriend?”

That made him shut up and leave me alone. As I approached my grey Acura, I saw Josh leaning on the passenger door. His hand was running through his shaggy blonde hair and his gaze was fixed on me.

“What do you want Josh?” I sighed.

“We haven’t hung out in a while.”

“We’ve never ‘hung out’. We’ve had sex and made out. That’s it.”

“Okay, do you want to hang out?”

“No, I’m kind of dating someone now.” I was surprised that he hadn’t heard all the rumors that were flying around the school.

“Oh please. Just get rid of that idiot. He’s dating Julia now, haven’t you heard?”

“I’m not dating Cameron. I’m dating a guy in college.”

“Oh…but I thought we had a thing…?”

I rubbed my eyes. “Geez Josh. We never actually had a ‘thing’. I don’t know how to tell you this, but I was just using you. Sorry Josh.”

“I don’t believe that. What we had was special.”

“We didn’t have anything! Get that through your thick head.”

“Why are you denying us?”

“There is no us! There is a you and a me who made an agreement of sex and no strings, remember?”

“And you actually believed that?”

“Um…yeah. So can we just go back to not talking?”

“I can’t do that,” he said quietly.

“Well why not?”

“Because I think I really like you.”
“You think?”

“Okay, I really like you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

“You just like the things I do with you. You don’t like me.”

“I do!”

“Go away, Josh. I don’t like you like that.”

“I’m better for you than Cameron or that Gavin kid.”

Well, at least he got Gavin’s name right, unlike Cam. I ignored Josh and walked over to the driver’s side and locked all the doors so he couldn’t get in. I started up the engine, giving him time to get out of my way. Without even checking to see if he moved, I sped home.

When I got home, I had a little surprise waiting for me at the dining room table. My mom was sitting there drinking a cup of coffee and chatting with my dad as if they were old friends. Her blonde hair was up in a messy, yet stylish bun. When she saw me in the kitchen, she sprang out of her seat and enveloped me in a careful hug.

“Hi honey,” she chattered. “Coffee?”

“She’s too young for that, Lisa.”

“Oh pish posh, Jackson, don’t be such a buzz kill,” Mom tutted. “She’s already eighteen and an adult. I think she’s responsible enough to decide if she wants coffee or not. So what do you say, Audrey?”

“Um…sure.”

Mom beamed and poured me a cup, pushing it over to me. “Not to be rude or anything, but why are you here?” I asked, sipping the bitter caffeinated drink. I didn’t like coffee, but I just wanted to get on my dad’s nerves.

“Ah yes, getting straight to the point. You’re just like your father. Only he—”

“Ew, mom! Just tell me why you came.” I didn’t know the details of the sex that went on between them.

“I’m getting married!”

She’s what? “You’re getting married?” I confirmed slowly.

“Paul proposed last night! I want you to be a bridesmaid.”

She winked and I couldn’t help but feel a little flattered. My mom wanted me to be her bridesmaid? She had tons of prettier friends and she wanted me to be one?

“Really? Thanks Mom!”

“Mhm, well I really must be going. Thank you for the coffee Jack. Bye Audrey!”

She put her cup in the sink, grabbed her bag, and hightailed it out of here.

“Are you really going to be her bridesmaid?” Dad asked.

“Why not?”

He just shrugged and left the room. Strange. I went up to my room and got started on the many piles of homework I had to finish tonight.

After enduring an exhausting four hours of homework, I fell back onto the bed and called Anna. “So what’s the next part of the plan?”

“Um…I don’t know?”

“Anna! You made this whole thing up!”

“I was just winging it,” she confessed. “Besides, I think it’s working anyway. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Nope, I’m winging it again.”

“You’re no help.”

“And you love me for it.”

“If you say so. Oh and guess what happened today?”

“What?”

“Josh told me he liked me.”

She shrieked and I winced, putting the phone on speaker. If she was going to do that again, I didn’t need to go deaf because of it. “Are you serious? Josh Reynolds likes you?”

“Unfortunately…”

“Do you know how many girls would kill to be in your position?”

“They don’t have to go to jail, they can have it.”

“So what did you say?”

“I told him that I was using him and that I didn’t feel the same way.”

“Not even a little bit?”

“None.”

“Aw, okay. Look, I’m really sorry I’ve been blowing you off a lot lately, but Angelo’s here…”

“I can take a hint. Go be with your boy toy.”

“Thanks Audrey. You’re the best!”

“I know, now go!”

I clicked ‘End Call’ and set my phone on my bedside table. Sure, I was a bit ticked that I didn’t get more time with Anna, but I’m sure I’ve done the same thing in the past.

My dad called me down for dinner and we ate some sort of tuna noodle casserole. It tasted better than it looked, although it didn’t look very appealing. “Dad, you’re a horrible cook,” I announced, forking a piece of noodle.

“Think you can do better?”

“I think anyone can do better.”

“Then you cook.”

“No way. I don’t cook. That’s the parent’s job, and guess what? You’re the parent.”

“You’re the woman,” he countered.

“You’re seriously playing that card. I didn’t know you were so sexist.”

“I’m not. I just want a good home cooked meal.”

“We could go to grandma’s?” I suggested.

He shook his head furiously. “I’m not going to my mom’s house.”

“Then you should marry Susie Homemaker, or whatever that name is.”

“I think my daughter should learn how to cook.”

I scoffed and finished off my casserole. I would never admit it to him, but it wasn’t half bad. Maybe I should’ve, just so I could get out of cooking.

The next few weeks were spent going on dates with Gavin. I had Anna find out where Cameron was taking Julia, so we all went to the same location. Gavin just thought it was extremely odd and Cameron…I think he was getting suspicious. I loved all the time I spent with Gavin; I was actually looking forward to the dates, and not just so I could make Cam jealous. I liked his company.
We were now at the local roller rink. I stood up, wobbling a little before I fell into Gavin’s arms. “Gosh, I’m so clumsy! Why can’t these wheels learn to keep me up!”

“Because they’re wheels…”

I grabbed onto the wall and pulled myself up. “Can we stop now? I’m never going to learn how to skate.”

“Just be patient.”

“Patient shmatient. I hate skating.”

“Aw, don’t say that.”

“Why do these skates hate me so much?”

“I think you hate the skates more than they hate you. Just one more time, and if you can’t get it, we’ll stop. Deal?”

I sighed heavily and nodded. “Deal.”

I took his hand and I slid my feet across the wooden floor. Gavin didn’t try to go any faster, keeping it at my pace and steadying me whenever I felt like I was about to fall. Soon enough, I got the gist of it and told Gavin to let go, but to tay close just in case I fell. I started out slow and then was swiftly striding around, only stumbling a little.

“There you go!” Gavin cheered. “You’re doing it!”

I looked back and flashed him a smile. He was pointing with a worried expression on his face. What was wrong?

“Audrey, the wall!”

I turned around and saw a wall about ten seconds away from hitting my face. “You never taught me how to stop!” I screamed.

Too late. I should’ve bent to the ground, stretched out my arms, did something. But I didn’t. You want to know why? Because I’m an idiot.

I crashed with the wall before I fell to the ground. Who knew falling could give you such a headache? I rubbed the back of my head before opening my eyes. Gavin was standing above me, shouting things. He held out his hand and I took it. “Stupid wall,” I muttered.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

I slowly skated over to the bathrooms, yelling when I slid down the ramp and into the bathroom. That was the stupidest place to put a ramp. I checked my face to see if I had any bruises, but luckily found none.

“Audrey?”

“Just a second, Gav—” I looked in the reflection and saw that it wasn’t Gavin at all. “Cameron, what are you doing in the girl’s bathroom?”

“What are you doing here?”

“Skating…?”

“No, I mean why are you following Julia and I around on our dates. Are you really that pathetic?”

“Excuse me? Who said I was following you? Gavin wanted to take me skating and all the other places.”

“Sure he did. I know you miss me and everything–”

“Get over yourself, Cameron.”

He gritted his teeth. “That’s exactly what you need to do. Get over me. Because I sure as hell got over you.”

He turned around and left the bathroom, leaving me on the verge of tears. Stupid Cameron. Stupid me. Stupid everyone. Why did that line hurt so much? Oh yeah. I was in love with him. Why did I have to mess things up? Why am I such an idiot for just letting him go like that? I answered my own question: because I’m an idiot. I couldn’t believe he was over me though. We had so much history and you couldn’t forget that.

When I got out of the bathroom, my eyes were a little red and puffy. Gavin asked me if I was okay, and I just lied and told him I had allergies. That was a pretty lousy excuse. We weren’t even around any pollen or anything.

Gavin drove me home and asked a question a boy has never asked in the history of mankind. “Can I meet your parents?”

I think I froze in shock from that question. I not-so-smoothly recovered and answered, “Next time. My dad’s in a bad mood tonight.”

He looked disappointed, but agreed and gave me a good night kiss. Before I went to bed, Cameron’s words echoed in my head. Get over me. Because I sure as hell got over you. Maybe he was right. Maybe I needed to get over him.