Out of Ruins Page 5

  “Jules?”

  “Please,” she counters; her voice unnaturally high. “I want to know what I’ve been missing.”

  They say goodbye to Jeff and Katie and walk away hand in hand, before coming to a stop in front of a black Jeep. Expecting to see West’s motorcycle, Jules looks at West in confusion.

  “This was my surprise for you tonight. I was late because I was waiting for my dad to bring my Jeep home. He went to A&M yesterday morning with a colleague for some business, and Austin finally agreed to give up my Jeep.”

  She claps happily and exclaims, “You can pick me up now!”

  “Want to go park somewhere and talk?” he hints; tugging on her long ponytail lightly.

  “Will you please bring me to this bonfire? I know it seems silly, but I really want to know what was going on after Friday night games when I was too blind to see.”

  “Jules, you weren’t blind, you are just too good.” He winks and she frowns at him. “Told you we need to wipe that Goody-Two-Shoes vibe away,” he teases; bringing her body into his suggestively.

  “Then let's start tonight. Take me to a party full of debauchery, just like Spike would.”

  He shakes his head with a sigh. “Damn, gorgeous. I can’t say no to you.”

  Twenty minutes later, they start down a long gravel road leading to a private farm off of highway seventy-three.

  They pull into a clearing hidden from the main road by private woods all around, and Jules climbs out of the Jeep before West can reach her side to help. They’re heading towards the rowdy crowd when a familiar voice speaks up behind her.

  “So.” Jules turns to see Lauren wobbling her way. “Does the princess drink?”

  “Lauren,” West snaps; his tone warning her to watch her mouth.

  “Damn, you’re protective of this one,” she points out with a smile. She grabs his arm and pulls them into the crowd behind her.

  Once Lauren releases him, West fist bumps a few guys and nods to others, but his hand never lets go of Jules as they work their way towards the huge blaze in the middle of the crowd.

  There are three large metal drums full of boards and debris burning. Their flames reach up into the air and the smell of smoke tickles her nose; reminding her of camp fires from summer camp.

  “Dude! Where the hell you been hiding out?” demands a stocky guy wearing a backward baseball hat. He reeks of weed and he throws himself at West. West drops his hand from Jules and staggers back from the weight of the guy barreling into him.

  “Hey man, what’s going on?” West greets him with a man hug before pushing him off.

  “Chilling dude, as always.”

  Biting back her laughter, Jules looks at the newcomer. He wears oversized baggy cargo shorts that hang down low and show off striped boxers. His shirt is a tie dyed tee with a marijuana leaf on it… go figure. It’s the quintessential cliché pothead look, and Jules is tempted to shake her head at his lack of originality.

  “Ziggy, this is Jules. Jules, Ziggy.”

  “Ziggy?” she asks incredulously. Seriously, no originality.

  “No, really, it’s actually Ziggy. His parents are big Marley fans. They even did the whole groupie thing for a while. Very into “medicinal” marijuana.”

  “Man, I heard you were in that tornado. Duuddee! What was that like?”

  West stiffens, pulls Jules towards him and wraps his arms around her waist. “Zig, not tonight, man.”

  “Ohhhh, man. You’re the chick, aren’t you? Yeah, yeah…Jules — that’s right,” Ziggy crows as he figures out who she is.

  “I need a drink,” Jules mumbles, and looks around to see a cooler full of beer a few steps away.

  “Let me grab you one,” West offers, but she refuses.

  “I’ll grab it. You stay and talk to your buddy here,” she warns with meaning, hoping he’ll tell Ziggy to shut his trap.

  She leans down to grab two beers when Lauren shows up at her side again.

  “No, no, no. We don’t drink that nasty beer. That’s only for the boys once they're too bombed to know any better.” She chuckles and pulls Jules to the side. “Let me get you the good stuff.”

  She looks back at West as Lauren pulls her into the crowd. The group is diverse. Football players, cheerleaders, other Rossview students, a few former Hillsdale people, and even some from Robinson. Mostly people she was never friends with, but people she recognized.

  “Here.” Lauren holds a cup under her nose and Jules grabs it before she can think better. Taking a whiff, she flinches at the strong alcohol smell. “What is it?”

  “A little friend named Jack.”

  “As in Daniels?”

  Lauren laughs. “Sweetie, if you’re going to hang with West, you better get used to this. Granted, I doubt you’ll be around for long, anyway.”

  Taking a quick sip from her red cup, Jules closes her eyes as the liquid burns on the way down her throat and into her empty stomach.

  “Why do you say that?” she asks and takes another small sip.

  Lauren smiles. “Just a hunch,” she offers with a shrug and pours herself another drink.

  “Well I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not going anywhere.”

  “So sure of yourself, huh? Trust me, the girls are never the ones to go away. He is, honey,” she informs her smugly before lifting her cup and tapping it against Jules’ cup. “Cheers!” she calls out and walks away.

  Jules takes a couple deep breaths, drains her cup and pours some more. She grabs a beer for West and walks back into the crowd looking for him. What she finds is the Rossview cheerleading captain, Aubrey Pratt, with her pretty manicured fingertips running up and down his arm, petting his pecs.

  Pure, raw anger shoots through her and she throws back her second cup of Jack; coughing furiously as the liquid fire burns a hole to her stomach.

  Lauren's comment about West being the one to walk away echoes in her head and she fumes. No freaking way, she growls to herself; stomping the remainder of the way to West’s side.

  Grabbing his shoulder and the arm Aubrey isn’t petting, Jules yanks West her way and pulls him down to kiss her. His hand immediately goes around her waist and she sighs into his mouth.

  “Sorry I was gone so long, baby,” she coos; waving his beer in her hand. “I had to find you a beer and then Lauren grabbed me some Jack. What’s going on here?” she asks innocently, and gives Aubrey a huge, toothy smile.

  West struggles to maintain a straight face as he pops his beer and takes a sip. “Nothing at all,” he points out meaningfully.

  Aubrey huffs, turns on her little sneaker and walks away. Jules already feels the alcohol running through her body and starting to loosen her nerves.

  “How many girls am I going to have to get rid of?” she asks West as she grabs his beer and takes a long sip for herself.

  “I’m sorry, do you want to leave?”

  Holding her hands wide as she looks around, she asks, “Was this your life before?” She starts to say ‘before me’ or ‘before the twister’, but just leaves it as before.

  “Sometimes.” Jules gives him a look and he relents. “Okay, a lot of times.”

  “Tanya used to show up to these things?”

  “Yeah,” he admits; his eyes trying to meet hers.

  “I need another drink,” she mutters and turns to leave him.

  “Not without me, you don’t.”

  Six

  “The bonfire wasn’t the first time I’d had a drink at a party, but it wasn’t something I did a lot of. Typically I’d nurse a beer or some fruity spiked punch at the few parties I attended. So it should come as no surprise that the two eight-ounce cups of Jack in quick succession had an effect on me. Follow those up with a third on an empty stomach, and I was starting to feel good.

  “It wasn’t really my intention to get wasted that night. I just didn’t want to think. And it wasn’t West’s fault, either. He offered to leave several times. But each time he did I refused, took a sip of my dr
ink and told him I wanted to see what the parties were all about. I wanted a taste of what I missed out on with Tanya.”

  * * *

  “Carter!” Jules waves her cup in the air furiously, sloshing the alcohol down her arm, as she tries to get Carter Cooper’s attention. Waving from across the field, Carter nods his head to let her know he sees her. Slowly he makes his way across the party, fighting off several advances with a shake of his head. He raises his hands to ward girls off as he closes in on West and Jules.

  West places his hand on her elbow, edges Jules closer into his side and whispers in her ear. “Think you’ve had enough of that stuff yet?” he asks, his eyes following her red cup with a meaningful glare as she lifts it to her lips for another sip.

  “What? The magic Jack? Nah…I’m fine,” she slurs. “Can we sit down? I’m tired of standing. I want to sit down.”

  West’s smile is forced as he guides her to one of the many logs set up around the fires for seating.

  “Let me have a sip of the ‘magic Jack’,” he asks as she clumsily falls to her seat.

  “Ooookaaaay, but only a sip, a teeny sip, then give it back.” She laughs and pinches her fingers together in front of her face to show him what teeny means, and the couple on the far end of the log laugh with her.

  Procuring the cup, he takes a sip as Carter steps before them. His head is still wet, probably from showering after the game, and he’s dressed casually in a pair of sports shorts and a Rossview football tee. He smiles a handsome smile at Jules as he and West do their version of a guy handshake. Her whole body leans sideways as she props her elbow on her leg and rests her chin on her fist. She takes in the high five-elbow bump-thumb war-looking greeting.

  “What’s up with boys and their elaborate hellos?” she mumbles. West and Carter look at her like she’s an alien and she kicks at the grass with the toe of her boot.

  “Hey, didn’t expect to see Jules here, man.”

  A shout rings out and Carter turns as his name is called, barely in time to catch a beer can flying at his face. He nods at the thrower and pops the can; the white foam pouring over the sides and dripping to the grass in front of her.

  “Good catch.” Jules falls forward awkwardly when her elbow slips off her knee. “Is that why they call you Magic Hands?”

  He exchanges an amused look with West. Clearly finding humor in her question, he grunts, “Nah, I got that name for other reasons.”

  Boy fist bumps ensue as another player Jules doesn’t know comes over. His exuberant, “Yeah, boy!” proves to Jules that they aren’t talking about football.

  Nearby, three girls turn as well and Jules notices one of them is Aubrey. Standing with her is the friendly cheerleader, Jess. Choosing to ignore Aubrey’s glare, Jules looks back at Carter.

  “I want to know why you’re called Magic Hands, then. Show me,” she demands before she taps West’s thigh next to her, holds up her hand and waits for her cup.

  Instead of a cup, Jules is surprised when West grabs her hand and swiftly pulls her to her feet. Her head swirls as he places a quick kiss on her lips. “No. You most certainly will not be seeing why he is called Magic Hands,” he barks playfully as Carter and the other player laugh.

  “Why not?” She pouts and reaches for her drink.

  Wrapping an arm around her waist, West stretches the arm holding the cup as far from her reach as he can.

  “Give me the cup.” Jules stretches around him and tries to get her drink back, but is waylaid when he swoops down and kisses her angry frown again.

  “I’m gonna grab some more.” His eyes meet Carter’s over her head. “Hey man, would you mind?”

  “Nah, I’ll watch her.”

  “Watch me? I don’t need a babysitter,” she complains; catching the way West’s face screws up in clear disagreement to her statement.

  “Come on.” Carter laughs and swings his arm up and over her shoulders. ”Eric and some of the guys are about to jam…sit with me while West is gone.” He leans closer and confides to West and Jules, “Besides, I need protection from the hungry wolves.” He nods to the left where the cheerleaders are standing, pretending not to eavesdrop on their conversation. Jules giggles as understanding dawns on her and looks at the girls standing around them.

  “I’ll be right back,” West whispers into her ear. He presses a soft kiss below her ear before warning her, “Stay with Carter, please.”

  His warm breath causes her to shiver. Numb, she nods and drops to the log when West lets her go. “So let’s talk about these magic hands of yours, Mr. Cooper,” she drawls; patting the empty spot next to her.

  “Dude!” barks West; his index finger pointing at Carter’s chest meaningfully before he turns and disappears into the crowd.

  “You’re pretty funny when you’re drunk,” Carter acknowledges; taking a seat beside her and chugging his beer.

  “I’m not drunk.”

  “Uh, you’re not, huh? Whatever you say, cheerleader,” he says with a shrug.

  Looking around, Jules observes their surroundings. The crowd by their fire container has grown, doubling in size as several guys start to strum their guitars gently.

  Jules laughs and bumps into Carter’s arm. “This is like some bad teen horror movie.”

  His face screws up in confusion and she scoffs at his ignorance. “Seriously? The cliché fire song camp scene before the bad guy jumps out and kills everyone?”

  “You scared of the dark, new girl?” Aubrey asks from nowhere. She drops down next to Carter with a smile and kisses his cheek. He doesn’t flinch at her attention. Instead, he crushes the empty can he’s holding as he whistles and raises his arm, signaling for another drink. Beers fly through the air and he catches three. He hands one off to Aubrey and sets the extra at his feet.

  As if his action hadn’t interrupted Aubrey’s snide comment, Jules replies, “Nah, the dark doesn’t scare me.” Jules swoops down, grabs the beer he dropped to the ground and pops the top before he can stop her. She takes a sip and leans forward, giving Aubrey’s cheerleading uniform a pointed glance. “Besides, horror movies don’t scare me anymore. Everyone knows the cheerleaders are the first to bite the dust.”

  A catty “Whatever,” pops out of an unknown cheerleader sitting next to Aubrey. Jess, who’s still standing, coughs back a muffled laugh.

  Aubrey turns her nasty glare towards her friends and mumbles loudly over the din, “And the whores.”

  Carter stills next to her, but Jules laughs the remark off. Holding her beer in the air, she toasts, “Then cheers, Aubrey, because you’re in double trouble.”

  Audible gasps are heard around the immediate vicinity. Aubrey’s head whips around so fast, she reminds Jules of the Exorcist. “Who the hell do you think you are?” she snaps; handing her beer to her friend.

  Carter turns to Aubrey and warns, “Aub, drop it,” while Jess chimes in, “Shut up, Aubrey.”

  Obviously not used to being talked down to, the cheerleader opens her mouth but is interrupted by Jess. “Besides, that was funny. Plus, you called her a whore first. Just get over it.”

  The notes from a recognizable drinking song fill the air and the catchy tune coaxes some people to sing along. Tension from her spot dissipates as Carter leans over and whispers into Aubrey’s ear, making her smile. Her hand rests on his knee and she turns her crossed legs toward his, leaving no empty space between them.

  “They used to be a couple. She’s not over him, obviously,” drawls Jess; squeezing herself into the small vacant space on the log beside her.

  “Who?” Jules asks stupidly, wiping a dribble of beer spilling down her chin. Jess cocks her finger towards Aubrey and Carter.

  The information makes Jules raise an eyebrow in understanding. “So that’s why she told me to stay away yesterday?”

  “Pretty much. Like I said, she hates anyone who wears a skirt. Just watch your back and your boy around her, because she’s a man-stealing whore from hell.”

  Jules’ jaw drops
as she stares at Jess and then, as if flipping on a light switch, laughter pours from them both. They collapse into each other and their amusement draws the looks of students around them. Jules taps her beer to Jess’ and they drink between fits of giggles. To her right, Aubrey frowns at them, but Jules gives her a wicked smirk. She is determined not to let the mean girl get to her.

  Jules and Jess are still giggling when one of the guitarists across the fire calls out for West. She pops her head up and looks around for him at the sound of his name. He’s standing at the edge of the crowd with two bottles of water in his hand and a stern look on his face. Lauren stands close to him with her arms crossed over her chest; her red Solo cup dangling from her fingertips. It’s plain to see, even from far away, that they’re in a deep conversation. They’re startled by the shout out and they both look towards the fire; their eyes reminiscent of a deer in headlights. West’s face relaxes when he finds Jules and his lips twist up into a charming smile. His warm eyes capture hers and she stares at him; the gaze making her head swirl and her limbs warm and loose. She’s not entirely sure if it’s the alcohol or if she’s getting drunk off his gaze, but her skin heats up.

  “West! Man, do you have your guitar? Let’s jam,” an eager voice calls out and several people give whoops of encouragement.

  He doesn’t bother looking at the speaker; instead he shrugs. “Sorry, didn’t grab it tonight.”

  He keeps her in his sight as he walks her way and surveys the seating arrangement. The log is packed. Jess starts to fidget and move as he bears down on them, but he shakes his head. Handing the water bottles in his hand to her, he reaches down for Jules. She eyes him as he stands there, and he cocks his brow when she doesn’t move. Jess elbows her in the side.

  “What?” she croaks; rubbing her now bruised side and giving Jess a pout.

  Her new friend laughs at her. “You might want to stand up.”

  “Huh?” she mutters; looking between Jess and West, and then at his hands. “Oh!” she says with a drunken giggle.

  Setting her empty beer can behind the log, she places her hands in West’s perfect ones; swaying as he pulls her to her feet and into his chest.