Chapter 37
T
here had to be hundreds of people in the house. Though it was enormous and spacious, everyone was crammed together with sweat dripping down their necks. Cornell's fraternity houses, like its dormitories, were not air-conditioned. Of course it was October in Ithaca, and the outdoor temperature certainly didn't need any cooling, but the massive body heat indoors was getting unbearable.
“I'm melting,” I whined, as I unpeeled my shirt from my chest and used it to fan myself.
“I know. Who would've thought New York could be so hot,” Madison stated, as she pushed up the sleeves of her deep purple sweater. It seemed an appropriate choice when we were in the dorms, but now it looked as though Madison was greatly regretting the light wool.
“Maybe we should go outside and cool off,” she said before quickly glancing at the screen of her cell phone.
“Waiting for a call?” I asked.
“No. I'm just wondering where Emily is.”
“She's with Lilly somewhere. Relax, they're fine.”
Madison and I scanned the room full of guys. So far, the only boys Vince had introduced us to were either grossly intoxicated or wearing a half-case of beer on their clothes. The cute jocks by the door never made it over to say hello to Emily or anyone else. And I was starting to think that Lilly was right. If we were going to meet anyone, we'd have to do it ourselves.
“Hey, check that guy out,” Madison said, discreetly pointing to a dirty-blond surfer-looking guy near the opposite wall.
“Very cute,” I whispered. “Do you think that's his girlfriend he's with?”
“No, I already saw her holding some other dude's hand. He left a second ago.”
“Nice catch.”
“Yeah, I've been watching him.”
“Ew, stalker.”
“Hey, he's been looking back. He smiled at me once.”
“Really?” I said, perking up.
“Wait. He's looking over,” she said quickly, turning away.
I swiftly craned my neck.
“No! Don't look!”
Too late.
“Oops, he saw me. You should go over and talk to him.”
“I can't. It's too weird. I'm waiting for him to come to me.”
I nodded.
Just then, Bobby and Lilly squeezed their way toward us holding plastic cups brimming with foam.
“Wow, you look hot,” Bobby commented, staring at the beads of sweat trailing toward my nonexistent cleavage.
“Why, thank you.” I smirked, straightening the neckline of my red V-necked shirt.
“I meant temperature. Not that I don't think, I mean ...”
“I get it. I get it.” I giggled.
“So, why don't you drink?” Bobby asked.
I shrugged, tossing my hands up.
“
Chica,
you thought you didn't like piña coladas until you gulped three down this summer,” Lilly noted.
“That was different. Those tasted good.”
“You'll get used to the taste of beer,” Lilly said.
“You sound like my mother, only you substitute âbeer' for âbroccoli. ' ”
“It's not
that
bad,” Madison added, taking a tiny sip from her cup.
“
Et tu,
Madison?”
She smiled, then her eyes quickly filled with concern. “Where's Emily?”
“Oh, we left her with Vince,” Lilly stated. “He's already eaten two goldfish by the way.”
“I don't want to know.” I shook my head.
“Did she do any more keg stands?” Madison asked.
“No, but she is pounding beers with the skill of an alcoholic,” Lilly joked.
“Oh, great. I hope you plan to be the one sitting up with her all night while she pukes,” I scoffed.
“She'll be fine.”
“Does she always drink this much?” Bobby asked, his forehead wrinkled.
“No, she never drinks,” I defended. “Hence the problem.”
“I don't know. She's been in a pissy mood all day,” Madison stated.
Bobby nodded as if he understood.
I wiped at the sweat that was spreading across my brow. I hadn't been this hot since I'd danced at Lilly's
Quinceañera
.
“Hey, you wanna go find my dad? Maybe he can get us some sodas?” Bobby suggested, staring at me as if he were worried I might pass out from heat exhaustion.
I looked at Lilly and Madison. “You okay here?”
They nodded. So I followed Bobby into the crowd.
Â
I tried to make my way to Vince at the goldfish pond (which was an inflatable kiddie pool filled with water and tiny orange fish). But there was currently a quest to find a Slip 'N Slide, and Vince was on the search committee.
His friend Joe, who was shirtless and painting his hairless chest with ketchup and mustard, informed us that there were sodas in the house kitchen. Only his directions to the back stairs led us to a library where we interrupted a half-naked couple who unlocked lips just long enough to tell us to “Get the hell out!”
So, now we were semi-lost, wandering from room to room, hoping to find either Bobby's father or a refrigerator with nonalcoholic beverages.
“If that door wasn't the back stairway, then it has to be on the other end of the house,” Bobby stated.
We pushed through a dense crowd of drunken studentsâmy shoulders slamming into theirs as we thrust forward. I was so overheated and the air so limited that my heart pounded in my ears. I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply, and tightened my grip on Bobby's hand. Before I knew it, a strange guy twice my weight crashed into me, flinging me into a complete stranger. Another girl shoved me in the opposite direction, apparently for having splashed someone's beer onto her arm. My lungs clamped down as the room spun.
Bobby clutched my arm and tugged me toward the main staircase. As soon as we hit the steps, the crowd thinned. Guests weren't invited to the second floor unless accompanied by a brother, but given my relationship with Vince and his prearranged bathroom privileges, the frat guys let us through. As soon as we stepped onto the balcony, the air cooled. My lungs filled and my heart returned to its normal rhythm.
“Sorry. It was just so crazy down there,” I whispered, catching my breath.
“Yeah, you looked a little freaked out.”
“Crowds like that, I don't know, they make me feel out of control or something. Like I'm being attacked,” I mumbled, as I breathed slowly and looked down at the party below.
“You kinda were,” he joked. “Anyway, I'm surprised the brothers let us up here.”
“Vince worked out a deal to let us use some guy's bathroom.”
“Seriously?” Bobby asked with excitement. “ 'Cause I
so
have to pee.”
“Yeah, it's like two doors down on the left.” I pointed.
“Which one?” Bobby stared down the dark hallway.
“I'll go with you. The door doesn't lock, so I'll have to hold it for you.”
We walked down the dimly lit hall, the sounds of music blaring from downstairs. I stopped in front of the bathroom, and Bobby walked in. No one was in sight. It was almost peaceful compared to the chaos below (if you could find peace amidst the smell of sweat socks and boy).
I heard the toilet flush, and Bobby opened the door, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Don't worry. I washed them. There's just no paper towels.”
“Yeah, sure. That's your excuse.”
“Please, that bathroom's so disgusting, even if you didn't use it, you should wash your hands before leaving.”
“It's like the funk just jumps right on you.”
“Please, don't tell me I smell like that.” He smiled.
“No, you smell nice.”
A silence fell over our conversation. Bobby looked directly into my eyes, grinning. A gush of goosebumps flushed over me. Slowly, he leaned in, lowering his head until our lips touched. He felt soft and warm, and I reached my hand to his neck as he pushed his chest against mine and clutched my waist. My shoulders relaxed as I sunk my fingernails into his curly hair.
“You have
got
to be kidding me!” screeched a voice from behind us.
I held my breath, and slowly rotated. I knew it was Emily.
She glared at us, openmouthed.
“Well, this is just
perfect
!” she barked, waving her hands as she stumbled drunkenly.
“Em, come on, wait. It's not what you think,” I said rapidly.
“Uh, yeah. It's kinda hard to misinterpret!” she snapped, swaying slightly. “I can't believe this.”
Just then footsteps resounded from the stairway, and Emily spun around. It was Bobby's dad.
“Are you guys all right? I saw you two come upstairs, and you didn't look good.” He pointed to me. “Are you sick? You okay?”
I flicked my eyes toward Bobby, who immediately sighed and gripped his hair with his fists. “This is not a good time, Dad,” he moaned.
Mr. McNabb's eyes swept toward Emily. He took a sudden step backward, as if deciding it best to walk away.
“Oh, no, wait! Don't go!” Emily shouted, her drunken head bobbing on her neck. “This is the
perfect
time!”
“Emily, don't. Okay?” I interrupted.
“No, see, you don't understand.” She looked at Bobby's dad, whose brow was clenched so tight I thought he might pop a blood vessel. “Go on, tell 'em Mr. Mc
Naaaab.
It's about time, dontcha think?
”
She looked toward me and Bobby, her palms down as she gestured in circles to all of us. “You see, this here is just a big ole twisted family reunion.”
I watched Emily's eyes fill with tears. Bobby's dad stumbled back a step. He looked as though she were pointing a rifle at him.
“Don't be shy now. I'm mean, come on, Mr.
McNaaaabb
. Be a man! You are
sleeping with my mother
!” She spat on him as she yelled the words.
My heart stopped as I gasped loudly. I spun toward Bobby whose face had begun to collapse.
“Emily, I, uh, I don't know what you're talking about. Uh, clearly, you, uh, have me mistaken,” Mr. McNabb stuttered.
“Oh, so you're
not
the man who's having an affair with my mom? And you're
not
the man
I saw
leave my house this summer?”
His pupils swelled to the size of walnuts as his lower lip quivered.
Time froze in that moment. I couldn't move or say anything to stop her. Bobby's jaw continued to collect dust, Mr. McNabb blinked with shock, and Emily kept right on screaming.
“Do you know how disgusting this all is?” she ranted. “You're having
an affair with my mother,
and then
your son
goes and asks
me
on a date! Oh, my God! You should have seen my mom's face when I told her who was taking me out. I thought she was having an actual heart attack. But I'm sure you know all about this, don't you? I'm sure you sat around
in my parents' bed
talking about what to do to keep your silly little kids from ruining
your sex life
.”
Mr. McNabb's face contorted painfully. He said nothing as he slowly tried to back away from my best friend, who had rapidly turned into someone I had never seen before. I couldn't believe all this was going on and she never said anything, that this was what the past couple months of brooding had been about. How could I have been so wrong ... about everything?
“Don't you walk away from me!” she hissed, her finger pointed. “You're
screwing
my mother. I think that gives me the right to be heard.”
Mr. McNabb stopped in his tracks and his eyes darted to Bobby, whose lower lip was trembling. I could tell he was trying so hard to bottle his emotions that I almost wanted to cry for him.
“Emily, look ...” he started.
“Don't you say my name like you care about
me
! You've ruined my life! You've destroyed my family. My
best friend
is making out with
your son
! My God, why don't you just shoot my dog while you're at it?”
“Your dog died two years ago,” I muttered.
“Don't try to be funny.” Emily pointed at me.