Authors: Kelly Mooney
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Coming of Age, #Romance, #Contemporary, #New Adult & College, #Teen & Young Adult
Twist of Fate
Twist of Fate
By: Kelly Mooney
BEN
My mother knew that I harbored a crush for Paige, and convinced me to keep it going. She thought the whole idea was so cute-long distance love can overcome anything she'd say. Well, I soon found out the reason she let me believe it was the perfect romance, was because it was physically impossible to get Paige pregnant from three thousand miles away. In her head it was the perfect teen romance. When Paige stopped contacting me, it felt like the whole world was caving in around me, but somehow I picked up the pieces, mended my broken heart, and moved on.
My mom supported my new relationship, but Simone wasn't allowed over when they weren't home, and my parents were always home, so I kept her away. It took four months of dating, and planning to finally lose my virginity my Senior year. My folks were always home, and so were hers. It was like they knew if they left us alone for one minute, we'd go at it like rabbits. And, Simone refused to do anything at a party, so that was never an option.
The night finally came, my folks had a wedding to go to, my pain in the ass little sister was at a sleepover, one that I had her plan when I found out about the wedding.
I finally had the house to myself. At least I thought I did. I hadn't banked on the nanny cam my paranoid mother hid in my room to oversee my nightly ambitions. I wish they never told me they knew. The sheer knowledge of knowing that my mother almost watched me get it on to the Goo Goo Dolls still caused me to shiver whenever they came on the radio. My father came in the next day, and told me they watched just enough of the video to realize I wasn't showing her my longboarding or lacrosse trophies that night. Simone never came over again, she was too embarrassed. I couldn't really blame her. Even I stumbled over every word, or got red in the face for at least two full months, every time my mother looked at me strangely. My friends never let me live that one down. To this day some jackass always brought it up.
So, imagine my surprise when I found out the one girl, other than Simone, who rocked my world, was now attending college with me. I wish I had a mirror to see my face when Tommy told me about it. But looking at his smart ass grin, and hearing his big ass laugh, I knew what he saw.
Panic.
Panic because for the last two years I'd managed to not get tied down with any particular chick, and liked the freedom to kiss, or feel up whomever I wanted to. I've learned not to get too attached, because everything at some point in time comes to an end. It always did for me. Paige Pearce being on campus, and back in my life was going to do me in. I mean, I knew she was still smoking hot since we'd been friends on FaceBook, and Instagram, but it was totally different when you could actually reach out and touch the one thing you'd always wanted, but never had.
Honestly, if Simone and Paige both stood side by side, and I had to pick one to spend the rest of eternity with, Paige would be the girl of my dreams every fucking time. And, the shitty thing was she never knew how I felt, or feel to this day. We kissed once when she was fourteen, and sometimes if I get caught up thinking about it for too long, I could almost taste the damn cinnamon from the churro she had just eaten, before I had gotten the balls up to kiss her.
***
Right now, I should be doing a keg stand, instead I was standing there like some jackass in the corner watching her, wondering if she ever thought about me, like how I thought about her over the years. I could still barely wrap my head around it. She was just a girl, like any other I've had the pleasure of knowing. Maybe her being my first kiss, my first love and all was having some freaky affect on me. Why couldn't I stop staring? Jesus Christ, if she turned around, I'd probably look like some damn dog in heat. I held on to my drink, nervously, feeling awkward, struck by her presence. She looked amazing. I hadn't seen her in years, but her eyes were still the first thing I noticed. Looking into those use to hypnotize me, and I couldn't help but wonder if those eyes could move me like that, what could her body do?
"Dude," Jack, one of my roommates comes up from behind, slapping me on the back. We fist pumped, then his eyes turned toward Paige. He nudged me forward with his shoulder. "She's hot, what the fuck are you waiting for?"
I shook my head. "She's not like that." But, damn if I didn't wish she was. Tommy kept me clued in to her life over the years, and from he told me, she was a one man only kind of girl.
"You know her?" He asked, and I had the feeling he was going to be asking me for an introduction next, and that was definitely not happening.
"Yeah! Well, used to know her. It's been a long time since I saw her last."
"Bro, she is fine. Did she look like that before?"
Paige was standing in a corner, with some girl I didn't recognize. My eyes traveled slowly from Paige's tanned long legs up to her eyes. "No, yes. I mean, she was always easy on the eyes, but not like now."
"Well, she's damn hot now. So, if you aren't going to try," he started to push past me, "move aside, brother."
My hand flew out to stop him. "Not her."
"Why not her? Listen pretty boy, you have your pick every damn night. I can't tell you how many times that towel of yours if wrapped around our bedroom door, and I'm stuck riding the fucking couch, while you're deflowering another freshman. What are you looking for some sort of relationship with this chick?"
I scoffed, "No, it's not like that, man. She's Tommy's cousin."
His face relaxed. "Good. You had me worried there for a minute. I can't be losing my wingman. Why didn't you just tell me that she's Tommy's cousin in the first place? I wouldn't have given you so much shit." He patted my back, and walked toward Paige, checked her out, then turned, grinning at me, wiggling his eyebrows.
I was pretty sure he knew that I would never touch my best friend's cousin, since we all agreed one drunken night on a pact, not to go near family members. No sisters, no cousins, and one of the guys even added, no mothers. I don't like to play that game. I've seen it get too many dudes in trouble. I'm not losing my best friend over some girl.
Even if she was the first person I ever crushed over.
It still kind of pissed me off that Tommy didn't have the decency to tell me she moved to Arizona, and was coming to school with us until she showed up last week. I would never have entered that stupid pact if I'd known. He knew how crazy I was about her when I was fifteen. He'd catch me on her Facebook page, or checking her Instagram photos, or texting her constantly. It wasn't until spring of my Sophomore year that she just stopped texting me back. The next day I checked her Facebook page, she changed her status from single, to being in a relationship with some dude named, Brian Moore. I laughed out loud, I couldn't believe I even remembered the asshole's name.
I was about to make a move to disappear, when last Thursday night's special, Annie, spotted me from across the room, and waved me down. I pretended not to notice her, turning, when she yelled my name out, "Ben. Hey, Ben."
I stopped. Slowly, I twisted around to see if Paige heard, and sure enough she was now watching me. She looked to Annie then back to me, and smiled-that ridiculously cute smile that had sucked me in when I was thirteen.
It was one of those crazy, beaming, warm smiles, that could make strangers even feel like they'd known her forever. Damn, how that mouth still affected me. I gave her a quick nod, before Annie was right up my ass, grabbing onto my hand.
"Hey, I haven't heard from you all week. Where've ya been?"
Sometimes girls were so dense. I mean guys got it, why couldn't they? If I hadn't called all week, there was a reason. What was that saying? 'Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free?' That was how it was with me. I was a love them and leave them type, and most girls knew this about me. Well, the freshman didn't. Maybe a few of them did. It wasn't that I didn't respect women, it was just-I guess that I'm twenty, horny, and definitely not looking to have some ball and chain for the rest of college. I did that shit in high school, and right before college, she cheated. Which ripped out my heart.
I guess it was one of those things we all went through. I was pretty sure all my friends dumped, or got dumped before heading off to school. It was like some damn rule or something. But, it still hurt like hell at the time. So, I wasn't anxious to relive that feeling anytime soon.
"I was just leaving," I lied. I had no interest in getting with this girl, at least not with Paige a few feet away, analyzing my every move.
Annie wrapped her arms around my waist. "Well, you want some company?"
It'd be so easy to take her upstairs and have my way with her right now, but I didn't want to tonight. Once was enough, twice, then they start thinking that we're in some sorta bonafide relationship. I had two girls that knew the drill, and didn't mind being my fuck buddies, hell, sometimes they came looking for me.
Girls acted like they didn't want it, but I was pretty sure they liked sex just as much as us guys. I'd only had one girl turn me down, and let me tell you, once I got revved up, it was almost impossible to stop me, but when a girl told me no-I listened. I wasn't a total prick.
If I thought I might actually like someone, I'd take them to dinner, open their door, even hold their hand. That happened twice in two years, and both times by the third date, I was done.
I unraveled her from me. "Not tonight," I started pushing past her, even though I saw the disappointment on her face. I couldn't concentrate on anything knowing Paige was only a few footsteps away.
Walking toward the stairs, and out of this damn basement full of hot sweaty bodies who were dancing to some techno crap, Paige waved me over. I almost blew her off, but thought twice since it was Paige. This was who I obsessed over for two years, causing my right forearm to become freakishly over developed like a German female tennis player, and now she was back in my life...pass the lotion.
And, I wasn't sure why, or how to handle it.
I debated back and forth what I was going to say to her. The first day she showed up at our apartment to see Tommy, I walked out of my room in just my sweats, standing there with my mouth hanging down to the ground. It was one of those surreal moments in life where you had to pinch yourself to see if you were sleeping, or if what you were seeing was really happening. She did this loud squealing noise, then ran straight into my arms before I even realized what she was doing. I forgot that this girl was a big time hugger. It was something I always loved about her. She'd hug a bum on the street if she thought it would make a difference.
And, I knew I was in trouble the moment my arms slipped around her. And, then she asked me if I remembered her? I just smiled, without answering, how do you tell someone that you haven't seen in years, that you never forgot them?
My junior year was going to drastically change from that exact moment, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for it or not.
My feet moved me forward, my eyes flicking to the stairs, I could still make a run for it. But there was that smile again, the one that lured me in years ago.
She reached over, hugging me. I swallowed, then stepped out of her grip. "Hey, P.
How do you like U of A so far?"
Jesus, could I be any more ridiculous? What kind of asinine question was that?
She smiled, then looked down at the red cup she was holding. I could hear people cheering from the beer pong table in the back, the sounds of our theme song pumping through the basement.
"So far, so good. This is my roommate, Ellie."
I scanned Ellie for a quick second. She looked like some of the girls I'd take home. Cute, low cut top, tight shorty shorts, wore a little too much make-up. I couldn't stand it when they'd leave that crap all over my sheets. I looked back to Paige who was one of those California looking girls, even though she was from Jersey. Her wavy long blond hair hung way past her shoulders, with these little brown and white feathers scattered throughout, huge emerald green eyes, her skin still tan from the summer, and if she was wearing make-up, well, it was hard to tell.