In the Middle of Nowhere (Willow's Journey #1) by Julie Ann Knudsen
As we headed toward Tessa’s house, we talked about what we would do once there.
“We can rent a movie,” she suggested.
I shrugged. “Sounds good to me.” I didn’t care what we did. I was just grateful to be away from home.
Tessa took a sharp right into the parking lot of a convenience store and stopped.
“Gotta get some cigarettes. Want anything?”
I shook my head. “No thanks.”
Tessa climbed out and I stared out the window at the other customers while I waited. I looked far to my right and, even though it was dark, I could have sworn that I saw Brian Roberts chatting with a woman. They were standing outside an unfamiliar car. I was certain it was Brian because this man was so tall, as tall as Brian, whom I was convinced was the tallest man on the island.
The man and the woman embraced and then kissed each other on the lips. It wasn’t a quick, “it was nice to see you long-lost-friend,” kinda kiss. It was a long, lingering kiss, the kind reserved for lovers.
I was shocked. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing clearly, yet was careful not to smudge the little makeup I had on. The woman got into a car and drove off. Brian stayed and waved as she did. He then walked to the side of the building and disappeared. I saw car headlights go on as their reflection bounced off the side of the store. A few seconds later, that car backed out and drove off in the opposite direction of the mysterious woman.
Because it was so dark outside, I couldn’t tell for sure whether or not it was Brian’s car. It seemed much smaller than the car he normally drove, more of a sports car than a sedan, but I could swear it was Brian. He’d been at my house enough times for me to know what he looked like, even in a dimly lit parking lot.
I was speechless. Tessa got back into the car and did a double take when she looked over at me.
“What the hell’s wrong with you? You look like you saw a ghost!”
“No. I’m, I’m fine,” I stammered.
Tessa pulled out and we drove to her house. I stared straight ahead as my brain tried to process what had just happened. Was that, for sure, Brian Roberts or was it someone who looked a lot like him? If it was Brian, why did he hug and kiss another woman? If he was intimate with someone else, why was he engaged to my mother? Hundreds of different questions and scenarios bounced around in my head as we headed east on Shoreline Drive. Maybe Brian’s being unfaithful to my mom was the best thing that could happen, I thought. She would surely break up with him and call off the engagement once she found out. I had one small, yet crucial obstacle, however. I somehow had to prove it.
• • •
We pulled up to Tessa’s and I got a rush of anxiety when I saw her brother’s truck sitting in the driveway.
“Are you sure your brother won’t bother us?”
“Why are you so afraid of him, Willow?” Tessa rolled her eyes. “Trust me. He’s harmless.”
We walked into the house and it seemed as though no one else was there. Hopefully Jaques was in his drug cave and wouldn’t feel the need to emerge all night long.
Tessa and I went into the family room and she turned to the television channel that allowed you to rent movies.
“What do you wanna watch?” Tessa asked me.
“I don’t really care. What about you?”
Before she could answer, Tessa’s phone rang. She picked up. “Nothing, asshole. What about you two?”
Tessa laughed. “Just me and my friend, Willow.” She smiled. “Hey, be nice. Sounds good. See ya!”
“Who was that?” I wanted to know. “And what mean thing did they say about me?”
“It was Connor and, chill, he didn’t say anything mean about you.”
“What did he want?”
“He and Rocky are coming over.”
I panicked. “Where? Here?!”
Tessa looked at me as if I was insane. “Of course, here, unless you want to meet up with them somewhere else.”
I needed to stay cool, calm and collected. I kicked off my boots, put my feet up on the coffee table and leaned back. “Whatever.”
• • •
Tessa and I had just finished ordering a newly released comedy when her louder-than-hell doorbell rang. I jumped.
Tessa extinguished her cigarette and stood. “They’re here.”
I stayed and sat while Tessa answered the door. I couldn’t believe that we were going to hang out with Connor and “The God.” I hadn’t really seen Rocky since the time Tessa and I sat at his lunch table. I was mortified because he had obviously remembered me from his party after all. I was so embarrassed about what had happened between us, I tried my best to steer clear of him from then on. And now, I was going to be in a room with just him and two others. I was beyond nervous.
I barely put any effort into getting ready for the night because Tessa said it would be just the two of us hanging out. I shook my head and scolded myself. Why did I even care how I looked in front of Connor and Rocky? I didn’t care what either of them thought about me. I would have taken more time with myself if I were going to be seeing Michael, which made me then think of him and get sad because I imagined him alone in a hospital room somewhere.
My sadness quickly changed to dread when I heard the three of them walking down the hallway. The minute they entered the family room, I could feel my face getting flush. I tried to compose myself and took long, deep breaths.
I turned around on the sofa, gave a slight wave and a casual, “Hello.”
Connor spoke first. “Hey! What’s up, Willow?” He smiled and waved. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” I said. Nice to meet you, I thought to myself. I’ve been in the same school with you for the past five months, traveled the same crowded hallways, dined in the same stinky lunchroom and even had a mutual friend, Tessa, in common, and he was pleased to meet me? Whatever. On second thought, I was okay with it and wished the circumstances were the same for my familiarity with Rocky.
Rocky gave me a nod. “How’s it goin’?”
I smiled. “Good.”
I hated to admit it, but Rocky looked hotter than ever and Connor wasn’t actually as ugly as I had thought. Freckle-faced Connor seemed friendly and outgoing, which kind of made him seem cuter and less gangly. They both had on long-sleeved polos and cool, tight jeans.
Tessa plopped down on the couch across from me and Rocky and Connor on either side of her.
“Whatta ya gals watching?” Connor asked.
“We just rented Beach Bums,” Tessa answered.
“That movie was hysterical,” Connor said, “and you know what made it even funnier?” Connor looked at Tessa and then over at me. We both shook our heads.
“What?” Tessa playfully whacked him in the arm. “The suspense is killing me.”
Connor reached into his coat pocket and pulled out something that looked like a cigarette, a big, fat homemade cigarette. It took a minute for my mind to register what he was holding. Tessa grabbed it and smelled it.
“Is it good shit?”
Connor smiled. “The best shit. Ask Rocky.”
Rocky nodded. “Yeah. It’s pretty good.”
Tessa popped up. “Hold on. Let me get my lighter.” Tessa raced into the kitchen, quickly grabbed her lighter and pack of cigarettes off the island and joined us.
“Who wants the first hit?” Tessa offered.
Connor motioned to her. “Be my guest.”
Tessa lit the joint and inhaled deeply. Connor moved closer to her and she blew the smoke into his mouth. They both chuckled. Connor took the joint from her, took a long, deep drag and held his breath. Tessa leaned toward Connor and she took in his expelled smoke. They kissed afterward.
Connor turned toward Rocky, “Waste not, want not.”
Rocky took the joint. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Connor laughed. “Forget it. Just toke, man.”
Rocky took a drag and held his breath. Oh my God! What was I going to do? I
I didn’t know what to do! I had one of two choices. I could pass it along to Tessa and give a, “No thanks, not my thing” response and come off like a complete and total nerd or I could just take the joint, mimic how the rest of them smoked the damn thing and hope for the best.
I quickly realized I didn’t have the luxury of time on my side in order to make such a decision, when I looked up and found all three of them staring at me. Before I knew it, I sucked on the slimy, wet joint and held the foul tasting smoke in my lungs right before I spewed it into the middle of the room, ending the whole fiasco in a raging, coughing fit.
• • •
“You okay?” Tessa asked, genuinely concerned for my well-being.
Once I finished choking, I answered. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“You’ve never smoked before, have you, Willow?” Tessa asked as she smiled wryly and took another drag.
I hated being put on the spot, especially with three pairs of ears waiting for a response. I didn’t want to lie, but I also didn’t want to admit that I had never smoked marijuana before, especially in front of the uber-cool Connor and Rocky.
Thankfully Tessa didn’t insist upon an answer from me and instead turned toward Connor and transferred her magical exhaust into his mouth.
Since I didn’t feel any differently after taking that first hit, I decided to take another one, hoping that it wouldn’t have any effect on me the second time around. Plus, I wanted to play it cool and not let the others think that I was totally inexperienced when it came to drugs.
I inhaled, held my breath and exhaled slowly this time, luckily, without coughing up a lung.
I passed the joint to Tessa. As I went to sit back down, I almost fell over. I suddenly felt dizzy and all the noises in the room became magnified. Between the ticking clock and Tessa’s giggles, I felt like my eardrums were going to explode. When I looked at Rocky and Connor, they seemed to be moving in slow motion. I got scared for a minute because I was lucid enough to connect the dots in my drug-affected brain and realize that I was, in fact, high.
Connor moved his hands rapidly in front of Tessa’s face, which made her recoil in fear. Connor and Rocky started laughing. I chuckled. Tessa looked so silly being afraid of Connor’s quick, yet slow hand movements.
“Stop it, Connor!” Tessa shouted in slow motion.
Connor did it again. Tessa got up and ran down the hallway toward the area that Jaques had come from the first time I visited their house. Maybe she went to confer with her brother, the drug expert, in his cave or maybe she went to use a bathroom somewhere. Either way, I could honestly say I didn’t care where Tessa went.
Connor and Rocky burst out laughing again. I couldn’t control myself. I did, too! The whole scene was absurd and I finally relaxed and put my feet up again. I took the longest hit when Rocky handed it off to me for the third time. As I held the THC-filled smoke in my lungs, I nodded and thought to myself, this really was good shit.
CHAPTER
THIRTY