The List

Chapter Four

Rhett walks off towards the front door and I find myself alone, but intrigued. I wander around the downstairs and see dozens, maybe hundreds, of people making complete fools of themselves. Some girl is dancing on the coffee table with her shirt in hand, waving it to the music blaring throughout the house. 

When my cup is emptied, for the second time, I head back to the kitchen and fill it up again. This time with a raspberry flavor. I'm already feeling warm, and unusually happy. I walk around again, taking sips every now and then when I bump into someone.

"Oh sorry," I say, reaching out and touching a strong arm, feeling some of the liquid splashing my boots.

"Don't worry about it." The voice says.

I lock eyes with the stranger and see he's smiling at me. I've never liked the color brown, but when I look at his eyes they become my new favorite color. It's obvious, that he's a football player. Wide everywhere, muscles from his neck down, and he has the obvious letter jacket though it's the end of August in Texas.

"What's your name?" He asks.

"Cari," I answer, not feeling stable enough to say my full name.

"Jake." He says extending a hand. "I've never seen you before, are you a freshman?"

I nod my head. "Yeah, this was my first week. And my first party."

He chuckles. "First drink too?"

I shake my head and grin. "Third. Well, technically fourth. I mixed two bottles, but my brother can't know that or he'll kill me."

Jake laughs. "You're cute."

"You're gorgeous," I say and instantly cover my mouth. "Ignore that. I've never been intoxicated before."

I don't recognize the voice that's speaking, it's slow and raspy compared to my usual tone.

Jake laughs again. "You can say it as many times as you want, darlin'.

The second he calls me that, I know he's been in Texas his whole life. It's the deep southern drawl and the all-American boy way he's dressing that shows me he's the kind of trouble I want to get into.

My body starts swaying and I feel my knees starting to buckle under me. "This feels weird."

Jake chuckles and wraps an arm around my waist. "Let's get you outside for some air, darlin'."

He leads me out front and helps me sit in a wooden chair on the porch. I can feel the air coming back into my lungs, from when we first got here. For a moment, I feel relaxed. Until Jake picks me up and sets me on his lap.

"What're you doing?" I ask, trying to climb off of him.

He holds me, so I'm sitting on one of his thighs and have my arm wrapped around his neck.

"Better support." He says winking at me. "So what's your major?"

I try to relax and join in on the conversation. "English Lit. I want to be an editor."

My words sound sluggish and garbled.

"We don't have many Lit majors at parties like this. What's a girl like you doing here?"

"My brother and his girlfriend and two best friends talked into me coming out tonight. I was going to do homework, but this sounds the most fun."

Jake laughs for what seems like the millionth time. "An English major shouldn't be talking like this. Are you having fun, at least?"

"I think so," I answer.

"What if I helped make it better for you?" He asks, leaning in and pressing his lips against my neck.