The One I Loathe

Chapter 14

Sam came in at twelve-ish looking stupidly happy. Since the whole bombing of my evening I stayed up.

"So, how'd it go?" I asked him.

"Man, it was perfect! She loved the drive-in theatre! Oh! And congratulate me, she said yes!"

They were dating. Why did that make me feel so weird, almost...jealous?

"Yeah, dude! Congrats,"

I had planned their whole date and he got Sophie? That was so unfair! But it wasn't. That's how I wanted it to be. I mean, I had Audrey, who now loved me and I loved her...I guess.

"Thanks for all the ideas! How did you know that much about Sophie?" Sam asked me.

That's what happens when you know someone your whole life, I thought.

"She, uh, told me,"

"Well, I'm glad she did! Curse that rain though! I was this close to getting that kiss!" He said with disdain.

I shouldn't have, but I did. I breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't kiss him. GAH! I didn't care though!

Desperate to change the subject, I told him finally, "Oh! I almost forgot! My friend called tonight and invited me to a party tomorrow night. Audrey and I are going, so do you and Sophie want to come with us?"

"Yeah sure, we'd love to!"

We both decided to hit the sack then. I couldn't sleep though. Why was I having these weird emotions about Sophie? I'd known her my entire life, and I guess I never thought about what it would be like if she dated someone I knew. It was almost like I was protecting her, like her...brother? That was it! What I thought were feelings of jealousy were actually just me being protective of my, kind-of, sister! That had to be it.

With that realization in my mind it made it easier for me to sleep. But I still would try to avoid Sophie as much as possible. At least I had the party tomorrow to look forward to.



I woke up the next morning to the phone ringing. I glanced at my clock, 11:00! Whoa, I must have been tired!

I answered the phone and it was Sam. My boyfriend, right. Why wasn't I happier?

"Good morning, Sophie! How'd you sleep? Did you dream about me?"

Eww.

"Heh, yeah I slept like a rock,"

I didn't bother answering the other question.

"Well good! I just called to let you know that Trent invited me and you to go to party tonight with him and Audrey. So, I told him we'd be there, so I'll pick you up at--"

"Wait! Wait!" I cut him off, "You told him that I'd go with out even asking me? I had plans with Hilary tonight!"

"But Sophie, I already told him that we'd be there! I can't back out now!"

Now what was I supposed to do? I didn't want to hurt Sam's feelings, but he couldn't just spring plans like this on me at the last second like on me at the last second!

"Hilary and I can hang our any night," I relented dejectedly.

I was such a pushover.

"Thanks Soph! This means a lot to means to me! Pick you up at 7?"

Soph? We had pet names now?

"No prob..."

"Well, I've got to go! Bye!"

"Bye, Sam,"

Then as I was about to hang up I heard a slightly hesitant voice say, "I love you,"

We had been dating for less than twelve hours and already he had to bring up the 'L' word! What was I supposed to say?

"Uh...yeah...ditto," Eloquent, huh?

I quickly hung up the phone.

This was a very confusing relationship. I didn't dislike Sam; in fact I liked him as a friend fine enough. But he seemed to care about me so much, and I couldn't just leave him high and dry, could I? After all that he'd done to get me to like him, that would just be mean to say no! But I still didn't like him, and that was the thing that bothered me. I wouldn't give up on trying to make myself like him, though. He couldn't be that bad!

I was seriously considering becoming a nun.


I called Hilary to cancel. Having her share of boyfriends she was quite used to canceling plans to spend time with a new beau, so she was quite understanding.

"I want to meet this Sam guy," she told me.

"I know you do, but you'll have to wait until the winter formal,"

Our winter formal was always the Friday after school let out for winter break.

"That's four whole days away!" She whined.

Wow! Was it that close? I hadn't even gotten a dress yet!

I went on to tell her about the party I was invited to and we talked for a little while then she had to go.

Now came the tough part, convincing my parents to let me go to this soiree tonight. From Sam's lack of details, I could pretty much say that there would be alcohol there, and my parents weren't going to be thrilled about that.

I saw my dad in his office. I would ask him first, he was the softest.

"Hey, Daddy?" I said in my honey sweetest voice.
He knew that voice all too well.

"What do you want?"

Darn!

"Well, Sam invited me to a party tonight with Trent and Audrey and its ok by the Bennets if he goes, so can I go?

Here it came.

"What time?"

"Starts at 7 ends late,"

"Try again,"

"Ends at...11?"

"Better. Parental supervision?"

"Don't know. Will call once arrived and tell you. If no parents are present, will leave immediately,"

"Good. Alcohol?"

"Unknown, but always a possibility,"

"I trust you,"

"Thanks Dad, you're the best!"

Whew! If I could handle that, I could handle anything!



"You bout ready to leave, Audrey?" I called from downstairs.

She walked downstairs in a white long sleeved shirt, plaid mini skirt and fish nets. Now that was my kind of girl.

"Hey! You look great!" I told her.

"Ya think? I can't wait to get some social contact!"

I wasn't enough apparently.

"Came on, Sam! We still have to pick up Sophie!"

He finally came and we all piled my car.

I drove just a few houses down to Sophie's and honked the horn. She came out wearing jeans and a black sweater. Her wavy hair was piled up on top of her hair. I liked this laid-back her. She climbed into the back seat with Sam. I thought about what I'd decided last night. I just thought of her like a sister. It was working I guess, I didn't feel that ping of jealousy when she sat in the back seat with Sam. Of course, when he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then I wanted to knock his block off. Was that normal?

Finally, Sam pulled me out of my Sophie induced trance by practically yelling at me, "Come on, Trent! Hello?"

"Oh, right lets go!"
I drove to the house where the party was at, parked, and we all piled out. Many people had already gotten there. The bass of a loud song was pulsing out of all the windows. I grabbed Audrey's hand and we went in with Sam and Sophie following.

As soon as I entered, I saw some of my friends standing by, what I guess was, the drink table.

"Hey! I'll get us some drinks," I practically screamed to Audrey over the noise.

"Ok," she yelled back, "I'm going to mingle!"
I went over to the table and greeted my friends. Before long, we got into a heated music discussion and I completely forgot about Audrey I quickly told them good bye and walked over the place where I left her. She wasn't there so I decided to go into a living room to look for her, as there was a big crowd in there. But, just as I was about to, Sophie and Sam appeared in front of me,

"What are you doing?" She asked me very strangely.

"Going to the living room to find Audrey," I said very slowly.

"I didn't see her in there. Try the kitchen...or the...backyard!" Sam said rather nervously.

They were hiding something, and neither of them were very good actors.

"I think I'll check the living room first if you don't mind," I said, pushing past the two of them.

I heard Sophie scream 'NO!', and then I saw it. Jeremy was making out with some girl on the couch in the living room. At first I didn't see what the big deal was, and then I looked again at the girl.

She was wearing a plaid skirt.



I tried to keep him from seeing, but he was just too pushy!

After Trent had been gone for a while, Audrey meandered her way into the living room. That's when I saw Jeremy sitting on the sofa with a bottle of beer in one hand. Judging by his actions, it hadn't been his first. He noticed Audrey and padded on a seat next to him the sofa suggestively. Ugh! Would he never stop?

Thinking I knew Audrey, I just thought she'd blow him off, so I walked away and talked with Sam for a little while. About 30 minutes later I heard "Ooh-ing" sounds from the living room. I remembered Audrey, and ran back there. Then I saw Audrey and Jeremy making out the sofa, and Audrey dropping an empty beer bottle on the floor!

That wasn't good. But then, it got worse! I saw Trent finally emerge from the room he was in, looking for Audrey. I quickly grabbed the gawking Sam and we ran in front of Trent.

I tried the best I could to keep him out, but he saw. And the hurt and surprised expression on his face made me want to hurt both Audrey and Jeremy even more.

Thinking fast, I grabbed Trent and suggested we leave, but he shook away my grasp and walked right up to them.

Uh oh. He looked mad. Really mad



I couldn't hold it in any longer. I marched over there, snatched Audrey from her and Jeremy's embrace and sat her up right on the sofa.

"Hey man! What's the big idea?" Jeremy slurred out.

Man, this guy reeked of alcohol.

"Yeah, Trenty-poo, we were just having a little fun!"

Audrey said rather oddly. She was drunk too.

"Come on, Audrey. We're going home," I grabbed her wrist and handed her off to Sam, who was standing behind me.

"Hey, what if she's not ready to go!" Jeremy said with increasing anger.

"Too bad," I said and turned around to leave, when I felt Jeremy push me.

"Oh, yeah? What are you going to do about it?"
Right then all the anger that had been boiling up in me since I'd first seen this guy came back. How he'd lied and hurt Sophie, when he tried to do the same to my sister, but strangely enough, him kissing Audrey didn't make me mad. It made me feel stupid for thinking that she really was a good person, like I'd tried to convince my parents, and that made me mad.

With all that anger boiling up inside of me I couldn't help but punch him square in the nose. The blow sent him tumbling backwards on the couch.

While shaking out my now throbbing hand, I approached him. He said to me very dazed like, "Man, I didn't know she was yours," Referring to Audrey.

I replied without hesitation, "THAT was for Sophie,"
With that, I walked outside to the car where Sophie and Sam were already waiting with the inebriated Audrey. Sophie came running up to me.

"Oh my gosh! Are you ok?"

It was right then I knew that there was no way the feelings I had for Sophie weren't brotherly. I looked at her and my only thought was that she was beautiful. Not just outwardly either. She has this beautiful soul that just radiated whenever she was caring for someone.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied finally, while rubbing my sore hand. She gasped when she saw it.

"What did you do to your hand?" She asked as she held it gently.

That felt so nice.

"I punched Jeremy,"

Instead if hearing typical female sobs of disbelief that I was planning on she said, "Wow! Good for you!"

She was so perfect.

She suggested we take Audrey home before she got even sicker. I agreed. I had completely forgotten about Audrey. I drove us home and Sophie came in to put Audrey in some pajamas and put her to bed. Sam and I heard some retching noises from upstairs so we decided to wait downstairs.

When she finally came down, she told us that Audrey just needed some rest and a Tylenol in the morning. I offered to drive her home, but Sam said he'd walk her,

That's right. I'd forgotten. Sophie was dating my best friend. What was I thinking? She was off limits!

Right before she left with Sam, she walked over to me and gave me a big hug; she also whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry,"

But the way she said, made me think that it was about more than Audrey and Jeremy, It was like she was apologizing for being my best friend's girlfriend.