Magan Vernon - The Only One

“You are seriously in so much trouble.”

“Yeah?” He took a step closer, wrapping his arms around my waist. “And what are you going to do about it? Nag me to death?”

I gasped. “I’m not a nagger! Am I? Please don’t tell me that I am.”

He kissed my forehead. “You worry too much about what everyone else thinks of you.”

I wrinkled my nose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

John let go of my waist and took a step back. “It means that I like you for you and you should like you for you. And that I need to get going before I wear out my welcome and you’re sick of me.”

I blinked, not sure what to think of what he said. He liked me? Like like? I know he kind of insinuated in the car, but I thought he was just being nice. Now I really felt my face flush. “You don’t have to leave.”

“I wish I didn’t have to, but I do. So instead I’m just going to see you tomorrow when you come by the house for the stoplight party.”

“Stoplight party?” This guy knew how to change the subject and keep me guessing at everything he had to say.

“Yeah, it’s a theme where you wear red if you’re taken, yellow if it’s complicated, and green if you’re down to fuck.”

“And what color will you be wearing?” I asked. God, what a stupid question. Could I make things any more awkward?

He grinned, blowing some air out of his nose like a silent laugh. “I usually wear black. Keeps them guessing.”

“Okay, then maybe I’ll show up tomorrow and maybe I’ll wear white. You know, to keep people guessing as well.”

He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on my cheek. I didn’t want quick. I didn’t want chaste. No matter how bad my lady bits still hurt and how broken my body felt, I was still a girl and I still wanted that feeling I had when he was giving me a massage.

“I hope you do, Red. I hope you do.”

What to wear? What to wear? I stared at my closet, like magically the perfect outfit would pop out and hit me.

Ugh! Why did I say I’d wear white? I thought it would seem cool and mysterious, but really there was nothing cool and mysterious about me. John already knew more about me from the past few days than a lot of people. I also had two women see more of me than any guy had in a year. Yet I knew nothing about John or the doctors.

Sure, he may have told me that his dad was a chef and would give me hints of things, like his tattoos, but the hot guy was still as much of a mystery to me as ever.

Finally, after combing through my closet forever, I put on a plain white tank top, jean skirt, and some black leggings. It was too cold to wear just the skirt and I didn’t want to be one of those girls that crawled across campus half naked. I didn’t know how I didn’t hear of more girls getting hypothermia after the weekend, but to each their own.

By the time I arrived, the Alpha Mu house was in full party mode. Two guys were camped out at the front door, wearing green Alpha Mu shirts. A line of people waited to be let in as if it was some sort of exclusive club.

The November weather was getting worse and I pulled my coat tightly around me. The two girls in front of me were wearing short, sparkly green dresses and barely even shivering. Instead they bounced around, giggling. The blonde one turned toward me and I recognized her as Betsy, the hickey queen who worked at Brewster’s.

“Oh Em Gee, Melanie! What are you doing here? I didn’t think you partied at the Alpha Mu house.”

“Yeah. I mean, no. I don’t usually party here. A friend invited me.” I tried to keep my voice even, but the temperature had seriously dropped and I was trying not to shiver. What the Hell were those guys doing at the door that was taking so long?

“Ohhh a friend?” She batted her goopy eyelashes and then glanced at her friend before looking back at me. “Who is it? I know a lot of guys in the house.”

“It’s no one important.” I tried to remain calm and saw that we were almost to the door. It was probably a bad idea to come alone. I should have begged Monica to come with or someone from one of my classes. Or maybe just not come at all.

“I hope he doesn’t hear you say that if you are hoping to get some later.” She cackled. Yes. That’s what it sounded like. A witch cackle.

“Next!” The taller of the guys at the door called. Saved by the yell.

Betsy whipped around, her blonde hair pelting me in the face. “Gabey Wabey!” Her and her friend pranced over to the door and she threw her arms around the guy. He barely looked at her and didn’t even hug her back. Instead he looked directly at me.

Hey, brunette, do I know you?

Betsy jumped from the guy’s arms and looked back at me, cocking one of her way-too-thin eyebrows. “Are you talking about Melanie? She’s my boss at Brewster’s. You’ve probably seen her in there when you’ve gotten your hangover donuts.”

I noticed the other guy at the door was checking Betsy’s friend’s ID. Weird. That must have been what the holdup was.

He shook his head, rubbing his goatee. No, that’s not it. He stopped rubbing and it was like a light bulb went off above his head. “You were here the other night with John Boy. I remember he drove you home the next morning.”

Betsy blinked, hard. You hooked up with John Boy and he gave you a ride home?

“It wasn’t exactly hooking up....”

“You little slut! You should have told me sooner! Betsy squealed.

“Hey, Blondie, quit yapping and just do the Alpha Mu shuffle so we can stop freezing our asses off!” some guy yelled from the back of the line.

“The what?” I asked, eager to change the subject.

Betsy handed over her ID and then slightly lifted up the hem of her dress, spinning around in front of Gabe, who barely gave her a second look and kept his eyes on me as he spoke. “We check to make sure you have a student ID and then have you show your waistband so we can see that you aren’t trying to bring a gun or anything into the house.”

Oh, that makes sense. I pulled my student ID out of my pocket. It was attached to my Central College lanyard that also had my keys. It was actually a smart idea. No guns and that probably meant no undercover cops.

“Waistband?” he asked.

I shivered, reluctant to show any part of my body. Not just because it was freezing out, but I didn’t exactly have the flattest stomach in the world and for some reason it felt like if I showed it, that would somehow also show my damagedness. Like my cancer would just show on my body. It was stupid, I knew, but that’s how I felt.

“Oh-oh-okay.” I lifted up my coat ever so slightly so only the waistband of my skirt showed and not any other part of my body. Then I did a little spin.

“Okay, boss lady, you’re free to go.” Gabe ushered me inside behind the bubbly Betsy and her friend.

The common room was packed with people, shoulder-to-shoulder as music blared from some unknown source. The minute I entered the room the heat radiating off everyone surrounded me and I felt like I had to gasp for air. Most everyone was in green and using that as an excuse to grope the person next to them. I was glad I didn’t wear green. Even though I wasn’t sure what color I would have worn if I didn’t tell John I was wearing white. Were we together? Was I supposed to wear red? I guess I could have worn my yellow band shirt from high school that I embarrassingly still kept around even though it was stained beyond belief.

I already lost Betsy in the sea of people, which was fine with me. I didn’t exactly want to hang out with her or have to answer any more questions about me and John. Questions that I didn’t have the answer to.

“Hey, Red!” I spun around, hoping to see John in the crowd, but instead it was his little brother, Short Stack. He had a big grin on his face and was wearing an oversized green tuxedo t-shirt and white baseball cap backwards over his curly mop of hair.

“Hey, Short Stack. Nice shirt.”

He laughed. “Yeah, it’s John Boy’s. I didn’t have anything green, so he said I could wear this.”

“Speaking of John, have you seen him? I just got here, but I don’t see him anywhere.” I tried to appear cool about it, but really I was afraid that I wouldn’t actually find him and would just get felt up by some random dude. Well, if he could feel me up over the giant coat that I was sweating in.

Short Stack put his hand on his chin as if he was deep in thought. “Not lately. Last time I saw him he was upstairs. I could take you up there to find him, if you want.”

“I think I can handle going up the stairs myself.” I went to turn away, but then Short Stack grabbed my arm.

“Actually, you can’t. Not without an Alpha Mu escort. The upstairs is off limits.”

I raised an eyebrow. “But I was up there the other night?”

“Yeah, but that wasn’t a real party, just a kick back. Besides, you were with John Boy. Now come on. I don’t have all day.” He pulled me forward and reluctantly I pushed through the crowd with him until we were at the stairs.

Another guy sat at the bottom of the staircase, with a coffee table blocking it. He didn’t smile when he saw us and kicked his combat boots up on the table, running a hand through his overly gelled hair. “Can I help you?”

Short Stack smiled. “Hey, Deuce, me and Melanie just want to go upstairs and look for John Boy, have you seen him?”

Deuce smirked. “You all planning on a threesome?”

Short Stack snorted. “No! Definitely not! Melanie is looking for him, so I thought I’d help her out.”

Deuce shook his head, moving the coffee table for us to get past. “Yeah, a lot of girls go looking for John Boy.”