The Special Girl Page 8

  After a dinner with my entire family of take out Chinese, Liam, Brendan and I head out lying to our parents about where we are headed. I have never been to a tattoo shop before. I can assume my brothers haven’t either. We enter the shop and the walls immediately grab my attention. They are covered in tattoo designs of every kind, small, large, colorful, black and white. A girl with huge boobs spilling out of her tank top, heavy makeup, and tattoos covering her bare arms greets us. “How can I help you?” she asks while not so subtlety checking out both of my brothers. Brendan answers, ‘’I’m Brendan McDevitt. I have an 8 o’clock appointment with Benny,” he says. This revelation immediately pulls me from my perusal of the tattoo deigns on the walls. I look up to see Benny, Zack’s friend entering the lobby. My brother shakes his hand hello and introduces himself to Benny. Brendan gushes over the tattoo drawings Benny has sent him in emails. “I am so excited man! You captured my vision for this tattoo perfectly!” Brendan praises. They are both smiling, and Benny catches a glimpse of me then. “Maura?” Benny asks. “Hey Benny, how are you?” I respond. “Good,” he says confused. “I thought you were in New York with Zack?” “New York? Ahh no. I am home with my family for Thanksgiving,” I say sheepishly. “Oh, maybe I misunderstood,” he says. “Well it’s good to see you anyway,” he says and leads us back to his station.

  Liam and I watched as Brendan got his tattoo. As Benny was inking Brendan’s tattoo, another older guy with even more tattoos was checking in every so often. Benny introduced him as Mick, his boss. Benny did a great job. I couldn’t believe someone my age could do something so intricate. We chatted a little and soon Benny realized we were all siblings. I got the impression, he thought I was with one of them before he realized they were my brothers. He became much more relaxed in our conversation after that.

  Mick came in one last time to check Benny’s progress with the tattoo. He voiced his approval to Benny and said he was headed upstairs to his apartment to see his girl. He said goodbye to us and left. After about an hour more, Benny was done. The tattoo was nice. My brother was very happy with it and he said, “I can’t wait to go back to school and show it off!” After he paid and we were leaving the shop, a door opened on the side of the building and Mick stepped out with a girl under his arm. The girl was Piper! She leered at me in disgust. “What are you doing here?” she asked. Before I could answer, she pointed at my brothers and said, “I told Zack you wouldn’t be around long! These guys are your type, not him!” Mick told her to shut up and pulled her away while apologizing. My brothers just stared at me in confusion. I lead the way towards the car.

  The rest of my weekend was uneventful. After talking to Benny, I had the knowledge that Zack was in New York. He was probably visiting his mother. Therefore, it was impossible to run into him this weekend. After overanalyzing everything Benny said, I thought maybe Benny assumed I went to New York with Zack because he had gone there with a girl. Only that girl wasn’t me! The only good thing was I knew it wasn’t Piper either.

  Chapter 14

  Zack

  The following Friday Max, Aidan and I plan on meeting Benny at the tattoo shop and then going to Joe’s for something to eat when Benny is done work. Benny is busy when we get there, and Rachael is working the desk in the small lobby. “Hi Zack, you look yummy,” she says as she eyes me up from head to feet. Max says sarcastically, “Hi Rachel! Me and Aidan are good too thanks!” Me and Aidan laugh. Rachael keeps undressing me with her eyes until Benny walks a customer out to her for payment and says goodbye. He eyes us, “ready? I’m starved!”

  We walk the two blocks to Joe’s. I glance over at Sprinkles and remember my time spent in that parking lot with Maura, kissing her forehead through her car window and taking her home on my bike when she had a flat tire. I wonder what she is doing tonight. Maybe I don’t want to know what, or who she is spending her time with. As I look back to the guys, they are all looking at me expectantly. Aidan opens the door and holds it for the rest of us.

  We walk into the restaurant and when we are seated, Benny says to me, “You will never believe who was in my shop last week!” “Who?” I say half interested. “Maura,” he says casually. My head pops up, “What? How? When?” I say baffled. She came in with her brothers last Wednesday night. One of her brothers got a tattoo and her and the other brother watched. We talked a little,” he says. “What did she say? How did she look? Was she sad, happy, what?” I say excitedly. They all look at me in shock. “She was alright. She seemed surprised to run into me, but she was nice. I thought she was with one of them at first but after talking a while, I realized they were her brothers. They were cool. Her brother got a pretty sweet Celtic cross I designed custom for him. It turned out rad of course!” he says. “Oh, and when I first saw her, I said I thought she was in New York with you. But she didn’t seem to know anything about that. Sorry man! I didn’t know you guys were off. When Max said you were going to New York to see your mom, I just thought she would be going with you. My bad!” he says.

  “Oh my God, I didn’t tell you the best part yet!” Benny spouts. “Mick told me when Maura and her brothers were leaving the shop, they ran into Mick and Piper! Piper started yelling at her that she knew Maura would dump you and Maura really only wants to be with guys like her brothers. I guess she also thought Maura was with one of them, “he says. “Mick shut her up and apologized. It was a real Piper shitshow!” Benny laughed.

  What the fuck! Now Maura really must just want to be done with me and my crazy friends! I guess Piper is right though. Maura does belong with guys like her brothers. Although one of them got a tattoo! That’s unexpected! I wonder what Maura thought of that choice.

  Maura

  After Thanksgiving, my classes start to wind down. There is only a few more weeks until winter break and the end to my first semester in college. This also means final exams. Ugg! I hope I can get through them unscathed. This is also a time when the fraternities and sororities sponsor events, some formal. Kylie is going to a few fraternity events with dates. The sorority we successfully pledged is hosting a formal dance and we are required to bring a date, preferably a fraternity member and extra points for an upper classman. Kylie said I am on the radar of several upper classmen, but word is, I have a boyfriend.

  “Can I put it out there that you are single now?” Kylie asks excitedly. I pause to ponder this for a few minutes. “Yes, I guess I can say that now,” thinking about how long it has been since I spoke to Zack and how I suspect he brought someone new to meet his mother. I should try to move on and put that gorgeous guy behind me. It will be tough as no one I meet here will live up to his good looks, tough-guy indifference and sexy style. Not to mention the way he treated me like I was his special girl.

  No sooner does Kylie spread the word that I am available than I have multiple invitations to numerous events on campus. I am happy to have those events to look forward to but first I need to pass my exams. Kylie and some other girls I have befriended constantly chat about our dates and the dances and parties we are going to attend. I also have to figure out my attire for those events. I speak to my mother about my plans and she is excited for me. She gives me permission to use the credit card I was sent to school with for emergencies, to purchase new dresses for the events.

  The first event is a fraternity Christmas tree lighting. I am going with Alex Stanton. He is a Sophomore and a football player. He is over six foot, has an athletic muscular build, green eyes and buzzed light brown hair. He has eaten with me and my friends many times in the Beacon dining hall. I noticed he always tries to sit close to me and chat me up. I like his friendly personality and funny stories about the football players. When he asked me, I felt good about accepting the invitation.

  I took my last exam on the same day as the party I was going to with Alex. I am relieved to have them over with. I feel more confident about my final exams than I had with my midterms. The help I got with tutoring really helped. I get back to my room after the last exam and Kylie is al
ready in full preparation mode. She is also going to the same party and we get ready together. Alex comes to get me at the same time Kylie’s date shows up to get her. We all walk over together. Alex has us in stitches as he tells us about a funny experience he had in a class that afternoon.

  When we arrive at the fraternity house on the quad, Alex holds the door for me and takes my coat. He is a perfect gentleman all night. He brings me food and drinks and keeps me company all night, never leaving my side. We talk about our families and where we each grew up. It is easy conversation and I really enjoy myself. We even dance a bit. He isn’t bad either. Everyone seems to know him, and he politely introduces me to everyone that speaks to him. All in all, it is a good night.

  When it is time to go, he helps me get my coat on and he walks me back to my dorm. I am not sure if Kylie has returned yet or is still there. I lost track of her at the party. We arrive at my dorm, and he walks me up to my door. He asks if he can see me again. I say yes as I enjoyed my time with him tonight. He holds my face with both his hands and gently kisses me on the lips. It is actually kind of nice. With a grin, I open my door and walk into my room.

  The next party is another fraternity party the next night. Kylie is going to this party also. My date for this party is Kenny Ferguson. He is a Freshman and in some of my classes. He is tall and little lanky with freckles and auburn hair. His fraternity is hosting the party. This fraternity assigned the Freshmen members a specific girl they needed to bring as their date. We heard the girls chosen were supposed to be a reach for the guys. The idea was they needed to be confident and ask girls outside their comfort zone. Kenny is always nice enough so I would have said yes regardless of this information.

  The party is fun, but I definitely enjoyed the party and my date from last night more. Kenny is obviously nervous. There is a lot of uncomfortable silence. I try to find things to talk about. Usually all I can come up with is discussions about our mutual classes. He even leaves me for a while, but I end up finding other people to talk to until he shows up again. It is awkward but not terrible. I spend a good bit of time dancing with my girlfriends. Many of them are having similar experiences. Kylie and I even walk home by ourselves, letting our nervous dates off the hook early.

  The next day is Saturday and our sorority formal is tonight. Kylie and I spend the morning doing our assigned duties in preparation for the event this evening. We spend the afternoon getting ready. I invite Blake Lawson to attend the formal as my date. He is a Sophomore lacrosse player and a member of the same fraternity as Alex. He is about 6’3” tall and has a stocky build. He has slightly long dark blonde hair and green eyes. He is always smiling and after meeting him at a party last September, he always stops to talk when he sees me on campus. He invites Kylie and I to parties a lot and eats with us at Beacon on occasion. I consider him a friend, but I suspect he wants more. I decide to invite him to the formal because he is in a fraternity and is an upper classman. Also, I knew he would accept my invitation.

  Blake comes to my room to escort me to the dance in a dark blue suit. The color is great on him. He compliments my crimson form-fitted tea length dress and hands me a single red rose. The event is being held in the dining hall of the building next door. Good thing because my sky-high stilettos are hurting me already. After we get a drink from the worst kept secret spiked punch bowl, we mingle with other attendees including Kylie and her date and Alex and his date, Sophie. Sophie is actually a friend of ours and lives on our floor.

  When Alex first spots me, I notice he does a double take. A mischievous grin takes over his face after he sees me. He works his way over to me and Blake. He shakes Blake’s hand and greets me with a peck. He whispers in my ear after he kisses me, “You look gorgeous! I can’t take my eyes off of you!” I blush at that admission. Alex continues smiling widely after he steps away from me. Blake notices and stands closely next to me. I am his date this evening after all.

  Alex and Sophie hang close to me all night. Even when Sophie is out of sight, Alex is always a few steps away from me. When I dance with the girls, he comes out on the dance floor and dances with us. When a slow song is played and everyone couples up, he winks at me behind Sophie’s head as I dance with Blake. As I exit the bathroom during the night, Alex is lurking near the bathroom door. He stops me and says, “Maura, are you going home for winter break?” I answer, “yes, tomorrow afternoon.” “Can we meet for breakfast before you leave?” he inquirers. “Yes, that would be nice,” I smile. “Great! Let’s say 10am in Beacon,” he says. “It’s a date,” I jest. “It certainly is,” he says and lifts my hand to his mouth and gives my hand a kiss. I smile all over myself and go back to Blake.

  After the formal, Blake walks me back to my room. I am carrying my heels at this point and walking barefoot over the ice-cold sidewalk. When we reach my door, I thank him for accompanying me and for being such a good date. He looks sincerely at me and says, “I really enjoyed spending time with you tonight but somehow I felt like the third wheel on my own date.” I cringe. “No worries though Maura. I get it. I hope we remain good friends and good luck with whatever is brewing between you and Stanton. Enjoy your break!” At that, he kisses me on the cheek and walks away. I am stunned.

  The next morning, I get up and shower and still have time before I am to meet Alex. I pack up what I want to bring home for winter break. Kylie is still sleeping, so I sneak out at 10 till 10 and head over to Beacon Hall. I walk into the dining hall, look around and spot Alex. He is smiling from ear to ear. When I reach him, he pulls me into a bear hug and clings to me like we haven’t seen each other in ages. Then he pulls away just enough so he can see my face and ask me if I want to go up to the buffet and get something to eat. I do.

  He takes my hand and leads me to the food area. He holds onto my hand until he has to let me go so we can carry our trays. He waits patiently as I order a very complicated omelet. He sits next to me at the table and not across from me as we eat. He asks about my plans over winter break. He tells me he can’t leave for at least another week, as football is still ongoing. They have another game scheduled next weekend away. He tells me he wants to see much more of me when we return after break and I agree. We part outside my dorm with promises to call each other over break and he gives me a long lingering kiss.

  Chapter 15

  Zack

  I finished my first semester of college strong, all A’s and a 4.0 GPA. I am ready to start my next semester away at State. I plan to work full-time for my dad until I leave for school. Dana has officially moved into the house with dad. She immediately starts putting her touch on everything. She replaces her living room furniture for what my dad had in there. This works out for me. Me and my dad put the old mismatched basement furniture in the trash and put the now rejected living room furniture in the basement. This pleases me very much especially because now that they are always here, I spend all my time at home in the basement unless I am sleeping.

  Dana put up a massive Christmas tree with all the trimmings. I help dad decorate the outside of the house with twinkling white lights as per Dana’s request. She hangs a beautiful pine needle wreath with a huge red bow on the front door and constantly has a Christmas themed jar candle burning in the kitchen. It really feels like Christmas for the first time in a long time in this house and I like it.

  After experiencing Dana’s Christmas decorating and enjoying her homecooked meals and occasional baked good, I understand why dad was never home before. Who wouldn’t want to live with Dana? She is always a positive in both my dad’s and my life. She has always showed a genuine interest in me from the start of their three-year relationship. I truly believe she loves my dad and he loves her and that is why I am important to her also. So, knowing all this made my dad’s news logical and not surprising.

  He brings me into his office at work one afternoon after lunch, a few days before Christmas. Al is waiting inside as he has been summoned also. “I want to show you both something,” he announces. He unlocks the top draw
er of his desk and pulls out a little black box. He opens it and inside is a brilliant diamond ring. “I am going to propose to Dana on Christmas Eve!” he proclaims smiling all over himself. “That’s great man,” Al says smiling while slapping him on the back. “Congratulations!” I say while giving him a hug. “I am so happy for you dad!” We break away and I add, “I love Dana and I couldn’t have picked a better wife for you.” He beams with joy.

  Since my dad and Dana are becoming permanent and they already reclaimed the house, it is good I am going away. They need their space. They don’t need an 18, almost 19-year-old, hanging around. I call my mom and ask her about what I should bring to school with me. She gives me lots of ideas. She tells me to buy whatever I need on her Amazon account. Of course, I don’t. Her and David are already doing too much for me. I am actually getting excited about the new endeavor I am embarking on soon.

  I spend Christmas Eve at Aidan’s house with his family, Benny and Max. I want to vacate the house so dad could execute his proposal. We drink a lot, eat a lot and play poker with Aidan’s brother, mom and grandmother. His grandmother fleeces us of all our money. She is fierce! Aidan only lives a few blocks away, so I walk home around 1am. As I walk home, a car passes by and then stops and backs up. The window rolls down to reveal Maura’s oldest brother, Liam.

  “Yo dude aren’t you Maura’s friend?” he asks. “Yeah I guess,” I answer. “Want a ride?” he asks and then quickly adds, “I swear I’m not drunk. I was with a girl all night. I didn’t have time to drink,” he smirks. I nod yes grinning and get in the warm car. I tell him the way to my house, and he starts driving. “So, what ever happened to you?” he asks. “She was crazy for you last summer, almost didn’t go away to school because of you.” “The last I heard of you; some crazy chick was screaming at Maura about you at Thanksgiving! That was insane!” he remarks chuckling.