The guys had witnessed the end of my tongue-lashing. We all got in the jeep and went back to the party. They also had no idea what I’d done. If I ever figure out what teenage girls are thinking ...
I FOUND GREG AND ANGIE sitting with Cindy, Suzanne and Beth. I could feel the temperature drop when I sat down. I figured I needed to find out what had pissed off all the women in my life.
“Okay, what the hell did I do to make everyone mad at me?” I asked.
“You’ve been sleeping with Lisa Felton,” Beth told me.
That about knocked me out of my chair. If I was going to be made a martyr, I should at least do the crime.
“You’ve got to be kidding. He’d have told Greg if he had. There’s no way David slept with Lisa,” Angie told them.
I wondered where this could have started. Then it hit me: Kim. She had seen us at the diner and made a wild-ass assumption. It really made me mad they would all just believe I’d sleep with her. I hadn’t realized my reputation was quite so bad.
“Well, are the rumors true?” Cindy asked me.
“You know me better than that. I would never talk about something happening with Lisa and me. Just from your reactions, I would never share. Plus, even if it’s true, it’s none of your damned business!” I said, letting my anger through.
“I’m telling you guys, there’s no way David is doing the deed with Lisa,” Greg told them. “What evidence do you have?”
“Kim Sun has seen them at her aunt and uncle’s diner getting cozy a couple of times,” Beth told us.
“Seriously, that’s your proof?” I asked, and then got up to take a walk, disgusted by my so-called friends.
“Boy, some friends you are,” Greg said as I walked away.
“I happen to know David’s been visiting the children’s cancer ward at the hospital. And guess who he saw? Lisa Felton’s little brother. Did anyone think that maybe Lisa needed a friend to talk to?”
I walked around the back of the pool house. I sat down against the wall to think ... I just stared at nothing. I was looking for ... hell, I don’t know. Was this who people thought I was? Eve had written a song about what a cheating jerk I was. My closest friends all assumed I’d slept with Lisa. There wasn’t any doubt in their faces. Heck, it took me a week before I started sleeping with all the models in New York.
Was this just who I was? Did the Alpha Male side Uncle John told me about really have that much control over me? Was I destined to be like Greg, going through women and never having a meaningful relationship until someone put the proverbial gun to my head? I doubt Greg would have stopped if it hadn’t been for Kyle. Was that who I was?
If so, was it really that bad? I was nowhere near ready to get into a serious relationship. What teenager is? If the cheerleaders were all mad at me, so what? It wasn’t like I couldn’t find someone who would like me.
Then I realized that didn’t sound like me. I did care. I had just lost my best friend because I was a jerk. What I found hard to deal with was their rush to judgment. I had to give credit where it was due, at least the girls at the party talked to me.
I got ready to face the music when Suzanne found me. I got up and she hugged me immediately.
“Sorry for being a jerk. I don’t want to leave things like this with you going away,” I told her.
“No, David. You don’t have anything to apologize for. We all felt kind of stupid when Greg told us the real story about you visiting Lisa’s brother in the hospital,” she told me, then got a glint in her eye. “Come with me and we’ll put a smile on your face.”
That was the best offer I’d had in a long time.
COME TOMORROW, THE girls would be scattered across the Midwest to go to college. Beth was headed to Purdue to get a degree in pharmacy. Cindy was off to Ohio St. to get a degree in interior design and then hopefully, a master’s degree in design. Suzanne planned to go to Northwestern for her MBA.
Unlike Mona, Kim and Sammie, I had history with these three. Tracy, I would call tomorrow and straighten out, maybe. The other three I wasn’t so sure about just yet.
Suzanne took me to the pool house where we found Beth and Cindy drinking beer.
“I found him thinking like Greg said I would,” Suzanne told the other two.
“Are you done being mad at us?” Beth asked.
“Yes. Sorry about that. I got my ass chewed by Tracy and friends earlier. They didn’t give me a chance to explain,” I clarified.
“Well, your brother explained for you,” Beth told me. “Here’s what we want to have happen. Cindy and Suzanne have to get up early to go to college, so they want a threesome. I want you to take me home from the party. Mom knows I’ll be spending the night with you.”
I chuckled. I just needed to be a ‘stupid boy’ and go with the flow. They had this planned out just fine, as far as I was concerned. Cindy and Suzanne led me to the bedroom in the pool house. Last fall, when Cindy had introduced me to the dating world, we talked about what we would do if we ever had a threesome with Suzanne. She had predicted the two of them would tag-team me until I wilted. I predicted we’d both work on Suzanne and then I would finish Cindy off. I gave her a look and we silently agreed Suzanne was going down.
We all got undressed and somehow Suzanne found herself between us. I went high and Cindy went low. Suzanne didn’t know what hit her. Cindy and I worked like a well-choreographed team as we induced her first orgasm. Our little Ice Princess had no chance.
The two of them then ganged up on me. Later, when Greg, Angie and Beth saw my condition, Beth wasn’t happy.
“You better have something left, or those bitches are dead,” she warned me.
I acted like I was staggering, which caused Angie and Greg to laugh.
“Water,” I begged.
We ended up staying for two more hours. I was surprised when Gary Baxter showed up. He was the band guy who Beth had chased last fall. I don’t think she really got over him. He had her cornered, and she looked uncomfortable. I walked up to hear him tell her his plans for the evening.
“I came here tonight to give you one last chance with me,” Gary leered at her. “You know you have a thing for me. Let’s go do it one time so you don’t have any regrets.”
"Lotta class there, Gary. Unfortunately, it’s all third class," I told him.
“Stay out of this, Dawson, this has nothing to do with you,” he said, trying to intimidate me.
I took a step forward and Beth put her hand on my chest to tell me he wasn’t worth it. She turned to Gary.
“Gary, you blew it. I liked you, but you showed what a nitwit you are. I have zero interest in you and I have no regrets. I’m actually relieved. So, have a nice life. Be sure to tell Karen that you’re out cheating on her,” she told him.
The last shot backed him off. Karen had been the head of our Chastity Club. I thought I had seen Karen around here somewhere. Gary got nervous and crept off.
“Let’s get out of here,” Beth told me.
BETH AND I SPENT THE night mostly talking. She was my closest friend, now that Tami had left. We’d known each other the longest because our moms were best friends. I was going to miss her. She always had my best interest at heart.
We got to telling stories and reminiscing. I sent a text to Angie and asked her and Greg to join us. They left Kyle in my parents’ room and soon the four of us were sharing funny stories about each other. It was the absolute best way for the four of us to say goodbye. I don’t know what time we finally fell asleep.
Saturday August 23
I WOKE TO MOM AND MRS. A making a racket. We had slept in. They found us in what amounted to a puppy pile. I think if we all hadn’t had on shorts and t-shirts, there would have been hell to pay. Everyone gave Beth and me some privacy to say goodbye. Our parting was bittersweet. I wished her all the happiness in the world.