Chapter 4
4
Hayden
senior year
“Yo, you guys want to go to Five Guys after practice?” Toby bellows across the row of tables that holds about ninety percent of the varsity football team.
My head perks up at the mention of burgers and fries. As usual, I’m still hungry even after the footlong I devoured fifteen minutes ago.
“I’m down.”
Other members of the team and some of their girlfriends chime in, nodding along their agreement to stuff our faces with greasy fast food after what is sure to be a grueling practice.
As I’m finishing the chocolate chip cookie that came with my sandwich, I notice Natalia walking through the cafeteria with her thumbs hooked through the straps of her backpack held close to her body. Her hair is blown out, crimped into deep waves that I know she took time to style. She runs her fingers through it, shifting it to one side, and the soft angle of her jawline tilts upward, exposing her slender neck. Her steps come to a halt as she rounds a table, a small group of her friends already seated and sharing a large bag of chips that looks odd in a crowded school cafeteria. She sees me watching her and when I wave, she gives a small smile before turning back to her friends and reaching for a chip.
“You talk to Natalia Marquez?” Toby asks as he watches the whole exchange.
“We have AP Bio together. She’s my lab partner.”
“You’re taking AP Bio?! Who knew our hunky wide receiver was sexy and smart!”
I scoff, releasing a pshh sound. “Shut up, Tobe.”
He punches my arm, and I punch him back before I catch another glimpse of Natalia looking back in my direction.
“Hi.” I turn my head to see Jenny Chen saunter up to my seat on the cafeteria table where my feet are resting on the long bench. It’s still technically summer, but the warm weather is gradually easing itself into hibernation, causing the cooler winds to make us wrap our sweaters a little tighter. But Jenny manages to stick to her short shorts as long as she can, trying to keep herself warm with the hoodie she found in the back seat of my RAV4 rather than switching her wardrobe to something more practical. She settles herself in between my knees, her hands braced on my thighs as she gives a soft, seductive squeeze.
“I missed you earlier after third period,” she croons into my ear. She purposefully grazes her cheek against mine before pulling away, looking at me with hooded eyes.
My smile curves into a crooked smirk. “Sorry,” I say. “I had to talk to Madame Martin before class.”
“That’s okay,” she says, her voice low and drawn out. “Maybe you can make it up to me. My house later?”
“I have practice. And the guys wanted to make a Five Guys run, but sure, maybe after.”
She turns her face to her right, her hands outstretching to Tina Alves as she offers Jenny an opened bag of gummy bears. When I look back up toward where Natalia’s sitting, I see she’s looking at me again. I look away when Jenny tugs on my arm to wrap it around her waist, pulling my attention toward her and away from this pull that has me using an extra ounce of mind power to not look at Natalia yet again.
present
I’m finishing the last of my drink, eyeing Natalia and reminiscing about our shared memories of high school in silence. Her hand crosses her chest, and her fingers grip the opposite shoulder as she looks at me with her chin resting on the back of her hand. My eyes linger on her hand, watching her fingers trace over the smooth lines that connect her neck and shoulder before my gaze trails up to the small silver hoop earrings pierced through her earlobe.
Everything about her looks so soft and comforting. Even bound in the leather that runs the length of her legs and the tight top that wraps around her torso, all of it in a color that’s usually associated with death, she looks warm .
I’ve never seen that in a woman. Dressed up while looking as if she’s dressed down. Looking like she took the time to look nice while making it seem effortless. I can almost imagine her looking just as comfortable and easygoing in stained pajama pants and a T-shirt two sizes too big for her.
We’re interrupted by a high-pitched squeal from inside the apartment. We both turn to find Lucy leaning against the bottom sill of the window. Her hands are gripping the sides of the frame as she looks at us with glazed eyes and a hysterical giggle that makes her shoulders bounce.
“Natty! Carmen and David said they’d do tequila shots with me but only if you do too!” And then she disappears, filtering back into the crowded apartment with her hands in the air, waving in sync to the music.
“Ladies first,” I say, my hand extended toward the window in a slight bow.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with,” she groans.
“It’s tequila, Marquez. Not a root canal.”
“Says you, Mr. I-Can-Drink-You-Under-The-Table-Any-Day.”
“One shot, Nat.” I hold up a finger to emphasize the count.
She bends her body into a perpendicular angle, her hair falling like a loose curtain around her. Her cleavage rises upward when she leans forward, making me avert my eyes as she slides back into the apartment. “And that’s one tequila shot closer to me hugging the toilet all night.”
I cringe.
“Yeah, doesn’t sound very pretty now, does it?”
She’s inside now, with the opening of the window dividing the space between us. She reaches through it and tugs at my arm as I follow suit, curling my body inward to fit through the small opening.
I didn’t realize how many people filled Natalia’s small apartment or when the night shifted from a small gathering of friends to a full-on party. People are filling every corner, leaning against the walls, speaking over the music, and careless to the noise complaint that will most likely come within the hour.
Natalia leads the way, weaving around people and avoiding a splash of beer that misses her feet, hitting the wood floor instead. She turns and looks at me over her shoulder as she watches me struggle to maneuver myself through the crowd. She reaches for my hand, and her delicate fingers grip my thumb. Her hand doesn’t move to cling to my whole hand. Instead, it stays there, wrapped around my thumb as she tugs it gently, making my hand look large and awkward in contrast to her small one as I follow her lead.
I watch as she peers at me over the bare skin of her shoulder, her long dark hair billowing behind her as I catch a peek of the red lipstick painted on her full lips. I smirk lightly when her smile spreads into a wide grin.
How did this happen? When did we grow up? A familiar pang hits my chest as in between the vision of Natalia standing in front of me, I catch glimpses of her at seventeen. Her hair always styled in different ways while her feet were bound into the clunky boots of her Doc Martens. I can’t believe it’s been eight years, our graduation procession with us in our navy-blue cap and gown misting away into nothing but a fond memory. We’re actual adults now, settled into a stage of our lives where we have real responsibilities.
After squeezing through the crowd, we arrive at a small table lined with small shot glasses filled to the brim with a clear liquid I can bet my next check isn’t water. Dexter stands at one end, eyeing the row of perfectly lined up liquor as if it were a slab of red meat. He looks up and grins widely at me. His eyes are glazed over, with the flush of redness filling his cheeks and neck. Lucy stands next to him, her face hovering over his ear as she whispers something before they break into a fit of giggles.
Lucy has a shot glass already in her hand, carefully lifting it and handing it to me first and then a second one to Natalia. Natalia eyes hers, her eyes widening as she suppresses a nervous gulp. Around us, more people have gathered, claiming their own glasses as they raise it into the air. A man, who I was introduced to as Natalia’s sister’s boyfriend and whose name I can’t quite remember over the chaos, speaks over the voices.
“I just want to say,” he starts, “thank you for gracing us with your presence this weekend, Lucy. I hope you visit us more often.”
Everyone cheers, bringing their glasses up in the small circle, barely clinking as they hurriedly toss the contents to the back of their throat. With my glass empty, I grimace, biting down on the juicy, citrusy lime that was passed around before I look at Natalia. Her glass is still in front of her, full and teetering to the edges. She wasn’t kidding when she said she can’t hold her liquor. Without a second thought, I take it from her and toss it back, chasing my already consumed tequila with another one.
Her mouth gapes as the corners lifts into a smile. No one noticed that she didn’t take her shot as everyone else is consumed in the bitter after taste that usually lingers into a violent shiver, no matter how accustomed one is to the taste of tequila. I discreetly hand the glass back to her and wink.
She laughs as she brings the back of her hand to her mouth and turns to face the other way. When she does, her cheek comes close to my arm. Not enough to touch but enough to let me know that this is our little secret. I peer down at her. Her twinkling eyes curve as she suppresses her laugh.
“Thanks, Marshall,” she says through her smile.
“Anytime,” I answer.