Untouchable - Chapter 9 #2
The voice sounded real. And it sounded like Matt. I opened my eyes. I blinked because he was way too close. His face only a few inches away from mine. I was definitely dreaming.
“Sorry, what was the question?” I asked even though I was asleep. My body was all warm like when I wore my flannel pajamas. And he was blurry like I still had sleepy in my eyes.
“You told me you’d stay away from Felix.” He looked mad. Like he had in class when he yelled at Charlotte. I remembered the sound his pencil made when it snapped in half. He was so strong. And a dick.
“That’s not a question,” I said. “And I never said that.”
“Nunca. Remember?”
“I don’t speak Spanish, weirdo. My friend does.
Kennedy. She’s my best friend. You probably know her because she’s been going to the same school as you for a while now.
Not that you care about scholarship students.
She’s here somewhere but she’s taking pictures because I think she’s mad at me for some reason.
How long ago was that? Never mind, I’m just dreaming anyway.
Because in real life you aren’t speaking to me.
” I put my hand on his face. The scruff on his jaw line was rough against my palm.
“I do remember that. You pretending I don’t exist.”
His Adam’s apple rose and then fell. “How much have you had to drink?”
I moved my fingers to his lips. They were so soft compared to his scruff. “A couple glasses of punch.”
“You’re drunk.”
I laughed. “No. I’ve only had punch.”
“There’s alcohol in the punch, Brooklyn.”
“Psh. No. Besides, I’m asleep. I dream of you a lot. You actually talk to me in my dreams. It’s nice.” I moved my fingers to his hair. It was soft too. Maybe it really was spun from gold.
“Let me take you home.”
“I don’t need a knight in shining armor, Matt. And even if I did, it wouldn’t be you. Because you don’t speak to me, remember? Why are you even talking to me now? Because your girlfriend’s not here?”
“What are you talking about?” He grabbed my hand and removed it from his hair.
I felt the same spark I had in the bathroom as he cradled my hand in his.
Like I was a dumb baby that had just stuck my finger in an electrical circuit.
But I wasn’t a baby. And he was just a handsome boy, not a super complicated electrical circuit.
I pulled my hand away from him. “I’m talking about Isabella. ”
“Isabella is not my girlfriend.”
“But you stopped talking to me after you talked to her at lunch.”
He didn’t respond.
“So if it’s not because of her…why aren’t you talking to me anymore?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated? Really? You know what’s complicated? My mom is dead. She’s dead and I’m all alone. I’m alone.” I sighed. I was getting sleepier by the second.
Matt opened his mouth again and then closed it. “I’m really sorry, Brooklyn. I didn’t know.”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “Well, like you said. Life is complicated. I don’t have any parents. You’re kind of dating Isabella and ignoring me. Whatever, whatever. It’s life. And I don’t care anymore.”
“I’m not dating Isabella. I’m not dating anyone.”
A Backstreet Boys song that I used to listen to when I was little came on. I used to dance to it in the kitchen with my mom. She’d turn up the radio as high as it would go. The memory made me smile. Now I really wanted to dance. If my tired body would allow it.
“What about your father?” Matt asked.
“Oh he never wanted me.” I waved my hand in the air like it meant nothing even though my heart ached.
“He left when he found out my mother was pregnant. I don’t even know his first name.
” I reached out and touched Matt’s hard bicep.
“You’re always such a good listener in my dreams. Do you want to dance? ”
“I’m going to take you home now, okay?”
“But I really feel like dancing. I love this song.” I tried to pull him toward the dancefloor but his hard body was as heavy as it looked.
“No, I’m taking you home.”
“But…it’s the Backstreet Boys.” Was he insane? This was dance music if there was ever dance music.
“Yeah, you’re definitely drunk.”
“I only had punch,” I said.
“And like I literally told you a few minutes ago…there’s alcohol in the punch.”
I shook my head. “No. I’ve never had alcohol before.”
“Well, tonight’s a first then.”
Almost a first. I was about to have my first kiss with Felix. I knew it in my bones. My very hot bones. Was it a thousand degrees in here? “It’s hot.”
“Yeah, that happens when you’ve had too much to drink.”
Matt was insane in the membrane. I didn’t drink alcohol. He probably did. And all the Untouchables. Because they pretended to be cool even though I knew their facade was just that - a facade. They were as broken as me. Except him. I squinted my eyes at Matt. “I don’t get it,” I said.
“Get what?”
“How much one week can change things. I thought you liked me.” I reached out to touch his face again, but he caught my hand in his.
“Let’s talk about it on the way home.”
Matt was such a buzzkill.
“Hey,” Felix said. He was standing next to me with the punch I’d requested.
“Oh, thank you.” I grabbed it with the hand Matt wasn’t holding and took a huge sip. My dry throat felt a million times better.
Matt pulled the cup out of my hand, spilling some onto the ground. “That’s enough.”
“But…”
“I’m taking you home.” He said it more sternly this time.
“Ignore him,” I said to Felix. “He’s just a dream.” I pulled my hand out of Matt’s. “Do you want to dance?” I asked Felix.
He lowered his eyebrows slightly.
“Brooklyn, I’m taking you home,” Matt said and grabbed my arm.
“Let go of me.” I tried to pull away from him, but his grip was firm.
“She said to let her go,” Felix said.
“Why? So you can get her even drunker?”
“She asked for a refill. Get your fucking hands off her.”
“And you’re taking advantage of her,” Matt said.
“Me? Seriously? You’re the one about to stuff her in a cab to take her home . Get out of my house.”
“Yeah, no innuendo there, man. She needs to sleep this off.”
Oh my God, what was happening? This time when I pulled my arm away from Matt I did it successfully. “Stop pretending that you care about me.”
“I do care,” Matt said.
“Really? Did you care when Charlotte ripped me apart in class? Or when she said she wished I would disappear? Or when Mr. Hill made me read out loud for an hour? Or the past week when you didn’t even glance in my direction even though you sit right in front of me?”
“I told you it was complicated…”
“Don’t throw that bullshit excuse at me when I told you my mom just died. Don’t…” I let my voice trail off. “Don’t you dare.” I could feel tears welling in my eyes as the room started to spin. I felt like I was going to be sick. I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat but it wouldn’t budge.
Kennedy showed up just in time. Because she was the only person here who actually cared about me. “How much punch did you have?” she asked after giving dirty looks to both Felix and Matt.
“Just two cups.”
She shook her head. “Lightweight.”
I laughed even though I didn’t know what she was talking about. “And I’m having a nightmare. Matt’s pretending he’s speaking to me and I messed up my first kiss.” I looked at Felix.
Felix’s eyes grew a little wide.
So easy to get lost in them.
“Yup, just a bad dream,” Kennedy said. “Let’s get you home, okay?”
I nodded. “Can we have a sleepover again?”
“Absolutely.”
I was pretty sure Kennedy kicked Felix’s shin as we walked past him. But none of it mattered. Because I was definitely dreaming.