Love at First Spin

Prologue

SARAH MCDOUGAL

It was a cool-ish Friday night in early October, and all the adults were outside sitting around the glowing firepit, doing whatever it is they do when my parents have these parties.

Drink, talk shit, who even knows. That leaves the kids inside to entertain ourselves.

After all these years, most of us were in our teens and “entertaining ourselves” had escalated from the games we used to play as kids.

The younger kids were upstairs in my little sister, Becky’s, room watching cartoons.

Seven of us were sitting in a circle, an empty bottle of Dr. Pepper on the floor in the middle ready to be spun.

I looked at Jackie, who’d been sitting back in observation mode all night, and she radiated the same anxious feeling as me.

She bit her bottom lip then picked at her thumbnail.

I smiled and moved to lean toward her. The world felt like it was moving in slow motion as our lips met for a brief moment.

Hers were soft under the caress of mine, and I felt a spark of something rush through me.

Something I’d never felt before. I pulled back and tried my best to give Jackie the same smile she gave me before this all happened, but when I looked up, she looked almost stunned.

Her hazel eyes were as big as saucers as if what had just happened had tilted her world on its axis just like mine.

I tried not to get my hopes up that she felt the same jolt zip through her that I did.

Jackie bolted up from her sitting position and ran out the front door.

I didn’t know what to make of her reaction.

Was she disgusted by what she just did? She probably felt guilty since she had a boyfriend, especially because he wasn’t here.

He and I weren’t really friends. But we all knew this was just a game and didn’t mean anything, so why would she feel guilty?

A few of the others in the group were quiet, while the rest laughed hysterically.

I wasn’t sure if their laughs were at me or at Jackie, but I didn’t like it one bit.

The glare I gave them could’ve filled their veins with ice, so they quickly stopped.

I arose and walked out the door to check on Jackie.

I wasn’t sure what I’d find, but it definitely wasn’t her, sitting on the old tire swing, head between her legs, heaving breaths in and out.

Her reaction sent a ball of lead to sit in my gut.

A feeling of worry that she was regretting what just happened engulfed me.

I just hoped that it didn’t ruin our friendship.

“Jackie! Oh god, are you okay?” I rushed to her side and started rubbing her back in slow circles, trying to help ease her out what looked like a panic attack. I could relate.

Jackie jerked and looked at me with those beautiful eyes that I could get lost in.

“D-Don’t touch me. Please.” She got up from the tire swing, putting some distance between us.

She backed up until her back hit the trunk of the tree that the swing hung from.

Looking down at her palms, she frowned at the tiny flakes of bark that stuck to her and wiped them onto her jeans.

After a few moments, Jackie’s labored breathing had slowed to a normal pace, and she rubbed circles over her chest.

“Thanks for checking on me, but I’m fine now.” Her words didn’t hold the disgust I dreaded, but something else. Almost a fear. Of what, I wasn’t sure. I just nodded slowly at her in acknowledgment.

“Tell my parents I’m walking home, please.” She rasped out.

“Okay, sure, but please be careful.” I walked through the gate at the side of the house to our expansive backyard. A couple of the parents were laughing at something my dad said so they didn’t hear my approach.

“Mr. Taylor?” I called out as I walked up to Jackie’s dad, Stephen, who was seated next to my dad, James.

“Sarah, what have I told you about coming outside during our parties? A child’s place is in the house!” This is coming from my dad.

“I just wanted to let Mr. Taylor know that Jackie left. She, um, she said she wasn’t feeling well and asked me to let y’all know that she was walking home.”

“Okay, well you’ve done that, now go back inside.

I won’t tell you again.” My dad bellowed.

I tried not to roll my eyes and argue that I wasn’t a little kid anymore while Mr. Taylor gave him a mean side-eye, but I knew when to pick my battles and just trudged back inside through the back patio door.

I was drinking a glass of water to calm myself, and in followed Jackie’s dad.

He asked me what happened, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth.

I knew spin the bottle was innocent enough, but all our parents were on the conservative side.

If I’d blurted out that Jackie and I kissed, even because of a stupid game, we’d probably all be grounded, at the very least.

“She had a headache, sir.” It was the easiest thing I could come up with at that moment that wouldn’t raise any red flags.

“Fine, thanks for letting me know. I’ll get Linda and we’ll leave early to go check on her.”

“Okay, yes sir.” I replied.

He proceeded back out the back door, and I saw him bend down to Mrs. Taylor’s ear to let her know what the deal was. She nodded but furrowed her brows in concern and worry. They gathered their things, said goodbye to the group, and headed out the side gate to where their vehicle was parked.

I rushed out to the rest of the group and told them about the lie I had to tell to keep us all out of trouble.

Johnny quickly snatched up the empty soda bottle and threw it in the trash.

I thought that was a little silly, because an empty bottle by itself wouldn’t raise any red flags, but who was I to say anything about his paranoia.

At the risk of being ignored, I called the landline at Jackie’s house, praying she’d answer, so I could give her the heads up. I let out the breath I was holding in when I heard her soft voice on the other end.

“Hey, Jackie, I just wanted to let you know your parents are on their way home to check on you. I told them you left with a headache.” I felt awkward, but I hope I didn’t sound it.

“Thanks, Sarah, but I have to go now.” The line clicked off in my ear. I hung my head and ran my hand through my frizzy, red hair, feeling dejected, but glad that she at least listened to what I had to say and didn’t react as badly as I thought.

Monday, at school

Jackie and I didn’t talk the rest of the weekend, which wasn’t exactly unusual.

We were good friends, but not besties. When I got to school Monday morning, I saw her talking to Timothy in the hallway before first period.

Her back was to me as I approached them.

Timothy looked at me and gave me a slight frown, his lips tightening.

My heart started pounding in my chest. I just knew she’d come clean about the game.

Timothy and I weren’t friends, because I had a bad feeling about him.

Sometimes I had this suspicion that he made efforts to try to control Jackie and limit her outside contact with friends.

She’d told me he was upset about not being invited to the party at my house.

I looked back at them again, and saw him put an arm around her shoulder, guiding her in the direction of their first class, English with Mr. Wells.

I rushed to catch up with them, tapping on Jackie’s shoulder. She turned around, still in Timothy’s clutches, and the look she leveled me with was just flat and stoic.

“Hey, can we talk later?” I asked, hopeful yet cautious.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sarah.

” Jackie’s gaze slid to her feet at Timothy’s statement.

He spoke for her, eliminating her voice and her choice.

“As a matter of fact, Jackie was just telling me that after your little stunt the other night, she doesn’t really want anything to do with you anymore, isn’t that right, sweet cakes?

” He pulled her closer to him in a move to force her agreement.

She didn’t even look me in the eye, just nodded in compliance. That was it then.

Throughout the rest of our time in high school, Jackie kept her distance from me, which filled me with hurt and disappointment.

It was just a silly kiss during a game. Our parents were still friends, but she rarely came over anymore unless she was with them.

My mind went back to Timothy’s reaction that next school day and decided to let it go.