Best Friends Forever (4 page)

Seven

“I need to go back to the dorm,” Cheyanne says once the waterpark closes. She’s a mess, as I’m sure we all are, with frizzy hair and no makeup.

“Me too,” I say, looking at Roman.

“Cheyanne, why don’t you take the girls back and we’ll meet you here in an hour?” Nolan suggests.

An hour is barely enough time for me to get beatified, but Cheyanne agrees. I approach Roman to say goodbye.

“I’ll see you in an hour.”

He leans down and kisses me, a promising kiss. I sigh when he pulls away and Destiny has to pull me toward the car.

“You guys are pretty hot and heavy, huh?” Miranda asks once we’re all in Cheyanne’s older-model car.

“I guess so. It’s weird that we’re this close when we just met, right?”

“Not really. I’ve seen relationships happen that quickly before. Plus, you and Roman are like perfect for each other.” Destiny winks at me.

In the front seat, Cheyanne keeps quiet, but I can tell from Miranda’s expression that neither is happy about my relationship with Roman. Oh, well. Cheyanne had her chance and now it’s my turn. I won’t be as stupid as she was to get pregnant, though.

Destiny and Miranda agree to meet Cheyanne and me at the car in fifty minutes once we get back to the college. As soon as Cheyanne and I enter our dorm room, she whirls around to me.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Umm, changing…?” I say, pulling my tank top off and tossing it into the hamper. I’ll have to do laundry soon, I don’t want those clothes to stay wet too long.

“No, I mean with Roman. You guys aren’t even dating yet and you’re already all over him!” she accuses.

“So?”

She glares at me. “So, you should slow down. He’s a player, Hazel. I don’t want to see you hurt, okay? He does this a lot. We went to high school together, so I know what I’m talking about.”

“Look, whatever jealousy issues you have about me being with Roman, they need to stop.” I walk over to her and she actually shrinks back a little. “I’m not going to stop wanting Roman, and as long as he wants me, we’ll be together. So get over it.”

My anger is boiling, but I manage not to say any more. She shakes her head sadly and then picks up her shower stuff, leaving me alone in our room. I know I’ll have to follow her because the chlorine in my hair is already making it untamable. With a deep breath, I pull my shower bag over my shoulder and sling two fresh towels over my shoulder.

Luckily, we’re the only ones in the bathroom. I keep to the shower stall farthest away from hers and we don’t speak. As pissed as I am, I know she’s probably got to be worried that she’s going to lose Roman forever. And I hope she does. I can’t wait to meet her son and get him used to me. Even though Roman and I just got together, I see us being with each other for a long time. My mind drifts to the thought of being Deacon’s step-mother.

I never really wanted to have kids, so being a step-mom would be the perfect thing for me. I get to keep my amazing body and throw it in Cheyanne’s face that I get Roman, too. What an amazing thing that would be.

I grin to myself, finishing up my shower before Cheyanne and walking back to our room in just a towel. I don’t care that I cross paths with a group of guys who ogle me a bit; if anything, it only spurs on my intention to keep Roman forever.

I dress quickly in a pair of khaki shorts, a T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to mimic a tank top, and my favorite pair of flip-flops. I blow-dry my long hair and then rub some anti-frizz serum into the strands. I don’t even have to straighten it, it’s already pin-straight. My bangs are another story. I have to maneuver them into place with my flat iron. Once my hair is how I want it, I apply some dark eye-makeup and a clear lip gloss to my lips. Just as I finish, Cheyanne comes back into the room.

Her hair is thrown into a messy bun, still wet, and she’s only got a light layer of eyeliner on. She looks haggard. She drops her stuff on her bed and turns to me.

“You ready to go?”

I’m shocked that she’s actually going to go out in public looking like that, but I recover quickly and smile. “Yep.”

We walk out to her car and Destiny and Miranda are waiting for us. We pile in to Cheyanne’s junker and the ride is silent. Apparently Miranda and Destiny have picked up on the tension because neither of them speaks.

The guys meet us in the parking lot when we pull in and Roman takes my hand. I grab Destiny’s arm and pull her with us to the park. I want to tell her about Cheyanne, but I need to get rid of Roman for a few minutes.

“Roman? I forgot my wallet in Cheyanne’s car. Would you grab it for me?” I flutter my eyelashes at him and he agrees, taking off for the car. I turn to Destiny. “I hate that stupid bitch.”

“Cheyanne? What the hell happened?”

“She’s jealous that I’m with Rome now and so she told me he’s a player and that he’s not worth my time.”

“Whoa. Talk about catty. I think you and Roman are so freaking cute together,” she gushes.

“Me too. But oh well. I’ll find a way to get her back, eventually.” I don’t mention that I already know her big secret, the one that could ruin her.

“I’ll keep my ears open for gossip on her,” Destiny promises, endearing herself as my only true friend.

Eight

By the time Roman catches up with us, Destiny and I are in line for the Hurricane. The sun is still high in the sky, but the lights on all the rides are on, making the place glow.

“Are we riding together?” Roman asks.

“Can the three of us go together?” Destiny replies, and I can tell she feels a little like the third wheel.

“I’m pretty sure. You two are so thin, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Roman explains. He puts an arm around each of us, pulling us close to him. We laugh.

Nolan manages to cut the line forming behind us and scoots next to Destiny. “I thought I’d lost you. Roman, get your hand off my girl.” He’s joking, of course, but Roman removes his arm from Destiny’s shoulder, relieving me.

I want to be the only one Roman’s arms are around. “You going to ride with Destiny, Nolan?”

“Yeah, if she’ll have me.” He winks at her and a blush creeps up her cheeks. Adorable! Destiny nods instead of answering and Nolan puts his arm around her.

When our turn comes, Roman and I take the carriage car behind them, hoping to get a little bit of privacy. The bar locks in place and the ride starts, sending us on our way. This is my favorite ride: it’s like a huge carousel with cars instead of horses, and instead of moving up and down on a pole, they actually follow a wavy track that takes us up and down, around and around. It turns my stomach a little, but we haven’t eaten yet, so I know I’ll be okay.

In front of us, Nolan and Destiny are cuddled close together and whispering. I can’t hear them, but I bet they’re planning on slipping away at some point. I don’t blame them. I want to get Roman alone, too. He smiles at me, throwing his hands up as we go around. He screams like a girl on purpose, eliciting a laugh out of me. I join him and put my hands up, letting my scream fill the air.

The air whizzes past us, creating a breeze that feels amazing on my sun-kissed skin. The lights blur together as we go. When the ride slows and then forces us to go backwards, we keep our hands up and the force of the ride makes my body slam into Roman. His arm comes around me to hold me close while I keep my hands up.

When the ride ends, I don’t even feel sick.

“Let’s do the coaster,” Nolan suggests, taking Destiny’s hand as we walk.

“Sounds good,” Roma agrees and then looks at me. “Wait, do you do roller coasters?”

“Not really. But you go. I’ll wait,” I say, expecting him not to leave me.

“I’ll stay with Hazel. I’m not big on coasters, either,” Destiny pipes up, letting go of Nolan’s hand and moving to stand beside me.

“That okay?” Roman asks, like he needs permission to go with his friend. He stares into my eyes and I nod. “You’re the best.” He kisses me soundly, a short but passionate kiss that leaves me breathless.

Nolan walks over to Destiny and kisses her cheek, whispering something in her ear that makes her smile. The guys leave us and I hear Destiny’s sigh.

“What’d he say?”

“He said he wants me to come to his dorm tonight,” she admits.

“What! That’s great. You two are so cute,” I exclaim.

“Yeah. I’m a little nervous.”

“Why?”

“Well, I’m a virgin,” she confesses.

“Oh.” I don’t really know what to say. I lost my virginity freshman year of high school; I barely remember it.

“I don’t need encouragement or anything. I haven’t gotten this far in life as a virgin without being propositioned. I just want to be in love, you know?”

I nod, even though I have no idea. Sex is fun, I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I might not have slept around in high school, but I had a couple partners during my four years there, and while I don’t exactly recall losing my virginity, I do remember how amazing sex is.

“Sex is like second nature to me,” I say as we walk toward one of the food stands. “I mean, it’s just always really been a part of my life.”

“Have you and Roman…?”

“Oh, God no! It’s only been a day. I’m not a total slut. I’m sure we will at some point. Our relationship has moved pretty fast, but I really like him, and I could see us together for a long time, so I’m sure I won’t be able to hold back too long.”

“That’s what I’m worried about, I guess. Nolan is hot and sweet, but he’s older than me, and I think he kind of expects me to put out pretty fast. I’m not sure that I want to yet.” She looks down as she speaks, ashamed of her words.

“Look, if you’re not ready, you’re not ready. If Nolan wants to be an ass about it, then he’s not worth your time. If he truly likes you, he’ll wait for you.” I try to sound sure of myself, even though I wonder if Roman would wait if I asked him to.

We haven’t talked about sex, but I have the distinct impression that last night he would have been happy to go all the way right there on the beach if we hadn’t been interrupted. And chances are, I would have let him. I want to keep him, not drive him away by refusing sex. So when he asks, I doubt I’ll say no.

“Thanks for being a good friend, Hazel. I was afraid I wouldn’t meet anyone I actually get along with here.”

“Not a problem. Where are you from, anyway? Your accent definitely isn’t southern,” I say after we order some food. I’m famished.

“Umm, from Rhode Island, so I guess my accent is almost like a Boston accent. We’re close enough that it kind rubs off on us.” She smiles.

Our order number is called and we each grab our trays, finding a couple seats at one of the metal picnic tables.

“What about you?”

I laugh. “I’m from Georgia. So it’s not too far away, but it’s the farthest my dad would allow. He tries to pretend like he’s a parent who cares, but the truth is, he’s just too busy in his job to pay much attention. So he hired a nanny while I was in high school. A nanny! Can you even imagine what that’s like? I never had friends over because I was so ashamed. And then he tried to convince me to go to school locally, so I could just live at home.”

Destiny chuckles softly as I continue. “It was a nightmare. So we compromised about college. He gave me a four-hundred-mile radius to pick a school. I was going to go with Jacksonville, Florida, but the schools just didn’t seem that good. And I knew I wanted to be near the beach. So Myrtle Beach it was.”

“Wow. And he pays for everything?”

“Well, yeah. I have a weekly allowance, so long as I keep my grades up, and he pays tuition plus I have a couple credit cards for clothes and emergencies,” I tell her.

“Damn. I’m here on scholarship and my parents still have four kids at home, plus my older brother is at RISD, so they can’t really help out financially. After classes start tomorrow, I have to hit the pavement for a part-time job.”

It’s amazing to me that kids actually have to work while they’re in school. Dad’s always taken care of everything for me, so I can focus on academics. It’s so foreign to think about having to keep up a job and school. I suppose, though, if I had to, I would.

“That’s shitty. What classes are you taking?” I say to steer the direction of the conversation away from finances. I definitely don’t want to embarrass my new friend, and it’s more than a little awkward for me to talk about having all kinds of money in front of her.

In the middle of our discussion about class schedules, Roman and Nolan approach. Roman sits next to me, straddling the bench seat, and digs into my fries without permission. Across from me, I see Nolan has done the same to Destiny. Hey, at this rate, I won’t have to worry about the freshmen fifteen.

“You girls missed it. Roman is crazy!” Nolan announces and then shovels more fries into his mouth.

“What do you mean?” I ask, looking pointedly at Rome.

“It’s no big deal,” he says with a blush. My curiosity is piqued.

“Now you have to tell me,” I beg Nolan.

“Okay,” he says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “So we’re on the ride, about to ascend that first big lift, and this guy stands up on the coaster. I don’t even know how he got out of the lap bar. Because it was already going, the guys running the thing couldn’t stop it, either.” He takes a second to suck a large amount of Destiny’s soda through the straw and then swallows. “So they’re all standing on the loading dock, or whatever you call it, and they’re yelling, screaming, at Rome to sit down properly. He ignores them and rides the thing almost all the way to the top standing up on his seat. He doesn't hold on, or anything. I swear, I thought he was going to die.

“Then, just as we’re cresting the top, he sinks back down into his seat, locks his lap bar in place, and throws his hands up, screaming the whole way down. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

I look at Roman to gauge how true this story is, but his head is down, staring at my fries. “You really did that, didn’t you?”

“It’s no big deal,” he mutters.

“No big deal? You’re a real thrill-seeker, aren’t you?” Destiny laughs.

“How exactly did you not get kicked out of the park?” I demand to know. In Atlanta, if someone did that, they’d be banned for life.

“The infamous Roman can’t be kicked out of this place, Hazel. Don’t you know who he is?” Nolan laughs at my confused look and as he opens his mouth to speak again, Roman kicks him under the table. Nolan grabs his shin. “Shit, man, chill out.”

Roman looks even more embarrassed and I let it go, making a mental note to corner him later about it.

“I want you to win me something,” I declare, looking at Roman. He looks relieved that I’m not asking questions.

“I don’t want to disappoint,” he says, finishing off my fries and downing what’s left of my soda. He stands up, picks up the trash in one hand, and then reaches for my hand. “Come on.”

He drags me to the carnival section of the park after he tosses the trash. Behind us, Destiny and Nolan hold hands as they follow.