Cloud Walking (A Find You in the Dark novella) (7 page)

Chapter Seven   

~Rachel~

     Happy, happy drunk.  That was me.  And such a light weight too.  One and half beers later and I was feeling the warm, fuzzy blanket of alcohol induced euphoria.  I felt good.  More than good.  In fact, my earlier hurt feelings and overall need to kick Daniel Lowe's butt had subsided as I got my party on. 

     Maggie and I had been at Melissa's bonfire for less than twenty minutes and I was beginning to relax.  No signs of Daniel or Kylie.  So far so good. 

     I was nodding absentmindedly while Jeremiah and Lila tried to rope me into their latest fundraising efforts.  I was half listening as they droned about a clothing drive for homeless tigers in Africa or something.  

     My head bobbed to the music and I finished the last of my beer.  Raymond Lewis stumbled by and shoved another Solo cup in my hand.  “Here ya go!” he yelled enthusiastically as he pushed his way past me.  I peered into the cup and shrugged.  Looked okay.  I took a drink and cringed.  Yuck, warm beer. 

     Okay, I was done with the philanthropic duo.  I gave Lila and Jeremiah a polite smile and excused myself, looking for Maggie.  Where the heck had she gone?

     Ah, I should have known.  She was with Clay.  They seemed to always find each other.  Like magnets or flies to garbage...whatever.  I chastised myself mentally for my immediate jump to the negative.  I didn't even know Clayton Reed.  All I
did
know was my best friend was bat poo crazy about him. 

     I watched the two as I slowly headed toward them.  And seeing them, standing close together, Clay's eyes on Maggie's down turned face, their bodies angled toward each other as though they couldn't resist the other's pull, I could admit it was sort of beautiful. 

     So, maybe it was the alcohol talking, but I think I liked Clay right then.  Because I could see how much he cared about Maggie.  Body language didn't lie and
his
body was practically shouting how much he loved her.  And she didn't think he thought of her in
that
way...psh...she was an idiot.  Or blind.

     “Hey guys!” I yelled, overly boisterous.  Maggie smirked as I joined them.  I tried to smirk back, but I think my face ended up doing something else, because Maggie just looked at me oddly.  I glanced over at Clay and my heart softened toward him.  He looked so adorably awkward.  Completely out of place but obviously not wanting to leave Maggie. 

     “Clay, I'm so glad you could make it!” I grinned at him and he blinked at me in confusion.  Then I did something that totally took him by surprise.  I hugged him.  I mean, I launched myself at the poor guy and held on for dear life.  He was rigid as I squeezed.  I was just so happy that he loved my bestie.  I wanted them both to be happy forever.  And ever. 

     At some point during my consumption of beer number three, I had mentally deteriorated into a twelve year old. 

     I pulled back and grinned at Clay, who seemed to be trying to smile back.  Was there something wrong with his face?  His mouth was twitching strangely as though smiling was physically painful for him.  I was about to ask him about it when I heard Maggie's barely audible groan. 

     I looked behind me to see Daniel.  My heart sped up and I felt even happier than I had a second ago. 

     Then I saw who walked entirely too close beside him.  Stupid Kylie Good.  I ground my teeth together and gripped my hands into fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palm.   No!  He was not permitted to ruin my good time!  Oh, I hated him!  But darned if I didn't love him too!  There were those stupid contradictions again!

     “Mags!  Rach!  There you are!  I've been looking everywhere for you!”  Daniel gave Maggie a hug.  When he pulled away from her, he turned to me as if to do the same but I took a small step backwards.  I was not in the mood for his 'friends only' hugs.  No freaking way.

     I couldn't stop the nasty snark that bubbled up.  I glared at Danny, who was giving me a nervous smile, as though he knew niceties were not the agenda for the evening.  “I seriously doubt you were looking for us, Danny.  You seem busy enough.”   I smirked at Kylie, who looked as though she were chewing glass.

     I couldn't help but give her the once over.  She was fake as fake could be.  Fake hair coloring (because I
knew
she wasn't a natural blonde), fake nails, fake tan.  Fake, fake, fake.  And she clung to Daniel's arm as though she would superimpose herself to his side.  Feeling insecure much?

     Maggie's eyes flashed to me and I recognized the
please don't
look she was shooting my way.  But sweet, demure, never speaks up for herself, Rachel was doing some talking. 

     I tried to ignore the hurt that flashed across Daniel's face.  There was that annoying momentary weakness and I wanted to take back my hatefulness and smooth things over.  Because that's what I always did.  But then I just had to look at who he was with and the fact that that's who he was
always
with and I got over it.

     “What the hell is your problem, Rachel?  If I've done something to offend you, just tell me already.”  Daniel's voice was hard but I knew him well enough to know that his pissiness hid how much it bothered him that I was mad.  I should have been thrilled by that, but those three stupid beers did nothing but ignite my anger even brighter. 

     Maggie tried to make excuses; she tried to move me away from the scene that was brewing.  I noticed Clay inch toward me as if to block me from Daniel, but I shoved forward and found myself right up in Danny's grill. 

     I wanted to grab a hold of his shirt and pull him toward me.  I couldn't stop myself from staring at his mouth and I wanted to kiss it so badly I could taste it.  But I wasn't allowed to do what I wanted.  Because
we
weren't like
that
. 

     And then Clay was moving me away and my blurry mind went with it without too much thought.  “Help me find the keg,” he said as he took me by the elbow and steered me through the crowd.  I looked up at Clay, who glanced down at me with an amused smile on his lips.

     “What?” I asked a little defensively.  Clay shrugged.

     “I'm sensing some baggage back there,” he said walking beside me with his hands shoved in his pockets.  Looking at Clayton Reed without his normal icy stoicism, I could almost see what Maggie saw in him.  He was definitely cute and what girl wouldn't want to put her fingers through that thick, dark hair of his?  I swore to myself that I'd try to be less judgmental where he was concerned.  Heck, maybe we could even be friends.

     “Nah...just Daniel stuff.  He gets on my nerves sometimes,” I answered lightly.  Clay lifted an eyebrow in disbelief but didn't say anything else about it.  He didn't push for answers I didn't want to give.  Yeah, maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

     Now that I had the guy alone and he actually seemed open to talking, I thought I'd do some best friend recon and try to dig for Maggie related info.

     “So, Clay...” I began, slowing down our pace a bit. 

     Clay sighed.  “So, Rachel...” he said back.  I snickered.  He really wasn't into small talk. 

     “Our girl Maggie is pretty great, isn't she?” I said innocently.  Clay looked at me from the corner of his eye and I saw his jaw tense a bit.  Hmm, I think trying to get anything out of him was going to be like trying to break into Fort Knox.

     “Yeah, she's cool,” he answered, not giving anything away.  I felt a little light-headed from the booze and stopped walking all together.  I put my hands on my hips and frowned at him.

     “She's cool?  Really?  That's all you can say?  You stare at her like a starving man looking at his next meal. So cut the crap and give it to me straight.  Do you like her or not? Because she's pretty freaking special and I would hate to go all bruiser on you if you hurt her,” I warned.  Being threatening was not my forte.  But I wanted this guy to know that if he hurt Maggie, he'd have to deal with me.  For whatever
that
was worth.

     I half expected Clay to laugh at me.  I mean, who would really take my
I'm a hard ass
act seriously?  But he didn't.  He stopped and turned to face me.  His hands never left his jeans pockets but he was giving me his undivided attention.  He seemed to be taking my warning very seriously.

     “I don't want to hurt her, Rachel.  Ever.   And she
is
special.  The most special person I've ever met.  I want to promise you that her heart is safe with me.  But...” He seemed to choke up as his words trailed off. 

     Wow, he was really intense.  It was sort of all consuming.  I knew he cared about Maggie.  More than I had originally thought.  But that didn't change the fact that there was something sad and tortured about Clayton Reed.  He seemed to be saying as much with his cryptic half thought. 

     It worried me. 

     A lot.

     Clay cleared his throat and looked me straight in the eye.  “But just know that she's really important to me.  The most important thing in my life.”  He clenched his fist over his heart.  And for a second, I forgot to breathe.  How easy it was to forget everything else when confronted by such passion. 

     It was my turn to clear my throat.  “Well, I'm glad to hear that,” I said a little awkwardly.  What else was there to say? 
Just don't go psycho on my BFF, please?
  That probably wouldn't go over too well.  Deep down, I really wanted to like him.  But I was still a little unsure, though so far this evening, I had thawed considerably.

     My buzz was starting to wane and that just wouldn't do.  “Let's go find that keg,” I said, trying to inject some perk back into my voice.  I couldn't do serious anymore.  I needed to drink and party and forget about my own heartache.

     Clay's face relaxed and he seemed just as relieved as I was at dropping our conversation.  He followed me into Melissa's house.  He seemed uncomfortable and stayed close to my side.  We finally located the keg in the garage. I quickly found a cup filled with frothy, beer goodness.  Clay looked at the keg as though he expected it to open its jaws and swallow him.

     “Do you want anything?” I asked, wondering what his deal was. 

     “Uh...” Clay looked strange.  What was his problem?  Before I could give it much more thought we were surrounded by a group of football jocks and the ubiquitous cheerleader or two. 

     Louis Feldman, the quarterback on the football team clasped Clay's shoulder.  I noticed the immediate tension and I had to say I was intrigued by the exchange going on in front of me.  Clay was such an enigma; I understood why Maggie was so entranced by him.  He had all the makings of the popular boy.  Hot as hell, aloof, the sensitive loner type.  But he seemed to shun all of that.  If my heart wasn't so wrapped up in dumb Daniel Lowe (and if I was a backstabbing bitch) my best friend may have had a fight on her hands when it came to Clayton Reed's attention.

     “Dude, you're the new kid, right?” Louis asked.  Clay pulled away from him.

     “Yeah,” he bit out, looking at the much larger guy with apprehension.  I remembered the way he had been targeted by Paul Dewlader his first week of school and I understood his hesitation. 

      But Louis was a decent guy, if lacking a few necessary brain cells for basic functioning.  Louis jerked his head in the direction of the keg.  “Wanna do a keg stand?  It would be seriously cool.”  Clay looked like the guy had asked him to streak naked through the party.

     He needed to lighten up.  No one could be that uptight and not be miserable.  I nodded in agreement.  “Go for it, Clay.  I really have to see this.” I urged, pushing him in the back as Louis slung an arm around his shoulders in a guy half hug thing that always seemed strange to me.

     “I don't think so,” Clay said firmly, trying to pull away.  I gave him another playful shove.