Chapter 4
Dayle
I quickly check off the last item on my to-do list before closing the page on my phone, taking a bite of food along the way.
"Last night was epic, guys. I nailed it. Steve, your turn to shine!"
I say casually as we eat. Steve promises to get back at me, but I just laugh it off. Amber approaches, and I motion for my friends to take a quick look, and they oblige with style.
"Hot!" Egan mutters under his breath.
"Forget about her. She's second on my list. Idiot!"
"Whatever, jerk!" Egan scowls at me. Steve asks if I have any prospects at the moment, and I tell him no. I can't be too invested in Amber, or she might start seeing through my façade, and I don't want that. When some of our teammates join us, we start discussing a party someone plans to throw. When I ask who's hosting it, they go silent.
"I better find out who's throwing that party, or I'm not going!"
Deep down, I know I want to attend. It's another way to maintain my status and keep things exciting.
"Max fucking Norman!" Steve blurts out.
"I know that guy!" I take a sip from my water bottle. "That rich kid? I can't stand him. You all know that!"
"It's not about liking or disliking him. We need to be at that party to keep up our reputation," Egan says.
"He's a decent guy. Why do you hate him?" one of my teammates asks, and I don't respond. I despise the fact that Max acts so responsibly, because my dad compares me to him. Max's dad and mine have clashed in business a few times, and his name keeps coming up in conversations at home. It's frustrating. My dad is obsessed with pointing out my mistakes but never his own.
"Caesar, you got the stuff ready, right?" Steve asks. Caesar is part of our crew too, and we often hang out together.
"You can count on me!" Caesar replies, chips stuffed in his mouth, giving me a sly look.
"Make sure your eyes don't wander over to me again!" I warn him, but instead of taking it seriously, he laughs. Is he crazy or just too high on weed?
"I heard you slept with Lauren,"
"You heard right. She's not your girlfriend, is she? Because she already declared that my dick is bigger than her boyfriend's!" I taunt. I know it bothers him, even though Lauren isn't even his girlfriend.
"That's his problem. If he ever touches my girlfriend, I'll tear his balls apart," he throws back at me, and I cringe but keep eating. Most of these guys have issues with me, and I simply don't care. The truth is, when I hook up with any of these girls, they can't get enough of me, and they brag about my skills and prowess behind my back, which makes these guys paranoid. Whose fault is that? Not mine.
"Hey, ease up, guys!" Egan interrupts.
"I'm off to Chem class!" I announce, exchanging handshakes with my friends. Caesar and I exchange glances, and I offer him a faint smile. He better not mess with me anytime soon. I've noticed the way he looks at me, the way he talks to me. He wants something, and I'll give him a taste soon.
I enter the classroom and take a seat at the back, seething with anger. I'm on the edge of exploding, but I need to stay calm. I pull out my cell phone, and the first thing I see on my Instagram feed is Lauren's post.
"<BEST NIGHT EVER, MORE PLEASE!>"
She even tags me. Is she really that thrilled about it? We didn't do much, and yet she's so excited? Well, I'm cool with it anyway.
My next target is Amber.
She seems more like the slow and steady type, so I'll play along. As I lift my head, I notice Chris-Shit entering with her friends. Out of all the girls in the world, why is Ken hanging around that crybaby? I bet she cries when her shoelaces come undone. I shrug and try to focus on my phone, but I feel her eyes on me now and then. I should confront her, and then Egan and Steve walk in, talking loudly. They join me and sit beside me.
"Really? Did you have to flee like a scaredy-cat from a ghost?" Egan asks.
"Maybe Caesar is the real ghost!"
"Shut up, you moron!" Steve retorts, and Egan cringes. I know he's trying to get on my nerves, provoking me intentionally because he knows I'm furious.
"That girl has quite the ass. I didn't realize Chrissy was so well-endowed," Egan comments, and we all glance in her direction. She's struggling to pick up some books from the floor.
Is she trying to seduce Ken or all of us?
Regardless, Egan's right. Her ass is round and curvy. Steve takes out his phone and starts using it. I hope he's not doing what I think he's doing—recording her ass?! I don't pay much attention.
"Damn! I bet it's soft," Steve adds, smirking and licking his lips. Are they seriously talking about her ass? My face scrunches up a bit, and Steve turns to me.
"Honestly, I want to fuck her. Sorry, Dayle, but I have to go first—"
"Get the fuck out!" I interrupt, not even understanding why I'm protesting so hard when he could sleep with her before I do. They laugh and tease me.
"Don't forget to record the whole scene when you get there!" Steve adds, and I find myself smiling sneakily without realizing it.
~
"Dayle?"
I receive a text from an unknown number, which I later realize belongs to Amber. We had been stealing glances at each other during Chem class, and I did it as if my life depended on it—precise and natural.
Amber!
I'm not sure how to respond. Her text sounds like she has an issue with me. I hope not, as I'm close to sealing the deal. My friends are already pestering me about who I'm texting.
"What's up, Amber?"
I send a reply, quickly followed by her response. My friends continue bugging me, eager to know the details.
"I was thinking of going to Fooding?"
How could I forget about our date? No way!
"Sounds good! Should I pick you up?"
"Let me. Would you mind?"
I wait for just two seconds before her reply comes in. My friends won't leave me alone about who I'm messaging.
"Okay! See you at 3!"
Three o'clock is even more perfect. I can't wait for this to go well.
"Great! Amber!"
I reply and put my phone away, sliding it into my pocket.
"Hey, guys, I better get going now! It's Amber!" I announce.
"Booty call, huh?" Egan blurts out.
"I hope so!" I snap, inviting them over for a movie we had planned to watch. Steve reminds me not to forget, and I assure them I won't.
I pull up at Amber's place. It's a nice neighborhood, and her house is quite impressive. I text her that I'm waiting, and after a short while, I see her approaching in a red floral dress and wedge heels. She carries a cute purse across her body. She looks beautiful, and when a breeze blows her dress, revealing her upper thighs, I can't help but imagine being in between them. Grace me, Amber. I silently plead.
She gets into the car, and I start smiling, but not excessively, not like an idiot.
"You certainly know how to make heads turn," I comment.
She blushes and flips her long hair behind her.
"Thanks, Dayle. You're sweet!"
The restaurant is only a few miles away from her house. We sit on the right side and order some light food. We start eating, and I'm doing that 'stealing glances' type of thing.
"Why do you keep doing that?" she asks, curious but not annoyed. Her smile gives me permission to continue.
"Doing what exactly?"
I'll play dumb.
"The staring thing—"
"You can't blame me for admiring your beauty. Come on, Amber, you are the beholder!" I tease, and she smiles back at me.
"Seriously, Dayle, I'm sorry about yesterday. I was careless."
"You've said that a thousand times. We gaze into each other's eyes, and I lightly place my hand over hers. Her lips part slightly in surprise.
"Thank you for inviting me. It means a lot."
"No, I should thank you, Dayle. I mean, I crashed your phone, and you would not even let me pay it off!" she says.
If only she knew that it was only a junk cellphone, the Amber I know would freak out.
"What about Molly?"
Damn! I didn't see this coming. I didn't know she was going to bring up Molly. How am I supposed to know about Molly when I haven't spoken to her since the beginning of the semester?
"She's doing okay, I guess."
"You messed up, didn't you?"
"I apologized for it. I'm trying to be a better guy. I swear, Amber. I've sent her countless texts and voice messages, but she won't even reply. It's killing me."
Complete lie! I haven't done any of those things since last semester. This is bad. I just realized it.
Amber looks at me with sympathy and places her hand on top of mine.
"It's alright, Dayle. We all deserve a chance."
As far as I can tell, this conversation is too real, but I have to make her believe that I'm the guy she needs by her side.
Throughout the drive to her house, we talk about school activities and touch upon her past relationships. She's not very open about them, so I don't push her. I agree to start as friends.
"Thank you, Dayle. You're sweet," she says as she gets ready to leave. I stop her.
"Can I... Can I ask you something?"
"S-sure."
"Can you be my friend? I don't have any female friends, and I figured you could help me with some girl stuff. Are you up for it?" I ask, not willing to give up despite her reservations. She smiles and rolls her eyes. Damn. Does she see through my plan?
"Friends with benefits?"
"No, Amber, a real friend—"
"I know you, Dayle. You're far from being a real friend. Let's not pretend. But thanks for everything!" she says, smiling before finally leaving.
Fuck! She probably knows everything, but I can't let her ruin my reputation. No one messes with Dayle and gets away with it. I need to do damage control and salvage whatever I can from this situation.