Page 2 of So Long, Honey
The party was spilling from the house by the time I got there, parking the truck down the street away from everyone else's car. I’d end up sleeping in Landry’s guest room and didn’t want my truck hit when some idiot decided to drive home drunk.
The house next to Landry’s was always quiet, the lights always off, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single person go in or out until tonight. She sat there, long dark hair spilling down her shoulders, her nose in a book as she scribbled something down and turned back to the telescope on the large, ornate porch. The moon bathed her in light as she searched the sky for something and returned to her notebook. She must have been an angel. No girl at school had ever… shone the way she was. Her skin was so perfect and soft, her lashes long enough to demand attention even at a distance.
I wanted to know her.
“What are you doing?” I stood on the sidewalk at the end of her driveway, holding my breath as she looked up at me.
I fought to stay standing as my heart skipped at beat from her glare, so tough and yet… it only made me want to get closer to her.Who are you?
“Go away.” She shook her head and waved me off.
“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” I exclaimed and stepped forward on the driveway, my ball bag still swinging over my shoulder as she collected her things into her arms.
“Are you deaf, I told you to leave!”She said.
My heart was beating so fast I swear it would have chased her through that closed door if I let it. “It would be a crime to leave you standing her all by yourself, you deserve to be admired alittle longer.” I laughed and scared myself with the sound of my voice. “Is it too soon for me to say I’m in love?” I asked her.
“I said,go away!”She repeated herself in a sturdy tone. Moon caught in those massive blue eyes as she stared just long enough for me to fall in love before she stomped into the house, slamming the door behind her.
Bee lining for Landry’s, I pushed through the crowd, throwing my bag to the ground, and I found him in the living room on the couch. Two of the three girls from the game were tangled around him, hands in his hair and lips on his skin.
“Aye.” I kicked his boot.
“Look who finally showed up!” Landry cheered, and the house followed suit! He pushed the girls off and thrust from the couch into my personal space, reeking of vodka and smoke. “Our shining star,” he babbled and pinched my cheeks between his fingers.
“I should start charging for these celebrity appearances,” I laughed and pushed his hands away from my face.
“We won’t be able to afford you once you go to the show!” Landry hollered again, and the house erupted. “Let’s get you a drink!”
“Hold on!” I pulled him back by the collar and stopped. “Who lives next door?” I asked him, my mind still on those eyes.
“Who cares!?” Landry laughed and threw his head back.
“I care,” I said, ignoring the way everyone had started to watch us. I was used to having all the eyes on me. It didn’t bother me in the least. Most of the time, I enjoyed the attention.
“Uh,” Landry stumbled over his words, trying to remember. “The Fields,” he said finally.
“LikeThe Fields?”I asked, grabbing him by the chin.
“Yeah, like Mayor Field, his hot wife, and their…weird, stuck-up mousy shut-in of a daughter, Lorraine.”
Lorraine Field.
I chewed the inside of my lip and nodded.
“Why the hell do you wanna know about that mouse? She never leaves her house.” Someone from our left piped up.
“Cause she’s pretty and was on her porch,” I snapped at no one in particular.
“Staring through that telescope?” Landry asked with an eyebrow raised. I could tell he was trying to piece it together but only confusing himself more as he tried. “She’s a weirdo man, barely even goes to school.”
“So you and her have a bunch in common, only she’s attractive?” I teased and slapped his cheek playfully with my head.
“Ouch man,” Landry scowled.
“Where’s the keg?” I plastered a smile on my face, deflecting from the Lorraine conversation.
“There’s my party animal!” Landry wrapped his arm around me and led me into the kitchen, each step a little further away from my unusual lingering thoughts.