March of the False-heteros (Falsettos)

VIII. Tied Hands Aren't Always Kinky

1967

I was walking down the hallways with my friends in tow, all joking and laughing.

"Did you hear that John is having a back-to-school party tomorrow night?" Chris asked, grabbing me by the arm. I shake him off, still laughing at a joke that Michael had just told. "His parties are always bitchin'."

"Yeah!" Michael nods in agreement before cuffing me around the head. "Someone's too much of a candy-ass to ever go to one though." Michael's favorite hobby was calling people candy-asses. I roll my eyes and laugh at him, again.

"Fine, asshole, I'll go. I'm failing Goldberg's test tomorrow anyway," I shrug. We pass a bunch of babes who all smile and giggle at us, turning red. Michael lets out a wolf-whistle and Chris just grins. I ignore them though. Not because I'm not attracted to them (I definitely am), but because that's the way you get a girl. You ignore them, treat them sweet if they try hard enough, and act all romantic and shit. They eat it up.

"Damn, Mary, you grew a few sizes over the summer, huh?" Michael calls to one girl in particular, winking at her. She blushes and smiles at him in reply.

"Can we please go?" I grab him by the jacket and haul him off. "We don't want to disturb these lovely ladies anymore than we already have, do we?" Obviously, the girls don't mind being disturbed too much, but my friends just don't understand the isolationist approach.

-

Two days have passed quickly and soon it is time for John's party. Completely ignoring the test I have the next day in Ms. Goldberg's class, I wait for Michael and Chris to pick me up. They are taking forever and I'm honestly getting really impatient.

Finally they roll up, blasting some dumb song on the radio. Chris throws open the door and beckons me inside

"Get in, bitch!" He yells over the music. I do get in, and Michael speeds off, laughing manically. I've never been to one of John's parties, but I know they usually end up with the police getting called.

We roll up to the party, and I can definitely see why these parties are crazy. John lives in a giant house with a pool. Music is playing and high school kids are flowing out the front door, all holding cups of beer or wine. Chris turns the car off and we all enter the party. The lights are going wild and music is playing very loud.

Someone shoves a drink into my hands and I drink it eagerly. The hot, stinging fire goes down my throat, burning everything along the way, and I love it. I've gotten drunk before, but I'd never tasted this shit before.

After a few more drinks, Chris pulls me to the side, whispering in my ears.

"You know who you should totally try and get to second base with?" He whispers, his eyes glinting, mischeviously. I roll my eyes and sigh. I'm not going to play his childish games tonight. "She's a real babe, Marv..."

"Who?" I ask, my eyes flickering over all the girls I can see in the room with us.

"Trina," Chris tells me, grasping my shoulder tightly. "I hear she's a real treat. She's easy too."

"Or are you too much of a candy-ass?" Michael slurs, almost falling on top of me. "I dare you, Marv."

I'm feeling woozy as well, and I can barely support Michael, who has always been the one to get drunk the fastest and with the least amount of drinks.

"Alright, fine," I roll my eyes. Chris cheers, taking Michael away from my gasp. "She's in the other room, I'm sure you know what she looks like." Chris drags Michael away to another room and I'm left, holding my drink. I swallow it quickly for luck. I'm going to need it.

I stumble going into the next room. I'm not sober, but I'm not drunk enough to not understand what's going on. I see Trina almost immediately. Chris was right when he said she was a babe. She definitely was. But the guys are so immature. Sleeping with a girl as a dare... How ridiculous. I stumble over to her and offer a charming smile.

"Hey, Trina," I smile at her. She looks up at me with her wide, doe eyes and I can feel a tingling in my chest. I swallow deeply. "How've you been?"

She chuckles softly and honestly, it's a beautiful sound.

"Hello, Marvin." She's had a few drinks, I can tell. She's not drunk yet, but she's not entirely sober either.

"Did you know that you're probably the most gorgeous girl at this party?" I ask her, offering her another smile and trailing a finger down her arm. She smiles up at me, biting her lip almost flirtatiously.

Things happen in a blur. She's leading me upstairs and I throw my cup down. I can hear Michael and Chris cheering and I completely ignore them, focusing on the girl who's leading me up the stairs. I feel a twinge of guilt because this is a dare, but honestly, nothing terribly bad can happen. I complete a dare and I get sex. Is there anything better?

I hear the door close behind us and Trina backs me up towards the bed, smiling at me. I'm really drunk so I trip over my own feet falling onto the bed. She crawls on top of me and makes a show of unbuttoning her shirt as slow as she can. I'm honestly itching and silently pleading for it to go fast. I sit up so she's straddling my hips and I place a small kiss on her lips while helping her with the buttons. She lets out small whimpers and it drives me insane. I throw her shirt to the floor and mine joins hers. I roll us over, pinning her onto the mattress and continue what we have started.

-

I wake up the next morning to an empty bed, and a splitting headache. I know I should probably go to school but I don't feel good at all. Chris and Michael are passed out on the couch downstairs, thrown over each other, but I have no idea where Trina is.

I shake Michael awake and Chris wakes up too, snapping at me to leave them alone. The only way I can get them up is by threatening to steal Michael's keys and taking the car myself. We drive back slowly, leaving the house a mess, and luckily no cop pulls us over. I don't go to school, but instead lie in bed all day, throwing up into the trash can and regretting a,l my life decisions.

-

It's a few weeks after the party and I haven't heard from Trina in a long time. Not that I really even care. Chris and Michael meet me where they usually do and we begin walking to our classes, joking like we always do. We stop at Chris' locker and I feel a tug on my arm. I turn around to see Trina, and I'm surprised.

"Trina, hey!" I smile at her. She's looking angry and I can't really tell what I've done wrong. "Are you alright?"

"Marvin," she whispers. "I need to talk to you," her eyes flicker to Michael and Chris. "I need to talk to you alone." She sounds serious, and I nod, taking her by the arm. I lead her into an abandoned classroom and sit down on a desk, looking at her in confusion. "Why weren't you here yesterday?" She's asked, sounding almost on the verge of tears.

"What?" I blink at her. "Trina what's wrong? Did I hurt you? Were you-"

"I'm pregnant, Marvin," she snaps, slamming her books down on the table. "I'm... pregnant," she breaks down into tears and slides down into a desk table, placing her forehead down on the table, sobbing quietly.

I can only stare in shock as what she has said hits me. Shit. I'd gotten her pregnant... It was my fault.

"Trina..." I kneel down to her and take one of her hands away. "It's going to be okay, it'll be alright," I tell her comfortingly. She looks miserable and the tears keep flowing. I have no idea how to help her or comfort her. "You shouldn't have to live with this choice, we can make an appointment for-"

"I'm keeping the baby, Marvin," she whispers. My heart sinks at those words but I know I have to respect her choice.

"That means we have to..."

"... Get married," she nods, tears subsiding. "We have to get married."