We got to the party about 15 minutes late but it was sort of on purpose. Callie's house is huge! We walked up to the perfectly white door and rang the bell. I was shocked to see someone other than Callie answer our ring.
I looked up to the tall, blonde figure standing in the door way. It was Ross. His huge, brown eyes met mine and, unlike any other guy I've ever had a moment with, his eyes stayed on mine, they didn't even glance down to my chest. Not even for a millisecond.
Just as it was starting to get a little awkward Callie pushed him aside and grabbed Tasha, who, instictively grabbed me and we were tugged inside as a chain. Callie and Tasha slipped safely past him but I tripped on tiny step leading into the house and fell, face-first, into Ross' blue and white plaid shirt. Luckily, he wrapped his arms around me before I fell all the way to the floor. I felt his arms flex as he pulled me back to my feet from my half-fallen position.
"There's a bit of a step there, babe." Ross said as our eyes locked again and he chuckled.
"Umm...thanks, haha." I replied and scampered off to find my friends in the next room. Callie was on the phone with her cousin who, apparently, was suppose to be the one to bring the illegal beverages but he hasn't shown up.
"Charlie, where hell are you!?" Callie yelled into her phone as she paced around the bed room. There was a muffled response that I couldn't understand but I honestly didn't care. The drink status didn't effect me or Tasha any and I was too busy examining my broken toenail. Perfectly good pedicure, wasted.
"Oh. My. God. Did you and Ross just have like...a moment?!" Tasha was harrassing me about my embarrasing encounter at the doorway.
"If by a 'moment' you mean falling face-first into his chest, then yeah. Major moment. Otherwise, no I just look like an idiot now..." My reply wasn't 100% honest but for her sake, it would work.
"Did you feel his muscles? I bet he smells sexy! Are his eyes as amazing up close?" She went on interrigating me.
'His muscles are perfect. He smells like expensice cologne, but not too much. Very sexy. His eyes, they're big...and brown...and beautiful.' I said in my mind. I would never admit that to Tasha, though, for 2 reasons. 1) It would crush her to know that I MIGHT like Ross a little. And 2) She would literally turn ivory green with envy. I don't think a guy could honestly come between us, but it's not worth chancing. Instead I said, "I didn't even pay attention. And he smells more like BO, to be honest. And his eyes are...just eyes? I don't know!" I hoped my lame attempt at brushing off the moment was convincing, but I had a feeling it wasn't even close.
The night went on and well over half the people were wasted by 10 pm. Tasha and I ran out of our own drinks pretty early so, after a few hours of dancing and hanging out, we were parched. We decided to drive up to a 24-hour gas station to get refills but there were a few guys leaning on the side of my car, beers in hand.
I recognized them from school so I walked up and asked them to move. Apparently, I wasn't confident enough because the biggest one grabbed my arm and started taunting me. I smelt alcohol on his breath and sweat on his body. He leaned down close to my face and said, "You wanna say that again, babe?"
He started grabbing for my top and, in one motion, tore it down the front, exposing my undershirt. I felt his warm mouth on my neck and his hands drop down to the bottom of my remaining shirt. He removed his mouth from my neck only long enough to force his hands uner my shirt and tug it over my head, tangeling my arms in it. I eyed Tasha, who was getting a similar treatment from one of this sweat, smelly man's friends. I yelled for help but no one responded because the music was too loud and the people close were uncaring. All I had to separate my fradgile body from his was my lacy, white bra. I felt so exposed, so many men watching me being forcefully undressed by a jock I I'd only seen a few times in the hallways at school. I was helpless. My hands were caught in my undershirt which he held above my head. With his other hand, he pressed my lower back into his body and his hot, wet mouth now on mine. I pulled my head back as far as I could, trying to avoid his nasty, sloppy kiss but it was no help. I felt the sting in my eyes and then my face was hot from tears.
"Hey! Dude get off her!" I heard a voice from behind me. I instantly recognized it and reacted with butterflies in my stomach. A heard of tall, blonde figures showed up. It was Ross and his siblings, Riker and Rydel. Then there was an odd one out, Ratliff, who was Ross' best friend. His straight brown hair made him easy to distinguish. Ross wedged himself between my intoxicated attacker and I while Riker grabbed him and held him back. Ross' arms were wrapped around me, covering my exposed body from the gawking crowd while Ratliff and Rydel went for Tasha.
It was over pretty quickly and I didn't see what happened to the others because before I knew what was happening I found myself in the pasenger seat of my car, Tasha and Rydel in the back, and Ross peeling out. I was uncomfortable, sitting in the car with 2 people I barely knew, half naked, shaking as I tried to free my hands from the knot the man created. I had to tear it but eventually I was free. I used the poor excuse of a shirt to cover myself as best I could.
Around the block was a park where Ross stopped. "Are you okay?" He asked as he glared out the windshield and gripped the stearing wheel. He wasn't happy.
My sobs had just calmed down enough for me to speak. "I...I...You...I...Thank you." That's all I could say.
"Here, get out. Lets walk." He got out and walked around the car to my side, opening my door and taking one of my hands to help me out, as I held me makeshift shirt to my chest. "Will you guys be okay?" He asked to our backseat passengers.
"Yeah, we're fine." Rydel replied.
I was on the side of the road as he turned to face me. We walked on the sidewalk that surrounded the park. It was dimly lite with street lamps and I was still shaking but it was calming to walk with him. Once we got a few yards away from the car he stopped and faced me. "Here." He carefully unbuttoned his shirt and handed it to me.
"Are you sure?" I slowly reached for the folded in half shirt.
"Yeah, I mean you need it more than I do..." The last thing I saw was a flash of his pearly white teeth pulled into a small smile before he turned around to give me privacey. I removed the raggy cover, slipped my arms through his warm blue shirt, and buttoned it up to the top. Normally, I'd leave the top one undone, maybe even the top 2 if I was feeling flirty, but not now. I felt too exposed. I just wanted to curl up in a corner and never have anyone look at me again.
"You're good." I folded my arms acrossed my chest and told Ross so he turned around. His shirtless body was a bit pale but even in the terrible lighting I could see the clearly outlined abs and pecs that made up his torso. I looked up into his eyes and started tearing up again. Again, he wrapped his arms around my midsection and just let me rest my head against his shirtless chest as I sobbed into my hands.
