The Nothings

Kate (Chapter Four)

  Kate couldn't stop thinking about her upcoming group counseling on the night she went out with Harper and her friends. They all had fake IDS while Kate and a few of Harper's guy friends had real ones. Kate had just turned twenty-two which she hated to admit. She felt younger than Harper sometimes. 

 Harper's friends were busy talking to each other, and joking around as they sat at the bar. They barely noticed Kate was there, and she happily sat with her drink as the country music blared out of the speakers. She liked not being noticed. Especially tonight as she was wearing an outfit that Harper had picked out, and the skirt was far too short for in Kate's opinion. She kept pulling the hem down, and Harper would smack her hand whenever she saw. 

"You're only drawing attention to it more," said Harper with a sigh. "It isn't that bad anyway. You have nice legs."

More of Kyle's friends started to arrive, and Kate sat at the end of the bar and ordered herself another drink. Already a few of the guys had tried to hit on her. Kyle's friend Chase apparently thought she was 'hot as hell' which Kate guessed was supposed to be a compliment, but it just made her feel awkward. Harper thought it would be amazing if her sister started dating Kyle's closest friend, but Kate knew Chase was probably just looking for someone to hook up with. 

 That's all guys ever looked for with her. She'd hooked up with a few guys over the years, but no one was ever serious about her. She'd given up on dating even though Harper occasionally tried to fix her up with someone. All of her friends were just looking for a hook up though, and Kate just felt used after it was over. She never enjoyed herself, and it always made her wonder if something was wrong with her.  

  Kate was feeling slightly tipsy a few hours into the birthday celebration as she sat watching with mild interest as Harper got so intoxicated that she was now resting her head on the bar and telling everyone she was going to go to sleep. This just made everyone laugh. Finally they decided to leave, and the plan was to crash at Kyle's house for the night. 

Kate wanted to go home, but Julius wouldn't hear of it. He was another one of Kyle's friends. He was tall and lanky with short dark hair and bright blue eyes.  Kate hadn't liked the way he eyed her all night, but she was too tired to protest much as he took her hand, and he led her out to the waiting SUV.

Harper, in her birthday girl pink dress and tiara, passed out in the back with Kyle who wasn't drunk as he'd sipped one beer the entire night, and Julius made sure Kate got the front seat so she could be by him. Cynthia, his once girlfriend, gave Kate a scathing look and went to sit in the back with Mark who she had been making out with most of the night. She'd famously cheated on Julius with three other guys so Kate didn't know what Cynthia cared that Kate was sitting next to her ex.

 "Don't mind her," Julius said with a glance back as he started the SUV.

 "I never do," Kate said honestly which made him laugh.

  "You're hilarious."

  Kate was slightly surprised. "I am?"

  She was beginning to feel sick to her stomach from the three sugary, slightly gross drinks she had as they pulled up outside of the house that Kyle shared with Julius and a few of the other guys. 'The bachelor pad' as they called it although Kate thought it smelled like socks, and it needed a good cleaning. 

The only furniture in the living room was a big TV, and a couch that they had obviously gotten third or fourth hand. No matter, she thought, as she wasn't going to stay for long. Julius made her promise she'd stay for a movie, and then he'd drive her home. Harper drunkenly pleaded her sister to stay as she tried to sober up with a big cup of coffee that Kyle made. Decent of him, thought Kate although she still didn't like him.

Mark and Cynthia had disappeared to his bedroom, and the rest of them gathered in the living room with sleeping bags and more drinks. Julius led Kate through the crowd of bodies, and they sat comfortably on the old couch together. Kate felt like she was in a bad teen movie with all the drunk kids around her, but she felt a bit better that Julius was actually a year older than her.

  Julius definitely seemed more mature than Kyle and the rest of his friends. He was actually kind of cute with his now messy hair, and a bit of afternoon stubble on his face. He wore a red plaid shirt and dirty blue jeans, and he had a tattoo of a dove on his wrist. She studied it as they sat there as Julius hadn't let go of her hand since helping her out of the SUV. 

  "Have you ever think about a tattoo?" He asked her as he ran a finger down her bare wrist.

  "Sometimes," she said with a shrug. "I always think of something I'd like to get, but I eventually change my mind, and I'm glad I didn't. I'm too indecisive."

  "I like you better this way," he said as he lifted up her hand and kissed her wrist. "You have nice skin."

   "Thanks..." 

 She felt awkward, and confused about what to do. She had limited experience with guys, and she'd never been attracted to any of the guys she'd hooked up with in the past. Julius didn't seem to notice her nervousness. He started kissing her neck, and she let him finally kiss her mouth. It didn't feel as awkward as her last encounter with a guy as he didn't try to stick his tongue down her throat or have so many piercings on his face that they poked her. 

 This was actually kind of nice, she thought in her drunken state as they kissed. His hands were up her shirt before she knew it. She gently pushed him away though as she definitely wasn't going to let him touch her breasts in a room full of other people even if the room was dark.

"Come back to my room," he whispered; leaning in to kiss her on the neck again.

She hesitated as she tried to decide what she should do. She barely knew Julius, and she was kind of drunk. She was attracted to him though, and that was new. Maybe it would be different this time.

 "Practice makes perfect," Harper once said to Kate. She was always telling her sister to loosen up and have some fun once in a while. Be twenty-two, she'd say. 

Kate took a deep breath as she looked into the dark blue eyes of Julius.

 "Okay," Kate said.