September of 2004, in the aftermath of a school shooting, new student Connie Turner avoids the young man who saved her younger brother's life, while battling with a shameful awareness that she is not the same as before the event.
Meanwhile, Max Nat...
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Chelsea answered the door while Connie ducked into the front hall bathroom. Flouncing her ponytail and checking her teeth, she teetered on her wedges. That final shot had pushed her fully into a comfortable buzz, her mind too fuzzy to freak out, even when she heard Chelsea laughing at a joke that Jeff Nathan told as he stepped over the threshold.
Connie emerged into the foyer at Chelsea's beckoning. Jeff was even cuter with whiskey in her system. And she felt more sure of herself this time than in the diner parking lot.
"Hey stranger," he called out with a confident grin. "You look nice."
Connie cut her eyes to his feet. He was wearing his work boots again. Idly, she wondered what he was doing now that he had graduated high school. It wasn't odd for recent grads to hang out with high school friends though, especially since his little brother was a senior.
"Thank you," Chelsea answered for her with a wink in Connie's direction. "I gave her the makeover."
"Really?" Jeff turned his attention on her and Chelsea beamed with a flirtatious grin. "You're not kidding around about beauty school, are you?"
"Cosmetology school," Chelsea corrected.
"Oh, excuse me."
She giggled and turned to Connie. "We'll be out in a second. I left my purse in the kitchen."
"Cool," he muttered, digging a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket. "We're down at the car."
Chelsea coaxed Connie back to the kitchen. Hitching her purse strap over her shoulder, Chelsea gripped Connie's wrist. "So, I have a question. What do you think of him?"
"Jeff?"
"Yeah, do you think he's cute?"
"Of course," Connie scoffed. "Who wouldn't?"
Cheslea let out an aggravated groan and ran her hands over her face. "I had the biggest crush on him last year, but he was dating Rachael and then with a couple other girls in his class, but those are all over the last I heard. What do you think? Do I have a shot?"
From the sounds of it, Jeff Nathan had the attention span of a goldfish. Connie couldn't help feeling that Jeff wasn't a challenge to get, only difficult to keep.
"I don't know, Chels," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're so pretty and sweet. He is a nice enough guy, but I think you could do better honestly."
"Better than Jefferson Nathan?" Chelsea gaped at her, undaunted by her answer. She hooked arms with Connie and led her towards the door. "Girl, you haven't been in town long enough. There is no physical way you could do better than him in Cleargate."
The car was waiting at the end of the drive parked behind Connie's vehicle. There was no way she could drive now, even after she'd told her mom that she would. She might be testing the waters of rebellion, but she wasn't stupid.
