The Long Winter #25
Sex, Lies, and Digital Video Uploads 2 part four
“When I twirl around you can see my panties!”
Penny was pleased at how her friends laughed as she spun her way across the room. It was not really her panties she was showing off, just the bottom of the green leotard that served beautifully as her fairy costume. She completed the look with gossamer wings and a tiny green skirt and hair decorated with flowers. Sure, it was cold to be rushing between the dorm and the party dressed as such, but that was the price she paid to look as adorable as she did. Besides, her other friends seemed like they would be cold on their journey as well.
“I like your toga,” Penny said, sidling up to Clark.
“I’m Mark Antony,” he said. “I’m so tough I don’t feel the cold.”
“I’m going to freeze along with Sandra,” Penny said, nodding at the brunette in her fishnet stockings. “But I love your costume. Zatanna is a great look on you!”
“Thank you,” Sandra said, her eyes trained up on the rim of her top hat as she adjusted it one more time. “At least I’ll have some company.”
“That’s why I dressed like this,” Maddie said. She was in red fleece from head to toe with a pair of devil horns on a headband that kept her red-highlighted blonde hair out of her face.
“Yes, you might be the only one of us truly dressed for the occasion,” Leah said. She smoothed her hands over the front of her pleated cheerleader skirt and then reached up to pull her borrowed varsity jacket tighter around her bare shoulders.
“The cheerleaders at my school had sleeves on their tops,” Maddie said.
“That’s why I’m wearing this jacket.”
“It’s so big!” Penny said.
“It’s supposed to be borrowed from my boyfriend.”
“You have a boyfriend? Who is he? What’s his name?”
Leah frowned at Penny. “He’s a figment of my imagination. This is a costume.”
“Oh…”
“It’s nice to see you dolled up like that,” Maddie said. “You have nice legs.”
“Thank you.” Leah did not make eye contact with Maddie.
“Now you’ve made her uncomfortable, good job, Maddie.”
“I was just being nice, there’s no reason to get all offended,” Maddie stopped just short of glaring at Sandra.
“Come on. Bart’s probably waiting for us,” Penny said.
“Yeah, he’s been waiting for a few minutes,” Clark said, glancing at his phone.
They filed out of Sandra and Leah’s room and walked out of the building. Bart sat in his Jeep in the parking lot beside the dorm, his face illuminated by the glow of his phone. As they approached Penny could start to make out his costume, some sort of official-looking uniform, like paramilitary, or—
“Oh, wow!” She opened the door and clapped with delight. “You look like a member of the Power Unit!”
“I had some of this stuff left over from my policing days,” Bart said. “And then I remembered you were from Port Matthew and looked up their uniforms and came up with this. I’m glad you approve.”
“I totally approve! You look amazing!”
“You’re pretty cute yourself, Tink. Now squeeze in, everyone, it’s a short ride so you’ll be fine.”
Penny let Clark get in the front seat and then followed Maddie into the third row. Sandra sat in the middle next to the opposite door with Leah getting in last and taking the remaining middle row seat. Bart set off as soon as the doors were closed and Penny did her best to minimize any suggestive contact between herself and Maddie.
“You can relax, I’m not worried about you getting fresh with me,” Maddie said.
“If you were worried, you could have let me or Leah sit next to her.”
“Is this going to be a thing that happens whenever we get into a car together?” Leah asked.
“No, not unless Maddie makes it one.”
“Was that a joke, Sandra? Because maybe you should leave the joking to me since I’m clearly so much funnier than you.”
Sandra laughed mirthlessly and rolled her eyes and Maddie settled herself against Penny despite the extra room on her other side. Penny heard the blonde girl arguing with her fiancé (yet again) while she was getting ready. She suspected the ill fit of her baggy costume was a way to placate the boy, or to immunize herself of accusations of going out looking like a slut on a night when most girls (including Penny herself and Sandra and, to a certain extent, even Leah) dressed in rather provocative outfits.
“Ralph thinks you look like a little boy,” Maddie said. She traced her finger across the diving neckline of Penny’s leotard. “But I think you have quite the nice little body.”
“Whatever. You and Sandra are the hottest girls here,” Penny said, glancing at Leah with a helpless look on her face.
“You and I are wallflowers beside them,” Leah said.
“Oh! I just noticed you’re not wearing your glasses!” Penny said, leaning forward and perching herself on the edge of the seat (which had the desired effect of preventing Maddie from touching her chest again).
“I have contacts, but I hate wearing them,” Leah said. “My glasses just didn’t look right with this costume, though.”
“Your glasses are cute,” Sandra said. “You’d have been fine if you’d worn them.”
“But I look more appropriate this way.”
“You look lovely with or without glasses,” Bart said. “We’re almost there.”
“Is your girlfriend going to be joining us?” Maddie asked Penny loudly.
“She said she’ll meet me there. She might be with her friends.”
“It sucks she didn’t introduce you to them the right way,” Clark said.
“Please, don’t anyone mention that to her. I just want to have fun tonight.” With that, she leveled a hard gaze at Maddie.
“Whatever. If you can trust any of us you can trust me.”
Penny nodded and smiled at her, but caution thundered in her heart. The Jeep slowed as they approached a very large house with Greek letters on the front. It was garishly decorated with pumpkins, ghosts, bats, and spider webs. All the windows glowed orange or purple and two large men leaned against the house on either side of the entrance wearing sunglasses and tuxedos despite the dark. Bart parked directly in front of the house and led them up to the men.
“Hollins, Vertucci, nice to see you.”
How’s it going, Willis?”
“These are my friends, they didn’t want to mix it up with the senator’s son again so I got Annelise to invite them, too.”
“You’re all on the list.” Vertucci paused and pointed at Penny. “You’ve got a friend inside already.”
“Wow, is that on your list, too?”
“We’re paid to know these things,” Hollins answered. “Head on in. Drinks at the bar in the back. MarioKart tourney with the Greek boys from down the road on the right. Dancing on the left. Enjoy.”
“Thanks. I’ll give Annelise your love.”
The two bouncers laughed and showed them inside and they plunged into the warmth and noise of the costume party. Penny glanced around as her friends drifted apart. Bart caught her arm and guided her to the back of the house.
“Let’s get you something to warm you up, then we’ll find your girlfriend.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s probably a good idea for me to meet her ahead of the others. The sorority girls and frat boys will be fine with our moneyed companions, but your girl’s not exactly like them, is she?”
“She’s a little self-conscious of it. A little self-conscious of our relationship, too, actually.”
“Ah, is that so? Is she always on the receiving end when you’re intimate together?”
Penny giggled and blushed.
“Perhaps not. Maybe she’s more committed than you give her credit for.”
“She’s wonderful, in every way.”
Bart nodded and Penny knew she had not been convincing when she said it. What was it that was missing from her relationship with Delaney? Nothing, she concluded as Bart put a beer into her hand. She sipped it and thought back to the first time she had gotten drunk. That pool party. The one where she had talked to and then danced with Ayumi, where the beginnings of their relationship were forged. She stared down at her suddenly half-empty cup of beer and a wave of sadness washed over. The biggest problem with Delaney was that she was not Ayumi.
“Come here, I want to introduce you to my on-again-off-again girl, Annelise.”
Penny looked up to see Bart pulling a willowy blonde to his side. She was tall, nearly as tall as him, her hair shiny and gold and fine, pulled into a pony tail behind her head. She wore toilet paper, or gauze, wrapped around her limbs and body. Even as a cursed mummy, she was lovely and Bart smiled guilelessly at her.
“Annelise this is my friend Penny. She’s been looking for her girlfriend, maybe you or one of your sisters has seen her around?”
“Girlfriend, eh? There are a bunch of LUGs here, but I suspect you’re not looking for them.”
“LUGs?”
“Lesbians Until Graduation.”
Penny laughed.
“Who’s your girlfriend? Maybe I know her.”
“Delaney Callahan. She might be with friends, a boy named Sammy and a girl named Nadine.”
“Yeah, they’re dancing. I’ll take you over to them. Bart?”
“Of course.”
Penny smiled, excited she would finally get to introduce her girlfriend to one of her friends. Or was she nervous?
She’s not Ayumi…
Ayumi is behind you, Marv said.
I still miss her so much.
Part of that is because you can't have Ayumi anymore. She's behind you. Delaney is here for you right now.
You're right. We've been good together. I do like her. I kind of hate that I keep thinking of Ayumi.
Delaney is sure to have things in her past, too. I’ll bet she’s fighting them the same as you. Maybe you should try fighting them together.
Penny nodded. It seemed reasonable. But it did little to quiet her heart. Bart reached for the door. Delaney was somewhere in there. Hopefully, she was waiting for Penny.
***
Leah pressed back against the wall inside the MarioKart room. She peeked around the corner, her unbelieving eyes spotting him there with that smile on his face. He was talking to people as he moved through the house, but his eyes continuously wandered away from them. He was looking for someone. Looking for her. For Leah. She pressed back against the wall. It was only a matter of time before he reached the room and spotted her.
Mason had no reason at all for being at that party. Some random sorority party in the middle of Upper Michigan far away from the glitz and shallow lifestyle of his normal coastal haunts surrounded by females with ambitions higher than their IQs and self-esteem warranted. Then two girls in nurse and cat “costumes” that were little more than lingerie walked by and perhaps, Leah thought, he was not so out of his element here after all. She jumped when he leaned against the wall next to her. She did not smile at him. He had not earned that from her.
“Ah, I wondered if I was going to have the pleasure of seeing you.”
“Hello Mason. What brings you back to town?”
“Oh, just some business.”
“At this party?”
“At this party.”
“What sort of business? Are you trying out some barely legal college babes or something?”
“Heavens no. Do you remember that party at Braden’s a couple of months ago?”
“I could not forget it.”
“Of course not. Not when I’m around. I’m glad I make things memorable for you.”
“Why are you here?”
“Well, I mentioned before that your roommate looked familiar.”
“Sandra?” She frowned. Mason had not met her.
“No, the half-Asian one, the PMer.”
“Oh, my friend.” Leah’s heart leaped up into her throat. “Why?”
“I’ll keep you with me the rest of the night. I’ll make sure you have a perfect place to witness my big reveal.”
“What is it? What do you know?”
Mason smiled at her. That smile. She never felt much affection for him in the first place, but her blood roiled beneath the surface of her skin and thundered in her ears. She stepped away from him.
“I’m going to find her.”
“You’re going to have a drink with me.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.
“I don’t want to have a drink with you,” Leah said, her body stiffening as she leaned away from him.
“Really, Leah. You’re so uptight, that’s always been your problem. Let’s go get a drink. For once in your life you need to relax.”
“You want me to go with you for a drink? There must be some willing girl around here for you to exploit.”
“It’s not exploitation, Leah. We’re friends. Lifelong friends. We’ve known each other since we were in diapers.”
“That’s hyperbole.”
“I don’t do “literally,” you know that. Come on. I’ll get you a drink and we’ll catch up a bit.”
Leah glanced back at her friends. Maddie was two beers into a race and Clark and Sandra were cheering her on. They did not need her around, and Mason was inviting her. Her eyes lingered on Clark and then Mason was pulling her from the room. He paid no attention to her hesitation, yanking her along behind him like a toy poodle on a leash. Maybe that should have been her costume, if this was to be her fate for the night. After passing through the house in a blur he had her to the side of the room with a stiff drink in her hand. She sipped it, more of a nervous gesture than due to actual thirst, and waited for Mason to speak.
“I have some more friends showing up. Apparently we’re donating some money to this here sorority. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the house is fairly run down and in need of some repairs.”
“What friends? Tommy’s not here, is he?”
“No, not your brother, but Tyler was flying in this evening—“
“If you’re going to be an asshole I’m going to dump this drink on your expensive suit and return to the dorm.”
Mason laughed.
“I’m serious.”
“I am, too. It gave me a special thrill to hurt you at that lake house party the other day, and I think I want to go on hurting you.”
“You are such a terrible person.”
Mason simply smirked at her, his eyes mocking her as she took another sip of her too-strong drink. He leaned casually against the wall, held his drink near his belt, and smirked at her. And Leah could not tear her eyes away from his. Anyone glancing over at them would think they were flirting.
“So where is your half-Asian friend?”
“I won’t let you ruin her night.”
“Her night? Is that all you think of my ambition? I’m talking about potentially ruining her life. Or making it. It depends on her, I suppose.”
“I’m going to find her—“
Before Leah could even turn Mason’s hand closed around her upper arm, hidden under the oversized varsity jacket draped over her shoulders. He pulled her close to him and put his mouth right at her ear and growled.
“You’re going to stay right next to me the rest of this night. If you don’t I will find Tyler and I will tell him what you did.”
“There’s nothing to tell—“
“Lie to yourself if you have to, but don’t you dare lie to me.” His voice was slow and even, his grip strengthening. “I know what you did to him. And if you leave my side and warn your friend and ruin my surprise I will tell Tyler in excruciating detail exactly what that was.”
“You’re hurting me.”
“Good.”
He pulled back and smiled at her. Smirked. Sneered. She tried to pull back but he was crushing her arm in his hand.
“I don’t know what Tyler is capable of, especially if he finds out what you did.”
“Stop it. Please don’t.”
“It’ll certainly be worse than anything I could do to you. That's something for you to think about.”
Mason paused and smiled at her again, that sneering, arrogant smile and she wished she had learned how to scream and cry and throw temper tantrums when she was younger, but no amount of wishing would summon tears to her eyes, not after she had used them all up. Of course, it all circled back to Tyler. Mason spoke and her focus snapped back to him and his painful grip.
“When I let you go you’re going to thank me. You’re going to have another drink. You’re going to enjoy being my date for the rest of the night.”
She shook her head. Still no tears.
“Because if you don’t I will tell Tyler.”
And then he let her go. He let his hand drift down to hers and gave her a kindly squeeze and then he took a sip of his drink.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Good. Now that we understand each other, let’s have another drink, shall we?”
Leah nodded.
Follow The Long Winter into #26 Sex, Lies, and Digital Video Uploads 2 part five here.