Page 6 of Once Bitten

Chapter Four

15 Years Ago

“Did you SEE what Michelle was wearing at school today?” Heather scrunched up the face.

“Uh yeah, I’m not blind. But even if I was, I still would’ve noticed that it was basically a tie-dyed traffic cone.” I couldn’t help noting.

“What was she thinking?”

“I don’t know, that if Brad wasn’t going to notice her wearing normal clothes she would blind him so he couldn’t notice anyone else?”

We dissolved into a pit of giggles. It was almost the last day of the school year, only Prom and finals left, but the prospect of being finished with school forever, was making us and everyone around us, giddy.

“Hey girls, watcha laughin’ at?” Finn, Heather’s twin brother walked past us. I froze. He was so gorgeous, and I’d had a crush on him my whole life, ever since I’d become friends with Heather 10 years ago.

“Um, hi, Finn, how are you?”

“I’m good, Kara. You’re lookin’ good.” He winked at me. And my face burned a beet red.

“Go away, Finn,” Heather huffed at her brother.

I gave him an apologetic smile as he grinned at us and walked off. God, he was hot. The twins had gotten their genes from their Norwegian mother. Tall, leggy and blonde, they were both swimmers, so even through winter, their bodies were toned to perfection and their skin tanned, catching every ray of sunshine that fell to earth.

I, on the other hand, thought of myself as the stereotypical “plain” friend to Heather’s model looks. But she had never been anything but nice to me, sticking up for me when people made jokes about us being an odd couple, and made sure I felt included in all her groups of friends.

Finn was just as gorgeous, but he had a reputation for being a jerk. He was nice enough to me, I guess because I was Heather’s friend and around all the time, but he didn’t really bother giving many people the time of day. But I didn’t care. I had grown up crushing on him, and nothing he did or said made me feel any differently towards him.

“Ugh, sorry about that, hon, if he’s ever bothering you, just flip him the bird and tell him to fuck off.” Heather said, rolling her eyes at the thought of her brother.

I didn’t know how to tell her that I lived for the minutes and seconds that I was over there when he noticed me.

“Aw, it’s ok, Heather. He’s alright.”

“Alright?! He shouldn’t even be out here. He’s grounded for crashing Dad’s car last night. He snuck out at 3am and at 4, the cops brought him home. He’d crashed it just a few blocks from here. What an idiot!”

I sighed inwardly. I was so gone on him that the thought of him being so irresponsible just made him seem all the more hot to me.

“Hi girls, can I get you anything?” This time the interruption came from Heather’s mom, Lillian.

“Hi, Mrs O’Reilly, we’re good, thank you,” I looked up at her and sighed. Even at her age, she could probably have any man she wanted. A professional swim teacher, she kept in shape and she looked just a few years older than her children and her husband utterly adored her. They lived a charmed life I thought. Mr O’Reilly had inherited his family’s money after they sold their shares in a mining boom. Sometimes I just closed my eyes and willed myself to be part of their family.

“Ok, well, help yourself to anything in the kitchen, ok, sweetie?” She smiled her million dollar smile at me and dove into the pool.

“So, have you thought any more about going to the Prom?” Heather asked me again, for the third time that day.

“Nah, I’m just going to stay home and study for finals. I don’t have a dress, I don’t have a date; I don’t really have any reason to go.”

“Aw, come on, I can lend you a dress, I’ve got millions and you don’t need a date! Just come with me and Eric.” She offered kindly.

“Er, no. I get the stink eye from Eric enough as it is when he wants time alone with you, I don’t think he’s going to enjoy three of us in his prom picture.” I reasoned with her.

“Who cares about him. He’ll be too busy with his football buddies to care, and he doesn’t like dancing and I need a dance buddy!”

“You mean you need someone to step on your feet and whack you in the eye.”

“Hey, if I can forgive you for that, you can forgive yourself,” she joked, putting on her poker face before dissolving into giggles. “Come on! It’s going to be SO fun.”

“Heather, I may be frumpy and dumpy, but if some of the chess club geeks can get dates to this thing, then there’s no way I’M going stag. But don’t despair, if Prince Charming comes along and brings my shoe with him before the weekend, then I’m there!”