“What!” Dana’s sudden outburst caught everyone off guard and everyone within shouting distance turned to look at her. She tried to wiggle away from Kevin, demanding she be released. He tried to hold her back, but he let her go after she threatened to punch him in the face. After the previous slap, I didn't doubt that she was capable of doing it, and apparently, neither did he, as he held up his hands in retreat.
Caleb appeared hesitant but alert as if he was going to try to stop her from getting to me, but Kevin’s retreat perhaps left him unsure whether she was angry or just really excited. So he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, as Kevin had done, leaving both boys looking like they had just got caught up in a bank heist, and Dana was holding the gun.
I was just as confused as she was, so I echoed her words back at her like a drunken parrot: “What?”
She took small, quick steps toward me, grabbing both my forearms and pulling me to her. Her expression was a blur as she dug her nails into my flesh, “Don’t ‘what, what’ me. The hell, you’re getting married, and you haven’t said a goddamn thing about it all night,” Dana exclaimed.
She pushed me out to arm’s length so she could see me before giving me a few gentle shakes as if she was trying to shake some sense into me. but all it did was mix the poisonous concoction of editables, vodka, and greasy chicken wings in my stomach. I had to swallow down the vomit that burned at the back of my throat so as not to projectile vomit it all over her. I took a quick step back, escaping her embrace before she shook me again, and I was unable to curb the desire to empty the contents of my evening.
“This, this! You’ve been hiding “this” in your house for weeks. Seriously, Lizzy, why are you even at this shit hole club when you have someone like that in your bed?” Dana questioned, her disbelief evident as she glanced back and forth between Caleb and me. I thought to myself if she only knew what a pain in the ass he was, she’d know exactly why I needed a night away from him.
Dana’s expression turned inquisitive, and with a wide-eyed smile, she exclaimed. “Barn Boy?” Her question flew through the air like a dagger, searching for my heart. I shook my head, silently pleading with my eyes for her to shut up. Thank God she got the hint, closed her mouth, and at least had the decency to look mortified for me.
Without uttering a word to either of the boys, Dana grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the restroom. However, Caleb reached out and grabbed my other hand, halting our progress. Dana and I came to an abrupt stop, causing my arms to ache from the sudden impasse between my two best friends.
Turning a soured expression on Caleb, Dana tugged harder. A small groan escaped my lips as my shoulder joints protested against their dueling alpha attitudes. I feared their power struggle would end up with me going to the hospital with two dislocated shoulders or, at the very least, a couple of broken fingers. Dana eased the tension in my arms but shot Caleb a look of warning, urging him to release me. His eyes darted from her to me, seeking clarification, but I chose to ignore him. I wasn’t even tempted to argue with her and risk losing an arm in the process. Besides, I wanted away from him, and if following Dana into the bathroom would give me that much-needed separation, then I’d rather face her wrath on my own without Caleb and Kevin as witnesses.
Dana took a few steps back toward Caleb, still gripping my hand tightly in hers, and pointed her finger directly into Caleb’s face. Her small stature, in comparison to his, was comical yet ballsy, even with her 3-inch heels.
She wagged a pink-painted nail at him. “Girl talk, hot guy. To be continued— Stay,” Dana demanded with a clack of her high-heeled shoe and a pinch to her lips, treating Caleb as if he were a disobedient dog. She swatted at his hand, catching him by surprise once more and he let me go.
As we walked away, I exhaled a sigh of relief, thankful to have a moment to breathe. Dealing with Caleb right now was not an option, as I was fuming that he could be so stupid to come up with such a dumb-ass cover story. He had no idea how much of a hole he just dug me into with my friends. Or maybe he did, and that was his point.
Asshole.
As Dana pushed open the swinging door. As I turned around, Kevin had already found an empty chair and was scrolling through his phone. He hadn’t even bothered to extend a friendly invite for Caleb to join him. Instead, Caleb stood where we had left him. His eyes remained fixed on me as the door slowly closed.
***Later***
I couldn’t fathom how I had allowed myself to be persuaded into prolonging this disastrous evening, but here I was, freezing my ass off with the window wide open, blowing my hair into a matted mess. It’s too bad the window of the jeep was too small for me to jump out of and end this charade.
Perhaps it was my complete lack of self-preservation, or maybe the strawberry vodka was to blame, I don’t know, but it didn’t matter. I was going to have to keep up with this sham Caleb had created for us.
Dana might be drunk, but she wasn't stupid, and my feeble attempts at getting her to believe she had misunderstood Caleb flew right out the window. The only way to end the inquisition was to agree to continue our evening at The Bridge, with my fake fiancé in tow, so I could continue to be questioned like I was some sort of criminal for keeping such a big secret from her.
And so, here we were, embarking on a journey to the not-so-secret, after-hours haven that surely existed in every small rural town known as ‘The Bridge.’ To add insult to injury, as we all piled back inside of Dana’s jeep we were now two bodies heavier than when we started our Friday night adventure, I had to sit on Caleb's lap in the back seat so Kevin could sit up front with Dana.
It was already stupid of us to get into the vehicle after all the drinking we had done, but to make matters worse, Caleb was the most chatty he had ever been in his entire life. No matter how many times I pinched him to shut up, he kept asking all sorts of questions as well as giving them such bogus accounts of what life was like in ‘England.’ He even suggested that Dana should be my maid of honor at our fictitious wedding next summer, a decision that sent her into a frenzied squeal of delight and caused us to swerve dangerously from one side of the road to the other before skidding to a stop so she could turn around and be asked properly.
This was how teenagers died on a Friday night in so many small towns across the country. Caleb understood nothing about this dangerous game he was playing.
“Yes, of course. Who else would I ask?” I said, smiling weakly at my childhood best friend. She clapped her hands and squealed loudly before putting the Jeep back into drive and stepping on the gas, kicking up a cloud of dirt that entered the open windows, causing us to all cough loudly in unison.
I made a promise to myself that if we made it to our destination in one piece, I would walk the rest of the way home after I snatched Dana’s keys from her and tossed them out into the woods so she didn’t kill herself or someone else trying to drive home. After all the poor decisions I made in my life, by far, getting into a car with someone who had been drinking was the worst. And agreeing to go to The Bridge coming in as a close second.
About halfway into the 25-minute drive, Kevin finally convinced Dana to switch seats with him since he appeared to be more sober than she was. He hadn’t been at the club all night like the rest of us were. Thankfully, she agreed without a fuss, only for me to realize it was so she could sit in the passenger seat and stare at me and Caleb. Dana’s wide smile and her no-embarrassment reflex seemed to tickle him, and he decided to nibble on my neck while rubbing my thigh.
The Bridge is a spot where everyone not of legal drinking age would close out their night with their friends. As we pulled up and parked in the old employee lot, where the original mill employees would be shuttled down the dirt road to the mill, I knew soon I'd be the talk of the night.
Once all the townies found out that Elizabeth Callier, just one hot minute past her 18th birthday, was already engaged to be married to a profoundly attractive foreigner, no doubt the rumors would spread like wildfire. Whispers of pregnancy or him looking to cash in on my trust fund would drive the gossip, no doubt.
The scandal and the rumors would no doubt be even more bloated by the morning if he continued to behave like this in front of them. I had hoped that once he got Dana and them to believe his bullshit, he’d just sort of let it go, but now I wasn’t so sure. He seemed to be enjoying my discomfort. Did he deliberately choose this tale, knowing full well that it would be nearly impossible to extricate ourselves from the web lies we created? Maybe he was hoping that I’d feel so uncomfortable that I would never want to leave the safety of the farm again, and I’d work on getting The Veil opened instead of my social life.
I wouldn’t put it past him.
Dana either had some foresight or just happened to keep a bunch of towels in her car, just in case. She handed me a long blue towel but told me I’d have to share it with Caleb. I handed it to him to carry, as I had no plans of getting wet tonight, so he could shove it up his ass for all I cared.
“Listen, we’ll stay for a bit, but then we’ve got to get home. We’ll call an Uber or something.” I said as we started our trek through the woods from the lot. Dana waived me off. Could I be so lucky that her interest in me had passed and she was now absorbed with Kevin that I could indeed make an early escape? I might make it out of this night without having to add to the ridiculous fable that Caleb had spun during our car ride of nonsense. I was just too intoxicated to deal with it.
The moon, nearly full, bathed the area in a soft, illustrious glow. Two weathered light posts flanked on either side of the bridge provided just enough light so you could walk around with ease without taking away the secluded woodsy vibe; it reminded me of camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with my parents when I was little.
Down below, a cluster of metal barrels crackled with warmth and emitted flickering light, making it an intimate yet practical area so no one fell on the rocky shore when they got out of the water and could warm up before heading back up the path for another jump.
The Bridge was a favorite for the town's youth. The land and bridge were built by Smith and James Mill Co., which provided the town with not just an abundance of jobs but also lumber for the farmers to maintain their buildings and fences at discounted rates back in the 60’s. Their philosophy as a business wasn’t just about making money but also giving back to the hard-working families that gave them their business.
Sadly, after the passing of Carl Smith in the mid 80’s the mill closed, and the Mill and bridge fell into disrepair. His son and daughter had no interest in continuing the family business and bought out Ken James with the hopes of selling the company into liquidation and making a fortune. To their dismay, the deal never happened.
The company that had shown interest in the property backed out with a bloated purchase price, leaving the Smiths children with a business they didn’t know how to run and angry employees who walked out on them. The duo ended up having to claim bankruptcy a year later when they could not find another buyer to pay back the loans they had taken out to pay off Ken and his family.
After a decade on the market, the bank had no interest in the property any longer either and eventually pulled the listing and washed its hands of it, giving the property to the town to deal with. And that was all the local kids needed before they laid claim to it, transforming it into a vibrant weekend party destination.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Despite the town’s efforts over the years, when there would be an injury or even a death, parents would rally for the public safety of the town's people, and the city would put up fences to keep the children out. But the barriers and the city’s interest never lasted long. The resourceful town youngsters always managed to find a way in, and the adults always found a way to forget. I was too young to have come here before my mother brought me to Ella, but I use to hear the stories from my friend at school that they would over hear from their older siblings. We were always listening at that age for juicy young adult shenanigans and teenagers always delivered. Curious, I if our younger selves could see the sex crazed party animal we have become, would we still be in such rush to grow up?
Caleb smiled at me and took the offering as if he was a good, dutiful boyfriend as he handed the last shot of the whiskey back to Kevin. Caleb didn’t even had the decency to wince like the rest of us as we passed it around, finishing off the bottle we had opened many hours ago. He grabbed my hand and smiled as we watched Keven down the last of the brown liquid before tossing it into the woods.
It made me cringe as I heard the bottle shatter again some unseen rock at the base of an innocent tree, littering the ground with unnecessary danger for the critters of the forest.
I decided then that I really, really didn’t like him and hoped that he’d stepped on some other asshole’s discarded glass so he would know what it would feel like. Petty I know, but I couldn’t help it. His thoughtlessness of the nature around him, really rubbed me the wrong way and justed added another make to the ‘I hate Kevin’ side of my mental notes.
And Caleb wasn’t making my anger any better by acting like the two of them were new best buds. This game he was playing would no doubt make me feel bad about myself later. I really just wanted to slap his hand away but I didn’t because it would raise more questions that I did not want to try and fumble through now that my buzz was back and Dana finally seemed distracted enough to leave me alone.
The seven of us started down the dark, dirt path toward the sounds of teenager’s gone wild, loud music, lots of laughter and a scream from time to time, no doubt by a girl not wanting to jump into river but doing it anyway.
“Yeah man, my dad has season tickets and he always gives me the pre-season games to bring my friends. You should definitely come; you’ll love your first American football game. Soccer fucking sucks.”
“Offer accepted,” Caleb said, with a toothy side grin as he looked down at me. His brilliant blue eyes danced with such mischief it made me want to vomit. I must have looked like I was having some sort of episode because he genuinely laughed out loud and gave my hand a playful squeeze. I dropped his hand, not caring if anyone saw.
How much did he have to drink tonight before he showed up? He seemed to be having way too much fun to be sober.
I stomped ahead of him and grabbed Dana’s hand, pulling her away from Kevin and forcing her to let the boys go ahead without us. I quickly directed her away from asking me questions about Caleb by asking about Kevin, and her face lit up. There was that vomit feeling again, not because I needed to evacuate my stomach contents but because I could see she was in love with the jerk.
Dana was all too willing to spill the tea on her and Kevin’s complicated history. It was only a brisk 10-minute walk before we were at the base of the incline the teens used to get up to the bridge. As we found a spot for our towels, and she managed to convince me to get undressed, she flicked her fingers at the boys to go up without us; they complied without complaint. Caleb was a quick study, and it seemed to me he was looking to Kevin for social cues; I didn’t like that aspect of their new friendship at all either.
Dana explained when the boys started the climb that Kevin had moved to town two years after I left. His parents had big money, and it didn’t take long for him to become the school’s hottest, most wanted boy in town. He was rich, handsome and popular of course Dana wanted him.
In her first year of high school, she finally met him at the school’s first pep rally. He was a sports-loving sophomore with that irresistible bad boy charm that made all the girls weak in the knees. Dana couldn't help but fall for him, even though she deny it to all her friends. She confessed her feelings to me, under the cover of darkness by the Caskridge River and swore me to secrecy. It was the best six months of her life she said, however, things quickly became complicated when he proposed the idea of an open relationship, suggesting that they should be with other people while still being together. Being an entitled, rich twat-he felt that he was missing out on his rule of popularity by only being with one girl.
Dana agreeing with made for some grossly heavy waters for them to tread through over the years. Both of them breaking it off over and over again only to keep finding their way back to each other. My poor friend confused this as love, I could feel it seeping out of her chest and choking mine with this near four year, turbulent, toxic relationship. My heart hurt for her. And here I was sulking because my first love blew me off for a year with no notice. I guess that was a kindness I should be grate for in comparison to what Dana has lived through these past few years. At least now, I had a better understanding of my friend and how she had become this stranger that stood before me.
But now, she was the one in the driver seat of their dramatic romance. She explained how needy and jealous he had become now that he couldn't be part of her every waking moment since he graduated last year. His dating pool now consisted of college freshman who couldn’t be bothered by his immaturity no matter how much money he had. It made her hate him most days; how he had become weak and pathetic, so much so that it was she kept breaking it off with him now. But he always came back like a bad drug habit.
After our confessional, we eventually caught up with the boys. And as we ascended the hill towards the dilapidated concrete bridge, I confided my not-so-warm and fuzzy feelings about Kevin to Caleb when Dana wobbled away with him and Lacy to get in line for the jump. And he literally scoffed at me, like I was some petty schoolgirl spreading rumors about the popular kids because I was jealous of them.
His response caught me off guard and left my face flushed hot with embarrassment, ”Perhaps you are just jealous that your girlfriend has found a new mouth to stick her tongue into instead of yours," he quipped, letting go of my hand and walking away, leaving me standing there with my mouth wide open in disbelief.
I had no rebuttal, wondering how long he had been observing us before making his presence known at the club. What kind of game was he playing? It was rare for him to be intentionally cruel. Maybe he has just watched too much TV lately, and he thought this was how humans interacted with each other. I might have to cut the cords when we get back to the farm. All the old reruns of the 90s CW shows were rotting his brain.
A dozen or so people were milling around, talking and sharing bottles of booze while others were drinking bottles of beer, the aroma of marijuana thick in the air and not for the first time, tonight I felt completely out of time and space. Vulnerable and friendless as I crossed my arms across my chest to hide my apparent chill.
Part of the guardrail had been removed, providing a convenient way to step off the side of the bridge without having to navigate over the waist-high wall to reach the water below. This was probably a good idea, seeing that most, if not all, the kids were either drunk or high on something. Many now familiar faces from the club smiled at me as we walked by but I could already feel the snicker that would come when they got out of ear shot.
Marcy and June hadn’t joined us in the climb, instead opting to engage in conversation with two boys who had used some cliché teen-aged one-liner to entice the two of them to stay below.
Lacy and I seemed to share the same sentiments about Kevin as she stood awkwardly off to the side, her lips twisted in disgust, having to observe the two’s display of hands, fingers, and mouths slobbering all over each other.
When Dana finally took a breath, she motioned for me to join her in line. But I had no desire to plunge into the frigid waters of the River below or stand in line next to them to listen to their sloppy, wet kisses as they explored each other for that matter.
No, thank you.
Dana didn’t like my refusal so she gestured with a motherly finger, 'Come right now!' complete with the pointer finger, ‘you,’ and jabbed it forcefully at the ground beside her. Caleb chuckled softly under his breath at Dana’s reprimand of me from across the bridge as if I were a five-year-old child.
“I think your girlfriend is mad at you,” Caleb said snidely. I chose to ignore him instead of rising to the occasion.
It was so embarrassing and only made me want to go and retrieve my clothes and get the hell out of there. I couldn’t shed the feeling of being a frumpy old lady in my ill-fitting, mismatched flowered underwear and black bra that had once belonged to my mother and fit a bit too snugly, causing my breasts to overflow at the trim, making me worry that I'd expose one of my nipples if I moved around too quickly or leaned over. I suppose it was my own fault, but I did not think I’d be getting undressed in front of half the town tonight, or I would have tried harder. Because looking around at all the girls in the matching panty set, no doubt bought at some high-end retailer just for this occasion, I really felt inadequate.
As Caleb chuckled, as I approached, I felt at one with my inner 'mean girl'. Originally planning to avoid him altogether and hide in the shadows, his taunting pushed me to engage in the battle of retribution. The thought of calling an Uber had crossed my mind, but his antics fueled my desire for revenge instead.
I stopped in front of him, standing on my tiptoes, I wrapped my arms around Caleb’s neck and pulled him down to meet my lips.
It had been years since I last kissed Caleb with such intensity, but his lips felt just as soft and beautiful as I remembered them. They had always held a strength that was balanced perfectly with his tender affection. I closed my eyes and let myself be transported back to the days when we were young lovers, so eager to explore each other. He always smelled of fresh-cut grass and rich, fertile earth like mother nature had given birth to him herself. And his soft, talented tongue tasted like spun honey that was fit for the gods.
At first, he seemed taken aback by our sudden rekindled intimacy, but he quickly joined me in the game we were playing, each apparently trying to do the other out. It was exhilarating, surpassing even our first kiss all those years ago. I let go of any reservations and gave in to the familiarity of it all, kissing him like we did so many times during our summers together.
He must have sensed my emotional barriers coming down because I felt a hint of panic rise up in him, and then our kiss turned sour, like biting into a fresh-cut lemon. In a split second, he broke away from me and placed me back on my feet. I hadn't even realized he had lifted me up to match his height; that's how lost I had become in the moment. From the look on his face, I could tell he also had gotten wrapped up in our past, his forehead suddenly creased with concern.
Caleb regained his composure and returned to our game, gracefully lifting me once again into his arms, using my bottom for leverage. With a quick peck on my lips, he set me back down on solid ground. I rolled my eyes at his antics; he was being such an ass. But despite my annoyance with him, I couldn't deny the spark of excitement in my belly. It reminded me of the undeniable chemistry we once shared. It was pathetic, I know, to still long for him after all these years.
But knowing that once he was back with Ella, there would be no more time for friendship and certainly no chance at rekindling our romance, that I couldn't resist indulging in the illusion of us being lovers one last time. After all, it could be fun to pretend, even if it wasn’t real. And judging by his kiss, I might not be the only one of us thinking about it.
He walked away, leaving me with my thoughts as he leaned over the rail to look at the water below. His beautiful swimmer’s build-on display for me to drink in while giving me some space. I needed that, with him so close my heart was all a flutter and my mind filled with lustful, greedy thoughts.
I was fully aware of my shortcomings. And even though I had had him once, I had thought it was only because of his lack of other options when he came to visit Lyra and me in The Woods. Unlike his brother, Caleb didn’t bed every girl who wanted him; he believed in honor and marriage. And I was apparently the harlot that stole that away from him. At least, that was how I felt after he had abandoned me and our friendship after it happened. Maybe he figured I was already his fall from grace, what would one more bedding do to either of us at this point?
A scream shattered my thoughts, and I fell back into the present; a splash followed it. Up next was a girl who was protesting against jumping into the water with her boyfriend as he tried to pull her over the edge with him. Eventually, she succumbed to the pressure of the onlookers screaming at her to hurry up or get out of the way.
Splash.
After Dana and Kevin jumped, I felt myself relax now that she wasn't bitching at me to jump with her, and I climbed up on the guardrail, settling in, allowing my feet to dangle over the side, settling up beside Caleb. I couldn’t help but steal a few sidelong glances at him, the taste of his lips still lingering on mine, and I had to mentally scold myself, reminding me of how our previous encounter had ended. It was all just a game to him, a charade, and I needed to stop searching for some stupid hidden meaning behind his actions tonight. I was too embarrassed to admit I had wanted this for so long.
I couldn’t deny the thrill I felt at poking at the remnants of our past. Perhaps part of the thrill was the collective excitement of the other girls swooning over his presence here. It might not be real, but I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t like the attention we were getting. As I looked around, all the girls were whispering and giggling, looking at him as he leaned so seductively over the rail, watching the swimmers below, oblivious to the catcalling going on.
But the sensible part of me sent a reminder that I had complicated things further by sleeping with his brother. And I wondered if this charade was some sort of payback even though he said he didn’t care about who I chose to invite into my bed.