For any of you who still need to catch up:
Please enjoy 🙂
– Dahv
Jacqueline drove a red Subaru with a broken hatchback. She picked me up after my last class on Thursday.
The back tires screeched and engine gargled the last pint of oil. All four windows were rolled down. I threw my backpack into the backseat and sat in the passenger. A Chris Brown song was on low and I thought of Nicky.
Jacqueline’s hair was straightened and parted off to the left. She was wearing jeans, ripped across the outer thigh; the tore denim, frayed white, looked like teeth chewing on her caramel.
Imagining the rip being across her inner thigh, I wondered if she’d let my fingers linger – palm the exposed skin and excavate beneath the denim.
Her V-neck was purple.
“Purple looks so good on you.” My gaze descended to her gashed denim.
I was wearing a black zipped-up hoodie and a pair of denim capris.
“I wish I looked good in hats.” She reached over and grabbed my red trucker hat. Resting it on her head, she tilted it to the left before putting the car in drive.
“Where are you taking me?”
She shrugged her shoulders and turned up the music. “Look at me now! Look at me now!” She sang along to the track.
I rolled my eyes and looked out the window.
“Oh come on.” She tapped my thigh. “You don’t like Chris Brown?”
Her car smelled of vanilla mixed with mint. There were empty gum wrappers sprawled on the floor. A stack of CD’s bunked in a cubbyhole beneath her stereo. There was half-empty Dunkin Donuts in her cup holders. She was so different from Nicky.
“No, not really.” I raised my eyebrows at her.
“Stop, Kell.” She adjusted my hat, keeping one hand on the wheel.
“Stop what?”
“Those eyes.” She hit a pothole. The front of the car dipped to the left. One by one, her CD’s fell towards the automatic shifter like Jenga. My hat tumbled down and landed on her lap. “Fuck,” she pumped her brake. Her hand reached over to the various CD’s surrounding her shifter.
“No, no.” I started to pick up the CD’s. “Keep your eyes on the road.” Collecting the CD’s on my lap, I felt her eyes on me. As I looked over, she quickly transitioned her gaze onto the road. My hat was still on her lap.
“You want your hat?” Both of her hands were on the wheel. She scooted closer to the wheel, her chest almost bumping the center pad. As she leaned, the back of her shirt lifted and her green thong emerged from her jeans.
I returned her CD’s to their cubbyhole and kept my hands on my knees. “Nah. Looks better on you anyway.”
“Your hat smells like you.” She whispered, voice cracked at every other word. She scooted back and opened her legs. My hat fell into the crevice; the brim’s tip touching her fly.
Looking out the windshield, I whispered, “bet it smells like you now.”
Jacqueline drove us to the park near campus. The same park Nicky took me to.
Before leaving the car, Jacqueline pulled her hair back and put my hat on. Wisps of hair curled above her purple cartilage piercing. The hat’s brim shaded her face, darkening and accenting her jawline. Below her right earlobe was a heart shaped beauty mark. I thought about kissing her, just as an excuse to put my thumb against it.
We walked down the dirt path – close enough to hold hands yet, far enough that it didn’t seem necessary. Goosebumps had graffitied her arms. I unzipped my sweatshirt and shawled it over her shoulders.
“You’re so sweet,” Jacqueline slipped on the sweatshirt.
“You looked cold.” I dug my hands into my front pockets. Jacqueline retrieved one of my hands. Holding onto my hand, she dunk ours into one of the sweatshirt’s pockets. We stopped walking and faced each other, our hands still tangled in the cotton orifice. “What?” I smiled and raised my eyebrows.
“Do you give everyone puppy eyes?” She stepped towards me: her thigh against my crotch, my thigh against her crotch.
“I didn’t know I was doing it.” I put my freehand on her hip and retrieved our tangled hands from the pocket. “Want to dance again?” I obtained my hat and put it on backwards. More wisps of hair sprouted on her head once I removed the hat. She was so messily adorable I could have kissed her. Hand on her lower back I dipped her down. She let out another raspy scream. Balancing her on my hand, I leaned down to her; our foreheads met and so did our noses. “You trust me?” With my other hand, I lifted her back up. Her eyes were on mine.
“Duck, duck,” she said tapping my head. “Duck, goose!” She grabbed my hat and ran down the path.
I chased her. She veered off into the woods, zigzagging through the oak trees. At one point, she turned towards me and ran backwards. She unzipped the sweatshirt and returned the hat to the top of her head. While jogging, her collar sagged and her bra emerged. The last thing I wanted was for her to turn away. “Stop teasing me,” I shouted.
“Come get me, Kelly.” She pivoted and continued to run; jumping over roots and squatting behind trees.
I ran over to a tree she hid behind. Back to bark, I stretched my arms along the trunk and slowly stepped over the roots, making my way to the other side. Approaching the other side, I jumped with my arms out. There, Jacqueline stood with her back against the tree. Her fingers filled the deep wrinkles on the trunk. I planted my hands on the bark, on either side of her – boxing her in. “Found you.”
“Fine, fine.” She took off the hat and put it on my head. She rotated it until the brim was in the back. “Only you can pull off a backwards hat.” She looked to the left, showing her right profile and laughed: a small giggle.
I pressed my nose to her neck. She dangled her arms off of my shoulders. We stood there for a moment, swaying a bit.
“Are we dancing?” She whispered in my ear.
I brought my hands down, parked my thumbs onto her hips bones. Her hips slowly swung, brushing up against my hands. “I guess.”
Suddenly, she lifted her left leg up and hooked her knee around my waist, drawing me in closer. “How about now?”
She continued to roll her hips. Her belt buckle brushed against my zipper fly. “This is good.” My voice went in and out. My knees grew weak.
“You good, Kell?” Using her tongue, she pushed back her lower lip before biting down. Biting down, she thrust towards me. Her wrapped leg flexed, squeezing my waist.
I leaned in and kissed her beauty mark. Her skin was so soft. My legs felt light, as if the wind could pick me up. Every muscle in my body – tight and flexed – felt as if they were replaced with teddy bear stuffing. My neck felt cold with sweat. “Yeah.” I whispered in her ear. “I am better than good.”
The entire walk back to the car, Jacqueline held my hand. Her thumb tickled my palm, but I didn’t budge; it felt good.
“When’s your last class tomorrow?” Jacqueline asked, idling at a red light. Her was hand still in mine.
“I’m done at three.” With my other hand, I sashayed my pointer between her knuckles. “Why?”
“I’m going home this weekend and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.” She rolled down her window. “I don’t get out of class until five though.”
“I’ll wait for you.” I said.
She sighed and smiled. “It’ll only be for a night. We’ll be back on campus Saturday.”
“Just tell me what to bring.”
Jacqueline stopped at a red light and pulled me over the console. “Oh, Kelly.” She kissed me on the cheek.
I turned to her. Bringing my thumb to her beauty mark, I submerged my fingers into the dirty blonde roots beneath her ponytail and kissed her. She tasted like Big Red gum.
When we parted, the light turned green.