TOXIC LOVE

I hated him on sight.

I'm not a hateful person. In fact, I'm actually really friendly, but something about Jack Edwards rubbed me the wrong way, and has ever since I first saw him weeks ago.

Maybe it was the arrogant, smug smile on his face when girls eye him admiringly, or maybe it the was undressing with his eyes thing he did to said girls. Maybe it was the bragging, the I-don't-give-a-crap attitude or the knowledge he could get any girl on campus. Or, rather, any girl in the state.

Maybe it was because I was attracted to him when I most definitely did not want to be, combined with the fact he reminded me of everything I left at home in New York.

I shook those thoughts off and carried on looking around the room of the Sophmore house as if he didn't exist. It was hard to do - especially when he had three girls on his arm and other unmentionable body parts. Did I mention the guy is sinfully hot?

He had this messy, sun-kissed blonde hair with natural highlights that most girls would - and do - pay a fortune for. His eyes were so blue they were almost electric, and his skin was naturally tanned from the Texas sunshine. I was sure I didn't need to mention his perfectly lean, muscular body because, after all, this is California and surfing since you can walk was a requirement to life.

“Stop ogling him.” Kayle stepped up next to me and nudged my shoulder.

“That's about as likely as me doing a striptease for the whole house,” I replied

“Honey, I can name several guys that would not walk away from that.”

Carl winked at me across the bar in the kitchen and I sighed. “They can keep dreaming. Never gonna happen, Kayle.”

“Shame.” She grinned at me. “I can't say I'd walk away either.”

I shook my head, but I was smiling. Since the day Kayle walked into our dorm room weeks ago, she had been open about her sexuality. She was bisexual and didn't care who knew. I respected her from the second we met. Her openness was refreshing to me.

“You're incorrigible,” I mock scolded.

“Hey, if the shoe fits!” She winked and snapped her fingers towards Carl. “Drinks, mofo!”

“Wait your turn, ya pain,” he replied, pouring two vodka shots and handing them to someone at the end of the bar.

“I bet he'd jump to it if it was you askin',” she whispered not so quietly.

“Now you're talkin', Kayle!” Carl turned and hit me with his thousand-watt smile. “Would you like a drink, gorgeous girl?”

“I'm fine, thank you.” I smileed politely. “I'm sure Kayle will take one, though.”

“Bull. Shit.” Kayle leaned forward and slapped a hand on the bar surface. “Four vodka shots, Carl. Tonight I'm showing Miss Sandra how it's done.”

“Right on!” He turned and lineed up four shot glasses.

“Kayle,” I hiseds. “You know I don't drink!”

“Didn't,” she corrected. “Didn't drink. You do now.”

“Kayle.”

“Sandra,” she mimiced my tone of voice and accepted the glasses Carl slid to us. “One, two, bam. That's how we're doin' this, baby girl. No thinkin', no messin'. Down them both.”

“This is such a bad idea,” I muttered, picking up both glasses and peering at the strong smelling liquid. “If I vomit, you're cleaning it up.”

“Always.” She winked. “Ready? One, two, bam!”

Tip. Swallow. Tip. Swallow.

My throat burnt as the alcohol slid down it, and I patted my chest as if that'll stop the red hot feeling. Carl smirked at me.

“Thought you didn't drink?” he asked.

“I don't,” I replied, putting the glasses down.

“She's gonna be a hard one to crack.” Kayle wiped her chin. “Sure you haven't ever drank before, Sandra?”

I shrugged one shoulder, the lie falling easily from my lips. “Obviously I've drunk alcohol, just not enough to get me drunk.”

“This changes tonight!” Kayle banged the counter again. “Carl, six more shots.”

“Of?”

“Of whatever the fuck you wanna put in the glasses.”

“Make it twelve,” Leila said, sliding in next to me. “Three for me, three for Maggie when she gets here.”

“Twelve? How many glasses do you girls think I have?” Carl joked and opened another cupboard. There's a shelf of shot glasses neatly lined up.

“I'd hate to be whoever cleans those tomorrow,” I said.

“Jack.” Carl laughed. “I just get to serve them to your beautiful faces. Unlucky for him, but definitely lucky for me.” He leaned forward and placed three glasses in front of me with a smile that would melt any other girls heart. I raised an eyebrow and waited patiently as he handed everyone else their shots.

“Did I miss anything?” Maggie shuffled between me and Leila, her blonde hair bobbing as she bounced excitedly. “Ooh, so many shots? What's the occasion?”

“Sandra's getting drunk!” Kayle announced, lifting up the first glass.

“No way!” Maggie tilted her face towards me. “For real?”

“Apparently,” I replied dryly.

“Aw shucks, Sandra. It's fun!” She wiggled her body and Carl's eyes moved to her chest. Maggis's very well-endowed in the boob department and liked to let the world know.

“No more talkin'!” Leila huffed, picking up a glass. “One, two, three, bam?”

“Yah, duh!” Kayle laughed and picked up the second glass.

I took a deep breath and picked up two glasses. What the hell was wrong with me tonight? I didn't drink, at least, not like this. I couldn't be out of control.

“Bam!” Kayle shouted.

One. Two. Three. Fire.

Whee.

I blinked a few times and swallowed. “Holy sh-crap.”

“It's working,” Leila giggleed. “Sandra doesn't swear, ever!”

“I didn't swear,” I protested. “Crap is not a swear word.”

“Fine, you almost swore.” She rolled her dark, kohl-lined eyes. “I will have one naughty word out of those pretty pink lips before the night is up!”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“I'd like a few things out of those pretty pink lips,” Carl commented, winking at me.

“Fuckin' pig!” Kayle punched his arm over the bar.

“Jesus, Kayle. Your fist made of fucking iron?” He rubbed his arm.

“For you, Carl honey, my fist can be whatever you want it to be.” She winked and stood up straight, grabbing my hand. “Come on, baby girl, we're goin' to shake our booties!”

I shot Leila a 'help me!' look and tugged on Maggie's shirt.

Woah, okay, I'm comin'!” She turned and dragged Leila along too.

The front room was crowded. Music pumped from speakers and bodies grinded in the middle of the floor. A couple was making out on the sofa and – oh my god. Nope, thatwas definitely gone past making out.

I looked away and allowed the girls to drag me into the writhing mass of people. The alcohol was spreading through my body, and I relaxed a little, knowing I was done for the night on the alcohol side. No point pushing my luck.

Maggie grabbed one of my hands and urged me to dance, to let go. Crazy. That was what this was. Drinking and now dancing. These girls were ruining me.

“Lighten up, baby girl!” Kayle shouted. “Mr Jack himself is watchin' your sexy little body!”

Fantastic. Just what I wanted – to be the next on his to-do list. The next on a very, very long list.

“He can keep looking,” I replied, seeing him watching from the corner of the room. “Looking is as close as he's gonna get.” I turned my back to him, and Leila shook her dark hair out, moving towards me.

“Someone needs to take his ass down a peg or two,” she said. “Lord knows he hit every branch on the way down the beautiful tree, but he's sure perched at the top of the ego one.”

“Right,” Maggies agreed. “But he's always been like that. That's just Jack.”

Maggie and Jack both come from the same town and from what she's said, their parents were quite close so they grew up together. Besides us, she was about the only girl at the party that wasn't falling at his feet.

“You know what?” Kayle said. We glanced over at him and another blonde was wrapped around him.

“What?” I said and turned away from him with a look of disgust on my face.

“That boy needs to know what it's like to do what he does. What it's like to be humped and dumped.”

All eyes turned to me. I shook my head, stepping back. “Oh, no. No, no, no way!” I turned and left the room, pushing my way through the kitchen to the yard, all three girls on my heels.

“Sandra, it'll be fun!” Leila took my hands and bounced. “Come on!”

“Um.” Maggie looked at the house then at me. “I guess it wouldn't hurt.”

“No.” I shook my head again.

“You only have to hump him once,” Kayle reasoned. “Besides, he's not exactly bad to look at, is he? I could imagine smacking that ass.”

“Then you do it!”

“Oh, no.” Maggie sighed. “She can't. Kayle might be bi but everyone knows she prefers girls, so he won't go there. Leila has a boyfriend who happens to be his friend, and I grew up with him. He's like my brother or something. You're the only one that can do it.”

“I don't understand what we'll get out of this.” I looked at each of them.

“Satisfaction of knowing the guy finally wanted what he couldn't have,” Kayle shrugged. “Come on, Sandra. It'll take two weeks, three, tops.”

“A month maybe,” Maggie added. “After that, he'll get bored and give in or he'll be in love with you. He's always watching you, Sandra. Even in class when you think he isn't. And he refuses to talk about you to me, so I know he's attracted to you. Usually he gives me a play-by-play over his weekend conquests.”

“Plus Maggie knows how his mind works,” Leila said. “So we have that advantage.”

“You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?” I sighed and raked my fingers through my hair.

“Nope.” Kay shook her head.

“Oh, hell. I have a feeling I'm gonna regret this.”

“Sandra Edwards. Your mission, should you choose to accept it.” She grinned and placed her hand out. Leila and Maggies put theirs on top of hers. “Is to play the player at his own game. Do you accept?”

I inhaled deeply, every bit of my mind screaming at me to say no and run. Play the player. The guy I hated because he embodied everything I wanted to leave behind when I left New York.

Instead of running, I place my hand on the pile in front of me.