CHAPTER 1
Alek Ferdinand is the biggest player in C. Darwin High School. He's with a new girl every other Friday and it's a godsend that his girlfriend, Lilit, is in Florida for another two weeks.
He pushes the covers down, pink and frilly, and swings his feet carefully to the left side of the bed, trying not to wake the girl next to him. Adela Rogers, who is in nothing but his white T-shirt, stirs a bit at the motion but turns from her left to her right. Alek checks her sleeping state for a second and continues getting up.
He makes his way towards the bathroom not even bothering to put his pants on. When he switches on the light, he takes a second to look at the time on the cute pink clock above the toilet. It's Saturday, December seventh, nine o'clock in the morning. He walks up to the shower and slithers through the curtains so the curtain hooks wouldn't rattle and clank. He twisted the knob to the right and the water started running.
Alek reached for the generic store brand shampoo and squirted a glob of the purple soap. Alek couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Was it guilt? He has done this before, sleep with someone even though he was dating someone else.
"Maybe I should settle down?" he whispers to himself silently, "But with Lilit?"
The two of them have been dating since her history club trip to Istanbul when they snuck away from the group and did a quicky in the hotel room. That was a month ago. Alek has the thoughts of breaking up with her. It isn't in his nature to be with just one girl but today he feels he might have to. But he doesn't feel that Lilit is the girl he wants. Then who is? He has been with so many girls so he has a lot of choices but none of them, like Lilit, could please him emotionally.
Alek turns off the water and reaches silently for the dark purple towel that is hanging on the hook. He dries off and reaches for his bag. In it he has new clothes, underwear, socks, pants, and a T-shirt. He pulls on the briefs and slowly pulls up his pants, careful not to rattle the belt. He locks his belt and throws on his T-shirt and pulls on his jacket, zipping it up to his chest leaving the white T exposed a bit.
He starts for his keys but is redirected to his cell phone when the nightstand begins vibrating. While grabbing the cellphone he pushes the lock button and sees that Otto Klopp is calling. Alek, who doesn't want to wake up Adela and have to lie and say, "I'll call you," hits 'reject call with message' and taps the one text message that says 'Call you back later'. While reaching for the keys with his free right hand, he feels the phone vibrate again in his left. Putting the keys into his pocket, he hits the lock button and reads Otto's reply.
'LOL wen u r done being "busy" meet me and Volger at the garage.' The Garage referred to Otto's garage where he worked on our cars and tinkers with parts.
Alek begins walking out of Adela's room but stops in the doorway and posts his forearm on the frame. He twists his head and looks over at her slumbering body. He worked her until two o'clock or so in the morning. He was amazed by her endurance and she just kept coming at him for more and more.
He still can't help but feel the strange feeling that he did before. He bows his head and whispers,
"Thank you, Adela."
Alek doesn't know why he said that but he did. He felt it would be right.
He slowly closed the front door and started towards his jeep, which was parked by the curb a few houses down to avoid Adela's parents. The driveway was empty. The Roger's had work wherever it was they worked. The wind was frigid and blowing hard causing Alek's eyes to water.
When Alek got to his jeep he pulls out his phone and texts Otto that he will be there soon. Sliding the phone back into his pocket, he pulls out his keys and unlocks the car door, opens it and steps inside. He shook his head and took a big gulp of the water bottle he had stored in his cup holder. He was trying to get rid of the feeling so he can stop moping around.
He started talking to Adela on Monday. He got her number on Tuesday. They were sexting on Wednesday. They made out on Thursday. They had sex on Friday night and Saturday morning. This was actually how it went with most of Alek's pickups.
He stuck the key into the ignition and turned it. The air started blowing once the car started but it was still cold. The engine was warming up. Alek sits in the cold, recalling the night. Sex, blowjobs, eating out, and hand jobs. The two of them went all out last night. Of course none of it was any different from his other one night stands. He has slept with nearly every girl in his junior class either this year or last. He has just recently mingled amongst the senior crowd and Adela was his second senior girl.
So if there is nothing different and this is not the first time Alek had cheated then it must be his mind telling him it is time to settle down. With who should he though? He is only a junior but it could happen. His parents were happily married and they were High School sweet hearts. It's times like these that he wishes they were still here.
Finally the air warmed up so the engine was warm enough to run. He drove away from the curbside to the intersection and got on the main road. He would be at the Garage in three minutes or so. Of course Otto and Volger are going to want details. Otto is going to ask every thinkable question and Volger is going to analyze without mercy.
Three minutes pass and Alek pulls up to Otto's house. Volger's car, a beat up Neon, is in the driveway so Alek parks near the curb again. He pulls out the key and pops the door handle followed by his left leg pushing open the door. He slams the door, locks it, and starts for the garage door. The house is pretty beaten up. The shutters fell off leaving behind discolored spots. One window has wood covering it and a few are cracked. The drive way is broken and cracked and the lawn is covered in an overgrowth of weeds and uncut grass.
Alek can't ever help but feel bad for Otto. He lives in a nice expensive house but Otto has to live here. His mother tries so hard to keep them afloat and Otto works nearly full time at the car garage in town. He is either in school or works and only gets Saturdays off so Alek and Volger are always with him.
Alek knocks on the door on the side of the house that leads to the garage.
"Come in Alek," Volger invites from the other side.
Alek opens the door. The smell of oil, gas, and kerosene fill Alek's nostrils. Otto is in his grease clothes, which are stained in oil and other car fluids. Volger is sitting on the workbench holding a coffee.
"Think fast, stud!" Otto tosses a sausage sandwich right at Alek. He catches it and walks quicker to the two.
"So tell me all the-"
"Nope." Alek doesn't let Otto finish because he already knows the question and Otto already knows the answer.
"Aw. Come on. You have to tell me."
"You know Otto," Volger sips his coffee, "if you are so interested in sex and details then go out and experience said details."
"Yeah, go get laid bro." Alek is completely on Volger's side in this.
"You think I have that kind of time?"
"We don't always need to spend Saturdays with you. I'm sure Alek could find you a girl."
Otto, who has no argument worth fighting for, turns around and pretends to clean a piston. Volger turns to Alek.
"You seem different. Did it not go well? You are usually more upbeat then this."
"Hypocrite." Otto turns his head a bit to the left to mention that. We both ignore him and continue our conversation.
"I'm fine. Something has me worked up is all."
"Did she break it?" Otto turns his head completely and faces them with the straightest face that Alek has ever seen on Otto.
"No!" Alek flips him off.
"Then what is it?" Volger asks now curious.
"I'm thinking of settling down."
The two of them do a sit come style look at each other. Then Otto loses control and collapses on the bench laughing madly. Volger almost does a spit take with his coffee.
After a few moments of the two laughing Volger looks at Alek, who is standing with an annoyed look on his face and arms crossed, and his face turns back to serious.
"Oh you're serious."
"Why? Do you love Lilit?" Otto asks while wiping away a developing tear.
"Don't throw around the L word." Alek lets his arms relax and he leans on the wall.
"Then what is it?" Otto is now interested like Volger.
"My guess is that he sees that it is time to find that girl in his life. Am I right?" Volger's eyes pierce right through Alek.
"I don't know dude let's just drop the subject for now."
"For now," Volger replies suspiciously.
The trio sits and eats their sandwiches. Volger finishes off the remainder of his coffee and throws out the cup. Otto quickly copies with his wrapper then Alek with his.
Otto, who was looking at the piston from earlier, looks up at the two of them and asks,
"Anyone else hear about the new kid?"
The two of them shake their head cueing Otto to continue.
"Well his name is Dylan Sharp. I think he moved from Scotland."
"Scotland? Why New Jersey of all places?" Alek is very curious. Perhaps even more than Volger. It's not every day a student from Scotland shows up in school.
Otto just shrugs his shoulders and says,
"He is supposedly really attractive, too. You might be replaced so it doesn't matter if you settle down or not."
Alek ignores his mocking comment and gets lost in his thoughts. A new attractive guy in school could be the godsend that Alek was looking for. If someone could be stealing all the girls (including Lilit), then Alek would have to settle down. Or what if this is just a freak feeling that will go away tomorrow and this Dylan is a force to be reckoned with.
"I suggest you introduce yourself Monday and you can see if this guy is worth worrying about, Alek."
"How did you know I was think-?"
"Who knows he might be helpful after all. If you do settle, which you should really consider, he just might take all the girls off your back so you wouldn't be tempted."
Alek knows Volger is right. He will introduce himself Monday. Who knows he might become friends with this Dylan guy.
Alek pulls out his phone and sees the time, eleven o'clock. Alek promised his grandmother that he would be home at twelve. He could stay longer if he wanted but he needed some sleep anyway. He didn't get much last night that's for sure.
"I'll see you guys later, ok? I need to get back home."
"Ok see ya." Otto waves and turns around to his bench and fiddles with some strange part that is unfamiliar to Alek.
"See you later, Alek. It's something to consider," Volger reminds.
Alek waves and closes the door behind him. He walks towards the car. Once inside, he pulls out his phone and texts his grandmother that he is on his way. He tosses the phone to the passenger seat and inserts the key. When the car starts he starts driving back onto the main road thinking about this new development. Soon he is home and laying in his bed, looking up at the ceiling.
"I have to meet this guy Dylan." Alek turns of the lamp switch and slowly falls asleep.