Building on Lies Page 2

  His voice sounded so soothing, and so concerned, I managed to open my eyes. Under ordinary circumstances, I would have been ecstatic to be close to Channing Sutton, one of the hottest guys in school. But at that moment, all I wanted was to get out of the closet, and out of the Sutton house. I wanted to be home, in my room, in my bed, which I knew for sure was spider-free.

  “ Spider," was all I could say.

  “ Spider?" he repeated, and I was surprised he understood me, because I was so scared my throat felt like it was closing off.

  “ Scared," I choked out. “ Scared of spiders. Very scared”.

  “ You’re very scared of spiders?" he asked, his brow furrowed. Then, because Channing is not only amazingly handsome, he’s also amazingly intelligent, he nodded his head in understanding.

  “ Oh," he said, quietly. “ You’re scared of spiders. You saw one in here somewhere?”

  I nodded, and I started crying. Like a baby. In fact, I wanted my mother, and I actually told him so.

  “ I want to get out of this closet! I want my mom!" I whimpered, because arachnophobia will do that to you. It will turn you into a quivering blubbery idiot, crying for your mother. In front of a hot, popular guy.

  “ OK, Nellie. We’ll get you out of here, and we’ll find your mom," Channing said, in a calm voice. He knelt down in front of me and extended his hand. “ Just get up and hold my hand, and we’ll walk out together”.

  I shook my head. I literally could not move unless I knew the spider was gone.

  Channing realized this because he got up and looked around. “ I don’t see the spider anywhere. Let’s get you out of here, and far away from it just in case”.

  This time instead of waiting for me to take his hand, he grabbed mine and pulled me up. His grip was firm, and I held onto his hand tight. I didn’t care that my hands were slick with sweat. I just wanted out of the closet.

  He opened the door, and we quickly walked out. He led me back to the kitchen, where the housekeeper was still chatting away on her cell.

  “ Is everything OK? Did you find what you needed?" she asked, putting the phone away from her ear.

  “ Stay with her, Gemma. Let me get her some water," Channing said, walking towards the kitchen cabinet.

  Gemma noticed how red and shaken I was, because she hung up the phone and asked what was wrong.

  “ What happened? Why are you crying?" she asked, putting her hand over mine. “ Oh wow, you’re shaking like a leaf!”

  My mother and Giselle entered the kitchen just then. They wondered what was taking me so long.

  “ Hey, sweetie? Were you able to find something we can open those boxes with?" my mother asked, but then she rushed over when she saw my face. “ Nellie! What’s the matter?”

  Channing placed a glass of water in front of me, and I reached for it. I was still feeling anxious and out of sorts, but I thought since he was nice enough to pour me water I might as well drink it. I brought the cup up to my lips, but my hands were shaking so bad the water sloshed down the sides.

  “ I found her in the storage closet. She saw a spider," Channing told my mother. “ She was pretty scared”.

  My mother sighed, and reached out to stroke my hair. “ She’s terrified of spiders. They bring on a panic attack in her. She’s been scared of them since she was very young”.

  “ I found a box cutter and I was about to bring it to you," I explained to my mother. “ But then this spider just came out of nowhere and dropped down right in front of my face. I freaked”. By this time, I was calm enough to talk. But now, instead of feeling afraid, I was feeling very embarrassed. I’d acted like a complete idiot in front of Channing Sutton, of all people! My face burned red with humiliation, and it got even worse as my mom began to tell Channing and Gemma about how severe my arachnophobia was.

  “ I mean, she hasn’t even gone to visit her grandmother in her new house," my mother said, making it seem as if I’d written my grandmother off completely because of spiders. “ She’s scared there may be spiders everywhere”.

  “ Phobias can be pretty intense,” Channing said, and he looked at me sympathetically.

  “ I feel better now," I said, wanting to end the conversation about my stupid phobia. “ I found a box cutter you can use, Mom”.

  “ I left it in the storage closet," Channing said. “ I took it from her because I was scared she was going to cut herself. Her hands were shaking pretty bad”.

  “ I’ll go get it!" Gemma said, probably feeling remorseful about not helping me find one in the first place.

  “ Meninha, maybe you should go home? Lie down for a bit?" Giselle suggested. “ You still look upset”.

  “ I don’t really trust her to drive," my mother said, shaking her head. “It takes a while for her to calm down after she has a panic attack”.

  “ I can take her home," Channing volunteered. “ I know you’re supposed to be installing the blinds”.

  I tried to catch my mother’s eyes. I didn’t want Channing Sutton driving me home! I was so mortified I just wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

  But my mother didn’t catch my signal, and she looked at Channing appreciatively.

  “ Thank you so much, young man," she said. “ I feel so foolish about not bringing all my tools in the first place. I’m so sorry to inconvenience you like this”.

  “ It’s no bother," Channing said, with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “ I’m so glad you found her"Giselle added. “ She would probably still be stuck in closet if you hadn’t”.

  “ Well, I was taking my clothes down to the laundry and I heard her whimpering. I actually thought it was our dog, Duke. Sometimes he whimpers like that when he gets stuck somewhere," Channing explained.

  Wonderful! I’d been whimpering like a lost dog!

  Gemma came back with box cutter, and I finished drinking my water.

  Channing waited for me, and I gave him a wobbly smile as I followed him to his car.

  “ Feeling better?" he asked, rubbing my shoulder. He was a lot taller than I was, and I had to look up at him to respond.

  “ Yeah. I’m just…," my voice trailed off as I looked into his dazzling green eyes. They were a glittery green, with flecks of gold. “ Um, yeah. Thanks for getting me out of there”.

  “ You’re welcome," he said, smiling. “ I’m kind of scared of heights, so I know what it’s like to freak out like that”.

  “ I’m sure you don’t start crying for your mommy, though," I said, sheepishly.

  He opened the passenger side door for me when we got to his car, a sleek, silver Mercedes.

  I slid in, and tried desperately to relax. It was nerve wracking, though, being in a luxurious expensive car, with an outrageously handsome boy.

  “ Trust me, I’ve cried for my mom under less stressful circumstances, so don’t sweat it. You’ve got a pretty bad phobia, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed. It’s not like you want to feel that way about spiders, you know?”

  I nodded. We pulled out of his driveway, and I gave him directions to where I lived. I lived on the other side of town, in Egg Cove, about fifteen minutes away.

  “ You’ve got a great entertainment room, Channing," I said, after we were silent for a bit.

  “ Thanks, Nellie. You should come and hang out sometime," he said, looking over at me.

  I was so flabbergasted a boy like Channing Sutton had invited me to hang out I didn’t know how to respond.

  “ How do you know my name?" was all I could think of to ask. My mother had used my name in the kitchen, but Channing had also called me by my name in the storage closet. I knew his name because EVERYONE knew Channing and Ty, but I was curious as to how he knew me. I didn’t run in the rich kids circle at all. I was popular within my own crowd, but I never thought I’d make it on Channing’s radar.

  “ You’re in my Sociology class? Third period, on Friday, right?" he asked.

  “ Um yeah. I just never thought you noticed me," I said. I felt
my face go bright red, because I sounded kind of pathetic.

  “ I’ve noticed you," he said, softly.

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just pretended to cough, and then Channing switched on the radio. After that, we began to talk about different music artists we liked, and soon we arrived at my house.

  I thanked him again, and he winked at me.

  “ Just consider me your secret weapon against terrorizing spiders," he joked.

  I laughed, and was about to go inside when he called out to me.

  “ Hey, Nellie. I was wondering if you could give me your phone number. Maybe we can hang out sometime?" he asked.

  And is how I met the boy of my dreams. My best friend Ro says even though it wasn’t the most romantic way to meet a boy, at least it was original. I guess she’s right, but I still shudder when I recall how I cried for my mother in his storage closet! Channing told me he thought it was pretty adorable, the way I held out the box cutter as if the spider were some sort of homicidal insect.

  I’ve discovered meeting the boy of your dreams…whether it involves spiders, long lines at the DMV, or just a simple hello in the school corridor…is actually the easiest part of being in a relationship. Keeping the boy, and making the relationship work, is the real challenge.

  And how about if the boy of your dreams already has a girlfriend? A steady one he’s been dating since junior high?

  Chapter 2

  My phone started to ring just as I was in the middle of stirring the stew for dinner. It was Channing’s ring tone.

  My best friend, Romina Vilella…or Ro as everyone calls her…rolled her eyes. She was helping me with by fixing a salad. I ignored her eye rolling and snatched up the phone.

  It was a text message. “ Meet me at ODF. 5:30”. I glanced at the clock hanging over the fridge. It was already 4:45! It would take me at least fifteen minutes to get ready, and then another half hour to meet him.

  “ Ro, can you finish up dinner for me? I’ve got to go!" I said, turning to my best friend. I gave her my sweetest smile.

  Ro has a soft spot for me, and usually my sweetest smile works like a charm on her. Not this time, though. She refused to meet my eyes, and kept flipping the salad greens.

  “ Where are you running off to?" she asked, a little too casually.

  “ Come on, Ro," I said, with a sigh. “ I need to go like right now.”

  “ What’s the rush? Where’s the fire?”

  “ Ro!” I pleaded. “ Can you just do this for me? Please?”

  Ro put down the tongs she was using for the salad, and gave me a hard look. “ Nellie, seriously. Aren’t you getting a little tired of this?”

  “ Tired of what?" I asked, innocently.

  Ro sucked her teeth. “ Whatever, Nellie. What time will you be back?”

  I clapped my hands and gave her a hug. She pretended to push me off, but her face softened, and she hugged me back.

  “ I don’t know when I’ll be back," I said, after our little hug fest. “ Just tell my mom I had to meet my study partner at the library or something”.

  Ro shook her head. “ Nope, she’s starting to get suspicious of the study partner excuse. We’ve over used it.”

  “ OK, then use the Nellie had a job interview at the mall excuse. She believes that one”. I glanced up at the clock again. 4:50! I wouldn’t have time to do my make-up…the most I could do was change into something cute.

  “ You don’t think she’s going to start to wonder how you’re applying at the mall all the time, and yet you never seem to get a job?" Ro asked.

  “ Ro, honestly, just think of something! I’ve got to go and change!” I cried, and ran up the stairs to my bedroom.

  I flung my closet open, and after giving it my usual “ I hate everything I own” once over, I pulled out a blue embroidered top I was sure Channing had never seen before, and my skinny jeans. He’d seen the skinny jeans before, but what else could I do? They were the nicest jeans I owned, and I knew I looked good in them.

  I put my clothes on quickly, then went over to my vanity to find some accessories. Accessories are what makes all the difference in an outfit, every fashion magazine said so. There’d been a time when the only “accessories” I owned were some tiny gold hoops my grandmother Chad given me for my thirteenth birthday, and a silver charm bracelet from Ro. Now, I had a jewelry box and a shoe box filled with bangles, earrings, scarves, and chunky rings. Having a seriously handsome, and seriously popular boyfriend had forced me to head over to my local Accessory Place on a near daily basis for cute things to jazz up my wardrobe.

  I put on some bangle bracelets and a long chain. Then I sprinted over to the bathroom Ro and I shared, and debated as to whether I had time to do a full face of make-up, or just the basics. It was now 5:00, and I only had a half hour to meet Channing, so I decided lip gloss and mascara was the best I could do. I wasn’t even going to look at my hair.

  I spritzed on some perfume ( some inexpensive Avon brand, but it smelled pretty good) then ran downstairs. Ro was at the stove, absentmindedly stirring the stew.

  “ How do I look?" I asked her. “ Scale of one to ten?”

  “ Ten," Ro said, looking me over. “ But you’re always a ten, Nellie, you know that”.

  “ Really? I need an honest opinion, Ro, not a best friend opinion!”

  “ Babe, just go. Your mom will be here soon, and then you won’t be able to meet with your secret lover," Ro said, half mockingly.

  I frowned at her. “ Ro, don’t call him that”.

  Ro opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. I was glad because I really didn’t have time to argue with her. I blew her a kiss, then grabbed my car keys off the ring on the back door.

  “ Keep your phone on, Nellie!" she called after me.

  ODF stood for Old Dowd Farm. It was an abandoned farm just outside of town. Channing and I had been meeting up there a few weeks after we started dating because it was perfectly isolated, and there was zero possibility of us running into anyone. The farm was rumored to be haunted, because an entire family had been murdered there a hundred years ago, so most folks avoided the place. Channing and I didn’t know if there were any ghosts lingering in the abandoned farmhouse and barn, because the spider situation seemed kind of sketchy in the old buildings, and I refused to go in. Instead, we just parked our cars behind the dilapidated barn, and sat there, either talking or making out.

  Traffic was light as I drove to the farm, the road leading there was hardly ever used, so I managed to get there in less than a half hour. I winced as I drove my creaky old Honda Accord over the dirt road, and hoped I wouldn’t get a flat driving over the sharp rocks.

  I wished for the hundredth time we could meet somewhere not so out-of-the-way. Actually, I wish we didn’t have to meet in private at all. I wanted to be able to walk hand in hand with Channing at school, or in the mall, or anywhere where people could see we were a couple. But I knew wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. I just had to make do with seeing him in secret places like Old Dowd Farm. Sometimes, he managed to sneak me into his bedroom, but those times were few and far between. Egg cove was too small and too nosy for him to ever see me on my side of town.

  Channing was standing next to his car, looking absolutely gorgeous in loose jeans and a gray sweater. I pursed my lips to keep from smiling like such a love struck dweeb, but I couldn’t help it. My heart started racing, and I couldn’t stop the excited grin that broke over my face. The breathless feeling he gave me hadn’t worn off even though we’d been seeing each other for a couple of months now.

  I parked my car, and pretended I was sneaking up on him. I know he saw me, but he acted as if he didn’t. He looked at his cell phone in an exaggerated way, as if he were tired of waiting.

  “ Hey handsome! Waiting for someone?" I asked him, tossing my hair flirtatiously.

  He gave a little shrug. “ Yeah, but it’s no one important”.

  “ Oh, you’re dead!" I cried, and rushed at h
im. He pulled me into his arms and swung me around.

  “ I missed you," he whispered into my ear, before he put me down.

  “ Missed you too," I murmured back, and we were quiet for a moment as we held each other. It was nice to hold each other for as long as we wanted. We rarely got a chance too.

  “ My car or yours?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

  “ Hello? Yours. Of course. You’ve got heated leather seats!”

  He laughed and we walked hand in hand to his car. He opened the back passenger door for me, and I slid inside. He slid in next to me, then leaned back to stare at me.

  “ You make it a habit of meeting guys in the back seat of cars?" he asked, playing with a strand of my hair. He tickled my nose it with it, and I giggled.

  “ No, only hot guys who drive Mercedes," I replied. I looked at him carefully, then pretended I was going to get out of the car. “ Oh, wait. You’ve got a Mercedes, but you’re definitely not hot!”

  “ Nellie, get over here," he laughed, and then we spent the next few minutes tickling each other. The tickling led to what it always led to…a full on make out session.

  I’d been kissing Channing for three months now, and as cheesy as it sounds, it always felt like it was the first time. Thrilling, and new, and fun. I could feel my heart tap dancing in my chest, and I knew Channing was just as into it as I was. His hands curled up in my hair, and he held me so tight I felt light headed. But I didn’t care if I passed out in his arms, it was just great to be kissing him like we were the only two people on the planet.

  We finally came up for air. Channing seemed to know exactly when to stop kissing me. I wasn’t ready to take our kissing to the next level, and he always pulled away before things got too heated. I really appreciated how he never urged me to try to take things further. I didn’t want to think about the reason behind it. Maybe he didn’t want to take things further with me because he was already taking things further with someone else.

  My thoughts must have shown on my face because Channing tilted my face toward his.

  “ What’s on your mind?" he asked, quietly.