Denying the Bad Boy:Tattooed and Pierced, 2(6)

"Are you sleeping at five in the afternoon, Mary?" Her mom's voice was  filled with authority, and Mary breathed out, not caring if it sounded  exasperated.

"Yes, Mom. I have been working a lot these past few weeks and am tired."

"Hmm." Mary knew what was coming and didn't bother stopping her mom from  going there. It was a repetitive conversation, and one that wouldn't be  over with anytime soon. "Mary Sandra Trellis, if you just let your  father and me pay for everything you wouldn't have to be living in that  horrid little house, and scrounging to survive. I mean, it isn't healthy  for you, and it also makes us look bad." Stephen and Marsha Trellis did  not like anyone in their family looking less socially acceptable than  they were. And to them the way Mary was living was akin to a homeless  person under a bridge.

"Please, I don't want to hear whatever you're about to say." Her mom  made a sound, and Mary knew if she hadn't said something Marsha would  have gone on a rant about appearing regal and not like some kind of  peasant. There had been too many times where Mary had gotten into a  rather heated argument with her mom on the fact money wasn't everything,  and standing on her own two feet and earning her way was completely  normal and acceptable. Not to mention it made her feel human. She  enjoyed working for the things she had, and everything she had she had  paid for herself.

"Fine, I won't be getting into this with you over the phone. That's not  why I called you anyway." Mary had no doubt today's phone call had to do  with Margo's wedding, because although her mother called her several  times during the week, it was either to talk about the wedding, about  Mary's lack of money, or about something scandalous that happened at the  country club. Her mother continued talking about the wedding, which  Mary was already so sick of hearing about. She then started talking  about a brunch Margo's friends were throwing for her. This had to be the  fourth pre-wedding gathering since her sister announced getting engaged  last year. It was a pointless gathering, and just an excuse for them to  throw another brunch. Chanel and Heather, Margo's maid of honor and  bridesmaid, had been close friends with her sister for years, and were  clearly held in higher regard since Mary was at the bottom of the  bridesmaids list. It didn't matter in the long run, and Mary even wished  she was just a nondescript guest.

"Mary, honey, are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, Mom." Mary grabbed a pillow and shoved it under her head, because  she knew damn well this conversation was just getting started.

"You've talked to Margo about everything?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Okay, very good. Now, have you found a date for the wedding?" May  closed her eyes, a little surprised it took her mother this long to  bring up the issue with a date.

"I don't need to bring a date. Me showing up should be good enough.  Besides, won't I be too busy doing wedding things to pay attention to  someone else?" Normally the wedding party just stuck with each other:  the bridesmaids with the groomsmen. But Marsha was intent on Mary  bringing a date. Her mother sighed loudly, and Mary rolled her eyes.  Marsha Trellis was dramatic about everything. She supposed that's where  Margo got it from.

"Mary, do you want to be the only woman there without a date? It'll look pathetic."

"I don't need a date, Mother. I'll have Chad, or Thad, or whatever his  name is." Mary rubbed her eyes, and pictured the groomsman she had been  paired up with. He was perfect in that parted blond hair and blue eyes  look. Hell, Mary even thought he played lacrosse, or polo, or something  along those lines.

Mary heard her father in the background, his deep voice piecing right  through the receiver. Whoever he was talking to it was clear he wasn't  pleased.

"Listen, we will talk about this later, but you need a date. Thad is not  a date. Going alone to your sister's wedding is just not acceptable.  I'm sure there is a nice and respectable boy at your school that would  attend with you." Aha! His name was Thad. At least she had almost gotten  it right.

In other words Mary better bring a rich and gorgeous boy, preferably one  who drove a luxury car. Maybe Mary should just find a guy who had no  money to take her? Or maybe she should find a guy that everyone that ran  in her parents' circle would look down on? The image of Alex came to  mind, but not because Mary thought he was less than she was or anyone  else. Her parents would shit bricks if she brought him to Margo's  wedding. He was a Hulk, with tattoos and an all-around bad boy persona.  Yeah, he would so not fit in with her parents' friends, but taking him  was out of the question. For one thing she didn't have the guts to even  ask him to go with her, and for another thing even if she did work up  the nerve he would no doubt turn her down. Surely he would have a party  or something to go to during that weekend. He didn't know her, and  probably just thought she was some goody-two-shoes, in other words the  type of girl he tended to stay away from.                       
       
           



       

Her mom rattled off a few more wedding details before she finally got  off the phone. Mary tossed the cell back on her bedside table and stared  at her ceiling. It was an older house with fading siding and in need of  a new roof. The inside wasn't much better, not with the stained  ceilings, brown shag carpet that looked like it was from the seventies,  and yellow tiled bathroom with a matching piss-colored tub. But it was  all they could afford, and Mary called it home. Although her mind kept  going on and on about the conversation she just had with her mother she  found her eyes growing heavy, and before she knew it she couldn't keep  her eyes open any longer.

The sound of something buzzing close to her ear had consciousness  slowing claiming Mary. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times and  turned her head to the side. A wince left her when her neck protested to  the sudden movement, and she tried to rub the kink out. Her cell moved  sluggishly across her bedside table, the blue screen lit up with an  incoming call. The temptation to let it go to voicemail was right at the  surface, because if it was her mother again, or God forbid, Margo, she  didn't want to deal with the hassle. But in the end she reached for the  phone because it could be one of the students she tutored.

"Hello?" Pushing herself up on the bed she glanced at her alarm clock  and saw it was eight. Her quick nap had turned into three hours.

"Mary?" The baritone voice that came through the receiver instantly had her pulse increasing.

Pushing herself up, she was suddenly very nervous. "Yes?" She knew who  was on the other end because she remembered that voice all too well. In  fact, it had just been playing through her mind as she dreamed of a very  buff football player.

"Um, hey. This is Alex." She didn't say anything right away, and he  cleared his throat, as if he was nervous. "Alex Sheppard." Oh God, he  thought she didn't know who he was. The hesitancy in his voice was  almost funny if she hadn't been feeling it, too.

"I know who you are." She smiled even though he couldn't see her.

"I got your number from Racer."

"Racer?" She racked her brain who that was.

"I mean Adam. Sorry, it's a stupid nickname for him."

"Oh, okay." Oh my God, he actually asked for my number? A sort of girly giddiness came over her at that thought.

"Yeah, well he said you offer tutoring, and I was wondering if you maybe had any openings."

Her giddiness plummeted, and her shoulders sagged forward. Of course  that was why he would call. Did she actually think he would reach out to  her for something else? Yeah, she stupidly had.

"Oh, well yeah, I offer tutoring." Rubbing her eyes with her hand she  was tempted to just lie back down, but the grime of the day felt thick  on her skin and a shower sounded heavenly. "I'd have to look at my  schedule and see what openings I have though. What is the subject you  need help with?" Hell, she knew she would clear some time for him,  because even if all he wanted her for was to help him pass a class, she  would take it. Besides, he was really nice to look at. She had to be  certifiably insane to want to spend time with him, even if it was  academically oriented. Hadn't she decided he was not for her, and that  he was bad news?

"That's cool." A long pause settled between them. "It's actually Human Sexuality."

Mary rolled her eyes. Of course that was the class. She had helped a few  other guys with that subject in the past. For some reason they  automatically thought it had to do with getting it on since the word sex  was thrown in there. Yes, that had to do with it, but she had a feeling  they thought they were getting easy credits for a class they would  watch porn in.