Never Been Nerdy(23)

I rear my head back like I’ve been slapped and trying to get away from another hand attack.

“What? How do you know that? You met the guy yesterday!” I upend my beer bottle and end up getting some in my nose. I rub the liquid away from my mouth and face with the sleeve of my shirt, not even caring at this point that I’m ruining my clothes.

“What the hell do you know about it, anyway? All guys are good for a round in the sack. All guys,” I emphasize, still wiping at my mouth. I’ve swallowed what remaining liquid there was from my nose. Eeew.

Sera shakes her head, chews on her lip, looks up to the ceiling like the right jumble of words and the right things to say are written there for her use only.

“I can’t believe you don’t remember. It’s only been ten years.”

Ten years?

“Is this another Supernatural reference? I have the distinct memory of you saying somebody sold their soul and got ten years of their dream life or something to that effect.”

I get a quick thumbs up for a job well done. Go, me!

“Nice try, but no.” Matty wiggles in her lap, and I see him split his fingers open, the better to hear us with. Don’t swear, don’t swear. The little guy is gonna vulture whatever change you have left.

“What, then? What’s this big secret you and Dean have been keeping from me?” One more swig of beer hitting my empty stomach. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, never mind the calories. The empty calories!

Sera pulls in a deep breath, and squeezes Matty close to her. The kid doesn’t seem to mind one bit. “What happened ten years ago, huh? Think back.”

Thinking it’s some sort of nerd trivia, I answer, “Was it the first episode of Supernatural?”

Sera shakes her head. I’m getting tired of playing this game. “I give up. Just tell me.”

“Fine, spoilsport. We were in high school.”

Oh. “So? What’s that have to do with Dean?” Dean, Dean, Dean…?

Sera frowns at me. She’s giving me four, and trying to make find the answer by adding a half to three point five, instead of two and two. She’s looking for something specific out of the mundane, I can tell by the way her eyes are wide, imploring me to remember a detail, a certain day…

I scowl at her. “This shit’s like playing Connect Four without doing any of the connecting.”

I look up to the ceiling, and send up a quick prayer for patience. “Just tell me. I’m not remembering anything you’re needing me to remember.”

“Dean? Anything ring a bell with Dean?”

“How many times do I have to say it, what do Dean and high school have got to do with each other?”

Sera’s eyes actually well up, and she does this thing that I’ve only ever seen MacLaine do.

She looks through me, like I’m a ghost, like I’m a veil that’s obscuring her vision. It might be even scarier than Dean’s dangerous voice.

“What? What’s the matter? What did I do now?” My hand jumps out, and I grab her by the shoulder, squeezing, offering what little comfort I can. “Sera?”

Delos’ nose has gone bright red, and she mashes her lips together – something she does to keep them from trembling. She leans her head back, something I’ve seen her do a million times to keep the tears back and away from their escape route. How many times, I wonder, did she have to cry to learn that nifty trick?

She blinks a few times, shakes her head, and rubs one side of her face against her shoulder.

“Katie, how can you not remember any of the shit you pulled?”

I shrug. “So, I liked to dress slutty back then. So kill me. Everyone was doing it, and I wanted to show off my ta-tas after the years it took to get them just the right size.” I slump when that look on her face isn’t erased. Shit just got real. “That’s not what you’re talking about, is it?”

“Nope. Not at all.” Sera pulls in a deep breath that turns into a cough. “Dean’s last name is Carter.”

Dean Carter. Dean… Carter. Dean? Carter?

Oh, butt-fuck. No… no, it can’t be. That dude moved away. He said he was moving away after graduation!

Why in hell don’t people do what they say?

Who the hell looks like that after ten years? He’s unrecognizable!

“Yeah, Katie. He’s that Dean. The very one whose life you made a living hell after you destroyed him. Looks like fate has a funny way of throwing you two together, again.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Delos?”

Her face is downright woebegone. “Means the bully’s gonna get what’s coming to her.”





Chapter 7