Just The Boy Next Door

~17~

I stood on the porch of the frat house for about fifteen minutes, freezing but unsure about ringing the door bell or not. Looking back at my car full of shit from that good for nothing university I attended, and my house, I shook my head; why did I have to own so much stuff?
Sure enough though, true to his word, my dad filed for divorce; right after Christmas brunch, we received a knock on our front door. A man in a suit claiming to be my father's lawyer handed a manila envelope to him and wished him a Merry Christmas while making his way back to his car.
It was a notice informing my mom of the divorce proceedings and how everything was going to be split; items she personally bought versus my dad's. Truthfully, if she actually loved my dad anymore in any way, she would have broken down in tears and begged to work things out, at least for me.
But no, she couldn't even do that.
That ungrateful bitch decided to pack up everything she personally owned, which was in fact almost nothing, and tried to get me to leave with her.

~Earlier~

Slamming her suitcase down on the floor by the door, she went back for her matching luggage set she had stuffed to the gills. Returning, she looked at me harshly.
"Come, Selena," she picked up a suitcase, "Grab your things; we are leaving."
Her voice was cold and she sounded more controlling than ever, but I stood my ground.
"No, no way, mom," I shook my head and narrowed my eyes at her, "I'm not a kid anymore; I don't want to live with you. I don't want to live with your lies!"
Staring me down like I had accused her of murder, the fires of hell burnt within her irises. Furious, she said nothing more and began moving her items out to the car, flipping my dad off as she left the house keys on the divider by the door.
My dad looked at his watch and waited a few minutes.
Coming back in for the rest of her things, she had her phone out as well as the keys to the car she had been using; the car that was, in fact, in my dad's name.
"I forgot," she straightened up as she shuffled through her contacts, "I don't have a car to drive, or in my name."
Looking at me pleadingly, I shook my head and replied with a look of disgust. Turning to my dad, she was greeted with the same cab number she had been given the night she was tossed out of Aunt Pat and Uncle Scott's house.
Rolling her eyes, she left; the last and final time.

Literally thirty minutes after the bitch of the west left, my dad offered to help me change my room back to the way it was when he and mom were separated a few years back. Throwing out all of my Holister, American Eagle, and GAP clothing was liberating as much as all the pop star merchandise into a donation bin. Left without very much clothing, my dad handed me five hundred dollars and told me to head to the mall, and that is was open today.
As I parked my car in the almost empty mall parking lot, my dad texted me a picture of the trash pick up that day; bye bye Britney Spears and One Direction!
About fiver hours later, I hauled my new wardrobe and belongings home: three Hot Topic bags stuffed, four Spencer's bags, new and darker make up, and black hair dye. It felt great to be home and to come home to someone who supported my being myself for the first time, and it wasn't rapid fire questions about the next pageant I was attending, dance recital I was dancing in, or elite prep school I was accepted in and forced to apply to.

~Present~

Now, after my dad helped me pack my car up and told me the movers with get the rest on Monday, I stood on my cousin's boyfriend's frat house front steps. I had tried her house, but there was a note on the front door saying she was at the BVB Frat house and not home.
Hearing the foot steps, I held my breath and hoped for the best.
DJ was the one to open the door; her face went from smiling to shocked, and then to smiling again.
"Oh my God," scream screamed, startling who I guessed was Naomi, "Selena! Fucking look at you! You look like you again!"
She grabbed me and pulled my inside by my arm, bags dragging the ground.
Inside and out of the cold, I dropped the three bags I had in my hands and was welcomed by a hug from good ole' Andy, who insisted upon ruffling my freshly died hair in the process. DJ, still shocked, circles around me, looking me up and down.
"Selena, you look amazing!" DJ gushed, hands over her mouth.
"Hey guys," she shouted in the direction of what i guess was the kitchen, "Come meet my cousin!"

I heard the noisy group of people begin to move and a shrill squeal; Naomi had finally spotted me.
"LENA!" she screamed as she tackled me to the floor, "Oh my God, look at you!"
"Hello to you, too, Naomi," I managed to squeak as she pressed on my chest unknowingly.
Helping me up, she dusted me off, a smile plastered on her face.
Just then. a large group of amazing looking men walked into the entry way where I was standing.
"Alright, Selena," DJ pointed to each man as she introduced them, "This is CC, Jake, Jinxx, and Ashley. Guys, this is my cousin, and mine and Naomi's best friend, Selena James."

As she went through the line up, I tried to pick out features that would allow me to remember who they all were. Andy was a no brainer, and due to the kissing and touching, Jake began to be the same. Jinxx was the guy witht eh flawless facial features. The man with the feminine features and rockin' body was Ashley, and was indeed "purdy". Finally, the most adorable, wild-looking young man I had ever met in my life stood before me. Forgetting his name completely, he re-introduced himself.
"Hi Selena," he smiled brightly, "I'm Christian "Coma" Mora, but you can call me CC if it's easier."
I blushed at the awkward cuteness he gave off, and smiled back.
"I'm Selena James," I managed to squeak, "It is wonderful to meet all of you. DJ has told me so much about you; Andy, too."

While the lot of us were visiting and talking about my reasons for being there, CC kept looking at me which made me a little nervous. He was super cute, and had an amazing head of hair. God, that head of hair would be heaven to fluff, play with, pull...
Focus, Sel, I thought to myself.

"Okay," I sighed as I sat down on the beat up couch in the living room, "So, my mom moved out and she and dad are finally getting a divorce. When I left the house, she had threatened my dad numerous times already, and I just have had about enough of it; it's fucking Christmas for fuck sake!"
I went into the process of throwing out the old and bringing in the new when it came to my personal belongings and spared them the details. I watched Andy rub DJ's should when he noticed her become upset; I was glad he helped sooth her during these types of conversations.
"Oh, and she called me on the way here," I took out my phone and scrolled through the voice mails, "My mom did, but I ignored it. Before I got out of the car, I listened to the voice mail; here, listen."
Entering my password, I let the group that was gathered listen in on speaker.
"Hi, Selena. It's mom."
She had paused.
"Your father said you transferred to VCU permanently, to be with DJ and study music. While I think it was a stupid move on your part, I have to accept it. And, your father is paying for it, not me. However, those low-lives over there will never amount to the greatness you could. As I left, I know you were making a mistake by living with your father and not me, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt, hoping you would stay at prep school and become something worth while. Oh, and I know you are an adult, but I am suing your father for custody rights; yes, full custody. You better not refuse this offer I am making you, Selena; you could go places if you stick with me.
She stopped again for a second.
"Tom also said he helped you get your life back; if by that, he meant re-piercing your lip and nose, and wearing those trashy punk rock clothes, like you did to all those parties with DJ, I don't see how that is getting any quality of life back. And he said you dyed your hair back to its normal color; where the hell did my beautiful prom queen go? I put so much effort into molding your future for you so you could compete for the Miss America title. I am so disappointed in you and your choice to live with that bitch cousin of yours. But, this isn't over sweetie. You and your father can humiliate me and think you have won, but don't hold your breath. YOU are MY child, and you will do what you were bred for."
That was the end of the message; finally.

"So, that is what i had the pleasure of listening to when I pulled into the driveway," I huffed and, after deleting the message, put my phone back into my pocket.
"I'm so sorry, Lena," DJ hugged me tightly, "I have plenty of room at my place; we can move your stuff in tonight."
"Yea, man," Jake nodded in agreement, "That's fucking rough; anything to help. Hell, if Naomi's mom was like that, you better believe I wouldtry to take her away from all of that."
Grinning, the dread-head sweetheart patted her boyfriend on the head.
"So, yea, I transferred here," I cringed, "The thought of going back to Harvard made me sick to my stomach, I just couldn't. I called the girl who was labeled as my "best friend" and told her; she sobbed dramatically into the phone. The guy who said he was 'into me' later posted drunken make out pictures of the two of them on Facebook. I hated preppy bitches so much, and my mom knew it, too."
CC, still looking at me with his sweet, chocolate brown eyes, cocked his head sideways.
"So, are you living with us, or...?"
"Ya'll?" I looked around at the men in the room; I mean, this WAS a frat house.
"Yea, I mean, DJ lives next door and Naomi is moving into a room there before school starts up again," He smiled, "She has, like, a million rooms in that place."
Giggling, I looked at DJ who just rolled her eyes at her crazy friend.

After bringing my belongings inside DJ's from the car, DJ and I planted ourselves at the kitchen table at the frat house, Naomi included. The man-children of the house, however, played each other competitively in Rock Band for the next few hours. We talked about moving expenses to get my stuff from Harvard to here, and how rent was steep for my salary, which was nothing. She said, however, she was looking for a host for a Tuesday and Thursday night show she was planning on running.
Within minutes, I had a new home, a new job, and a new life. I smiled and took a swig of the beer in my hand, laughing with DJ and Naomi like old times.

DJ and Andy had left for the night, so I, being the straggler, was closing down the joint, being the last neighbor to leave.
Standing to make my exit, a voice spoke into my ear.
"So, the word is you like bad boys, huh?" The voice was adorably dashing.
It was, indeed, CC.
"Well, well," I crossed my arms sassily and flipped my hair out of my face, "The word might be correct; why do you ask?"
"Yould your beautiful and emotionally battered self take a chance on this bad boy? Say, Wednesday? Dinner out and a few drinks to follow?"
He was asking me out; he was seriously asking me out.
"Maybe."
Smirking devilishly, I said yes.
And I don't think I had ever seen a man do a victory dance quite like the one CC performed in the kitchen.
Leaving, I smiled and victory pumped the air.

Selena: 1; Life:0.

Notes

Selena is joining the gang of misfits. How is it so far? Comments would be great!