Deconstructing the Nerd Ch. 08

Reema tried to laugh it off and sat down beside Cassie. It wasn't long before they held topped-up drinks in their hands and fresh conversation from new people was filling their ears.

Reema fell into a chat with the guy next to her. She never asked him his name, and he didn't ask for hers, either. Apparently, he was an environmental science major and really liked her beaded necklace. It reminded him of beads he saw at an open-air market in Europe.

"Oh, were you traveling there?" she asked. While he talked about his exploration of the ancient ruins, Reema kept sneaking brief glances at Josh. He stood in the same spot, along with the other girls who were circling him.

"The old amphitheatres in the Greek countryside are breathtaking," Reema's new friend carried on.

The two blondes beside Josh were giggling now, brushing back their hair. Reema nodded at her own companion, "Yeah, I bet."

"Oh, and then there were the wine tours..."

Thousands of years of history, ancient gods, 'dessert wine'... Reema heard the words, but they meant little to her. Josh knew she was at the party. She was sure he knew. It was like the gym situation all over again. What was he trying to prove by ignoring her -- again?!

"Hey, I gotta go find a washroom. Wish me luck, alright?" Mr. World Traveller informed her.

Reema broke her reverie to see that he was pointing at her with double 'finger guns'. "Oh, yeah. I'll, uh... be here."

The guy left and Reema continued to sit there, buzzed and contemplative. She gripped her drink, staring blankly at the messy table in front of her. After a while, she tossed her own cup on top of the mess. The music blared on, but not a single note resonated with her. She was well aware of the time, though. The minutes passed as she sat alone. Josh seemed to be a very liberal manager of his minutes, though. He just didn't care; he did what he wanted without thinking of other people.

Then she heard, "Waytta be a social butterfly right now...you mind not looking like you're staring into a black hole or something and look more alive?"

Ree just blinked as she looked up. It was Cassie.

"You're at a party, not Hellman's lecture," Cassie laughed. So did Ree. "Speaking of..." She leaned back into her seat. "Ree, this is Daniel. He's in our program..."

He was cute. Loose sweater, short wavy brown hair, not a jock by the looks of it. But still a looker. Reema flashed him a warm look.

"Hey, so, not a fan of Hellman's lecture either, huh?" Daniel said.

"Not, really, no," Reema smiled.

"I'll just be getting out of you guys' way," Cassie said, getting up and sitting on the other side of Reema. The half-brown girl filled the spatial void, moving closer to her newfound classmate.

"I sit above a few rows above you," Daniel continued. "Looks like you girls have ways to spice up the class."

"Hmm, are you spying on me?" Reema teased.

"Maybe. Just a bit...those cat videos look too enticing!"

"Oh they are," Reema nodded adamantly. Her hands ran down the tightly wound hair, stroking the dark, silky threads.

"I should make my way down there sometime and check them out up close with you..." he winked.

Reema giggled. "Maybe you should..."

The conversation continued on and Reema was spellbound by the atmosphere around her. It made her light-headed, not in an unhealthy sense, but as if she was floating. Her senses were dulled as she zoned on the activity at hand. She grinned, glass-eyed, as she carried on with Daniel and his good-natured demeanour. She moved closer, responding to his quips about online cartoons.

Then, breaking her out of her dream, she heard, "Hey Cass, you having some of this?"

Reema swiftly turned just in time to see Cassie be handed a funny looking glass instrument. As the socialite pulled the spout closer to her mouth, she made eye contact with Reema, as if to tell her to watch her carefully.

Cassie took a deep toke as someone called out in support, "Ohh yeahhhh...hit it hard, girl!" She paused, turned her head, and exhaled a stream of smoke that smelled a lot like incense. The other partiers cheered her on, then turned their sights to the next person in the circle: Reema.

She looked at the bong with a anxiety, perhaps flashing back to high school health class and weird educational movies about idiots playing with drug-smoking apparatuses like this one. But ultimately, she took hold of it.

This was a surprise to Cassie, who didn't quite anticipate the combination of factors that would lead Reema to be holding a bong up to her lips tonight.

"Ree is a real superstar at school...so she hardly ever gets fucked up. Not like the rest of us druggies," Cassie explained, getting a laugh from their friends.

She moved the glass device closer to Reema, and calmly coached her, "OK, just remember how I did it. You wanna take a long, even breath in. It's tricky, but just try...."

Perhaps too confident in wanting to believe she could do it, Reema went all the way in. She inhaled the weed and pulled away almost immediately, coughing forcefully as she did. Cassie giggled sweetly, trying to downplay her friend's failed first attempt.

"That's OK. Don't worry about it, just try again," she whispered, rubbing Reema's lower back. "A little more slowly this time."

"Kay..." Reema refocused.

Cassie lifted the bong again as Reema inhaled. This time, she kept the smoke in her mouth before exhaling it. The manoeuvre didn't come without some coughing. From the encouraging rubs on her back afterward, though, Reema knew she had Cassie's approval -- and, by extension, the approval of everyone else.

Passing the bong to the next person, Reema wore a dizzy, satisfied grin. As she reclined, her blissful vibes intensified. Cassie rubbed her thigh. "You OK?"

Reema nodded, "Yeah. Totally fine."

Cassie laughed back, "Yeah, you are."

The Indian girl leaned back, joining in the stupid jokes and excessive choruses of laughter. The discussion had gravitated to the topic of which university 'admin' departments were the least helpful. Some drunkenly complained about individual faculties, others about the campus library, and so on.

Reema's heart pounded as she sat up, having something to add.

"Financial aid is clearlllyyy the worst guys, but at least they like have mini peanut butter cups in the little bowls. If I'm going to wait so long to solve nothing, at least I'm getting fed!!"

There we some approving laughs, and Reema relaxed her body, proud of the response she got. The conversation then shifted to the topic of snack foods, which reminded several people that they were actually experiencing the 'munchies'. As they drifted away in search of food, Reema found herself leaning on Cassie's shoulder again.

The blonde started caressing Reema's arms and playing with her ponytail. "You look so amazing, you know," she reminded her.

Reema didn't acknowledge the compliment out loud, but privately agreed that she did look good tonight. A few other people were casually touching her legs, as they leaned in to stress particular points in the conversation. Reema slouched against Cassie, smiling and saying little in return. People still laughed, though, whenever she did make a contribution. They loved her!

Although she couldn't see anything, the scene unfolding behind her must have been quite rowdy. In addition to music, there was lots of loud chatter. Josh was probably at the centre it. He was obviously too busy to come over and say 'hello'. Reema pushed herself off of Cassie and started swivelling around to see what he was up to, but stopped herself at the last moment. She didn't want to give Josh the satisfaction of being one more person noticing him. Instead, she just reached behind her to undo the scorpion pony tail.

Even guys who weren't standing nearby seemed to notice the show. She shook her head, completely displaying the black richness of her tresses. She then flipped her hair, allowing the long locks to cascade down her back. Reclining on the couch, she showed off some of her body -- including her taut, caramel-color tummy, which became more exposed as her top rode further up.

Suddenly, more people were lingering around the couch where she sat. Meanwhile, Reema did even less talking than before. She just smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear. At one point, she closed her eyes to take in the sounds -- the loud beats and all the commotion -- knowing that many of the people around her really wanted to have a conversation with her right now. When she did open her eyes, she knew that they would be receptive to whatever she had to say. And then they'd laugh along nicely.

Reema's blissed out state didn't last long, however. It was broken by an overly warm hand caressing her leg. A male voice accompanied the feeling, "Heyyy, nice..."

Reema opened her eyes to investigate. Briefly, she thought it might be Josh, but as her vision focused, she saw an unfamiliar guy in a black shirt squeezing into the seat beside her.

His hair was slicked back with more gel than was needed. He had a lot of hair in general -- including eyebrows, a five o'clock shadow, and arm hair. He was well-groomed, though, with decent looks, even if he didn't seem that much taller than Reema.

"That's good shit," he said.

She shook her head uncomprehendingly, "Huh?

He pointed to the cup in her hand. She had already half-forgotten she was holding it, or how it got there. "Oh....ok," she responded curtly, hoping to end the conversation.

"I love this headband, too," the stranger persisted.

As he reached to her face, Reema pulled back and gave him an accusatory look.

"Hey, I'm only paying you a compliment," he said. "Don't act like you're uptight now."

As people nearby started noticing their uncomfortable conversation, the greaser deliberately put his hand on Reema's leg and gripped the hem of her skirt. Before she could decide how to react -- or Cassie could intervene on her behalf -- the brown girl sensed the presence of a tall person looming above them.

"You sure about that?" a deep voice sounded overhead.

Reema and the greaser both looked up. It was Josh. Her unwanted conversation partner eyed him with frustration -- not appreciating the cock block. "What the Hell, dude? Mind your own fuckin' -- "

Before he could finish the threat, Josh grabbed his shirt and pulled him in the air. The motion showed how powerful Josh was, to be able to manhandle another guy so effortlessly. People moved out of the way as Josh forced 'greaser man' onto the pool table.

With one hand holding him down, he popped his jaw with a quick, potent right hand. The room sounded with a chorus of 'oooos'.

The jab left his victim reeling. "Ughh... alright," he whined. "Do you really need to -- "

Josh slugged him again, this time in the gut. The greaser folded over, falling to one knee. To the soundtrack of some light applause, he picked himself up and crept to a corner of the room, trying to fend off more ridicule.

Josh made his way to Reema, who sat in the seat where she'd watched the whole fight. "What a jackass," he said.

Her heart quickened as her mind processed what was happening. A random jerk had come onto her, then Josh Cameron showed up -- to beat the guy up!

"Yeah, I... dunno, who..." she stuttered.

"I wish most guys could stand up to assholes like that," Cassie stepped in to commend him. Reema looked at her friend, then back at Josh.

"C'mon, Ree," he said, holding out a reassuring hand, nodding to the door, "Let's get some air for a minute."

She took it, allowing him to lift her to her feet. He then put his arm around her, escorting her out of the basement and up the stairs. As they passed the hordes of people who had no idea what violence just transpired downstairs, Reema clung to his sculpted body, her little flimsy purse flapping perilously at her side. She looked up and saw his well-defined jaw, with his chin pointing up in the air. His steely blue eyes were focused on the path before them. She rested her dizzy head back on his shirt.

Eventually, they reached the front of the house, sidestepping many piles of crushed cups strewn across the lawn. Josh led Reema to a quiet spot under a tree. It was getting cold, much more so than when the girls first arrived. Reema's legs quivered, although due as much to the chemicals in her body as the chill in the night air.

"Just relax a sec," Josh told her.

"Okay," Reema agreed, following his lead.

Josh put his hands on her hips and rubbed her sides. He brought her close, and the soothing embrace made her feel safe.

Reema's bulging breasts pressed against his chest and, in that moment, she was reminded how Josh wasn't like any of the other guys she met that night -- or even during her short time at college. As sociable and confident as they each might have been, they weren't Josh.

Reema then felt his hand gently stroking the back of her head. She responded by placing her hands on his hips, trying to stabilize herself. Her veins flowed with adrenaline and her brain swirled with drugs and alcohol. Visually, it all manifested as an expressionless smile on her lips.

Reema's thighs twitched as they brushed against each other. She was aware of a new level of excitement building up in her body. Josh lowered his head and whispered deeply.

"Tell me why, Ree..."

Meeting his steady gaze, Reema just shook her head and wondered what he was getting at. "Huh?" Her eyes fluttered -- with both excitement and confusion -- as she looked up at him.

"Tell me why you look so beautiful tonight..."

Reema melted. They were so close now. She didn't remember how they had gotten this way. Their lips were practically grazing each other. Pull her into him, Josh traced the side of her face with his hand, brushing his thumb against her cheek.

The patter in her heart felt more like stomping as she anticipated a kiss. It came sweetly at first, but just as her mind started to think of it as 'tender', Josh instigated a rougher, open-mouth affair.

Reema instinctively pushed her chest against him as she followed his lead. His hand left her face and briefly tugged at her hair before trailing down her curved back. With his other palm, he cupped her breast, kneading the flesh through her tight dress. Unintentionally, Reema let out a slight moan. Josh was being forceful, but not hurtful.

A few stragglers outside the party caught them in the act. Their silhouettes presented an interesting mismatch: a tall, athletic male figure and the much shorter, curvier girl who he was ravishing. This drew humorous -- yet congratulatory -- remarks from the onlookers. Even as silhouettes, the movement of Josh's and Reema's bodies were evident -- his hands were resting favorably on her chest and ass.

Josh pushed his crotch forward, grinding it against hers. "You're so beautiful," he breathed.

"Ohhhh," Reema cooed between avid kisses.

His hands travelled up and down her back, squeezing her ass cheeks. She whimpered and pushed against his sturdy frame. Catching a whiff of his cologne, she smelled it mixing with the faint cigarette odors that were dispersing through the night air. In the distance, Reema heard laughter coming from the porch and -- above them -- heavy bass beats from the DJ's speaker system. A piercing digital melody, meanwhile, started to be noticeable above all these other sounds.

Josh initiated another French kiss, encouraging more gentle tongue reciprocation from Reema. His hands relaxed so that he just held her -- no groping, just supporting her body.

For the second time in as many weeks, Reema found herself locked in a passionate moment with an attractive guy -- letting her emotions and physicality dominate her brain. The sensation of Josh's tongue gently coaxing hers felt so pleasant, she couldn't stop her body from leaning against him more tightly, crushing her breasts into his pecs.

If she were honest, Reema would have to admit that this kiss felt even hotter than the one she'd shared with Aaron the week before. The reasons were totally primal: Josh was cockier, more athletic and better looking than Aaron.

As her sexual instincts grew keener, Reema seemed to be gravitating toward this 'type'. Outside of her conscious control, her body was getting more energized, stimulated and submissive -- in automatic response to the feeling of Josh Cameron's arms wrapped around her waist.

Indifferent to the rest of the world, she slackened her mouth and let his tongue explore it more intensely. She let out nonsensical whimpers as they groped each other in the dark.

Then everything abruptly stopped. She slowly opened her eyes, wondering why Josh wasn't touching or kissing her anymore. As Josh came into focus, she saw him leaning back, scanning the area around them. He was looking for something. She lowered her head to join him in the search, without exactly being sure what it was they were trying to find. The high-pitched music continued playing until Josh realized it was coming from Reema herself.

Inside her micro-purse -- flimsily positioned between them -- something also started to rumble. The trebly music kept getting louder. Reema finally looked down at her chiming, vibrating purse, then awkwardly backed away from Josh's arms.

She took the tiny bag off her elbow, trying a couple of times to undo zipper before finally getting it open. Reema pulled out the source of the embarrassing noise -- her iPhone, which was blasting the Star Trek: Next Generation theme song at its highest possible volume setting.

The phone displayed an incoming call, accompanied by the image of a tan, skinny guy with dark brown hair. In his contact icon, he was sticking out both thumbs and wearing an intentionally goofy smile.

As the name at the bottom of the screen confirmed, the caller was Miguel.

Reema stared blankly at the rumbling device, her hand shaking along with it. She held it away from her body. A gust of air felt cold across her legs. Other than the pulsating phone, it was the only sensation she could focus on -- until she heard Josh's voice.

"What's up with that thing?" he smiled down. Reema instantly raised her head.

After a pause, she tried to make some sounds, "I... uh." She then lowered her eyes, trying to formulate a better response. Her clouded brain couldn't manufacture one, though. The answers she needed certainly weren't contained on her iPhone. The screen just showed that her boyfriend was trying to call -- right now, as she stood outside a house party with hot looking guy, who had been making out with her only seconds before. Reema's chest tightened and her breathing quickened, revealing the anxiety that was consuming her.

Then the noise and rumbling stopped.

She watched the image on the phone switch back to her default home screen, with a 'missed call' icon appearing at the top.

"Who was that?" Josh asked, his voice commanding her attention.

Still thinking about the call, but now gazing up at him, she stammered, "What?"

Not having been too invested in an answer, Josh dropped the question and resumed their embrace. He rested one hand on her hip while trailing the other up her back, eventually caressing her hair. Reema's arms were awkwardly sandwiched between them, disallowing the closeness from before. Her phone beeped a few more times, indicating a voicemail message.

The sizeable jock continued stroking her hair, trying to assuage her, "It's fine, Ree..." He expected her to drop her hands and nestle back into him.

But she just stood still, rigid and paralyzed.

"C'mon, relax," he tried again, widening his arms to encourage her to come closer.

Reema's voice started as a whisper, eventually fading into silence. Her eyes betrayed a lost girl. "I, I c-can't." Her breathing was just as harried -- three nervous intakes, followed by a sharp exhale. Josh's eyes dropped to study her coffee-color breasts, and the deep canyon forming between them. Reema caught the flattering glance, but her excited feelings from earlier vanished the second she had seen Miguel's photo. She felt numb now. Josh waited a few moments before deciding he wouldn't be getting anywhere with this shaken. He quickly took his hands off her. "You're going to be alright, Ree," he said, resuming the original purpose for escorting her out of the party.