In Your Wildest Dreams Ch. 03

Kerina stared at the darkened bruises on her otherwise flawless wrists.

"What the fuck?" she muttered confused.

She rubbed at them before walking toward the bathroom. She reached into the sink cabinet to fetch her cocoa butter, gently applying it to the tender bruises.

She was going to stay clear of Brantley today. She didn't need him or dream Brantley affecting her. She showered hastily and went back into her room to study.

Kerina sat Indian style on her bed with all her studying tools spread about. Yellow, green and blue highlighter marks were scattered about her handouts and ledger sheets of notes.

Hours of reading, learning and memorizing were followed by hours of frustration, loud sighs and shuffling of papers.

Fuck it,she thought.If I don't know it now, I never will,she reasoned.

She shoved all her study tools to the right side of her bed and laid back.

This dream was different than the others. This one was consumed of floating business terminology and marketing strategies.

*****************

Kerina smiled and stretched once she woke up from her catnap. She felt refreshed and actually ready for the business test she had the next day. She carefully placed a rubber band around the stack of flashcards she had made and stuffed them into her bag. She sorted and placed her papers back into her notebook, and put it and her textbook into the bag as well.

She stretched again and decided to get a snack and drink before her stomach decided to eat her alive. Her eyes drifted towards the window and she saw that it was dark outside. She looked at her phone and saw that it was almost 7. She'd studied and slept the day away! She remembered Brantley had mentioned something about some friends coming over, so she cracked her door open to look out. To her surprise it was quiet. She looked down at her clothes and fumbled with the thin fabric of her washed too many times white t-shirt and softball shorts.

She shrugged and padded out into the hallway when she saw Brantley and a few friends in the living room area around the teal green portable card playing table. She took in the bottles of beer and odd deck of playing cards before they noticed her. Brantley was the first to speak while the others just looked at her.

"Kerina, you're alive," he smiled. "You've been barricaded in your room all day."

"Yea, I'm alive," she said returning his smile. "I had a lot of studying to do."

"I saw. I went in to check on you, and I saw you stretched out in there."

"Mmm," one of the boys said, and another nudged him violently in the side.

"I was tired," Kerina said, dismissing the boy. "All that cramming gave me a headache. I think I'm good now."

"You damn sure look good," the boy spoke again.

They all laughed, except Kerina. She protectively crossed her arms across her chest and scoffed. Brantley stopped laughing and apologized for the boy.

"Don't mind them, Kerr Bear. They're all fucking idiots."

"Yea Kerr Bear. We're fucking idiots," the boy said.

Kerina didn't know the boy, but was quickly starting to dislike him. She figured he had been drinking and wrote his ridiculous behavior off as drunkenness.

"Dude shut the fuck up," Brantley said before mouthing he was sorry again.

He introduced the guys as Tyson, Mike and Derek, with the latter being the one she wasn't fond of. The rest of the guys seemed to be OK. Tyson was even cute. She'd seen him passing quick glances and smiles her way.

"Care to join us?" Brantley asked.

"Nah," Kerina dismissed. "I just came to get something to snack on."

"We got chips, dip and beer right here. Come sit and play with us," he offered patting his seat.

Kerina shot a quick glance at Derek, knowing he had some perverted comment, but he just looked at her. Actually more like let his eyes roam her body.

"What are y'all playin?" she asked squeezing onto the chair with Brantley.

"Anything you wanna play."

"I don't really know how to play many card games."

"You play poker?"

"No. I play Uno, Old Maid, Solitaire, War, Bullshit and Gold Fish."

"You mean Go Fish?" Brantley joked.

"You know what I meant!" she laughed.

"Yea, yea, yea. How 'bout Bullshit. The rest of those games are for babies."

"And ain't no babies round here! I'm a man!" Derek yelled, ripping his shirt.

"Man what kind of sick fuck are you?" Mike asked.

He just shrugged.

The group started playing Bullshit. Brantley decided not to play. He kept his arm around her waist to keep her balanced in the chair with him as he helped her play – for her card playing had gotten a little rusty.

"Kerr Bear," Derek said. Kerina shot him a dirty glance. "What? You don't want me to call you Kerr Bear, Kerr Bear?"

"What do you want?"

"Did you know that people actually call me Big D?" She shook her head in the negative. "Guess why," he said wiggling his eyebrows."

Kerina can only fault the alcohol for what she said next.

"Probably because the dick you lack in your pants, you make up for with your dickish attitude. Now shut the fuck up and don't call me Kerr Bear. And oh yea, bullshit."

The boys burst out in laughter. Mike spit out his beer from laughing so hard and Tyson went backwards in his chair and hit the floor. Even Derek laughed.

"You know what, Kerr Bear? You're alright," he said.

After a while of playing, the group had gotten bored with the game. She'd gotten used to Brantley's circle of friends, even Derek.

"Let's play something else," she chimed.

"Like what?" Brantley asked.

"I don't know. Something."

"You have a test tomorrow. Shouldn't you go get ready for bed?" he asked quietly.

"I'm not tired. I took that long nap. I couldn't go to sleep if I tried. But if you're tired, you can go to bed, dear. I'll stay here and play with the boys" she added.

"Damn," Mike said.

"Feisty!" Derek yelled. Kerina just laughed.

"Oh I'm not tired, sweetheart," Brantley said.

"Okay then, let's play another game.

"Fine," he said shifting in his seat, gripping her waist tighter.

"Let's break out the liquor and play a good game of "never have I ever!'" Derek yelled.

"Why are you always yelling? Besides, that's a bitch game man," Mike said. "No offense, Kerina."

"Well what do you think? I think it's a good way to... get to know one another a little better," Derek said.

"I'm gonna go smoke a cigarette. I'll be back guys," Brantley said.

"I'll go too man," Mike said.

"I'll stay in here to protect Kerina from Derek," Tyson said. Kerina smiled at him.

"Whatever man. I'm not gonna do nothin' to her."

When Mike and Brantley went out onto the patio, Kerina got up to fetch a few shot glasses and a bottle of Absolut vodka. She was really warming up to the guys. She didn't have many guy friends. Hell, she didn't have many friends, period.

"I'll help you with those," Tyson said grabbing the glasses from her hand.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Do you think it's a good idea for you to be drinking? From the sound of it, you have a pretty big exam tomorrow."

"What's the harm? I'm not gonna get drunk. I'm innocent, I swear," she smiled.

"I bet," he said returning her smile with a bright one of his own. "So how long have you and Brantley known each other?"

"Not too long. But from what I can see, he's a pretty awesome guy. I haven't had any problems from him."

"Yea he's okay. He's just selfish. He's been hiding you from us," he joked.

"I stay cooped up a lot. When I'm not working or at school, I'm here studying something. I'm a nerd, but sshhhh. Don't tell anybody."

"Your secret's safe with me."

"Who's telling secrets over there?" Derek yelled.

"Oh hush," Kerina said.

Mike and Brantley had made their ways back in after a few minutes and the crew set up to play. They sat around the table with their shot glasses in front of them.

"I see why you stay in so much Brantley. I'd stay in too if my roommate was as beautiful as Kerina," Tyson said winking over at her.

"I resent that," Derek said, with mock hurt. "Who's going first?"

"I'd say ladies first, so go for it Derek," Mike said.

"Fuck you. Your girl doesn't think I'm a lady. Unless she's just into chicks."

"Man, shut up. Kerina, go first sweetheart. Everybody's shot glass is full. If you gotta take a shot, take it and fill your glass back up after you do."

"Okay," she said nervously. "Never have I ever...cheated on a test."

All the boys took a shot, and filled their glasses back up.

"You cheaters!" she joked.

"I'm sorry, Kerina. I didn't realize we were playing the Christian edition of the game," Derek joked.

"Oh shut up," she laughed.

"Okay, my go," Mike said. "Never have I ever stuffed my pants,Derek."

"Son of a bitch!" Derek yelled. "I should fuck you up for that one," he said before taking another shot. "Kerina, let me explain. I was 12 and we were in the locker room –"

"We don't wanna hear it," Mike said. "Tyson, you're up."

"Okay. Never have I ever made out with my sister."

The guys looked at Derek.

"Umm when you say that, do you mean your sister or our own sister?"

"Either way, you're drinkin' so just take your shot like a man."

"I swear to God, you bitches better sleep with one eye open. Kerina, I was 12. I didn't know any better."

Kerina just shook her head and laughed. She had a feeling she wasn't going to have to take any shots tonight.

"Okay, never have I ever..." Brantley started. "Had drunk sex."

All the guys took shots.

"You sure you haven't?" he said to Kerina. She turned and looked at him and his gray eyes had darkened.

"No. I mean, not that I know of?" she said confused.

He just nodded knowingly and gave her a sideways smile before saying, "If you're not sure, you should take a shot anyway."

She stared longer at him before slowly nodding and taking her shot. The boys clapped and cheered when she downed it. All except Brantley.

"Okay," she started. "Never have I ever been high."

All the boys took shots.

"At this rate, I'm gonna have to crash here tonight," Derek said.

The statements began to go a bit quicker. It seemed that Derek drank to everyone. He'd basically admitted to having sex with a friend's mom, sister, a teacher, and a bunch of other things.

"Never have I ever had a threesome," Kerina said.

"Would you like to?" Derek asked.

She shook her head in the negative and he and Mike drank.

Mike, Derek and Tyson went and then it was Brantley's go.

"Never have I ever been handcuffed during sex."

Of course Derek drank. Kerina just sat there and stared at her glass. She'd had a few shots, and her decision-making skills weren't at their best right now, but she had a feeling Brantley was mind-fucking her. She seemed to have to drink to all his questions. Like some of the others, she was unsure of.

"Drink it," Brantley whispered in her ear.

Or so she thought. When she looked over at him he was staring elsewhere. She shrugged and took the shot anyway.

"Kerr Bear, you're just as dirty as I am," Derek said.

She was embarrassed and she found herself getting angry at Brantley. Why? She didn't know. He was just playing the game. Or was he?

"It's getting late guys, so last round. Kerina, you go. We're gonna make our way around the table and end at Brant, so make these count guys."

"Okay. Never have I ever taken advantage of someone," she said slowly.

No one drank.

"Could you elaborate that one?" one of the guys asked. She was unsure who asked, thanks to the amount of shots she'd taken.

"Never have I ever taken advantage of someone. . . physically."

"Ahh," Derek said and drank.

Of course he had. Perv.

She looked over at Brantley. She didn't see him take a shot but did see him reach for the bottle of Absolut and fill his glass back up. She stared at it and up at him. When he turned to look at her, he had an eerie look on his face. A creepy sinister look. She felt like she was going to throw up.

"I don't wanna play anymore," she said quickly.

"You can't forfeit, Kerina. If you do you gotta take 3 shots," Derek said.

She looked over at Brantley once more. She grabbed her shot glass and drank. She also drank Mike and Tyson's before making her exit back into her room.

*****************

She looked down at her phone. It was almost midnight. Her head was spinning, she was confused and embarrassed, and she had a test in the morning. She stripped out of her clothes, put on her pajamas, and quickly got into hew bed.

She shut her eyes tried her hardest to fall asleep but she couldn't. She couldn't put the thought of Brantley out of her head. She stared at her door. At times like this Kerina wished she had a lock on her door. She got up and propped the chair that sat in the corner of her room against the door to keep it from opening. She climbed back in bed and pulled the covers up to her chin and drifted off to sleep thanks to that Absolut.

********

She heard her door handle jingle. How? She didn't know. She was usually a pretty heavy sleeper. Or so she thought. She wasn't sure what to think anymore.

She pulled herself from her bed and marched towards to door. She pushed the chair aside and opened to door to see him.

"What do you want Brant?" she asked.

Of course, he didn't say anything. Reality set in. Dreamland.

Matter as well get this out of the way,she thought. She pulled off her top and pulled him into her room. He just stood there before he finally spoke.

"Kerina, what are you doing?"

"Oh you're talking again tonight? Fun," she said stepping out of her pants.

"Kerina, stop. I came in here to apologize."

Real reality sunk in. She wasn't dreaming this time.