Callatin Academy #3 Crazy Girl

Chapter 1

Jordan

Does this look tacky? I asked my best friend and roommate, Madeline DeMarina, a few weeks into June, as I slipped into a sky blue draped strapless dress. The band was performing at a wedding for a local couple and the reception was about thirty minutes away. I was terrified.

Hell no Jo, you look hot and about twenty five years old.

Really? I asked, checking myself out in the mirror again.

Yeah. I need to post pictures of you so the male population at Callatin can be chomping at the bit since you’re single. She laughed.

I need to get going. I mumbled nervously.

Don’t be scared Jordan, you’re going to blow them away. You always do. She reassured me with a smile and thumbs up. I took a deep breath and headed outside to my car. My band mates were coming from their homes and we all decided to meet in the parking lot of the mall, rather than drive out of the way to pick everyone up.

You nervous? Lane Holloway, the lead male vocalist of our group asked knowingly as he squeezed my hand while we unloaded our van at the wedding reception.

Not at all. I answered sarcastically.

Well you look hot and when you start singing no one will be able to take their eyes off you. I mean, they’re not going to know what hit them when you get up there. He smiled. I will guarantee our phone will be ringing off the hook for gigs after we unleash you on an unsuspecting crowd.

Thanks. I giggled. My name is Jordan Donaldson and I will be a Junior at Callatin Academy, the most prestigious private school in the country. My father is the head master there and my two older brothers, Kyler and Caleb, were all accepted due to our athletic and academic excellence. Well, Kyler actually graduated recently, so he wasn’t there anymore, technically. However, many people at the school were there because they were part of the rich and richest club, needless to say, I went to school with many snobs.

I am currently in a band called Down Under, we’re good but we mainly play weddings and school functions, mostly because we are too young to perform at any bars yet.

When we arrived at the reception, we set up the stage while guests started arriving. An iPod and speakers were filling the air while we waited for the wedding party. We weren’t officially even starting until introductions, announcements and dinner were finished but we’d arrived extra early in case something went wrong.

I’m gonna run to the bathroom real quick. I announced about ten minutes before we were set to start playing. Izzy Dramen, our drummer and only other girl in the band, went with me. We walked out of the elaborate Spanish style building, reserved for just such occasions, and into the backyard where the reception was being held, the two of us talking about random Callatin gossip.

Son of a… I began to curse as I felt my high heel weaken in the soft grass. I started to teeter but a pair of strong hands grasped my elbows to steady me.

Need some help? A familiar deep voice breathed in my ear. It had been almost a year but I’d remember that touch and voice fifty years from now. I cocked my head back and stared into the gorgeous brown eyes of my hot hero from last summer’s vacation. He’d rescued me from falling face first into the water while fishing, afterwards we had made an amazing connection. My mouth dropped open as he bent down to help pull my foot and shoe from the mud. When he looked back at me, he whispered. You are so beautiful. Then his face contorted as though he didn’t mean to say it out loud.

What are you…? I started, as I looked back at him in a stunning black tuxedo. Was this his wedding? How disappointing. Tears bit at my eyes as I took a deep breath and tried to finish my sentence.

My sister’s wedding. He smiled and gave a low chuckle as if he heard my thoughts. I’m going to ask you the same thing, because I’m really hoping you’re not here as someone’s date.

I’m with the band. I answered as I looked back at him questioningly.

Thank God. He said as he let out a pent up breath.

I’m a little worried that you keep coming up behind me to rescue me. Are you stalking me?

Nope. He chuckled. "Just lucky, I guess, that I get to keep rescuing you and coming up behind you."

"Lucky me." I flirted. Izzy shook her head and grabbed my hand to lead me back to the stage.

Sorry, I have to go. I mumbled regretfully.

I’ll be around. He smiled, as he nodded his head and continued to stare into my eyes. It was that same feeling again, like he was staring straight into my soul. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that this guy knew everything about me, without even asking or me telling. My stomach fluttered and my heart raced at the situation, it was almost like fate was intervening and allowing us to meet again.

You know that guy? Izzy asked as she looked back to check him out.

Not really. I don’t even know his last name. I met him on vacation last year and he helped me reel in a fish. I laughed. How weird is it that he’s here tonight?

"Very, but maybe you’ll find out his name this time. He‘s hot and he is definitely in to you." She laughed.

I hope so. I smiled as I looked back at where my stranger stood and smiled coyly. "Because I am definitely into him."

Within minutes, the band started and I forgot where I was and just began belting out lyrics. Because it was a wedding, we had a set list to play off and were accepting requests but they had to have been pre approved by the bride and groom. For instance, if they said no Band Perry then we weren’t singing any Band Perry, even if someone asked for it.

An hour and a half later, we took a break and headed to the bar for a drink of water. Well I headed to the bathroom first and then went to the bar. As I bellied up next to my friends my hot stranger came sauntering up to me and put an ice cold beer bottle down in front of me.

Um, I’m only sixteen. I mumbled embarrassedly, praying he wouldn’t run away.

And I just turned seventeen.

Happy Birthday. I smiled. "How are you getting served then?" I asked as I pointed to his cup of draft beer.

This is hick town darlin’, if you can climb up on the bar stool then you can get served alcohol. He laughed. I nodded my head and smiled as I took a swig of the beer. Besides, it’s my sister’s wedding so I’m entitled to get a little drunk.

I guess so. I giggled. We flirted for a few more minutes before I realized our break was about to end.

Do you know what would be an awesome birthday present? He bent down and asked in my ear.

You want my autograph? I joked.

Well… He laughed. I just want to know your name. My face fell. He couldn’t remember my name. His was permanently imprinted on my brain and fantasies and he couldn’t remember mine. Oh no. I mean. Your whole name. All I know is that your name is Jordan, I just kind of wondered what your last name was. He rambled. I giggled and nodded my head as if I knew that is what he meant all along. I was summoned to return to the stage and walked away leaving him hanging. After our second song, I addressed the crowd and began introducing everyone.

"And I am Jordan Donaldson and we are Down Under." I smiled as I locked eyes with my handsome stranger. He grinned back at me and chuckled.

"Well Jordan Donaldson, I am Lance Bowman." He smiled as he handed me a cup of water when he met me by the stage after our second set.

Nice to finally know your whole name. I admitted teasingly. I kind of figured out your first name from your friends…

Because I was an idiot and never really introduced myself then. He said with a disgusted shake of his head. I’m really sorry. I’m not usually so rude. It’s just that, well I guess I was kind of shocked that you were hanging out with us.

Why would you be shocked? Do I seem like a snob?

Not at all darlin’. He chuckled as he took a drink from his cup. You didn’t get in too much trouble when you left, did ya?

Nope. My brother pretty much kept his mouth shut after my threat. I’m sorry about that by the way.

No harm. No foul. He shrugged. I’m just sorry it ended like that.

Yeah, I’d have rather had a more graceful exit. I giggled.

And you left without a real goodbye. Or giving me your phone number. He said playfully as he looked away quickly.

I wasn’t asked for it. I answered coyly.

That’s my fault.

Yes it is.

"Well, I’m not going to make that mistake again." He admitted as he got me a bottle of beer and moved a little closer to me.

Lance I can’t drink, I’m technically working.

True, but with pipes like those you deserve a beer darlin. He drawled. I rolled my eyes and took a swig from the bottle.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" I asked suspiciously with a playful smile.

Actually I’m just trying to find out if you can handle your alcohol.

Why’s that?

So far you’re perfect, but there’s got to be something about you that’s not.

Better men have tried to find out. I lit. "Trust me honey, I can handle my alcohol and probably drink you under the table. Tonight, however, is not the night you’ll find that out. His face dropped and I suddenly realized he thought I was blowing him off. He’d totally misinterpreted my answer and I giggled at his reaction. Because I’m working." I smiled. He grinned back at me and made a funny face.

I can respect that. He chuckled.

And you don’t have to get me bottle beer either. I can totally handle draft.

My kind of girl.

I’m hoping so. I sighed under my breath as I looked back up at the stage quickly. I was kind of praying he heard me and then again praying that he didn’t, when I looked back at him I couldn’t tell whether he had or not. I’m such a hooch. I’m practically throwing myself at a complete stranger.

I headed back to the stage a few minutes later and sang an intense duet with Lane. Then I sang Carrie Underwood’s ‘Before He Cheats", Taylor Swift’s ‘Picture to Burn’, Kellie Pickler’s ‘Red High Heels’ and Gretchen Wilson’s ‘Redneck Woman’. All the while, I shimmied, shook and played to the crowd. Every now and then I’d shoot Lance sexy smiles and glances, hoping he didn’t know that I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I was falling fast for this brown-eyed charmer, scratch that, I’d already fallen for the brown eyed charmer and wasn’t in the least bit terrified of the dangers ahead.

Chapter 2

Lance

I can’t believe she’s here. I can’t believe the girl of my dreams, is here, at my sister’s wedding and she is actually talking and flirting with me. How can a girl like that even give me a second look? The words had been rolling around in my head since the second I spied her when I first arrived. When I ditched the guys to get a closer look, they threatened to follow but Chopper reeled them all back in. He’d obviously seen her too. Thank God it had been her, the same girl who’d been center stage in my dreams since last summer, the same girl that I’d seriously contemplated a random road trip to Texas for, countless times.

I looked around the table, wondering if my longtime friends Sawyer, Chopper or Cooper were as shocked as I was. They didn’t seem to notice, they were all caught up in drinking their beers and checking out the single girls none of us were related to.

The four of us had been best friends all our lives and today was the first time in over a year that we were somewhat back to normal. Normal is the wrong word to use, because we’d never be back there again. However, we had all gone through the day without awkward pauses or sentences and when Coop mentioned my missing brother Luke, it was okay. He was definitely right in saying he should be here too, that he’d be having a blast with us.

My heart wrenched every time I looked at my mom or sisters today, knowing they were thinking the same things as me. Luke should be here too. He should be all dressed up in a monkey suit, suffering the heat and photographs like the rest of us, but he wasn’t. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to take away that pain from my family. Hell, Drew wasn’t even here either. That hurt Jenn’s feelings, a lot, although she’d never admit it. Growing up Drew and his little sister Alicia were more like another brother and sister, rather than cousins. We were all thick as thieves, Jenn always thought of them as younger siblings so it was an ultimate diss that Drew couldn’t be bothered to show up. Of course, Drew hadn’t really been hanging around us all that much anymore. He and Luke had drifted off into a different crowd last year, that was how all the trouble got started in the first place. Since Luke’s disappearance, Drew hasn’t really wanted anything to do with the rest of us, certain we were the cause of my brother running away. This hurt just as much as losing my twin brother. Sure, Drew is annoying and an ass most times, but he’s still family. Alicia had been here, apologizing for Drew, as usual.

Then her jerk of a date got bored and they took off to a party somewhere else.

Poor Sawyer. He’s had it bad for Lish since the Sixth grade when he got his first kiss, from her, during a pathetic attempt at truth or dare. He has yet to tell anyone but me this piece of information though. He’d gotten up the nerve to ask her to be his date only to learn that she’d begun dating some Marine, a few years older, from a few towns over. Poor Sawyer was heartbroken, but when he’d met the guy today he was furious. The guy was a first class jerk, treating Alicia like crap, but she didn’t seem to notice anything but his muscles. Girls.

What are the odds of fish girl being a wedding singer? Chopper laughed as he nodded to the stage. And what are the odds of a girl that hot even noticing you, Bo?

I was wondering the same thing. I mumbled, returning my gaze and thoughts back to the gorgeous angel up on stage. Maybe she is just being nice.

"There is nice and then there is totally checking you out, which is definitely what she is doing. Cooper said as he shook his head in disbelief. Not that I’ve ever seen it before myself, but I think that might be what it looks like."

What I can’t believe. Sawyer interjected with a knowing smile, Is that Lance Bowman, the king of one night stands and blow offs, looks like he may actually be interested in this girl.

Until she sleeps with him. Cooper laughed.

Something about her, tells me she’s not like that. Chopper said as he stared back at the stage thoughtfully, watching her perform. Something, tells me that she’s different. There is definitely something special about that one.

Maybe that she’s perfect. I mumbled as I drained the cup of draft in front of me, before moving on to the next round that Coop had gone to get earlier. "There has got to be something I’m missing, something that I’m not seeing. I mean seriously, she’s too good to be true."

"Maybe she’s a stalker. Maybe that’s the real reason she’s here. Cooper lit. Didn’t she say she was from Texas? How do you perform at a wedding in Illinois if you’re from Texas?" He raised a good point and I prayed that meant she had relocated to Illinois, if only I could be that lucky.

"I would definitely be okay with having her for a stalker. Chopper chuckled. And I think Lance wouldn’t mind that either."

Seriously Bo, I’ve never seen you look at a girl like this before. I mean, not even the porno or Playboy girls, and that is some serious stuff. Sawyer said thoughtfully, trying to understand.

If only my friends knew that I haven’t been able to get her face, smell or touch out of my head since last summer. I can only imagine how much Hell I’d catch if I told them she actually took my breath away when I first saw her at the campsite, playing horseshoes with her brothers. What would they say if I explained the feelings I got when I looked into those beautiful, sad blue eyes that seemed so familiar to me. All I want is to kiss her again. I just want to wrap my arms around her and relish in that perfect fit that I’d found while we were camping. I’m pretty sure she could be the girl to tame me. She’s definitely not the type of girl I’d usually lose interest in quickly. No, this girl could actually become something very special to me. I can’t even explain to myself the feelings that rushed over me from the first time we touched or how my heart suddenly seemed whole again. What is happening to me? I could only gape back at the beauty that was shooting me flirty looks and wonder if I was in another fantasy.

Out of nowhere, my oldest sister Jenn rushed over to the table, dropped her hands loudly onto the white tablecloth and eyed me skeptically.

"Lance Bowman, are you hitting on