Clare And Axel

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Book excerpt

Fullerton – February 2011

“Never again,” Clare fumed on the way to the bowling alley. Her roommate Britney had cajoled her into going. Then Dave and his friend Cody the loudmouth had shown up. “I should have known.” Clare couldn’t back out now, so she simmered in the back seat. She slapped Cody’s hand, which was in disturbing proximity to her knee. He had ignored all her efforts to be very, very clear that she did not like him.

“Clare, be nice,” Britney admonished from the front seat.

“I haven’t kicked him yet, have I?”

Dave and Cody laughed. That was the problem: they did not take her seriously. “I just might test how useful my kickboxing classes were,” Clare gloomily reflected.

“It’s almost Valentine’s Day,” Britney chuckled. “You don’t want to be alone, do you?”

“Yes, I do. Very much so.” Clare jabbed her elbow into Cody’s ribcage. “Keep your eyes on the road, Dave,” she told the distracted driver.

The game deteriorated at an alarming rate. Britney and Dave could not keep their hands off each other, and Cody was talking and drinking while Clare mercilessly outscored him. He may have been a decent enough baseball player to make the university team, but he was no bowler. Neither was she, but she focused on the game. She did not care to dwell upon what thoughts might be swirling through his inebriated brain.

"I let you win, honey," Cody said on the way to the car. "I am just that kind of guy."

"Yeah, sure." Clare dodged his attempt to drape his arm around her shoulders. "Dave, let me drive. You’re plastered." She would rather walk these ten or so miles back to the apartment than ride in the back seat with Cody.

Fifteen minutes later, while Dave and Britney were taking their sweet time untangling their limbs in order to get out of the back seat, Clare handed the car keys to Cody. "See you later." Much later, when dinosaurs roam the Earth again, she mentally amended.

He blinked uncomprehendingly. “Where are you going?"

"To my brother's place." No flipping way was she returning to the apartment with this crew.

"Hey, sugar, you can’t leave now!"

Clare was already half-way to her car and did not bother to acknowledge the shout.

"What do you need from your brother, Clare?" Apparently, Britney had crawled out in the open.

Clare turned her head in time to twist out of Cody's reach. "Leave me alone."

He swayed slightly. "Come inside."

"Get lost." She slowly reached in her pocket.

He gritted his teeth. "Our evening together is not finished yet."

"Yes, it is. Don't piss me off."

His eyes bugged out. "Don't piss YOU off?!" He reached for her. "Come here," he said when she stepped back. "I will show you a good time."

Britney and Dave were the only other people in the parking lot. “Clare, be kind,” Britney laughed. She must have gulped more beer than reasonable.

Clare pointed her pepper spray canister in Cody’s general direction and pulled the trigger.

Clare did not stay to witness the aftermath. She headed straight to Hunn’s place, stomped to the door, and impatiently rang the doorbell, belatedly realizing that she should have called. She was in no mood to deal with Hunn’s roommate Randy if he happened to be home by himself. Generally – or perhaps due to his friendship with Hunn - Randy kept his hands to himself, but his vocal cords never rested. “Keep telling him off and show no weakness,” Hunn advised. She unfailingly followed his (for once) sage advice. Unfortunately, Randy was Teflon-coated against any insult. She wrapped her fingers around the canister of pepper spray. Man, she was on the roll tonight.

"Love of my life! What a pleasant -" Randy's predatory smile faded. "What’s wrong? Clare? Are you okay?" He swung the door wide open. Behind him, Hunn and his bandmate Jeff raised their eyes from the sheets of music littering the table.

Clare marched to the fridge and popped open a beer, silently daring them to stop her.

"What happened?" Hunn inquired when she finished chugging down the can’s contents.

"I’d better stay here tonight." She hiccupped. Curiously, she felt no buzz.

"What have you done?" Her brother insisted.

"I pepper-sprayed the friend of my roommate's boyfriend.”

“You did what?!” asked three voices in unison.