Free Somebody Love Me (Journeys) by Michelle Sutton

along. My mother always did.
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    Christmas was less than two weeks away and I couldn't wait for our school break to begin. I started my prescription just like the nurse had instructed and remembered to take my pill every day without fail. After I finished my last final exam and they dismissed us from class, I headed for my house. I wanted to isolate myself for a little while and try to get my head straight. Maybe putting some distance between me and my messed up friends would help, though I doubted it. I had a hard time saying no.
    Mary and Cathy called that night right after I finished dinner. They weren't the best friends a girl could have, but they always knew where the action could be found. So when they asked me if I wanted to go to the new arcade in town, and since it was within walking distance of my house, I figured why not? The temperature was just below freezing, but I sucked it up and shoved my bare hands into my pockets. I didn't want to look like a little kid wearing a hat and gloves.
    Even wearing my new leather coat -- an early Christmas present from my dad -- did little to keep my body warm. It blocked the wind, but without a scarf I still froze my butt off walking to the arcade. My legs felt stiff underneath my jeans and I could understand why in the old days people wore long johns.
    By the time I arrived at "Buttons Arcade," which had just opened near the strip mall on the north side of the city, I was glad I decided to give it a try despite the bitter cold. To my delight, Buttons was loaded with guys. They came in every size, shape, and color. Well, almost. But I had never seen so many cute guys in one place before outside of my high school. It was like a smorgasbord of good-looking boys, and the few girls hanging out were outnumbered at least three to one. That meant more choices for me and my girlfriends.
    Not that Mary was very picky these days. Nor had she ever been, come to think of it. And after Cathy's recent rejection by Dave the Drummer, she said she was open to checking out her options, too. It sort of felt like we'd showed up at a bar to find ourselves some dates, not that I'd know what that was like. A bunch of guys stood alongside the wall checking us out, probably because young women were scarce tonight. Others watched two young men playing pool.
    Smoke wafted in the air and I bummed a cigarette from Cathy since she always had at least a pack on her. I lit up and watched the two guys playing pool. The tall one had a nice build. I liked the way his muscles bulged when he leaned over and took each shot. He looked pretty sexy when he did it while clamping a cigarette between his lips. The action made me think of James Dean from the old black and white shows.
    Within minutes, I became too warm from all of the body heat, so I peeled off my coat. Mary sat on a bench talking to a guy who looked about the same age as her. She held her coat on her lap so I figured she could hold mine, too.
    "Hey, Mary? Do you mind holding my coat? I'm dying in here."
    "Sure." Mary barely glanced in my direction and continued to flirt with the guy next to her. Maybe this time she'd find a guy who really liked her and didn't talk to her so he could use her for a good time.
    We all wanted to be loved. We just had different ways of going about finding it.
    Several minutes later, the tallest guy won the pool game. He winked at me. "I want to play you next. I'll pay for the game. Do you want solids or stripes?"
    I glanced to the right and the left. Was he talking to me? Had he noticed I was admiring him earlier? "I'll pick solids, but I'm not playing until you tell me your name."
    He grinned. "It's Mick. What about yours?"
    "Melissa. But I prefer Missy."
    "Missy it is, then. You go first."
    For the next hour I played several games against Mick. He said he'd keep playing me until I won, so I determined not to give up until I bested him. I concentrated on the angles and gestured with my pool