Tara Kelly - Harmonic Feedback

His hot breath fell on my forehead. I bit down on my tongue until it ached—anything to hold in the scream building inside me.

A few more seconds passed before their footsteps moved toward the bedroom.

“That chick is a fuckin’ freak,” Scott said, shutting the door behind them.

My knees gave out and I slid against the wall until my tailbone hit the floor. I nuzzled my face into my knees and exhaled a breathy scream. The tightness in my throat unraveled some, but there was so much left. So much I wanted to say and couldn’t.

Their voices rose behind the door, and my fingers went cold. Naomi cussed. And Scott cussed back. She kept asking him why. And he wouldn’t give her a real answer. I fished out my phone and stared at Justin’s name. He’d told me to call him, but did that mean in the middle of the night? I shut my brain off and pressed dial.

He answered after the first ring. “Hey, Drea.”

“Did I wake you up?”

“Nah, I was writing in that journal for English.”

“They’re fighting in Scott’s room. I want to go home, but I don’t want to leave her alone with him.”

“What’s the address?”

“Crap, I don’t know.” I got up and parted the blinds hanging over Scott’s window. “It’s too dark to see the sign.”

“Does he have mail lying around somewhere?”

My knees wobbled as I wandered into the kitchen. A mess of papers covered the table. I fished an envelope out. It was sticky with something.

“Found a telephone bill,” I said. “It’s 1401 Madison Street—apartment 239.”

“Got it. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Someone banged on the door about four minutes later. I was sitting at the kitchen table, still clutching my cell phone. Too early to be Justin—unless he lived on this side of town. Every nerve in my body turned to ice.

Scott barreled out of the bedroom and glared at the phone in my hand. “You call the cops?” He made a move toward me, but the banging continued. He snuck up to the door and looked into the peephole. His shoulders relaxed at whoever was standing outside.

“Don’t pound on the door like that, jackass,” Scott said, opening the door.

This was followed by male laughter. Two guys walked in. One had long, frizzy hair and the other wore a beanie and about a billion facial piercings. Frizz Head made himself at home on the couch, and Beanie Guy followed Scott into the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Beanie Guy nodded at me.

I looked down and hightailed it to the front door. Their eyes burned into me.

“I think she’s retarded or something,” Scott said.

“Dude, that was cold .” Beanie whispered something else I couldn’t hear, and they both laughed.

“Hey,” Frizz said from the couch, “you gonna let him talk about you like that?”

“Naomi?” I called, keeping my eyes focused on a hole in the wall. “Where are you?”

“I’m coming,” she said, tearing out of the room. “Sorry.” Her eyes darted from the couch to the kitchen.

“Justin’s coming to pick us up,” I said.

“Hey, Naomi!” Beanie called. “What’s wrong with your friend?”

She rolled her eyes. “She’s got standards.”

Scott leaned toward him. “That’s all she does, man. Stands in corners all hunched over. You say hi to her and she does this twitchy thing like—”

“We can hear you!” Naomi said.

“She’s kinda hot, though,” Beanie said back. Like I wasn’t even in the room. Like I didn’t matter.

Naomi wrapped her arms around me. “Ignore them.”

Frizz switched the TV on, cranking up the volume. Some cartoon roared through the apartment.

Scott walked over and clicked it off. “I got neighbors that bitch if I fart too loud, okay?” Another knock echoed around the apartment. “Who’s that?”

“Maybe you should consider a new line of work,” Naomi said. “You’re paranoid as hell.”

I hoped it was Justin.

Scott looked into the peephole again and yanked the door open. “Yeah?”

“Drea here?”

“Never heard of her.” He went to slam the door, but Naomi shoved him.

“Let him in—it’s just Drea’s boyfriend.”

“But he’s not—” I began.

Naomi put a hand over my mouth and looked back at Scott. “He’s cool, okay?”

Scott opened the door, studying Justin from head to toe. Justin walked in with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He stared back at Scott before turning to us and smiling. The Björk shirt he wore almost made me smile back. I loved Björk. But I didn’t love this situation.

“Drea has a boyfriend, apparently.” Scott walked back into the kitchen. “And he likes Ba- jork .”

“My little sister loves her,” Frizz said.

All three guys looked at Justin and snickered.

Justin rolled his eyes and nodded at the door. “Can we get out of here?”

“Yes, please,” I said, grabbing Naomi’s hand.

“Give me a minute, okay?” She looked back into the kitchen.

“How much for an eighth?” Beanie asked.

“Eighty,” Scott answered.

Beanie Guy shook his head. “I’ll give you fifty.”

“It’s weed, not used cars. Take it or leave it.”

Frizz joined them, and they continued to argue. Eventually, Scott went into his room and came out with a baggy. Naomi leaned against the couch, tapping the heel of her boot against the carpet.

Justin slipped his arm around my shoulders. I stiffened with his touch.

He pulled his arm away. “Sorry. You okay?”

I shook my head and leaned into him. His warmth felt amazing. He wrapped both arms around me, running his hands down my forearms. Naomi crinkled her brow at us, her mouth turning down at the corners. I wished I knew what she was thinking.

“Why don’t you call him later, Naomi?” Justin asked.

“No, he needs to know.” She dug her nails into the back of the couch. “He needs to know he can’t just treat me like I’m nothing.”

Justin lowered his voice. “The guy’s a dealer. Were you expecting love poems and walks on the beach?”

Naomi clenched her jaw again. “Just go. I’ll be fine.”

I looked at her twitching face and hands. In that moment, she looked like a scared child. “I’m not leaving you here alone,” I said.

Beanie and Frizz headed for the door, telling Scott it better not be crap like last time. Scott assured them it wasn’t and escorted them out.

He looked at Justin after he shut the door. “You buyin’ something?”

Justin pulled back from me and leaned against the couch. “No—just waiting on Naomi.”

“Then get out. She’s crashing here.”

“I want you to apologize,” Naomi said.

“For what ?” Scott asked.

Justin stood up. “This isn’t going anywhere.” He put a hand on Naomi’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Naomi moved away. “Back off, Justin.”

Scott walked closer to him, but Justin didn’t move back. For a second they looked like they might kiss.

Justin looked down at Scott’s clenched fists. “Maybe you should stay out of your own stash.”

Scott shoved him into the couch. “Get the fuck out.”

Justin straightened and held his hands up.

Naomi tugged at Scott’s elbow, pulling him away. They moved into the bedroom and left the door open. She talked in a loud whisper, but I couldn’t make out most of the words.

“Because you’re up my ass twenty-four seven,” Scott said.

“Scott, I need you. Scott, come over. Were you checking her out?”

“First you tell Roger you want to hook up with Drea.” Naomi’s voice cracked. “You told me it was a joke—fine, whatever. Then I hear about Kelly.”

“And? We weren’t together.”