Dallas (Time for Tammy #1) Read Free Page A

around the court. The unfamiliar landscape was dotted with unfamiliar bodies. Most of the guys in my small town Michigan high school wore plaid shirts with hoodies and Vans or Converse low-tops. The guys surrounding me now were outfitted in T’s with the sleeves cut out and sandals with the logo REEF printed across the straps. Instead of ball caps they wore flat hats with wide brims, the kind fishermen wore to keep the sun off their necks. They had strange accents and called pop “soda.” The girls wore sundresses or tops similar to mine, but without the T-shirt underneath—which was probably a good idea as I could now feel the sweat pool underneath my arms. Most of the girls had also figured out how to combat the humidity as their long smooth locks tumbled gracefully over the shoulders without a hint of frizz. Either that or they possessed tamer hair than me.
    I sipped my punch as I debated whether or not to join one of the clusters of co-eds scattered throughout the complex. But if I joined them, what would be my opening line ? I was contemplating, “What state are you from?” when I spotted a familiar face. Eric! He stood next to a guy who was a blonder, frecklier version of himself. Eric lurched forward in recognition while his companion ogled a girl in a short skirt and platform sandals. I rubbed my thumb across my lower lip as Eric approached. How was it my lips were always dry despite 100% humidity?
    “Hey, don’t I know you?” Eric slurred as he got within earshot.
    “We met this morning.”
    “Yeah.” He raised his arm toward me as his body leaned backward. “You’re...” He did his best to right himself. “What’s your name again? ”
    “You don’t remember?”
    Eric wrinkled his face. “It’s Pam isn’t it?”
    “Tammy.”
    “Well, Tammy,” Eric said as his buddy gestured to him, “we’re going to get another drink. Do you want to come?”
    I shook my head. “No, thanks.”
    “Whatever,” he replied. His companion managed to grab Eric before he teetered over.
    They headed back to Prasch, the first dorm on the other side of the computer lab from Alpha. I must have sighed audibly as I watched Eric stagger up the steps because the red-haired girl standing next to me turned her head to see what I was staring at.
    “He’s cute,” she offered.
    “Yeah, but he’s wasted.”
    She flopped down into a nearby chair. “You drink?”
    “No.”
    “Me neither. I mean, not right now. I’m trying a new beginning. You know?”
    Only too well. I sank into the chair across from the girl, grateful to have someone to talk to.
    “It seems like everyone around here drinks,” she continued.
    I shrugged. Truth be told, I had never touched a drop of alcohol in my life.
    We watched the crowd in silence. Now that the girl had pointed it out, I could see a lot of my new schoolmates did indeed look drunk as they moshed to the band playing over the loudspeakers. They also looked like they were having a better time than I was. I had exhausted my supply of nerves working up the courage to speak to Eric and now I just felt like going back to my room and going to sleep. A few couples had formed, and one duo was making out in a darkened corner of the courtyard. I could feel the gap between myself and my new peers widen. I had never even kissed a guy, let alone found myself swapping spit with someone at a party. I tried not to let out another sigh as I realized, despite the fact that I had practically moved across the country and was determined to start fresh, I was still the same person inside.
    “Hey. See the power cord over there?” the girl said abruptly. “Dare me to pull it out?”
    I looked over to where she was pointing. “That’s the stereo cord. You’d stop the music if you pulled it out,” I told her in my best Nerd Queen voice.
    “So?”
    “So why would you want to do that? ”
    The girl shook her head in annoyance, and then, having given me up as a coward and as likely to pull out the stereo