A/N: Ok, so the thing is, I feel so bad that I neglected this story for so long, so my goal is to have this finished before the end of October, or at least before the end of November.
For the people who have alerted this and waited long for updates, I am deeply sorry, I feel like I've started something, and left you hanging, I promise I won't leave you hanging any more... Happy Reading, and remember to Read and Review...
Chapter 6
Standing in front of the dishwasher I passed Maxxie a plate, I kept my eyes on the time feeling nervous. "This is really stressing me," I confessed as Maxxie took the plate, he glanced up to him, "I mean last time didn't work well," I added remembering New years party that ended with my home being a bomb site.
"Amber," Maxxie had closed the dishwasher after putting a tablet in, "I've told you, this is just going to be, you, me, Anwar, Chris, Sid, Cassie and Tony," he then paused, "also I invited Michelle and Jal." His eyes kept focused on mine.
"So pretty much no one else?" I asked feeling my breath catching in my throat, I knew everyone would be turning up soon, but it didn't stop my nerves.
Maxxie took his hands holding my face, I could feel he was really getting my attention, "I won't let you down," he kept focused on me, "So please relax," he rested his forehead on mine, but I couldn't help but smile.
"Ok, Maxxie," I sighed feeling my arms holding him; he hugged onto me kissing my forehead lightly. "Sorry, I just feel like such a worry wart," closing my eyes trying to control the worry of tonight.
Maxxie squeezed me before letting me go, "So, you need a little something," he walked over to his bag taking out a bottle of Jack Daniels.
"Thanks," I took the bottle placing it on the counter, "Anything else?" I asked feeling my smile break over my face, Maxxie nodded. In his bag was a tin box of already rolled spliffs. "More like it…"
"Yeah," he placed one in his mouth lightly up, I could hear the buzzer, "You get that, I'll get food and drink sorted," Maxxie inhaled and exhaled the smoke as I walked out into hallway.
I pressed the intercom, "WHATUP!" Anwar's voice shouted, I laughed.
"Come in guys," I pressed the enter button, I felt better knowing it was going to be just the gang, even better since it had been a long while since it was just us hanging out. "They're here…" I called as Maxxie walked into the hallway holding his history book and spliff hanging out his mouth.
"Cool," Maxxie walked into the living room, I straightened out my long baggy shirt, my leggings cutting off at the middle of my calves, finally I'd made sure my hair was perfect, something I always wanted to take pride in when I could. "Oh, they have a Musical marathon!" Maxxie cheered from the living room making me giggle.
I opened the front door, as I guessed Anwar, Chris, Sid and Cassie were first to arrive, I smiled letting them pass, most of them kicking shoes off getting ready for a night in, mainly the fact boys were jogging bottoms and ratty shirts, Cassie typical strange outfit of purple dress with green tights, "Like Wow, Amber, you're house is so lovely…" she smiled in her daze, no one knew if it was her, or a combination of medication and drugs.
Sid sighed, "Cass, you've been here before," he tried to look to me with a 'sorry for my crazy girlfriend face'; Chris laughed rushing to the kitchen.
"It's ok, Maxxie is setting up the living room, so remember we're catching up with college work," I pointed out seeing Anwar follow Chris into the kitchen. "I'm just saying," I muttered more to myself following Sid and Cassie into the living room.
Sid now sat on the floor, he'd gotten a notebook out, mostly pretending to be reading over the no notes he'd taken. Cassie on the other hand was organizing the snack table that Maxxie had done that afternoon. "So, we're gonna be studying?" Sid asked finally as I picked up my laptop from the armchair, I held it under my arm nodding, "Fuck," he then glanced around. "You by any chance, know what topic we're going for History?"
Maxxie placed his face in to the palm of his hand, "You've got to be kidding me Sid!" Maxxie lifted his face up looking at him blankly, "This is a study party, first part, STUDY!"
"Yeah, and I just thought it was a thing Amber told her mum so we can be here…" Sid added while watching Chris and Anwar enter the living room loaded up with cans of larger.
I waved my hands, "Right, I am going to say this once, that is one time for those who didn't pay attention in basics, I am trying to get my cousin through college," I feel down onto the sofa as the buzzer went off again, I got to my feet again leaving my laptop behind. "I'll get that, everyone better be doing something college related when I return," I felt myself dragging myself into the hallway pressing the intercom.
"Hello, Michelle and Jal here," I could hear Michelle's voice was cheerful, I couldn't believe that girl at times, but then I pressed the enter button, inhaling through my nose, exhaling through my mouth as I opened the front door again. Seeing Michelle in her comfy jeans and vest top, Jal baggy jumper and leggings I tried my hardest to smile. It wasn't as if I didn't like them, it was that I felt I didn't have anything in common with either of them. "I wanted to say sorry about Monday," Michelle looked awkward standing in the doorway, Jal slipping out of her trainers, she'd handed me a bottle of vodka with her laptop bag heading to living room. It was just Michelle and me there.
"Why would that be Michelle?" closed the front door behind her, as much as I wasn't expecting an apology from Michelle, I couldn't help but drag it out placing my hand on my hip watching her.
Michelle sighed, "Look, I shouldn't believe that you'd be the type to fall for Tony, but you have to understand," she brushed her curls behind her ear, "he's a high maintenance guy, and to be honest, he's not really your type…"
"And that was you saying sorry for being a complete bitch to me Michelle, that Tony isn't my type…?" I asked with everything I could, just to stop myself from slapping her in the face.
Michelle bit her lip, "No, it's just," she exhaled, "You and Tony are friends, and I see you talk, and I assumed."
"Assumed that like every girl with out any self respect or self worth, I'd want to be a notch on his bed post." I shrugged, "Sorry, I'm not that kinda girl, but for now, I'll take that as some what of an apology and you may stay." I held my hand out to welcome her, and she placed bottle of wine into my open hand.
"Thanks Ber," Michelle flipped her flats off heading to my living room, I glanced to the bottle of vodka in one, the wine in the other.
Buzz, the thing was starting to do my head in, I placed the bottles down on the side table, I pressing the button, "What!" I shouted.
"Wow Ber, nice to feel welcome," Tony's voice was clear through the intercom, and I felt like hitting my head on the wall, I simply pushed the enter button for the last time.
"Chris," I felt my head bang into my arms as I sat on the sofa; Chris was beside me looking to my laptop screen, "Naked lady cards on my solitaire!" I felt my hands brush into my hair before smacking him with a sofa cushion. "I gave you my notes, I've talk through what you have to do, and you're playing solitaire," I smothered my own face with the cushion, I wanted to die right that moment. "I need more drink," getting to my feet I walked into the kitchen.
"Amber…" Chris shouted after me, part of me would have said something back, but I needed a place to get my head clear. I told Jal she could go into my room to practice her clarinet. I walked into the kitchen seeing Tony sitting at the table with his laptop open. I tried to be quiet looking over his shoulder looking at his writing.
"This isn't anything I've got as work," I whispered making him jump out of focus, his eyes turning to look into mine.
He broke in to a smile, "Amber, you scared the shit out of me," he closed the window down before I could get a better look at to what he was typing. "Thought you was helping your cousin not fail out of college?" he asked as I slipped into the chair next to him.
"Yes and at the same time, find a cure for all cancer, and marry Jesse Spencer," I smiled resting my face on the palm of my hand as I looked to the ceiling hoping to get rid of the thudding in my brain.
"Jesse Spencer?" Tony looked puzzled.
I smiled nodding, "He plays Chase in House, and I would die to have him say dirty things to me in that accent…" I sighed trying to forget I was here.
Tony moved off his chair, I watched as he walked over to the fridge, he took out a bottle of JD, then freeze taking a few cubs of ice placing them into a glass pouring the JD into the glass handing me it. "You have a weird taste in men," he stated while laughing, "But nice to know you have a sexual appetite…" his voice as smooth as always, but I kept my eyes on the glass taking a slow sip.
"Tony, just because I'm choosing to save myself for someone, who won't take it as a trophy, doesn't mean I don't have ideas of what I like." I laughed, "I just like to think I'd know the person I'll have sex with, will be someone I can smile and think, that was nice," I glanced up to Tony staring at me, "Yes, I mean it."
"Well," he glanced over my face, "Guess you have a point," he started to make himself a drink; he placed his glass near mine as he sat down again. "But by waiting, you're just making it impossible for anyone to get close to you," he kept his voice low, "For all you know, you might end up shagging Maxxie cos he's the only guy you let in…"
"Anthony Stonem!" I snapped feeling my eyes glaze over, "Maxxie is my best friend, plus I am not going to have sex with my very gay friend." I downed the rest of my drink, "Why you have to be like this?"
I went to leave feeling him holding my hand, my eyes staring to how his fingers held onto mine, I hated that my heart skipped, it wasn't like in the movies, it was worse, I couldn't stand it. "Amber, I'm sorry," he said I could see behind his eyes, I knew how his brain was working.
"Tony, I'm not a pawn in your game, I have feelings, and I really want to be friends, but not when you are acting like this," I brushed my hair behind my ear talking my hand back from his. "Stop trying it on with me, and you might still have a friend in me," I rolled my eyes walking out of the kitchen feeling like crap.
Michelle and Jal sat going over their Spanish vocabulary, I could see Sid and Cassie cuddled up on a armchair, she was talking him about his History paper, even if she didn't take history, she was doing the best she could to help.
Maxxie had taken over with Chris, finally Anwar was sitting with his game boy advance, I rolled my eyes, but didn't want to say anything, I kept looking to my English paper, I really didn't like that we were doing a midsummer nights dream, I'd claimed my laptop back from Chris as I typed carefully my thoughts of the themes, I'd not even notice that Tony had come into the room, sat on a sofa next to Maxxie, his eyes looking over the room to me.
"I think we need a break," I said while closing my laptop up, I tried to keep myself avoiding the need to look at Tony, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was thinking about him. I hated that even while trying to write a paper, I kept having him creep into my thoughts.
Chris jumped up; "Yes!" he glanced as everyone stared at him, my eyes focused. "I mean, that would be lovely," he kept smiling.
"So what idea?" Maxxie asked as I brushed my hand over my imaginary beard.
I knew I looked like a complete dork, but it there had to be something to do to make some fun from this long evening.
Tony grinned, "Well we've done a lot tonight, so how about a little truth or dare?" he kept his voice cool.
Michelle blinked, "Yes Tony, cos we are all thirteen," she folded her arms; she had that typical Michelle attitude.
"Truth or dare sounds fun," I kept my eyes away from Michelle's for once, I wanted to have fun, it had been too long since we'd done something like this. "So I think we should totally do it," I now found an empty vodka bottle. "So who's first…?" I crinkled my nose as I kept a perfect grin on my face.