We had gotten to the restaurant really easy. It really wasn't an interesting ride... I did end up switching places with Ruth so I drove with Shane. The restaurant was pretty fancy. It had beautiful crystal chandeliers, glossy dark wood floors, elegant white walls, circular tables with cream colored table cloths and comfy chairs. In our room that we rented their was a DJ stand and a dance floor.
"Well, we'll see you kids later." Mrs. Ford said coming over to Shane and kissing his forehead, which she could only reach in heals.
"Where are you going?" Shane asked. I nodded in agreement. I was holding Shane's arm, because let's face it, these heals suck. I wasn't exactly clinging to him so I wouldn't fall over, I was just pulling myself up a bit so it didn't hurt my feet so much. Once I started moving again, they won't hurt anymore, they only hurt when I'm standing still.
"We got two rooms. This one is for you kids, the other one is for the adults, and I think Miley, Colton and Troy are going with their parents..." She frowned, but then smiled again, "The walls are soundproof, so you can play any music you want, but keep it down. The food is over on there it is already served, just take the tops off." And with that she left with the other parents, closing the doors behind them.
There were five tables that were set for four and against a wall their was a buffet. Of course, there would need to be more tables for adults.
"We are going to attempt to keep it sort of classy this evening..." Griffin was saying into a mic up by the DJ booth, "So we are going to do a dance contests before food and karaoke after." He stood behind the DJ booth. "First off, Kelsey, you wanted to do a tango thing right." The girl in questing bounced up to the stand.
She was in a simple black sleeveless dress. The only decoration on the dress was a little black belt around the waist with a silver buckle. She had on little kid peep toe heels, that gave her an extra inch or so.
Suddenly the room was filled with a tango-ish type music. I recognized it from somewhere but I didn't know where.
"Would you like to dance?" Shane asked me.
"Well, considering my feet are killing me just standing and you are my support, I guess I have to." I smirked. He smirked back. What is with all the smirking?
He led me to the dance floor where a bunch of others were already dancing. I had to admit we were pretty good, better than the others at least. The song ended quickly and Griffin put on another song. Of course this one wasn't as innocent.
"Apple bottom jeans. Boots with the fur..." we all sang along while dancing. I sware if the parents saw a dancing, we would be grounded for months on end, but the parents weren't there so we were safe.
Shane and I danced for all of the songs which included, 'Low', 'In The Ayer', 'Break Your Heart', 'Boom Boom Pow' and a bunch of others. I was aware of the fact all of us were dancing except Ruth and the kids younger than her. They were all sitting at a table, having brought over extra chairs and playing with some cards that I think were Pokémon cards. I shrugged it off.
After about half an hour of dancing, we all started to go get food. I sat at a table with Shane, Griffin and Natalia. It was kind of weird since I was the youngest, but I got through it. Natalia and Griffin were in the middle of a conversation when our wonderful friend Joseph came on the mic.
"Well, now that everyone is done, it is time for karaoke." While he said this he was looking right at me. "Do I have any volunteers?" Still looking straight at me.
"Do I have a choice?" I asked.
"Nope. Little miss drama club." I'm not sure how it is at other schools, but our school, if you are in drama club, you are an amazing singer.
"Whatever. What song?" I asked sliding my shoes back on and walking over to him. He was looking at a little screen that had a bunch of titles on it. I scrolled down the list.
Here's something you should know about me, I'm not good with all these rap songs and all that stuff. So I didn't know half of the songs there.
He pointed to a song. "Please?" He asked looking at me.
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
We argued for a bit before I finally gave in. "I hate you." I took the mic from him.
The music started and I completely forgot about the aduience and just did my thing. See? Being an actress does help preforming.
"Blah, blah, blah blah blah, blah blah blah." I sang. And I lauched into Blah Blah Blah by Ke$ha.
I danced around a bit too. I was aware all the guys were watching me and all the girls were watching them, but I pushed it too the back of my mind. Soon the song finished. I walked over to the DJ booth and handed Joe the mic.
"Your turn." For this song I turned on the machine that showed the lyrics.
"No way. You had a decent song!" He complained.
"Too bad! Sing!" It was some Jonas Brother song.
I had to admit, he was a pretty good singer, thing was, he was glaring at me the entire time. He finished and as soon as he was done, he sat back down. Looks like I'm in charge.
In the next hour everyone ended up singing at least one song. At the end of the fifth song, Mrs. Hampton came and said something to Griffin that I didn't hear. She handed him something and then left. Griffin then walked over to Shane, Cole and Joe and handed them something each. Keys. Great they were driving us home.
They had gotten their licenses last winter...and apparently they could drive us home... great...
We were just about to go home when Cassidy came up to the booth.
"Now to close things off, we are going to have little miss drama perform another song." She said and she started the music.
I recognized this song from Glee. It was home. I loved it, it was pretty and in my range.
So I sung the song.
"When I think of home
I think of a place where there's love overflowing
I wish I was home
I wish I was back there
With the things I've been knowing
Wind that makes the tall grass bend into leaning
Suddenly the raindrops that fall have a meaning
Sprinklin' the scene, makes it all clean
Maybe there's a chance for me to go back
Now that I have some direction
It sure would be nice to be back home
Where there's love and affection
And just maybe I can convince time to slow up
Giving me enough time in my life to grow up
Time be my friend, let me start again
Suddenly my world has gone and changed its face
But I still know where I'm going
I have had my mind spun around in space
Yet I've watched it glowing
If you're listening God
Please don't make it hard to know
If we should believe in the things that we see
Tell us, should we try and stay
Or should we run away?
Or would it be better just to let things be?
Living here, in this brand new world
Might be a fantasy, oh...
But it taught me to love
So it's real, real, real to me
And I've learned
That we must look, look inside our hearts
To find a world full of love
Like yours, like mine
Like home... Home."
When I stop the last note, which was freakishly high, everyone just stared at me. It was a 'holy crap' stare. I just smiled and walked back to my seat to grab my purse, then I walked over to the door.
"So you guys coming?" I asked.
In five minutes we were all outside by the four pick up truck's we had been left; one from the Palmer's, one from the Ford's, one from the Hunter's and one from the Wilson's. Apparently the parent's just rode with others.
It took us a bit to figure out who would be going with who, but I ended up with Shane, Ruth, Colton, and Audrey. Since I was the second oldest, I got to ride shot gun, which was a relief.
We were just leaving Corolla when my phone rang. I picked it up.
"Hey, Pay, tell Shane to pull into that ice cream place a block away." It was Cassidy. She was riding with her brother.
"Got cha." I did as I was told. And the other trucks followed.
We all poured out of the truck and into the ice cream place. It was pretty funny to watch the lady's face when twenty teenagers poured into her little shop.
It took ten to twenty minutes to order. I paid for Colton and mine, with the fifty I always carry around when we go out; I got back almost all of it, after all the ice creams were less than five dollars together.
Eventually we were all sitting in the booths. I was next to Shane and Griffin. Once again Natalia sat with us. Shane had long since finished his ice cream, so had Griffin, so they were talking. I noticed how Griffin kept glancing at Natalia.
I leaned a bit more into Shane and whispered, "Is something going on there?"
He looked at me like I was crazy then he laughed, "What?" Griffin asked seeing his best friend's face.
"She asked if something was going on between the two of you." Now Griffin started to laugh along.
"We've been dating for a little over a year." Natalia said with a little smile.
"Ohhh... I knew that." I said with a little smile. She laughed at that. The two boys got up to go annoy Cole and Joe; the four of them were all best friends.
"My turn now. Is there something going on between the two of you?" She asked me.
"I don't know. We are just trying to not hate each other." I half lied.
"Sure..." She didn't believe it, "Just don't hurt him. He's a nice guy and he's been hurt before. He sulked around our house for weeks."
"Why your house?" I asked.
"Joe lives there. Griffin comes to see me and hang out with Joe... Cole comes by a lot to hang out with Joe since Cole lives down the street... so all his friends were there." It made sense.
"Make sense." Then I saw him. Shit shit shit shit shit. Was all I could think as I saw him walk in.
I hadn't seen him in almost ten years, but I would recognize him anywhere after what he did to Ashlyn.
SPOV:
Griffin and I had walked away from our girls to hang out with the guys. We were laughing when he walked in. As soon as I saw him I didn't like the look of him. He had dark hair and eyes. His skin was dark too. He seemed to be missing a tooth and he had an earring. He was wearing gangster cloths. All and all, I wanted him away from everyone.
"Griff. We are leaving now." I said, my eyes not leaving the man. Then he turned his head slightly.
His face lit up with surprise. He was looking straight at Payton. "You?" This can't be good, "Didn't I kill you?" He was walking over to her now.
"No." She responded in an ice cold voice. I knew who this was before she said anything else, "You killed my sister."
