After I've dressed Jen up and done her hair and makeup as if she were
my own My-Size Barbie, we are ready to go. On the way to the party, she
seems nervous, though I try to reassure her. It's only a party. Not a big
deal. No one will even notice her if she doesn't want them too.
When we reach the party, I notice a red Jaguar parked outside. Elton's car. Damn it, what is he stalking me or something?
I park him in and smile smugly. Good job, Becka. Way to be juvenile. Were Christian here, he'd probably be scolding me about my adolescent behavior. But fortunately he's not here, and I think I'm funny, anyway.
"Alright Jen, you ready?" I ask my passenger, flashing her a encouraging smile. She nods, and we climb out the car and head inside.
The party has arrived. I give the room a once over to see what kind of people we've got here. In the corner I spot West and Taylor, but they are unfortunately talking to my arch-nemesis Elton. "Come on," I say, dragging Jen off in another direction before any of them notices me.
I head us towards the drinks, but before we get there we're intercepted by Natalie Banks, who squeals above the blasting dance music, "Becka! Ohmygosh, isn't this like the best party ever?! I mean, aren't you having like soooooo much fun? Ohmygosh!" She'll go on like this for another fifteen minutes, twenty minutes probably if I try to interrupt, so I just shut and listen. I grew up with Natalie—I've known her about as long as I've known Christian. She's really completely ridiculous and a little annoying sometimes the way she goes on for hours about nothing, but she's harmless and good at bottom. Christian and I let her hang out with us, and the rest of our friends are nice to her because we are. Finally Natalie runs out of things to say, and after catching her breath she says, "Oh, I see Taylor over there. I'm going to go say hi." And she leaves Jen and I to ourselves again.
We head over to the drinks, where I grab one, and then make our way back to where people are dancing and stand watching them.
"Hello ladies," says a voice from behind me.
"Elton," I acknowledge him dryly without turning around. Jen, however, does not follow my lead and turns to face him, probably even encouraging him with a smile or something.
"Who's your friend?" he asks me, forcing me to face him and give an answer. "Elton, this is Jen. Jen, this is...' glancing from one to the other I trail off and finish, "well, you know."
"Hi, Jen," Elton says to her. "Hey, You're in Creative Writing aren't you?"
"Yeah," Jen answers, so pleased he remembered her that she's smiling all the way across her face.
Elton nods. "Yeah, I remember you." There's a moment of silence. Well, not silence exactly with "It's Getting Hot in Here" blaring in the background. Relative silence.
"Wanna dance?" Elton suddenly asks Jen. At least I assume he's asking Jen, though it's hard to tell with him glancing at me every five seconds to gage my reaction. Jen is obviously excited at the prospect of dancing with one so attractive as Elton, but she glances unsurely in my direction.
"Hey, don't worry about me," I say. Just. Go. Please. So Jen says yes and Elton leads her away and I'm left standing alone.
Freedom.
I angle my body slightly so that Elton and Jen are just in my peripheral vision, but I can't really see them unless I'm trying to. Slowly I take another sip of my drink and begin to scan the room for a familiar face or at least a prospective dance partner, when I feel a arm come to rest around my shoulder. Tipping my head back, I find Chritian standing at my right, slightly behind me.
"Hey," I say, turning to watch the pairs of dancers again.
"Hey yourself." Christian takes a step forward so that he's beside me and allows his arm to drop to his side, his hand sliding along the curves of my back on its way. He follows my gaze to where I am, without meaning to, watching Elton and Jen. Mostly Elton. Christina nods knowing. "Ahh, the infamous ex-boyfriend. So we aren't quite over him yet, are we?"
"Oh please," I laugh, turning away from Elton and Jen and facing Christian. "Way over." He eyes me skeptically
"Way, way, way," I add.
"One more 'way' and I won't believe you," he laughs. I roll my eyes and begin to sway to the music.
"Come on, let's dance," I say hopefully, reaching a hand out to him.
Christian holds his hands out in front of him, palms up. "Sorry, babe, You know I don't do the dancing thing. Don't let that stop you though. If you want to dance by yourself, I'd love to watch you."
"You are no fun," I chastise, returning to his side with a sigh.
"No fun?" he asks, pretending to have taken offense. "Baby, I am fun. I am more than fun. Just talk to Emily Yansen if you want to know how fun I am."
I laugh, snaking my arm around his waste. Emily Yansen is famously in love with Christian. "No, you're really no fun, but I like you anyway."
"How you doing, Christian?"
At the sound of Elton's voice, I quickly drop my arm from Christian's waste and lean away from him. Christian smiles down on me amusedly, then answers Elton, who has returned from the dance floor with Jen. "Doing alright. Can't complain."
There's an awkward silence between the four of us. Alright, some one get the conversation rolling. Elton speaks up first. "Right," he says hurriedly. "Well, I'm out here. See you all later." And he turns on his heals and walks away. Elton has always been intimidated by Christian.
"You're right," Christian begins thoughtfully as he watches Elton's retreat. "That there is one ball of charisma. Actually, I think I can even see how you're still in love with hi—"
"Jen, this is Christian," I interrupt, cutting him short. "We pretend to be friends sometimes."
Jen looks a little confused, but she smiles and says hi. Christians leans towards her and whispers loudly. "Don't let her fool you. She's actually desperately and tragically in love with me."
Jen laughs, still confused, and I watch as it slowly dawns on her that we're both just kidding.
Suddenly Elton's returns, looking very cross. "What's the matter, thought you were leaving?" I ask him.
"Some bitch parked me in. Little silver Voltswagon." I duck my head to try to hide my smile behind my hair. But I look up at Christian to see him shaking his head at me, who recognized the car as mine. He's smiling though, which must be a good sign.
"Well, speaking of driving, and parking, and leaving and all that good stuff," I say. "Want to take me and Jen home, Christian?"
Christian raises his eyebrows. "You didn't drive yourself?" he asks pointedly.
"I think I need a designated driver," I say, holding my drink that I've really only taken three sips off. Christian lets out a laugh, still shaking his head, and answers, "Alright, come on."
So Christian, Jen, and I file off, leaving Elton alone to ponder the bitch who parked him in. Once we're past him Christian say, "You're awful, Becka," but he says it in a joking way.
"I don't know," I answer. "You know what they say. All's fair in love and war."
"And which one is this?" he asks.
I have to think about that for a moment or two and then I answer. "War."
When we reach the party, I notice a red Jaguar parked outside. Elton's car. Damn it, what is he stalking me or something?
I park him in and smile smugly. Good job, Becka. Way to be juvenile. Were Christian here, he'd probably be scolding me about my adolescent behavior. But fortunately he's not here, and I think I'm funny, anyway.
"Alright Jen, you ready?" I ask my passenger, flashing her a encouraging smile. She nods, and we climb out the car and head inside.
The party has arrived. I give the room a once over to see what kind of people we've got here. In the corner I spot West and Taylor, but they are unfortunately talking to my arch-nemesis Elton. "Come on," I say, dragging Jen off in another direction before any of them notices me.
I head us towards the drinks, but before we get there we're intercepted by Natalie Banks, who squeals above the blasting dance music, "Becka! Ohmygosh, isn't this like the best party ever?! I mean, aren't you having like soooooo much fun? Ohmygosh!" She'll go on like this for another fifteen minutes, twenty minutes probably if I try to interrupt, so I just shut and listen. I grew up with Natalie—I've known her about as long as I've known Christian. She's really completely ridiculous and a little annoying sometimes the way she goes on for hours about nothing, but she's harmless and good at bottom. Christian and I let her hang out with us, and the rest of our friends are nice to her because we are. Finally Natalie runs out of things to say, and after catching her breath she says, "Oh, I see Taylor over there. I'm going to go say hi." And she leaves Jen and I to ourselves again.
We head over to the drinks, where I grab one, and then make our way back to where people are dancing and stand watching them.
"Hello ladies," says a voice from behind me.
"Elton," I acknowledge him dryly without turning around. Jen, however, does not follow my lead and turns to face him, probably even encouraging him with a smile or something.
"Who's your friend?" he asks me, forcing me to face him and give an answer. "Elton, this is Jen. Jen, this is...' glancing from one to the other I trail off and finish, "well, you know."
"Hi, Jen," Elton says to her. "Hey, You're in Creative Writing aren't you?"
"Yeah," Jen answers, so pleased he remembered her that she's smiling all the way across her face.
Elton nods. "Yeah, I remember you." There's a moment of silence. Well, not silence exactly with "It's Getting Hot in Here" blaring in the background. Relative silence.
"Wanna dance?" Elton suddenly asks Jen. At least I assume he's asking Jen, though it's hard to tell with him glancing at me every five seconds to gage my reaction. Jen is obviously excited at the prospect of dancing with one so attractive as Elton, but she glances unsurely in my direction.
"Hey, don't worry about me," I say. Just. Go. Please. So Jen says yes and Elton leads her away and I'm left standing alone.
Freedom.
I angle my body slightly so that Elton and Jen are just in my peripheral vision, but I can't really see them unless I'm trying to. Slowly I take another sip of my drink and begin to scan the room for a familiar face or at least a prospective dance partner, when I feel a arm come to rest around my shoulder. Tipping my head back, I find Chritian standing at my right, slightly behind me.
"Hey," I say, turning to watch the pairs of dancers again.
"Hey yourself." Christian takes a step forward so that he's beside me and allows his arm to drop to his side, his hand sliding along the curves of my back on its way. He follows my gaze to where I am, without meaning to, watching Elton and Jen. Mostly Elton. Christina nods knowing. "Ahh, the infamous ex-boyfriend. So we aren't quite over him yet, are we?"
"Oh please," I laugh, turning away from Elton and Jen and facing Christian. "Way over." He eyes me skeptically
"Way, way, way," I add.
"One more 'way' and I won't believe you," he laughs. I roll my eyes and begin to sway to the music.
"Come on, let's dance," I say hopefully, reaching a hand out to him.
Christian holds his hands out in front of him, palms up. "Sorry, babe, You know I don't do the dancing thing. Don't let that stop you though. If you want to dance by yourself, I'd love to watch you."
"You are no fun," I chastise, returning to his side with a sigh.
"No fun?" he asks, pretending to have taken offense. "Baby, I am fun. I am more than fun. Just talk to Emily Yansen if you want to know how fun I am."
I laugh, snaking my arm around his waste. Emily Yansen is famously in love with Christian. "No, you're really no fun, but I like you anyway."
"How you doing, Christian?"
At the sound of Elton's voice, I quickly drop my arm from Christian's waste and lean away from him. Christian smiles down on me amusedly, then answers Elton, who has returned from the dance floor with Jen. "Doing alright. Can't complain."
There's an awkward silence between the four of us. Alright, some one get the conversation rolling. Elton speaks up first. "Right," he says hurriedly. "Well, I'm out here. See you all later." And he turns on his heals and walks away. Elton has always been intimidated by Christian.
"You're right," Christian begins thoughtfully as he watches Elton's retreat. "That there is one ball of charisma. Actually, I think I can even see how you're still in love with hi—"
"Jen, this is Christian," I interrupt, cutting him short. "We pretend to be friends sometimes."
Jen looks a little confused, but she smiles and says hi. Christians leans towards her and whispers loudly. "Don't let her fool you. She's actually desperately and tragically in love with me."
Jen laughs, still confused, and I watch as it slowly dawns on her that we're both just kidding.
Suddenly Elton's returns, looking very cross. "What's the matter, thought you were leaving?" I ask him.
"Some bitch parked me in. Little silver Voltswagon." I duck my head to try to hide my smile behind my hair. But I look up at Christian to see him shaking his head at me, who recognized the car as mine. He's smiling though, which must be a good sign.
"Well, speaking of driving, and parking, and leaving and all that good stuff," I say. "Want to take me and Jen home, Christian?"
Christian raises his eyebrows. "You didn't drive yourself?" he asks pointedly.
"I think I need a designated driver," I say, holding my drink that I've really only taken three sips off. Christian lets out a laugh, still shaking his head, and answers, "Alright, come on."
So Christian, Jen, and I file off, leaving Elton alone to ponder the bitch who parked him in. Once we're past him Christian say, "You're awful, Becka," but he says it in a joking way.
"I don't know," I answer. "You know what they say. All's fair in love and war."
"And which one is this?" he asks.
I have to think about that for a moment or two and then I answer. "War."