Chapter Five

First Dates

A week after the barbeque, Travis and his family was over again. This time Tyler and his family weren't going to be here because they went on a vacation for two weeks. So now it was just Travis and I sitting outside on the deck. He was pretty funny and was also pretty easy to talk to. We talked about a lot of stupid stuff that we did as kids and I actually wasn't embarrassed of some of the things that I told him that I probably haven't even said to some of my best friends back home. Our parents sat in the kitchen drinking cocktails and laughing about God knows what. My phone was sitting on my lap as I finished my ice cream. The screen light up and vibrated. Someone was calling me. I unlocked the screen to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey what's up?" the familiar voice said into my ear. I could feel my face go red but only because Travis was sitting right there and it was Tyler on the phone.

"Nothing much, how's vacation going?" Tyler told me all about his vacation. Travis sat there looking out at the water with a bit of an annoyed look on his face. When Tyler was still talking to me about his vacation Travis's dad knocked on the glass door signaling him that it was time to go, he nodded. He reached towards the table and grabbed the pen I was using earlier for a crossword puzzle. Without even asking me he grabbed my arm and wrote his name, his number and two words, call me with a smiley face behind it. I could tell even by not looking in a mirror that I had a surprised look on my face. I smiled slightly at him as he nodded at me walking towards the door.

"Bye," I said to him.

He looked back towards me with a crooked grin on his face. "Later."

Tyler was mid sentence when he suddenly just stopped. "Who was that?" He asked.

"What? Oh, that was Travis his parents came over for dinner and drinks again and thought to bring him."

"Oh that sounds fun," he replied with his voice a little tense. I could kind of tell Tyler had some sense of jealousy towards Travis, even though we weren't even a thing yet.

The next few days I had been hanging out with Travis a lot. It is kind of boring with Tyler not being here so why not.

Travis was super funny, and majorly sweet. In the past two days we had gone to the aquarium two towns over, went to the beach, went to the movies, and went to dinner, just a lot of stuff. But I was excited for Tyler to come back.

A few days before Tyler got back I was hanging out with Kaylee and she was talking about this party on the beach she was going to. Lauryn, Georgia, Kaylee, and I were all sitting at a round table at the little café on the boardwalk called Locha Mocha.

"So Kyle is throwing this huge party on the beach this Saturday, there's gonna be a keg, and a huge bonfire, and some band is gonna play." I was just listening to them talk about the party when Tyler texted me. I smiled a bit before I looked back up at them. They were still in their conversation.

Hey

I quickly locked my phone stuffing it back into my shoulder bag.

"So what do you say Bethaney, do you want to come to the party with us?" I didn't know any of the people they were even talking about but why not.

"Sure, I'd love to." I smiled and Kaylee smiled back at me.

"You can bring Tyler if you want, you can really bring anybody if you want." Kaylee said with a smile on his face.

"Ok, but I have to run some errands so I'll see you guys later." I quickly paid for my coffee and left the café. When I got home I called Tyler.

"Well I was hoping I'd get a call from you sometime today." Tyler answered after four rings.

"Well I got something to tell you," I replied.

"I'm all ears Bethy."

"This Saturday there is this party at the beach-"I started to explain but Tyler cut me off.

"Kyle is throwing it and it's a huge thing and you want to go and you want me to come with you."He finished for me.

"How'd you know?"

"Kyle called me about it this morning. He says it's going to be the party of the summer and I just have to come."

"Yeah, Kaylee just told me about it and said we should go. I think I might take you and Elly and Travis to."

Tyler let out a loud sigh. I pulled my phone away from my ear. "Does Travis have to go?"

Really Tyler? Are you starting this again? "Yes, he is my friend and I want him to go."

"Fine, I'll see you in a few hours probably. We are on our way back. We wanted to come back early." They drove to Chapel Hill to visit Caroline and Riley at their apartment.

"Ok I'll see you later." I said with a bit of agitation and hung up the phone. I sigh. I looked up at my ceiling then at my door. I really have nothing to wear for the party! I mean I have numerous swimsuits but I don't have a dress, tanks, shorts, or shoes. I unlocked my phone looking through my E's quickly and pressed send when I found Elly's name. It rang a few times before she answered.

"Hello," she answered.

"Hey Elly, it's Bethaney. I was wondering if you wanted to go to Kyle's party with me, Tyler, and Travis on Saturday."

She was quiet for a minute probably thinking about her answer.

"Yeah I'd love to go, but I don't have anything to wear."
"Oh me neither," I sighed. "So I was also wondering if you wanted to go to Williams and go shopping with me.

"Yeah, When?" She asked.

"Now if you can." She told me to hold on when she asked her mom.

"Yeah, I'll be ready in like thirty minutes." So I was going to Williams. I was pretty excited.

I ran downstairs to talk to my mom. She was doing dishes in the kitchen with a sort of stern look on her face. I waited patiently for her to end her call. After she was done she snap her phone shut and set it on the counter.

"Damn realators." She said sternly. She looked up at me. "I'm sorry Bethaney, forgive my language." I nodded. My mom never really cussed. She only did if she was super mad which didn't happen often.

"So momma, I know this might be a bad time but can I drive to Williams with Elly? I promise I will be careful; it's only about a thirty minute drive. And I have all my own money so I won't need to ask you or dad for any." I said all that in one breath. My mother looked at me with a look that was sort of like when your parents really just want to not answer you at all if you know what I mean, it's quite annoying actually.

She let out a sigh. "I don't care. Remember you need to buy a formal dress for the dinner being held for your father next week." She reached for her purse pulling out her wallet. "And take this and buy a nice, formal dress, nothing too short and too revealing, understood?" I nodded my head and ran to my mother to give her a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

After I got dressed to go to the mall I left to get Elly. She was waiting outside her house and looked super cute for a day at the mall. She was wearing shorts and one of the shirts that are shorter in the front and longer in the back so they show a bit of your stomach and her long hair was braided and hanging over her shoulder.

I rolled down my window and yelled, "Hey I love your outfit."

"Thanks," she said as she was getting into the passenger seat. The ride to Williams was the funniest time of my life. Elly and I danced, sang, and laughed the whole way there.