Chapter 3: Lost at Sea
Before Caitlin had entered Geoff's party, she had forgotten she'd be swimming in a sea of people.
Now she treaded and paddled through guys and girls, exchanging hellos along the way, until she could find the people she'd grown to love so much in one year. Her five friends meant the world to her. She'd never known true friendship until they came along.
"Caitlin, you made it! I thought you'd never show up."
And no one meant more to her than Jen.
Caitlin pulled her into a hug. "I just had to do some last-minute party prep." She smiled after pulling away. "I don't wake up like this, you know."
After giggling, Jen said, "Come on, let's dance together."
As they began dancing, curiosity struck. "Hey, where's Nick?"
"He told me he's running late. Something about traffic."
"Oh. Well, I know you're happy you'll finally be with him after stressing for so long."
"Of course I am! God, if I'd known asking him out would be that easy, I would've done it eons ago."
"I knew he wouldn't turn you down. Especially not when you look like that."
Jen looked away. "You're just trying to be nice."
"It's not me trying to be nice; it's me being honest. You know you totally deserve all of this. You've worked so hard for it, Jen."
She smiled. "Thanks, Cait."
"Anytime."
"So, where's your guy?"
"Hmm, I really don't know. Maybe he's just running late, too." She looked around, hoping to find him in the sea of people. Instead, she spotted two birds of a feather. "Look who I found," she said.
Jen followed Caitlin's eyes, eventually seeing Jude and Starr sitting next to each other on a couch, conversing and caressing and chomping on chips. "I'm so glad they got back together."
"You and me both. It's nice to see him so happy again."
Like Jen, Jude deserved his happiness. She liked to think that fate decided to undo the star-crossed nature of their relationship, pushing Jude and Starr together again, making them meant-to-be. Though his explanation of how they got back together was simple—"I was stoned at a party and things sorta happened, I guess"—he'd found her in a high, a high where she was Skater Starr once more, and didn't let go.
She looked at Wyatt, so immersed in the music he played. She had no clue what song she and Jen had been dancing to, but it sounded good and he looked like he was enjoying himself. Those were the only things that mattered.
Well, Jonesy and Nikki mattered too, but she couldn't find them by scanning the crowd. Wherever they were, she was sure they were by each other's side. A smile grew. It was interesting to think that one year ago, they were "just friends" dancing around the idea of becoming something more, everyone (save for Jude) being against it. But now, everyone grew to love Jonesy and Nikki together. The gang couldn't see them being apart, and they wouldn't have it any other way…
Caitlin caught sight of ginger hair and green eyes and ran in their owner's direction. "Benj, you're here!"
"I would've been here sooner, but I had to look after my baby sister for a bit." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad to see you; you look really great."
Her cheeks flushed red, standing out on her pinkish skin. "Thanks, Benji."
"Wanna dance?" he asked.
"I'd love to." As Benj took her by the hand, escorting her to a clearer part of the makeshift dance floor, she glanced at Jen. "See you later," Jen heard.
"Yeah, see you," Jen replied with less vigor. When would her guy show up?
Someone tapped on her shoulder, causing her to jump. "Ah!" Her heart thumped as she turned around. "Nick, hi! I was just thinking about you."
"I've been thinking about you too. I couldn't wait to see your face."
She grinned. "Really?"
"Yes, really." He gently grabbed her hand. "How about we dance and have a proper conversation?"
"I'd like that a lot."
Wyatt's eyes scanned the crowd. He noticed plenty of couples flooding the dance floor (which was actually a small portion of Geoff's vast living room). He leaned over, making sure he would be heard in the microphone resting on the turntables. "And that was 'Walk This Way' by MØ. Next up is 'Like a Stranger' by Kitten, dedicated to all the couples out here. Enjoy."
"So, Nikki… wanna dance?"
She stared at Jonesy, considering it before saying, "Sure, why not?"
After leading her away from the couch they'd made themselves comfortable on and to the dance floor, Jonesy pulled her close, placing his hands on her hips. Nikki placed her hands on his shoulders, allowing him to sway her.
She was used to his boldness about touching. Sometimes, if he wasn't attempting to grab her rear, his touch comforted her. She calmed against him and she couldn't remember being a ball of nerves beforehand.
At some point in time, she rested her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, even though the music was loud and she could feel the drums pulsing through her. Like him, his heartbeat was calm and steady, at ease.
As much as she didn't want to admit it, she didn't want him to let go of her—not for a while anyway. She wanted to keep him.
She froze. Holy shit, I reallyam in love with him. Oh God, Jen was right.
"You okay, babe?"
Snatched from her thoughts, she lifted her head from his chest, saying, "Huh? Oh, I'm fine."
"But, if you really want to know what's wrong, I'm in love with you." Yeah, that'll totally fly.
He smiled. "Good."
But when he smiled like that, he made her want to confess everything. Every feeling, every action that made her heart skip.
She resisted the urge to frown.
What if he doesn't feel the same way? I can't risk looking like a complete idiot… But, if I don't tell him, I won't know how he feels at all. Maybe I should say something… But if I say something now, there's no turning back. Fuck, this isn't resolving anything. I knew I shouldn't have had that beer.
Time for a deep breath and a poor decision. "Jonesy, there's something I should tell you."
"What's up?"
"I… I just wanted to…" She looked away, not sure of what she wanted to say and how to say it anymore, regretting this decision. She met his gaze moments later, finding comfort in it—almost the same comfort his touch carried.
His eyes were comforting and his lips were inviting.
She made up her mind once again, figuring that what she couldn't say with words at the moment, she could say with her lips. So she pressed her lips against his, standing on her tippy-toes and draping her arms over his shoulders. As she ran her fingers through his hair, she felt one of his hands move up her back and the other brush against her rear, though she didn't mind for once.
His hands warm against her skin, this was the kind of kissing she'd attempt in private, not in the middle of a party, but she wanted it. (Plus, she knew there were couples engaging in worse things throughout Geoff's mansion.)
Not only Jen, but also Caitlin was right. Even though Nikki didn't like using such a word, the chemistry she felt as she made out with Jonesy could set this whole party on fire. They could probably burn the entire gated community to a crisp, leaving nothing but cinders in their wake.
As soon as they parted, Jonesy said, "Whoa, any reason for that?"
She smirked. "What, you didn't like it?"
"No, no, no, I totally loved it. I just—you don't kiss me like that in public."
"Well, when I said I had something to tell you, I really meant something to show you, I guess."
"I need you to show me stuff more often."
She laughed. "Control yourself, Jonesy."
"Remind me why I agreed to come here again."
"Girl, you're here to have fun. You know you could use some," Leshawna said.
"I guess."
"Don't sound so down in the dumps, Syd." Leshawna placed a hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't have invited you here if I didn't think you'd like it."
A grin broke through, but only momentarily. "Fine. But maybe we should've come here sooner. I don't want people to think I'm some loser crashing the party."
Leshawna stopped walking up Geoff's driveway, pointing to herds of people filing the front doors. "You see all them? They're just as late as us. Plus, it don't make no difference what time we show up, 'cause we're still gonna have a good time anyway… Am I gettin' through to you?"
She smiled again. "A little bit."
"Good enough."
They walked in the mansion together, the girl staying by LeShawna's side until they made it into the ginormous living room. She froze, her throat constricting. There was an ocean of people everywhere.
At least twenty teens sat on the four long, tan couches in the center of the space. Four times that amount packed the "dance floor," a large portion of the living room dedicated to the DJ and the dancing partygoers. Teens also sat on the winding staircase or leaned against its railings; she could surely guess what the people up those stairs were doing, because she knew what one of her best friends would have done.
A bunch of guys rallied around the pool table, reminding her of the one in her new home, only hers was in the basement—not in this living room, which was more like an arena. (She'd been to two mansion parties in her life, but they were shanties compared to this. This was luxury, status.)
"Leshawna, I'm not sure about this anymore."
"Like I said, just go meet some people and you'll be fine. Now go and have fun!"
Leshawna almost gave her a gentle shove, until the girl protested. "Wait, you invited me to come here with you, but you're gonna leave me be?"
She nodded. "I know it's tough love, girlfriend, but you'll thank me later. And when tonight's over, I want all the tea."
"Only if the tea is good."
"Fine with me. Now go!"
Leshawna gently pushed her along, causing her to stumble until she could maintain her balance. She trod through groups of people, quickly making her way to the kitchen for a soda and leaving.
She moved away from the crowd, standing near the wall-to-ceiling windows which towered behind that vaguely familiar DJ. Before staring at the beautiful view of the night outside the windows, she gawked at the population before her, knowing this would be a long night.
Wyatt had allowed a long club mix to play, giving him time to talk to Jude, Jonesy, and Nikki, who had gathered around his booth less than ten minutes ago. Jen and Caitlin had followed minutes later, taking a break from hanging out with Nick and Benj respectively.
"I really dig the music you're playing, dude," Jude said to Wyatt.
"I agree," Caitlin said, "even if I don't know who most of the artists are."
"Thanks," Wyatt said.
Looking around the room, she said, "There's so many people here. I think this party's bigger than last year's."
"Of course it's bigger than last year's!" Jonesy said. "I bet this one'll go down in history."
Nikki added, "In more ways than one."
"Seriously, what do you have planned? The suspense is killing me," said Jen.
"You can pry all you want, but I'll never reveal my secrets." She grinned. "You'll just have to wait and see."
Caitlin looked around the party once more, comforted by the amount of friendly faces in the crowd. During her observations, however, she spotted a head full of brown and copper hair near the giant windows and tried to recall where she had seen that girl before.
She gasped at the realization, her thoughts spilling into the open. "Yesterday at the Lemon—that's where I've seen her!"
Her five friends stared at her, bewildered.
"Um, I'm not following," said Jen.
"That girl over there," Caitlin said as she pointed in her direction. "She was one of my customers yesterday; I showed her where A&F was."
Jen squinted in her direction before something dawned on her. "Jonesy, that's the new girl in our neighborhood!"
"For real?" He looked her way. "Huh, it is her. And I thought she looked good in photos," he joked, causing Nikki to elbow him. "What? You're way hotter. Plus nothing can top that kiss—"
Nikki blushed, thankful that Caitlin cut him off instead of her.
"I'm gonna invite that girl over, especially since she's your new neighbor." Caitlin began calling, "Hey, you!"
Their neighbor who'd been sipping her soda began coughing, taken aback. Once her coughing fit subsided, she asked, "Me?"
A/N: So, basically, I'm acting like that Jonesy/Nikki "I love you" thing didn't happen in season four. I feel like an interesting storyline or a better-developed relationship could have come about with more emphasis on the I love yous, instead of it being glossed over like it was.
If you haven't noticed, I like using water symbolism. And fire—fire's nice too.
And, as a quick vocab lesson, tea just means gossip.