He's Just A Player

Chapter 6: The Party

Chapter 6: The Party

Carter's P.O.V:

      All day at school I avoided Aiden. Maybe it was immature of me, but I really didn't like that he wanted me to stay home instead of going to a party I'd never be invited to again. Didn't he want me to have fun?

      Besides, it's not like Aiden never gets to party. He's always invited to them. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't hear about Kyle's party. I'm sure someone would invite him tonight. They always do.

      "Carter! Wait up!" Aiden called.

      I turned around and saw him running towards me, waving his hands frantically. The corners of my mouth turned up into a smile. Who wouldn't laugh at that sight of him?

      "What?" I asked, putting on a serious face.

      "I'm sorry. For last night," He huffed.

      "Yeah, it's fine. You know I can't stay mad at you for long," I smiled.

      "Cause you love me!" Aiden said, wrapping me in a bear hug.

      "You wish!" I choked out, prying him off of me.

      "I know it's true Cart. Anyway, I decided I'm going to the party tonight. With you," Aiden declared, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

      "Why?" I asked, growing suspicious.

      He seemed pretty clear that he disliked Kyle yesterday.

      "I want to look out for my best friend. It's your first party for God's sakes!" He replied, ruffling my hair.

      "I don't need a body guard," I whined, pushing him away.

      "But I'll feel better if I'm watching you! Plus there'll be a bunch of hot girls I can hook up with..." He whispered the last part, as if I wasn't listening.

      "Hey!" I shouted, smacking his arm.

      "What? I'm a guy! What do you expect?" He asked, laughing.

      "For you not to hook up with every girl in the school," I replied.

      "I haven't hooked up with EVERY girl. I've left you alone haven't I?"

      Ugh, but I wished we were something more.

      "True. Everyone but me," I said.

      "Could you imagine what would happen if I hooked up with you? That would be so weird," He muttered, making a face.

      Okay, so I definitely knew he didn't like me.

      "Yeah....weird...."

      "But we'd make cute children, huh? They'd get their looks from me," He joked, elbowing my side.

      "Yeah, sure they'd get their looks from you. But at least with me as their mom they wouldn't be completely stupid," I replied, laughing.

      "I'm not stupid!" Aiden said defensively.

      "Keep thinking that and maybe one day it'll come true," I replied, shaking my head.

      "Whatever Ly. You're just jealous of all this," He said, gesturing to his abs.

      "Why have all that when you can be smart?" I asked, shoving my textbooks in his face.

      "Because you get people to want you," He replied, shrugging.

      "Really? Because I'm smart and I know people want me." I said.

      "You're joking........right?" Aiden asked, tilting his head to the side.

      "Nope. I know a certain someone who supposedly likes me," I smiled before skipping away.

      "Wait a sec!" Aiden called out, running in front of me.

      "Yes, dearest friend?" I replied, batting my eyelashes.

      "Who likes you?" He asked, crossing his arms.

      "Why do you care?" I retorted.
 
      "I.....don't. Never mind. Good-bye Cartie," Aiden replied, turning on his heel.

      "Later player," I called out, walking to my last class of the day.

      Tonight was the party. And I was totally unready.


~

      "Mr. Ly, I can assure you Carter will be fine at my house. We're just having a small study group, and then she can stay the night," Katie said, showing off her perfectly white teeth.

      "Only Carter will stay the night?" My dad asked, raising an eyebrow.

      "Only Carter," She replied.

      "And you'll be staying up how late?" He asked.

      "9 at the latest," Katie responded promptly.

      "Sounds alright. You kids aren't going to a crazy party....right?" My dad asked.

      "Well-uh-no! I mean-"

      "I'm just kidding! You have a great study session," He cut Katie off and laughed, heading to the kitchen.

      "Ha ha," Katie said, rolling her eyes.

      "I sincerely thought we were going to be caught!" I breathed out, wiping the sweat forming on my forehead.

      "But we weren't. Now let's get ready for the party!" Katie replied, dragging me out the door.

      On our way out, I snatched a bag holding my dress and shoes. Thankfully my mom and dad never found it. They'd question me to death about why I bought it. Mostly because I usually hated dresses with a burning passion.

      "Hurry up Cart, or we'll be late!" Katie yelled back at me.

      "Late? For a party? I'm pretty sure we could show up at the end and not be late," I replied, rolling my eyes.

      "Okay, maybe you have a point, but this is our first party! I refuse to miss any of it," She proclaimed, starting up her car.

      "Wonderful...." I muttered, feeling the car jolt to life.

      We drove for about 5 minutes until finally reaching Katie's house.

      "Wait, what if your mom finds out about us going to the party?!" I asked, staring at the door.

      "She won't. She's going to some rejuvenation thing tonight. She'll be gone for ages," Katie replied, pulling me in.

      "Katherine?" I heard her mom call.

      "We're in the foyer mom!" Katie yelled back.

      "Oh, hello Carter! You're here for the study session, right?" She asked, pulling up her yoga pants.

      "Hey Mrs. Dayton. And yeah, Katie and I are studying," I replied, rehearsing what Katie had told me to say.

      "Great! I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to go rejuvenate myself. I trust you ladies, so I'm expecting you'll both be mature. You're juniors now, so I won't be too worried," She stated, grabbing her car keys.

      "We'll be fine!" Katie said, smiling.

      I couldn't help but feel extremely guilty. We were lying to the nicest lady I'd ever met!

      "Great! I'll see you in 5 hours? Bye girls!" She said, waving.

      As soon as her mom was out the door, Katie grabbed my arm and bolted up her stairs.

      "We only have 4 1/2 hours, so get ready quickly!" She barked, shuffling through her closet.

      "Okay Miss Dictator," I muttered, taking out my dress.

      I slipped it on and Katie began feverishly brushing through her hair.

      "Easy there. You'll break the ends of your hair," I warned, putting my outfit on.

      "I'm just trying to get ready here!" She said, grabbing make-up.

      I decided against talking to her while she was in the zone, and instead, began straightening my hair. It would be a nice change for once, instead of having crazy, curly, hair.

      "Ooh, straightening the frizz, I see. Good choice," Katie said, applying some type of powder to her face.

      "Yes, because I knew if I showed up looking like Chewbacca, people would shun me," I replied, trying not to burn my head.

      "Chew-who-cca?" She asked, putting on lipstick.

      "Never mind. You've never seen Star Wars," I said, rolling my eyes.

      "And I don't plan on ever watching it," She said, cringing.

      "Hey, those movies were the bomb!" I said defensively.

      "And filmed in the 70's..." She muttered.

      "Not episodes 1, 2, and 3!"

      "Whatever. Still boring," She yawned, plopping next to me.

      "That's your opinion. Your wrong opinion, but still your opinion," I shrugged, slowly straightening each piece of hair.

      "Give me that. If I don't do the job, we'll be dead when you finally finish," Katie said, taking the straightener away from my hand.

      "Someone's in a hurry, eh?" I asked, nudging her rib. Katie stared back at me blankly.

      "Yes. Yes I am," She said.

      I shrugged while she finished off straightening my hair, which was only about a minute. I bet the frizz wasn't even tame.

      "Okay, let's go! When we get to the party, we can split up, alright? I'm going off on my own for a small sliver of the party. Then I'll find you," She stated, throwing the straightener to the side.

      "Wait, what? Why am I to be left alone? And wasn't this the whole reason you invited me to the party anyway? To be with you?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

      "Carter, it's only for fifteen minutes. I'll find you, and we can hang out then," She replied suspiciously.

      "Or you just want to get laid..." I muttered, walking out her bedroom.

      "What was that?" She questioned, hot on my trail.

      "Oh, nothing."

      "That's what I thought."

      "Okay, let's just get this party over with." I sighed, walking out the front door.

      "With pleasure!" Katie squealed, racing past me.

      This would be fun.


~


      As I had predicted, the party was definitely not something a parent would have their child going to. It was really loud; noted that there were a ton of teenagers getting drunk inside and out.

      When Katie had first arrived, she immediately ran off and left me to fend for myself. I stood there awkwardly, receiving stares from a couple of stoner-looking kids. I quickly gave them a nod before running inside the house. I'm not sure they had the best intentions.

      Upon entering the home, I saw a ton of drunk, passed out, high, and crazy teens. I practically ran out at the sight. I mean, I was NOT used to this type of behavior. There were people who were almost naked here!

      I mean, I can understand that it gets hot in the summer, but you could at least put on some freaking shorts. It's like girls throw the whole conservative thing out the window. Or in this case, on the floor.

      As I looked to my right, I saw at least four kegs and a few guys who were drinking straight from the nozzle. Around them were more guys that honestly looked dead to me. I was almost 100% sure that if they drank any more, they'd get alcohol poisoning.

      "Hm. So this is the awesome party Katie wanted so badly to go to," I muttered, winding my way through a crowd of people who were grinding on each other. Again, lovely people here.

      I finally reached a sliding door which lead to the backyard, leaving gratefully. When I stepped outside, I saw only a few drunk people stumbling around. Other than that, there was no one.

      Kyle's backyard was actually really nice, aside the fact that some people were lying face-down in the grass. It was pretty big, with tall trees that shaded the area nicely. He even had a small koi pond with three large koi fish.

      I made my way over to the pond, sitting on a small bench next to it. I admired how the fish looked; with shimmering scales and different colors. I thought about how nice it would be to be a fish. No worries, no problems. I could just swim away.

      But then again, fish had to worry about nets, sharks, larger predators, and ocean polluting.

      "Heeeey yyou. You're thhaat smartt chick rright?" A drunken guy asked, slurring as he spoke. 

      I watched him trip over a rock and face-plant into the grass next to me.

      "I suppose. What do you want?" I snapped, kicking his body away.

      "You," He said, rolling onto his back. He tried to stand up, but failed miserably and ended up looking like a beached whale.

      "Okay, good luck with that," I muttered, beginning to walk away.

      "Wait," He said, grabbing my ankle.

      "Let go, idiot!" I screamed, kicking his face with my other foot.

      "Ow!" He whined, letting go.

      "That's right! Leave me alone, because I was in tae kwan do for 8 years buddy! You don't want to mess with me!" I stated, dusting myself off.

      "Is that so?" He hissed, standing up.

      "Oh no," I murmured, bringing my hands up in the proper position.

      "That's right princess. We'll see what tee kann da did for you," He smiled evilly, charging for me.

      As he ran like a deranged maniac towards me, I prepared myself to kick his lame ass. Once he was in a close enough proximity, I used a common kick in tae kwan-do; the side thrust kick. Basically, I raised my leg, rotated, and kicked him in the stomach.

      I watched as the guy literally flew back, and into the koi pond.

      "Have a nice swim bro," I called out, walking away.

      As I walked off, I could hear him stepping out of the pond.

      "He's coming back for more," I muttered, preparing to act on self-defense.

      I felt him grab my arm, as I brought my knee up, and kicked him right where it counted.

      "Fuck!" He yelled.

      Only, this yell didn't sound like my perpetrator. Crap.

      "Connor?!" I yelled, my eyes widening.

      "That-would be me," He choked out, laying on the ground.

      "Holy-I'm so sorry! It seems as if I'm saying that a lot, but I thought you were a drunk guy and...well you know," I said, kneeling next to him.

      "Yeah, I figured," He whispered, shutting his eyes in pain.

      Oh my God. I was seriously the worst person on earth.

      "I'm so sorry! I feel really bad! Ugh, I'm just awful. Here, let me attempt to drag you on a couch inside," I offered, trying to pick him up.

      He merely shook his head, but I tried anyway.

      At first, he was really heavy. Kind of like lifting a 150 pound weight. But then, it got gradually easier, and I was able to (sort of) pick him up.

       I brought him inside, searching for a couch that people weren't actually making out on. So far, that seemed impossible. I decided to bring him down the hallway, and see if any couch, or even a bed was available.

      And of course, due to my lack of coordination and wit, I smacked Connor against someone.

      "Oh, sorr-"

      I stopped mid-sentence when I saw I'd bumped into Aiden. Who was grinding on some girl I'd never seen before. I gritted my teeth together, to the point of where I actually believed they'd break.

      "I'm sorry Connor. I'm trying to find you a proper place to sit down," I whispered, fighting the obvious pain in my heart.

      Why did I even try? Why was I so hung up on Aiden, when he didn't even glance at me? I was stupid, that's why.

      "It's fine," He replied, his face contorting into pain.

      As I dragged Connor's body down a small hallway, I finally found a room where people weren't actually making out or doing drugs on. I hastily attempted at heaving his body onto the bed, to which I pretty much failed at. Connor ended up having to inch his way up the bed instead. Poor guy.

      "I owe you big time. Is there anything I can do? Get you water? Ice?" I asked, sitting next to him.

      "No, I don't need either of those things. But cuddling would make me feel better," He suggested.

      My face flushed at his request. He wanted to.....cuddle? The guy who I thought would turn out to be a bad boy? Cuddling?

      "You're sure about that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

      Connor laughed, despite the obvious pain in his groin area.

      "Yeah," He coughed out.

      I cautiously leaned back on the bed next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. It was awkward, yet sort of.....comfortable.

      "This is actually nice," I blurted out.

      "It is," He agreed, closing his eyes.

      I felt Connor's arm wrap around my shoulders as he lifted one eye open.

      "You're really different, aren't you?" He asked.

      "I guess. That's a bad thing, isn't it?" I groaned, rolling on my side, facing the wall.

      "No, not at all. It shows you aren't afraid to be who you are. It shows that....well, you're you. Not a clone," Connor replied.

      I turned back to face him.

      "Really?"

      "Really." Connor flashed me a smile that could make anyone swoon.

      As I opened my mouth to say something, the door swung open. Connor and I looked up to see Aiden lip-locked with a girl who was now almost completely stripped of clothing. It was truly a horrific sight.

      Aiden broke away from her for a minuscule amount of time, only to stare at Connor and I.

      "Carter?" He asked, dropping the girl.

      "Aiden," I replied, sitting up.

      "It.....it is you. You look-um. You look different," He blubbered, staring at me wide-eyed.

      "Yeah, yeah. Don't judge. Katie forced me into it," I muttered, tearing my eyes away from his brilliant blue ones.

      "No, you look beautiful," He said, leaving the half-naked girl behind, and striding over to where Connor and I were situated.

      "Oh. Thank you," I blushed at his comment, seeing as he usually never complimented on how I was...."beautiful".

      Aiden wrapped an arm around me and shot Connor a look, which confused me a bit, but thought it couldn't be anything serious.

      "So, why the sudden makeover?" He asked, eyeing me from head to toe.

      It made me shift uncomfortably, knowing he was checking me out. I wiggled away from his grasp, just I'm case he got the wrong idea. Even if I had the biggest crush on him, he wasn't about to take advantage of me.

      "I thought I'd try to change up my look for the night," I replied.

      "Well, you look hot," He whispered, resting a hand on my thigh.

      "You're drunk," I said in disgust, smelling his breath.

      He shrugged, "I may have had a drink......or six."

      "Aiden! That's not good! You could die of alcohol poisoning!" I yelled, smacking my forehead in frustration. It was like watching a freaking child or something, minus the drinks.

      "Whatever. At least I can enjoy myself unlike you. You're a pruuude," He sang, skipping back towards his.....date.

      "And you're an ass!" I called after him.

      Although I knew he didn't care. He didn't care that I was absolutely heart-broken whenever he was with a girl. He didn't care that I had feelings too, and wasn't just his lame sidekick. I was a human being just like him.

      After feeling like a bus hit me, I let a couple tears fall down my face as I quickly wiped them away. Connor was still awkwardly sitting next to me, and I really didn't want him seeing me cry over a silly crush.

      However, he seemed to understand as he wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug.

      "He's not worth your tears, Carter. He's......well he's just a player. You're so much better than that! You're going to do great things with your life, while Aiden's going to live with an STD," Connor soothed.

      This only made me more upset, seeing how pathetic I was liking someone way out of my league. People in my league were the guys in the chess club. Maybe I'd ask Mitch, the captain of the team out later..... But he'd probably be taken too. I'd just have to live alone for the rest of my life. Yes, that was it.

      "Thanks, but Aiden's always going to be a part of me. Even if we don't date, he'll still be my best friend," I said glumly, pulling away.

      "Why? Why are you even his best friend when he treats you like shit?" Connor asked.

      "He's usually much nicer than that," I replied quietly.

      "Yeah, he seems like a charmer alright," Connor said sarcastically.

      I sighed, "It's....not like that."

      "Then what is it like, Carter? Because I sure as hell know he's not a great guy." Connor stared at me with his dark brown eyes intently, as I turned away.

      What was it like with Aiden? I mean, he was wonderful.....most of the time. He was a great best friend, but not a great boyfriend. Actually, I never thought about him ever being a boyfriend. He always took girls on dates, but never made anything "official".

      "He's my best friend. I can't just change that," I replied.

      "Yeah, and you also are infatuated with him. Come on, Carter. If you go after a guy like that, you're bound to get hurt. I know wearing this dress isn't you, and that's what Aiden wants. He wants a fake, plastic Barbie doll. Did you see how he was flirting with you? He never did that before, did he? And all because you wore something that wasn't you at all. I'm starting to question if he's even your friend at all," Connor stated, letting out some steam.

      I carefully listened to what Connor had to say. It seemed as if he really got me. What he said was true-well at least parts of it. I knew Aiden was only drunk, and would apologize tomorrow for being weird. However, I also knew I was not Aiden's type. I was a loser, boyish, and smart. Aiden went out with bitchy, fake, and dumb girls. It would never work out, even if I secretly hoped it would. There was still a voice in the back of my head telling me it would.

      Yeah right it would.....right after the moment where pigs flew.

      "He'll always be my friend, Connor. That won't change. Now come on, I'll drive you home," I said, slowly, pulling him to his feet.

      "Thanks for...taking care of me," He smiled, holding onto me for support.

      "No problem. I was the one to cause this to happen anyway," I said, shuffling towards the door.

      On our way to Katie's car, I saw Aiden yet again eating another girl's face off. Had he no decency? And to top it off, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Katie chugging down drinks. People were repeatedly yelling at her to drink faster, as she laughed maniacally.

       "Great. How am I supposed to explain this to her mom?!" I whined, continuing to drag Connor out the door and into fresh air.

      "You have bad luck, don't you?" Connor asked.

      "Way more than you could imagine," I replied simply, setting him in the passenger seat.

      I walked to my side, buckling in. I was so going to be dead for this.

      "I thought parties were supposed to be fun?" I sighed, starting the car up.

      "They're not all cracked up to be what they're made to be," Connor replied.

      "Obviously."

      Today was pretty awful. Aiden being....well being Aiden, Katie getting drunk senseless. How was I to explain that to her mom? "Oh hey Mrs. Dayton. Katie actually accidentally drank all your alcohol because she thought it was water." Oh yeah, she'd definitely fall for THAT. Not.

      "I'm so screwed," I groaned, driving away.

      "Hey, if you want, I can try to help," Connor offered, watching my face.

      "Thanks, but you're kind of in pain. I can deal. So where do you live?" I asked, watching the road signs carefully.

      "Carlson Avenue, near school," He replied.

      "Carlson Avenue? Seriously? That's the street I live on!" I said, smiling.

      "Are you kidding? We're neighbors!" Connor laughed, hiding the fact that he was still in a lot of pain.

      "Well it should be easy to find your house then. We're only about five minutes away," I stated.