#THE HASHTAG

07 | Live to Party

You gotta live to party 

Bust your move

Everybody's in the groove

unedited

✝ Chapter Seven | Live to Party. ✝

           This wasn’t my first rodeo.

         I’ve had a handful of boyfriends here and there, and I knew how to talk to boys without blushing my ass off.

            I didn’t fall in love with every single handsome boy I laid eyes on. The closest I got to loving a guy was my ex-boyfriend of a year, West Aldrich.

            When I found out he cheated on me, I cried. It was at that moment I knew I felt strongly about him because I rarely cried, unless it was the last episode of a TV show I really liked.

            See the thing about falling in love was you never know if someone is going to catch you.

            But there was something about Jack that made me want to fall.

            “Do you want to come in?” I asked, looking over to him.

          Jack released a sigh and pulled the keys out of the ignition. “You’re actually inviting inside? You’re not going to make me beg you?”

            I rolled my eyes playfully and opened the door. “Come on,” I insisted as I walked up the driveway with him following behind.

            Shoving a strand of straggling blonde hair aside, I pushed the keys into the lock, wiggling them a bit. I just hoped my mother was fully clothed this time.

            I bumped the door open and threw the keys into a decorated bowl on a nearby end table. “Mom, I’m home! Please tell me you’re wearing clothes because I brought a friend.”

            Mom appeared from around the corner, wiping her hands into a kitchen towel. “Honey, who-” Her eyes widened once they settled on the tall boy behind me. “Oh my gosh,” she breathed out.

          “Jack, Mom, Mom, Jack.” I pushed past her and swung my backpack off my shoulder, sending it to the couch.

            “It’s nice to meet you,” he greeted her, holding out a hand for her to shake. He gave her a big friendly grin that made me want to gag.

            “Yeah, you too.” Her lips curled into the sweetest smile I have ever seen as she shook his hand. “You are so handsome,” she added.

            Reluctantly, my palm slammed against my forehead. “Please don’t drool over him, Mom. I don’t want you inflating his ego.”

            “It’s already inflated,” he noted, keeping his eyes locked with hers. “You are quite the beauty yourself.” He slowly bent down and placed a chaste kiss on the back of her hand.

            Involuntarily, Mom let a squeal escape from her lips. “Well, I was just making dinner. Would you like to join us, Jack?”

            “I’d love to!”

            “He can’t,” I interjected.

            “Why not?” he asked, bringing her brows together.

            “Because we’re going to a party.”

         Mom turned to face me, her mouth agape. “A party?” Her pale grey eyes grew hard and unfriendly. Shortly after, the dumbstruck mom was replaced with the strict mom. “You’re not going to a party.”