Sooner or Later (Feat. 1D and 5SOS)

4. Strippers and Sprinklers

"This is really happening," Emma said, her mouth agape as she and Heidi stared anxiously through the cab window. For nearly ten minutes they'd been sitting in the taxicab because neither of them had the courage to open the door and take those first steps. The first steps, after all, were always the hardest. So they waited, these timid teenagers, and watched as other partygoers drove up in their cars and walked up the driveway like celebrities working the red carpet. Heidi and Emma, on the other hand, felt more like paparazzi.

"Rachel's house is real nice," Heidi said. "It's like a tropical paradise."

"I bet she has a pool and her own bathroom. I wish I had my own bathroom so I wouldn't have to share with Liddy all the time. She puts her toys in the toilet, in the toilet. It's so childish."

"There's tons of people already in there," Heidi went on as she crawled over Emma's lap so that she could get a better look. Her face pressed against the glass, she gazed enviously at the house. All the windows were lit up like beacons, beckoning them inside. "We should get out now."

"You get out," Emma said. "You're on top of me."

Heidi scampered back to her seat like a panicked kitten. "No, you first. You're closer."

"You first. You're older."

Finally, the cab driver turned around and said, "One of you had better get out. The meter's still running. You're at ... thirty dollars now."

Heidi's jaw dropped. "Thirty dollars? What is this, some kind of scam? It was only a couple blocks."

"Thirty-two dollars now. Keep this up, you'll be giving up all your allowance, kid."

"Ugh, fine!" Rolling her eyes, Heidi reluctantly dug her fingers into her bra and pulled out what she thought was money but was actually a small wad of tissues. When the driver saw this, he busted out laughing so hard snot started spewing out of his nose. Cheeks burning with embarrassment, Heidi shoved the tissues back into her bra and then grabbed the money and threw it at the driver.

"Thanks a lot, jerk," she said before opening the door and climbing out. Her heels clacked upon striking the asphalt road, and she nearly fell over when she shifted her weight, but luckily she managed to catch herself.

With a sigh, she readjusted her dress. "Let's go, Emma!" she called as she slowly made her way around the car. A passerby might have thought she was walking on stilts by the way she was moving.

Taking a deep breath, Emma opened her door and stepped out, joining Heidi on the sidewalk. There, the two stopped to mentally prepare themselves. Heidi gave herself a quick pep talk and then turned around and asked Emma, "Are my boobs even?"

In truth, Emma felt a little awkward staring at her friend's chest. She just couldn't let her eyes settle in that area. "Yeah, I think so," she said.

At that, Heidi looked down at her chest and gave her left breast a gentle nudge to the right. "Okay," she declared, feeling confident. "It's go time," and then she turned on her heel and strutted up the driveway. A few steps in, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Emma struggling to keep up. "Emma, quit waddling like a penguin. You look ridiculous."

"I can't help it," Emma replied. "I've never walked in shoes like this. They have spikes, for goodness sake!"

"Yeah, so you have to walk like a badass, not a toddler."

"I'm trying!" she cried. "But this dress is way too short. With every step, it rides up more and more. Why did I get stuck with this one, anyway? It barely covers me." Already, she could feel the night's chill on her bare back, and it made her shiver.