Family Comes First

B20

I followed at her heel, barely keeping up with her long legs. Me wearing a dress and heels didn't help much either, my clumsiness making me more wary of the ground I walk on.

"Why are you wearing heels if you know you can't walk in them?" Samantha questioned, looking behind her. "Please don't tell me you are wearing it for the boy."

I was grateful for the darkness, or else Samantha could've seen my face turn a bright shade of red. "No, I just felt like wearing it. I don't get to wear these shoes much, only at parties because of y'know... the occasion."

"True," she agreed, opening the garage doors and bringing her bike out. "Get on, we're going." she ordered, pointing at the back of her seat.

"You know, I'm surprised you aren't wearing a dress." I told her casually as I climbed behind her.

Samantha looked back at me, revving the engine. "Oh? Why? By the way, hold on tight, we'll be going seventy miles an hour."

My fingers automatically tightened around her waist at her warning while I thought of an answer for her.

"You are usually wearing something fancy," I said in explanation. "So seeing you dressed up in black cargo pants and a grey crop top is surprising. Especially when we are going to a party."

Samantha chuckled. "It's a party, Amara. And it's not one of those fancy parties. I'm not going to wear ball gowns to a gang party where I have no doubt, people will go crazy. There is no such thing as a 'limit' and 'too much' alcohol at these parties."

"Oh." I murmured. "So should I have worn something different?"

Samantha frowned, "No. Wear whatever makes you happy. Anyway, I would have told you if the way you dressed didn't fit the occasion. I would never embarrass you like that."

For some reason, her words made me extremely happy, but I didn't know for sure, why. Maybe it was because it was one of the rare few times Samantha actually said something encouraging. Or maybe if was the fact that I was getting my freedom, little by little. Who knows? It could literally be anything.

"Tell me more about Theo." Samantha said.

"Theo?" I repeated warily. "What about him?"

"What do you see in him that you don't see in anyone else?" she amended, "I've never seen you like a boy before. Or if you have, I've never seen you this happy or excited."

"How do you even know?" I countered, "Are you stalking me or something?" I accused in a joking manner, even if I was half serious. If she was stalking me-

"Me? Stalk you?" she laughed incredulously. "No."

"Then how do you know that I like a guy named Theo?" I asked, "That is way too specific if you don't have someone stalking me."

Samantha spared a glance back at me through her helmet. "I guess you'll never know." she grinned.

~

"Your boyfriend should be somewhere in that group of people." Samantha told me when we arrived, pointing at a group full of boys and girls about my age, maybe a bit older.

We arrived at a mansion-like house just a few minutes ago, and Samantha had just parked her bike on the side. The inside of the house was all lit up, and the door to the backyard was open, where I could see drinks and snacks laid out on the side.

No one was in the backyard though, and only a certain group of people were outside, standing right in front of the door to the entrance of the house.