Glitch (boyxboy/android)

Chapter 2: Party

"Leo, what better gift for your 18th birthday than the opportunity to get laid!"

☆

"So..." Leo asks, after climbing out of his bedroom window, down the sloping first floor roof to the front lawn where his friends were currently standing. "Where are we going?"

"Hope's party." Harley says smiling. Hope being Harley's present infatuation.

"So this isn't about my birthday at all, it's about you getting off with Hope." Leo half jests.

"Nooo...Anna will be there too." Harley adds.

"And Chloè, so we all benefit." Yan adds. Anna and Chloè were Hope's two best friends and also pretty fine, though Leo was not as invested as the other two. Still not being that experienced in the relationship side of his life, but for now, he just found it easier to go with the flow.

"Leo, what better gift for your 18th birthday than the opportunity to get laid!" Harley smacks his hand on Leo's shoulder, making him wobble slightly, as he grins like a Cheshire cat. Leo just nods. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, he thinks..."

***

They reach the other side of town where Hope lives. The posh side of town. Her parents' house was huge. Rendered in white, with a grand entrance and columns surrounding two big wooden doors. The facade displays a scattering of windows with nearly every one having some kind of light shining from it. There is the constant thumping of music coming from inside the property, as they make their way to the door, passing some familiar and unfamiliar faces from school on the way.

"You're lucky she likes you Harley, or we'd never be allowed in." Yan comments, with all three of them coming from the not so affluent part of town. Harley just grins as he boldly walks up to the doors, looking through and spying Hope a little further inside. He manages to catch her eye and she comes running to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him on the lips. "Hey." She says, now backing away shyly.

"Hey baby...you miss me?" Harley asks, as Yan and Leo watch in awe as he oozes the confidence that neither one of them possesses.

"Maybe?" She replies, biting her bottom lip as it curls into a smile.

Harley now turns to his friends, holding out the bag of alcohol to Yan. "Guys....you don't mind do you?" He asks, though the question was pointless. Harley seemed intent on getting lost somewhere with Hope, whether they objected or not.

Yan just shrugs, with Leo looking less than impressed. "Whatever!" He replies. Earning a grin from Harley who leads Hope through the crowd of teens and out of view.

Yan looks at the bag now in his hand, taking out two brown bottles. "Beer?" He says, offering one to Leo, who takes it from his hand and proceeds to pull the cap with his teeth. "Happy birthday...now let's find the girls."

***

Four beers later and Leo is now sat on a stone step with Anna in Hope's expanse of a garden. The noise in the house just sounds like a muffled beat, with the crisp winter chill hitting his cheeks more pressing as Leo finds himself rubbing his hands together to stay warm.

He didn't really know exactly why he had decided to come outside with Anna, leaving the cosy corner inside he had found himself in, but she had insisted they found a quiet spot to 'chat'.

Anna pulls at the sleeves of her thin blouse to try and cover her hands to keep out the cold, obviously not being a forward thinker like Leo, who was wearing his fleece lined denim jacket. He notices how she keeps staring at it, then at him as if to convey a message that he doesn't understand. She finally tries a different tact, the direct approach..."So are you gonna lend me your jacket?"

Leo looks longingly at his coat, not wanting to peel it from his body, the chivalry thing not really making any sense to him anyhow. Then he would be cold!

Nonetheless, to save the potential argument, he finds himself saying "sure" as he begrudgingly pulls the jacket off his arms and drapes it around Anna's shoulders. He'd seen that move in a few films.

It seems to go down well as Anna pulls the jacket around her with her fingers, looking somewhat content. Leo however now wants to go back inside and warm up.

"So...you said you wanted to talk. What do you want to talk about?" He asks, wanting to get the conversation moving so he could get up and leave.

"Well it's your birthday and...I thought maybe you would want my gift." Anna says as she begins to fiddle with the hem of her blouse.

Leo looks around Anna's person. He couldn't see any gift next to her. No present wrapped up or a gift bag. He looks back at her confused. "Where is it?" He asks.

Anna turns her knees towards Leo, now facing him. "This." She whispers seductively.

Leo begins to panic a little inside as she slowly leans forward into him. Her eyes zoning in on his full pink lips. He freezes as he sees her eyes flutter closed as she presses her lips onto his.

Leo keeps his eyes wide open as he feels paralysed, the lips upon his moving slowly and softly. What does he do? He had never kissed anyone before. Was it meant to be this awkward?

He forces himself to close his eyes, almost screwing them shut and reaches his hands forward, grabbing onto Anna'a arms as if they were a life saving aid. He tries to concentrate on her movements on his lips, doing his best to mirror them, but it just felt like torture. He wanted it to stop and after what felt like a lifetime, Anna finally pulled away.

"Did you like your gift?" She asks, looking smitten.

Leo forces what he hopes is a convincing smile on his face. "Yeah." He lies. He felt bad for lying, but he didn't enjoy it. Not even a bit.

To his horror, Anna leans forward again for another round, but this time Leo is quick to stand up. "You know I need to get home." He says, laughing nervously.

Anna now stands next to him, her look, a little disappointed. 'Oh...ok." She replies. Leo waits a moment, hoping Anna will get the message and give his jacket back, but she just gazes up at him, pulling the garment around her further.

"Right...so, I'll see you." He nods at her and turns away, more peeved that he didn't have the courage to ask for his jacket back more than anything.

"Call me yeah!" Anna calls as Leo disappears inside the house. He did hear her, he just couldn't face turning around.

After giving up on finding Harley, he goes to the place where he last saw Yan with Chloè. They are still sitting on a small sofa where they had been before. Leo stops a few feet away, watching his friend passionately kiss the girl. His hands feel along the curves of her body, her fingers messing up his hair as they are literally sucking the life out of eachother. Leo lightly lets out a chuckle to himself. That's how it's done. That's how you're supposed to feel! again thinking back to his oh so awkward encounter on the step. Was there something wrong with him?

"Hey...Yan." Yan reluctantly pulls away from Chloè to look at Leo standing a few feet away.

"What?" He says impatiently.

"I'm going home. Tell Harley yeah?" He informs. Yan just nods and resumes his kissing position.

As Leo walks away from the house, he feels deflated. This may have been the worst birthday he'd ever had.