Foreign Objects

06 • Lipperhey

We've been friends since elementary. At some point, my mom was her grandmother's personal nurse until she died. She'd sometimes take me over if there was no one to look after me at home and so, Peyton and I just became acquainted from there on.

"Hey," she says in a sing song tone, "You're glowing today."

I lift an eyebrow as I lock the door. "Really?"

She nods.

That's shocking, considering that Jeremiah's down mood is very well starting to affect mine.

"Here." She stretches a drink to me. "It's strawberry flavoured with a rainbow straw, just how you like it."

I take it slowly with a grateful smile, which is kind of forced. Ever since she apologised for the way she acted over my alien abduction reveal, she'd been doing small acts of service. This is how she usually behaves when she knows she offended me. Flaunt her richness and start buying me things to make up for it.

"Thanks." I waste no time in taking a sip because knowing myself, that quarter cereal I ate would not be able to carry me for long.

I sigh in contentment when the cold and sweet heaven fills my tongue.

"Okay so, I was thinking of throwing a party," Peyton says as she starts driving.

"Why?" I ask, taking another long sip. "I thought you said last term's party was gonna be the last?"

She hadn't even done anything for her birthday two weeks ago because of what happened the last time she'd thrown a party. That party had been a mess. It was all anyone could talk about the week leading up to it and even after. Peyton was the queen of throwing parties and so, everyone trusted her to pull off the best end of the school year party. And while the night had gone so well for everyone else, it'd been hell for Peyton. And me. She got into this huge fight with Jeremiah that I was sure would end their relationship for good (It didn't).

It was a terrible sight to see, Peyton all snort crying, eyes all puffy, as well as her being drunk. That night, I'd felt so guilty because I thought (still do) that they fought because of me. If I hadn't done what I'd done, I felt like that fight wouldn't have happened and apart from feeling guilty, I was scared. Scared that I was going to be exposed but surprisingly, nothing about what I did that night was ever mentioned and I have a small confidence that it won't ever be. I can take it to my grave.

"Yes, I know I said that but," she exhales, "I gotta move on, y'know?"

I nod. "Right."

"And besides, I'm running for school president, I have to make sure I'm on people's good side and throwing the first ever party of the school year, would ensure that." She spares a glance at her front mirror and fixes her lipstick.

"Have you started working on your manifesto?" I ask, taking a sip of my drink.

She groans. "Ugh, I haven't even started, I have absolutely no idea what to write."

"I can come over sometime next week and we can get started on it," I offer automatically because, that's what I always do. I always help her with manifestos since she's always running for official positions at our school.

"Really?" She turns to smile at me. "You'd do that?"

"Don't act all surprised." I roll my eyes playfully. "You know I always do."

"Thank you, Dee. I don't know what I'd do without you." She sends me an air kiss.

"Absolutely nothing," I answer, pretending to squash the kiss with my fingers.