His Smirk ||

16: Connections

He chuckled. “They’re JV. That’s the closest they’ll get to the party.”

I sighed as he climbed out of the car. I reached for the handle to get out as well but it didn’t budge. I looked at it like an idiot. Had I pulled it wrong?

To my relief the door opened and I looked up at Frankie who offered me a hand up. I took it and climbed out of his car ready to explain that the door hadn’t opened for me. Before I could though he’d shut the door for me and smiled bashfully. “Childlock.” He explained and clicked his keyring making the car lock behind us. “Only way I can be a gentleman these days.”

I laughed as he tucked his hands into his pockets and looked at me. He looked almost at a loss for words. “That’s cute.” I said for lack of anything else to say.

We stood there beside his car awkwardly for a minute or two, just looking around. Him with his hands in his pockets looking down towards my feet. After a bit he pulled his right hand from his pocket and ran it through his blonde hair, finally looking at me. “Want to go?” he asked and nodded his head in the direction that a few people had just disappeared.

I nodded. “Sure.” I felt bad for Frankie as I followed behind him. I wasn’t exactly the most outgoing person for him to have chosen to go with him to the party and he didn’t seem to be the type to talk first either. We kept ending up stuck for anything to say.

As we entered the trees I ended up falling in step in front of him so that the people leaving could pass by. Up ahead I could see the shine of a bonfire through the trees and I watched it as I followed the natural flow of the path.

“Careful.” He said, sliding his arm around my waist from behind as my foot slid over a rock and I nearly tumbled down the side of the path. For a moment I was frozen, my cheeks bright red as I looked down at the somewhat steep ditch. It wouldn’t have hurt me had I fallen, just been mortifyingly embarrassing.

“Thanks.” I mumbled as I shifted and regained my composure. “Wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Frankie withdrew his arm from me and nodded. “I can go in front it’s kinda tricky your first time.” I stepped back and he squeezed around me. “Just grab on if you start to fall.”

I listened and followed behind him, listening as he warned me of branches or soft ground. “People walk this drunk?” I asked amazed that he could walk without at least stumbling once.

He laughed. “The JV footballers are in charge of babysitting when it comes to that.”

This didn’t surprise me and as the sound of talking and laughing and music got louder I asked “So if JV isn’t even allowed to party who actually goes to these things?”

We stepped out together and the sight of masses of teenagers all drinking and talking surprised me. It was much more than I had expected. Not to mention I could only name about five of the people I could see. “Just the important people.” He said nodding his head towards the general direction drinks seemed to be handed out. “Varsity squads from the near schools and anyone who matters really.”

Of which I was neither. I followed alongside him as we reached a corner where a few guys in sports jackets sat. A few had their arms around girls, which I could tell were cheerleaders due to their logo’s sewn into their school jackets. The rushing feeling of being out of place flooded over me. I didn’t belong here that’s why I’d never come. Kale must have been planning to embarrass me by offering to bring me that first night.

“Two.” Frankie told the boy who had hopped to his feet. The boy nodded and reached into the cooler he’d been sitting on and withdrew two longneck beer bottles.