Scraps ~ Ben Parish

3. Dakota doesn't do parties

Dakota Joseph isn't ashamed to say that she has never been to a high school party. To her, parties are just an excuse to drink too much alcohol, flirt with boys, and dance to distasteful music. Unfortunately her poor decisions had drawn her into going to a party at the house of someone she'd never talked to in her life.

The 'Others' we're watching everyone from above in their vast, menacing space ship and Dakota had proceeded to act as though the world was coming to an end. What do you do when the world is coming to an end? You go to a dumb party and 'live a little'.

She'd managed to complete the first half of that sentence, she was at the party, but the part about living a little was still unaccounted for. Who was she kidding, party's weren't her thing at all, she didn't want to dance or flirt with boys or drink alcohol. She just wanted to go home and read one last good book. Instead she sat on the floor in the corner of the room where no one could pay her any attention, except for Ben Parish, who she still hadn't caught watching her.

Meanwhile her friends (a few people who tried to include her) were over the other side of the open room drinking and dancing. One of the girls; Cassie Sullivan, the one who had tried the hardest to include her, was repeatedly glancing over her shoulder to get a look at the hot piece of ass that was Ben Parish.

Cassie had announced many times that Ben Parish was hers and that if anyone even looked at him she would karate chop them in the throat. Dakota found this ridiculous because everyone had at least a tiny bit of a crush on Ben, even she found it hard not to stare at him. She didn't mind though because Cassie would always have a much better chance with him anyway.

Dakota's phone screen flashes with light and she glances down at it. It's a message from her sister. so many people @ airport! Won't be home 2moro, sorry :( her sister was currently in Australia for some business trip. She scheduled a trip home as soon as the Others showed up.
The bored teen slides her thumb across the lock screen and her iPhone clicks.

Ben grabs two full cups from the alcoholic table and strolls across the room. The last drink he'd drained relaxed him enough to let him approach the beautiful strawberry blonde who sat alone across the room from him. He takes a deep breath and confidently makes his way past a number of half drunk teenagers. He feels his chest tightening as he gets closer. She's texting on her phone when he plops down next to her. The hard part was over, now all he had to do was open his mouth and form a few words.

Dakota lifts her eyes away from the screen as someone makes themselves comfortable right next to her. She contemplates scooting away slightly before her eyes meet with the deep brown eyes of Ben Parish. What on earth? he flashes her a confident smile. "You look like you're having fun."

Holy crap why is Ben Parish talking to me? no words come out, she just stares at him while her brain continues to scream at her to say something, anything.

Ben offers her a drink and she declines "I've heard alcohol kills brain cells." then mentally face palms, if the hot guy offers you the drink you take the drink! Ben places the cup aside feeling slightly discouraged.

"Maybe, but it also makes it easier to talk to people." He says taking a sip from his own cup. Dakota eyes the drink again before lifting it to her lips, that sounded like exactly what she needed at this very moment.

"I uh... I don't usually see you at parties." Ben says happy that she'd accepted the drink.

The strawberry curls bounce as Dakota nods her head. "I'm not really a party person." She answers simply.

"What made you come?" He felt as though he already knew the answer but it was just an attempt to keep the conversation going. Keep her talking so he could hear the sweet sound of her voice as she replied.