Friendship for Dummies

Chapter Thirteen

            “What’s happening?” I hiss to Ava, sending her a confused look. “Why aren’t they coming back out?”

            “Surely he hasn’t let them in…”

            Before we can converse any further, another group of people become visible across the street. Obviously, none of them are so privileged as to own a car – either that, or no one wanted to be the designated driver, which is probably more likely – as the girls are staggering across the concrete in impractical shoes, looking incredibly cold in the harsh evening air.

            They approach the house, merging with the group of people that are already waiting on his doorstep.

            After a couple of seconds, the door swings open. Connor’s standing there, but instead of looking totally bemused like I’m expecting him to… well, he doesn’t. Dressed in casual jeans and a shirt I haven’t seen before, he greets his girlfriend with a kiss before stepping back to allow them to traipse into his house.

            Uh, what?!

            He’s actually let them in.

            Is he crazy? Does he want two hundred intoxicated teenagers bursting from the seams of his house? Does he think walking in on couples getting up close and personal in his bedroom and trying to remove vomit from the carpet is an appealing prospect? Of course not – that’s why we came up with the idea in the first place.

            We’ve obviously done a good job at spreading the word, because the people begin to arrive in swarms from this point onwards. Girls in dresses that look like they’ve been painted on, guys with multipacks of beer cans under their arms. Bottles all colors of the rainbow are brought in.

            The thumping of the bass on a crappy dance track starts up, reverberating through the house.

            More time passes.

            More people enter.

            Our street becomes gridlocked with teenagers’ trusty vehicles. They seem to be blocking up every inch of concrete in a five-mile radius around Connor’s place. If any of the neighbors want to actually leave their driveways any time tonight, they’re kind of screwed.

            Especially the pregnant woman at number five, who’s due to deliver pretty soon.

            She’s going to have to keep her legs crossed until the entire junior class of North Shore finally finish puking up in the early hours of the morning and head home.

            After watching what feels like the hundredth group of people enter Connor’s place, I let the gap in the blind close, slumping back against the wall as a feeling of defeat washes over me. “Our plan has backfired, hasn’t it?” I say glumly.

            “Well…” Ava mimics my actions, sighing as she crosses her arms. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

            “You know, I think we might’ve actually made Connor more popular than he was before. Seems like the whole school is packed into his house.”         

            “Where’s his mom, anyway?” she asks, frowning.

            She has a point there, actually. Julie’s a pretty relaxed mother, but I don’t think even she’d stretch as far as letting her house be used as a headquarters for underage drinking and sex. Unless she views spending her Sunday dousing the house in air freshener to try to rid the house of the odor of sweat, alcohol and puke enjoyable. Which I highly doubt.