Andrea "Drea" doesn't know the feeling of loss and heartbreak until the boy she loves doesn't want to be with her anymore. One bad thing causes a domino effect for things to get worse in her despairing life - her grades, relationships and family.
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"Here we are! Let's go have a victory party!" I was jolted out of my trance by Margaux's shrill voice. We arrived in Lincoln Falls, the upper west side of Lincoln Hills. It was the neighbourhood of the affluent kids like Margaux, Finley, Oliver, Leland, and Stephen. In the car it was only Margaux, Stephen, and I. I couldn't remember why I'd ever go with them, but here we were.
Stephen asked, "So are you and Leland together now? Because you seem to have some chokehold on these boys. Did you see how badly Levi tonight after he saw you two kiss?"
"I mean at least we won!" Margaux exclaimed and kissed his cheek.
"Well I'm not with Leland and it was just a kiss." I sighed.
"Hey, at least you're over Levi” Margaux grinned and clapped her hands excitedly
The entire street was filled with cars and loud music played the other side of Mayor Archibald's house. I've never been here and it scared the shit out of me when there were men in suits and guns in holsters.
“Woah! Ollie boy's got security? Nice!” Stephen declared. As we walked closer to the front door, the music vibrated in my head. I was undoubtedly unfamiliar with some of the faces I saw here; they came from Ridgewood High. It would explain why, despite it still being early evening, the gathering was more crowded than usual. The mass of people decided to use the dining hall as their dancing floor. August and Illysa were dancing together. They shifted awkwardly apart when they noticed me.
"Oh, hey there, Drea!” Illysa giggled awkwardly. "I was curious when you were coming. We thought you wouldn't want to ride with Levi, so we asked Stephen-"
"Illysa I don't care." I said bluntly. "I want to know what on earth is going on between you two. It's been going in for a while, clearly." I turned to August and added, “Hasn't it Bar Guy?”
August scratched his head and he was about to leave the room while my attention was on Illysa, but I grabbed him by the t-shirt. He bit his bottom lip nervously and the two of them gazed at each other, as if the answer was written in each other's eyes. August finally spoke up and said, "I like Illy a lot. I think I might even be falling for her. She's got the kindest soul I've ever encountered and she doesn't make me feel like I'm not enough."
Watching my best friend and my brother stare at each other in the way that two people destined to be together made me smile. Illysa deserved to be happy and to have someone who would look out for her. Likewise, my brother did. I pondered over the love -or, to be honest, the lack thereof- that I'd ever experienced in my life. It was the bare minimum that I excused and allowed. Confusion and disappointment were all I knew.
“Well, I'm happy for you guys,” I said, blowing them air kisses. “If I can't have love, somebody should.”
I let them be as I made my way to the kitchen where the alcohol was stashed. I ran into Dean and he was grinning ear-to-ear. He handed me a drink and wrapped his arm around me. I caught a glimpse of Levi dancing in the furthest corner of the house with a Ridgewood High cheerleader who still wore her cheer outfit. She had her arms around his neck the same way I would have. I took the cup from Dean's hand and gulped it down in one go. Then I took another one from the table.
"Wow, rough night, huh?" Dean asked knowingly. I nodded. "Is it Danielson or Romero this time?"
I laughed bitterly, "Both idiots."
"You're popular," Dean commented with a chuckle. He then suggested, "You should come out to the living room. We're going to play spin the bottle and I know there's secrets that will shock you about your own friends."
"What do you mean?"
"I've said too much." he pretended to zip his lips as the alcohol buzz kicked in, and there was a burning sensation in my throat.
My eyes scanned the hallways and and dining hall for a familiar face, but the only one was the girl from the bathroom; Leland's ex. She was with her friends, but her attention was on Leland, who was outside with his own friends. He looked up from the girls talking to him and our eyes locked.
I found it funny how he wasn't paying attention to them, because he couldn't stop staring at me. I looked away and decided to talk to the girl from the bathroom. If I couldn't have any of the boys I wanted tonight, I didn't see why I could have a girl either.
"Hey, banana girl!" I joked and she glared at me playfully.
"I've got a name, you know."
"Pray tell."
"It's Angelique, but you can just call me Angel."
"Would you like to dance with me?" I extended my hand to her with the hope that she wouldn't reject me. She took my hand and I pulled her to the dance floor right when an early 2000s song plays.
"I love this song!" Angelique shouted over the music and raucous crowd. We shifted past the rest off the crowd and when we found space, Angelique and I danced closely.
"I've noticed that lately Leland's encompassed around your finger. He hasn't stopped staring at you since you walked in. Do you want to drive him insane?" She flashed a wicked grin.
"What do you have in mind?"
As I took a glance around, it was clear that everybody in the room was intoxicated from the bottomless alcohol bottles or the LSD that one of Ollie's dodgy friends was selling in the backyard. My focus was drawn back to Angel who cradled my face in her palms while we danced. She surprised me with her soft lips, that were ever-so-slightly parted. They unfolded all of my senses as if they were a forbidden key. Suddenly, I became aware of how dim the lights were and the heaviness and sticky sweat that flickered in the air.
But before I knew it, Lanny pulled us apart. "What the hell are you doing?" he bellowed.
I wasn't going to explain that it was just a kiss, that I was only trying to make him jealous. Lanny wasn't having it. He grabbed my arm and dragged her away from the party, into a quiet corner of the house where.
"What's wrong with you?" I called out. "Why are you so mad?"
Lanny pinned me against the wall and this reminded me of the time he did this at my locker. "I don't want to see you with anyone who isn't me,” his voice low and angry.
I was taken aback. I never thought I'd ever hear those words from him. “What do you mean?" I questioned, confused.
"I mean, I don't want you kissing other guys or girl, especially not my ex-girlfriend," he grumbled, his eyes still locked on mine.
“But you've been ignoring me the entire night... it feels like deja vu. You can't just come and leave as you please Leland.”
Lee sighed, his anger dissipating slightly, "I know, baby, I'm sorry. I'll do better.”
I blushed, “You called me baby. You've never called me baby before.”
“You hate it? There's a long list of other pet names I could call you,” he chuckled.
“Like?”
He grabbed my face and planted a kiss on my lips, his teeth biting my bottom lip a little bit. He whispered, “It doesn't matter, because you'll still be just mine.”
