Tick Tock - Time's Running Out

Tick Tock (9)

Chapter Nine

Jamie

We marched confidently up Olivia’s garden and in her front door like we owned the place.  Which, to be honest, in the clothes we were wearing, we did.  My heart was ready to pop out my chest with the excitement it was concealing.  I was so anxious to make a good impression on what seemed like my first fore into the party life in Balerno, Currie and the outlying villages.

The house was already packed with people and it seemed like the party was already in full swing, never mind the fact that it was merely nine in the evening.  Who has a full-swing party at nine in the evening?  Only someone who hosts great parties, therefore people turn up earlier so as to not miss out on any of the greatness.

“Oh, I was at an Olivia party this weekend...  See at Olivia’s the other night...  You weren’t at Olivia’s party? Where have you been! You missed out on... Oh my, God.  Did you see Olivia’s dress at her party the other night?  Oh, you didn’t? Well...”

People would brag to anyone who listened about Olivia’s fantastic parties.  Yes, I was mighty jealous hearing the stories that leaked through the school and eventually found their way to my unsuspecting ears.  Tiff normally filled me in on parties, but Kevin didn’t like Tiffany going to these kind of amazing, fantastic, gossip-full, drama-filled parties, which I always found strange, seeing as Kevin usually enjoyed flaunting his gorgeous girlfriend about.

“Oh, Darren!” someone cooed ahead of us.  My head snapped up, as the voice was distinctly bimbo-ish and girly.  I never knew Darren had a girlfriend.  I didn’t want him to have a girlfriend.  I didn’t want him to have any female friends.  At all.  Ever.  Full stop.  Finite.  I never wanted a girl other than me and Tiff and Chelsea to talk to him in his life – not the woman at the till of the local River Island, or ASDA or anywhere.

I saw a girl about one year older than me, with blonde hair that had evidently been dyed, as her roots were clearly on show.  I noticed her dress was short – really short – and really tight too.  I cringed as she bent over to take off one of her shoes, giving me a view I didn’t need, and giving Darren and Robbie a reason to stare.  Tiff and I exchanged a look that clearly meant we were both thinking the same thing - Olivia was a slut!  She was using what she had and was flaunting it to get what she wanted, which seemed to be Darren, judging by the little twitch she had in her right eye, which I think was a wink.  It was hard to tell though, because she was twitching every second word.  A bit too far, don’t you agree?

She grabbed Darren by the hand and dragged him further into the house, pushing past people, but still keeping a vice-like grip on his arm.

“What’s going on between them?” I asked Tiffany.

But it was Robbie who answered: “they’re not dating.  To Olivia’s disappointment.  They’ll just have regular make-out sessions.   Darren refuses to do anything to her until she gets tested, but she gladly does things for him...”

“Ewww!”  I shrieked, looking disgustedly at my brother.  “That’s gross!”

“That’s the facts of life, kiddo!”

“Yuck,” I muttered, as I took Tiff’s hand and we went exploring, leaving my chuckling brother behind us.  I managed to navigate our way to the kitchen, where we grabbed a couple of beers that were in the fridge and continued to sip at them while watching the party unfurl.

It was about half an hour and two beers later that Darren finally found his way over to us again, followed milliseconds after by Olivia.  He walked up to us and casually threw an arm around my neck and grinned down at me.