Cool Girl

27: Party At Ben's

Mia, Conley and Charles are out of the city for the weekend on a work tip to Los Angeles so Ben and Lola have decided to throw a party at their house. Lola wanted to do it secretly behind their parents' back but Ben put down his foot and asked Mia for permission. She said yes but only after an hour long lecture about responsibility.

This I know because I had been waiting for Ben at Burger King for our date when he had arrived fuming with irritation but still happy about the party he'll get to co-host with his step sister. That was last weekend and now it's the weekend of the party.

Ben and I have been officially dating for two weeks now. In any other relationship, I know two weeks would barely have been enough to thaw the surface with the other person, as had been the case with Adam. But with Ben, I was comfortable in our relationship since the very next day that we saw each other in school. No one seemed entirely shocked at the idea of us becoming a couple over the span of two days that we weren't in school after the Aspen trip.

And I understood why everyone wasn't surprised when Angelina said, "No one ever said out loud but everyone had a feeling that this would happen sooner or later."

Apparently everyone had seen this coming.

I promised Ben that I'd come over early to help him and Lola set up before the party. Sebastian is also invited to the party since he's on the soccer team but it's going to be mostly Ben and Lola's years.

I change into the pair of black jeans I bought right before school started and choose a mustard top to add color to my outfit. I already straightened my hair and did my makeup so I'm ready in ten minutes and I grab my jacket and phone before heading downstairs.

Sebastian will come later once the party begins and I got permission from mom and dad to drive myself to Ben's house. It's only ten minutes away so I'll be off any main roads and I do have my learner's permit.

I drive slowly just to be extra cautious. When I arrive at my destination, Ash's car is already in the driveway. I park the car and lock the doors before walking to the front door. I ring the doorbell and the door is answered by Lola.

"Hey Hazel!" She says as she holds the door open for me.

"Hi. I'm not too late, am I?" I ask as I walk in.

"No at all. Ben and the rest of your friends are upstairs playing on the Xbox. Can you go fetch them so that we can start preparing. It's barely forty minutes before guests start to arrive." Lola says.

"Sure. I'll go call them."

Ben and Mia used to live in a smaller house than this one before she married Conley and that's where Ben and I have most of our memories. But I have been over to this house plenty in the last five years so I know my way around as well as I know my own house.

Ben's bedroom door is wide open and Liam is sprawled on the bed, doing something on his phone while Ben and Ash are on the floor, controllers in their hands as they stare intently at the TV screen on the wall.

"Guys!" I call out over the noise of the game. Ben at once looks to the door where I'm standing.

"Hey." I smile at him.

"Okay, we're going to go help, Lola." Ash says, hurrying to his feet and grabbing hold of Liam's arm as he drags him off the bed and then pulls him out of the room.

"We're not that bad." Ben says, standing up.

"Mhmm." I say as I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. Ben's hands rest on my waist as he deepens the kiss. A minute later I pull away, "We need to help Lola."