Loving Lakyn | ✓

[62] Truth or Dare

I grasped the cold, metal doorknob, then pushed the door open, stepping inside. I had expected to be welcomed with a crowd of teenagers instantly, but instead, the house seemed rather empty. 

Ignoring the couple making out on the bottom of the stairway, I proceeded to walk directly down the hall, past the kitchen which was a complete mess, each surface topped by an array of alcoholic beverages.

As I slid the glass door open, stepping outside, I was met with the actual party, held in Hale's backyard. 

Hale's backyard—much like mine—obtained an enormous pool, though he still had a lot of space around it. A small greenhouse sat in the far corner of his yard. It was old and unused now, all of the plants that once resided in it were now shriveled up and brown. Marion, Hale's mother, used to spend every hour of every day out there tendering each plant, when she passed, it was as if the plants knew because they died not long after.

Hale tried to keep them alive but he did not have a natural green thumb like his mother.

My feet creaked as I walked over the wooden planks beneath me, the deck extending out from the back of his house, stopping just a few meters from the edge of the pool where drunk teenagers littered, some sitting on the edge of the pool, dangling their legs into the cool water, others floating beneath the moonlight.

Not wanting to go anywhere near the water, I walked over to the fire pit off to the right. It seemed like the only calm area but what can I really expect? It is a party.

It was very modern. The setup, I mean. Rather than the typical fire and white wooden seats surrounding it, the wooden deck dipped down, two steps allowing you to enter the area of which the pit itself resonated in the center of a large square area, then seating lined the perimeter of the lowered area, like a sofa, with cushion, but mostly made out of the same material as the deck: wood.

As I neared the fire, I caught a glimpse of a tall curly-headed girl occupying one of the spaces surrounding the pit.

Forcing a smile, I walked down the two steps, my black boots scuffing against the hardwood.

Her brown eyes found mine quickly and, in an instant, she was ushering me over excitedly. She looked really happy, her cheeks crimson and her eyes glimmering with excitement, Elliot on her left, whilst Camden—Lakyn's somewhat friend and Sabine's best friend, as well as Elliot's—sat on the right.

She scooted over to the side, shoving Elliot too, creating a gap between herself and Camden as she patted the vacant area.

Warily, I walked over, sitting down and crossing my legs.

"I'm so glad you came. I thought you were going to bail." she shoved me playfully, laughing.

I snorted. "Trust me, I considered." I was not joking, but by the laugh that followed, it seems as though she thought that I was. "You look great, by the way. I love your hair."

She truly did. Her arms wore an emerald green denim jacket, a plain white t-shirt beneath it, then on her lower-half, she wore a simple black skirt made out of a satin material. Her usual thick, curly hair was braided into box braids, each one beautifully long, one the front two pieces of hair, each braid held dainty little gold accessories. It really suited her. 

I would have complimented her at the game but she was busy on the sidelines being her boyfriends biggest, and certainly loudest fan.

"Oh my god, thank you!" she beamed. "I love your outfit too. You look like a bad bitch."

I smiled graciously. I had not been sure about what to wear originally because most of my clothing in my suitcase were simple items—which I could have worn to the party, now one really dresses up. Besides, I wanted to feel confident—but thankfully, I did bring one nice dress that I had not worn. I originally bought it to wear whilst I was in New Haven, but I forgot.