Prohibitum

Chapter 1

Sam’s house loomed over me and I couldn’t help but stare up at the mansion with wide eyes. I didn’t know she was this well off. Five years, we’d known each other for five years and I had never been to her house. I guess it wasn't that big of a deal, Sam and I hadn’t become good friends until the end of year twelve. This just made me realise how different Sam and I really were. To be honest, I thought we wouldn't be friend after school but Sam had proven me wrong when she kept wanting to hang out. She even tried to mix me with her usual friends. I liked her friends, I guess. They weren’t really welcoming but they were nice enough.

It was late February in the New Year. Sam and I had graduated together the year before and she had a massive party to celebrate but my parents wouldn’t let me go. They were the really strict religious type so they were hesitant to let me come to Sam’s eighteenth but after promising there were no boys or alcohol and that Sam’s parents would be there they decided it would be okay. That was all a lie, of course, but I really wanted to go! I hadn’t been able to let loose and celebrate graduating yet. Now I was here, standing on her front steps and wondering if I had ever felt more out of place- the outcast whose parents had to both work overtime to keep a roof over our heads standing at the door of the most popular girl in school's mansion. This definitely wasn’t something I expected at the start of year 12. I didn’t even know if I could do this, I’d never been to a proper party before and half of our year was probably going to be here. I took a deep breath, I had to do this, I would regret not doing it. I rang the doorbell; please let Sam be the one to answer.

She opened the door in all her bubbly happiness, her red hair curled perfectly and her black slip dress hugging her slim figure. I was a curvy girl, so I had opted for a flowing white dress and sandals rather than the more common tight dress and heals that I knew girls wore to these things. On top of that, I didn’t have incredibly nice hair like her fiery red, I had a boring brown that was left hanging straight down to my backside at the moment. You can imagine how much of a confidence killer being her friend was but I didn’t let my feelings about it show. It wasn’t her fault she was so gorgeous and anyway, she was incredibly nice, despite being the most popular girl at school.

“Evie! Hey, I’m so glad you could make it.”

She pulled me into a hug and then shuffled me into the house, telling me I looked beautiful and I looked down at the loose dress and plain sandals and then back up at her. She had done her make-up immaculately, I suddenly felt that I should have put some on; my face was probably bright red from all the stress. I could feel my cheeks heating more at my sudden embarrassment, I probably looked a wreck.

I turned away, not replying to her kind words and instead studied the house. It was beautiful, I couldn’t believe someone could really live in a house like this, it was probably big enough for two families to live in.

“So you’re the first here, most people will be here in the next half an hour or so.”

I was surprised by her words and had to check my watch again. No, I wasn’t early, I was a few minutes late, why wasn’t anyone getting here for another half hour? Oh no, was it some sort of party thing, not to get to the host’s house too early? I was such a fool, Sam probably thought I was the biggest wierdo. I tried to quell the suddenly intense nervous fluttering going on in my stomach but I really couldn’t. I’d screwed up, shown how little I knew about these events. I tried to change the subject by giving Sam her present and she thanked me before opening it quickly. I looked away, feeling awkward again. I hated watching people open their presents from me, what if they didn’t like the gift? How awkward would that be? I preferred not to see the look of disappointment on a person's face, thank you very much.

“Wow Evie, this is amazing!”

I turned back to see her looking at her gift with excitement, she seemed genuine about liking it. That made me smile, I’m glad she liked it. It was a silver bracelet, with her birthstone hanging from it. I watched as she latched it around her wrist and I smiled wider, she must really like it!