March 26 was Haley's eighteenth birthday which she would be celebrating the next day. It was a highly anticipated occasion in her school as well as among her friends. But Ally and her friends hadn't planned any big present yet. They had been procastinating to think about her gift ideas. Subtly put they had just been lazy. They created a chat group where they were supposed to decide upon the present but it mostly resulted in arguments or irrelevant debates among them.
Luke was planning a seperate grand gesture for Haley which meant there were only four people left who would be arriving at the party without a gift. Ally suggested they should give her something memorable since after school's over they will be scattered in different colleges. She thought about giving her ravishingly framed photographs of their time together.
Cameron added on the idea saying that they should give her five photographs containing a special memory with each one of them with a hand written description about her. "It would be cool. We can write a personalised message on the photos. You know... like describing the good times we've had together."
"Oh and Ally we can also give those old pictures of her. Or make a collage out of it." Becky had made their gift even more better by her suggestion.
Two days before her party they had a meet up at Becky's house with all the pictures they had of Haley. Ryan put them in a pile and selected the best ones to be framed. Then he and Cameron set out to get them nicely framed. It didn't take more than three hours to complete framing, writing and wrapping the pictures. They stood proudly and stared at the four beautifully wrapped gifts. Although the gift was inexpensive but it was a thoughtful one. In a short period of time they had completed a huge task. Now they only hoped she would like the sweet thought and sweat they had put in.
Haley had celebrated her birthday with her family and the next day she threw a party for only her friends at her house. She had a big house complete with a small jaccuzzi, a large lawn and a terrace. It was suffice to accomodate the large number of friends she had. Haley's parents had set up a ginormous stock of food and soft drinks for the hungry mob of teenagers. But someone was able to sneak a beer keg and cheap booze into the party which her parents had no clue about.
Ally wasn't dressed fancy for the party because she knew it would be useless to wear good clothes at a party full of hormone driven teens who practically can do anything considered as wild. She stuck to a white tank top layered with a newly bought red flannel shirt and black skinny jeans and paired it with her straight black hair flowing down. She was welcomed with loud music blaring from the speakers and people spread all across the lawn. She went into the living room to look for her friends. She was roaming her eyes around the already trashed place to find anyone she actually knew.
Someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned around to see Cameron dressed suavely in his lavender shirt and casual jeans. Her eyes had encountered a delightful sight to look at all night. Lately, she couldn't control herself around him. Especially when his behavior towards her was specifically friendly she would always find herself stealing glances at him. He was probably over her by now but she had yet to move on. She had learnt by now that forbidden fruits taste the sweetest.
"Hey! You brought the gifts right?" She asked pushing aside her wishful thoughts.
"Yeah, they're in my car."
"Where's everyone else?" She stood beside him to look for her remaining friends somewhere in the crowd
"Hey, handsome." They both turned around to see Emily standing behind. Ally was surprised by the way she had chosen to dress. A black halter dress and stiletoes? This girl was definietly in the wrong event. This isn't prom. Ally thought to herself.
She tried to contain the jealous fury rising in her as she watched them kiss shortly. A sight that churned her stomach until she felt like throwing up. If it wasn't for jealousy gripping her she would've noticed the fake smile on his face. They finally parted and Emily took notice of her presence.
"Hi, Ally."
"Hey." Ally noticed how he had protectively wrapped his arm around Emily and she was snuggling closer to him as if they weren't close enough. The identical grins on their faces pricked her poor heart. She wanted to hate that girl with every cell in her body but she just couldn't. After all, Emily was perfect. She was sweet, caring, beautiful, courteous and had a GPA higher than Ally. It was like she had jumped into this century from a Jane Austen novel. Ally could never compete against such a killer package.
She discovered her emotions were at brim and she couldn't afford to break at that moment. In search of space she said, "Uh I'm going to find where everyone else." She took off without hearing their reply.
Before she could reach further away from them she saw Haley talking to Luke not much far from there. She approached and said her best wishes to the birthday girl.
"So how does it feel to be eighteen finally?"
"Honestly, I don't feel very nice. It just hit me that we'll all be separated in six months." Haley said gloomily. She swirled the drink in her hand and blankly stared at the red cup.
Luke enveloped her into a side hug and kissed her hair. "Don't say that, baby. It's your birthday today and I don't want to see you sad."
She had the urge to ask him about the future of his relationship with Haley since they were choosing different colleges. Haley wanted to try out different majors in her freshmen year while Luke was sure he wanted to pursue engineering. But she didn't want to sadden her friend even more so she kept quiet and heard Luke's various failed attempts in cheering her up.
"Okay dumbasses. Stop whinning and let's enjoy this day together." Ally commanded taking charge of lifting the death like enviornment around the place.
"You're right." She sighed and then straightened her stance. "Let's do this. I want this day to be remembered." Haley raised her cup in the air announcing the beginning of an unforgettable night for all of them.
*
Soon Ryan and Becky too reached and it was time to give the present to Haley. The three excused themselves and gathered in a huddle. "Okay, where's Cam?" Ryan asked.
"There." Ally pointed behind them where the couple was talking and drinking. "With Emily."
"So Ally you go call him and meet us outside at his car." Ryan told making her jump to her feet.
"No." She didn't have the strength nor the courage to see him with Emily.
"But why? Look we have to give her the gift before this party turns wild."
"Well... Why don't any of you go and call him while I wait outside?"
"Shut up, guys. I'll call him and you two meet us outside." Becky said and Ally couldn't have been more thankful.
Ally and Ryan started walking towards the front door when he suddenly asked, "What's your problem with Emily, anyway?"
She was speechless by his question but she shrugged it off. "I don't have any problem with her."
"Oh please you always avoid talking to her."
"Seriously, I don't have any problem with her. I just don't like seeing PDA." She hid the real reason a white lie. "I mean with Haley and Luke and Emily and Miller... it's freaking too much for my eyes."
"Tell me about it. It feels like everyone's in a relationship." He chuckled as they stood where the cars were parked.
The cold air blew and the night was turning chilly. Her wardrobe turned out to be a good choice unlike some people who thought it would be appropriate to show up in a short dress. She questioned her motives for a second. She didn't want to be in a relationship with him but she also couldn't see him with someone else. That was dilemma she needed to resolve soon before she does something detrimental. Just as she was thinking about Emily she saw three figures walking towards them.
"Oh god. Does she ever him alone?" Ally rolled her eyes as she saw Emily walking hand in hand with Cameron.
"Now that I think about it... she's a bit too possessive." She heard Ryan say but her eyes were busy scanning the couple.
She took a deep breath trying to calm herself as they all walked together to his car. "Why did you bring her along? We didn't include her in our gift." She whispered to Becky as the boys opened the car. Emily was still standing just two feet away from them inattentively staring at her boyfriend.
"I don't know. She wanted to come along."
"That's so ridiculous." Becky cast her a side look before they all chose different gift packs to carry inside. They were in small boxes but to avoid any public attention they decided to divide the weight. They had some extra cash left with which they had bought a dozen cupcakes since they knew there wouldn't be a cake for such a large population of students.
Ally was handling one of the cupcake boxes and one was with Ryan. They were carefully moving through the lawn to avoid any collision when she started observing every movement of the couple. Their blatant loudness annoyed her to the core. She was completely and unknowingly immersed in jealousy when a hard steel like structure hit her left shoulder.
"Ow." She recoiled like a metal string was pulling her back; the cupcake box almost falling off her hands. With one hand she massaged her shoulder and looked up to see she had hit a lamp post. Her friends must've turned around at her painful call. She heard few 'You alright?' and saw a few concerned looks. But the one voice and one face that she really listened and watched was Cameron's.
As everything around her seemed to disconnet itself from her she only focused on him. "You alright there, Parker?"
The concerned look on his face made her smile through the stinging pain in her shoulder as she lost control over the words. "I'm fine." Her response was quick in a montonous way.
He smiled and turned around to walk further breaking her spell boundness. She couldn't believe she had stood their smiling idiotically as if only his concern was the matter of her concern. As if knowing that he cared Was the only thing she cared about. She shook her head to come out of stupor and moved inside the house following her friends into the living room.
Ryan cleared out people from the sofa and the coffee table meanwhile Ally went to bring Haley to give her the gifts. When everybody had settled in the couch and the adjacent chairs with the birthday girl in the centre, they told her to close her eyes while they fetched the gifts hiding behind the couch.
"Surprise!" They screamed in unison.
Haley opened her eyes to her friends holding out nicely packed gift boxes. "Oh my god! You guys really didn't have to do this!"
"Okay. Let's take 'em back she doesn't want it." Ally reached out to snatch away the box but Haley turned away from her causing a laugh to erupt in the group.
"No! I want them."
"Drama queen." Becky taunted with sarcastic smile.
Haley opened her gifts slowly and carefully as if she wanted to save the wrapping paper forever. When she looked at the framed picture in front of her she was touched. "Aww... This is the only group picture that we have. I remember this day..." She turned to Luke, "We were sitting on the sidewalk eating from that food truck and I literally begged y'all to pose for one picture?" She pointed out to something on the picture, "But still look at Ryan and Ally flashing the middle finger."
They laughed together talking about that day and the other memorable days they had spent together. The cake boxes were opened and everybody attacked on the little cakes and spread frosting on Haley's face. After that they ate quickly before anyone else in the party came to know there were cupcakes.
"Thank you for an awesome gift and these cupcakes." Haley said with eyes shining because of happy tears welling.
"We're going to make even more memories in the days left in our senior year." Luke raised his glass in the air.
"Especially prom." Cameron added.
"Not prom because then we all won't be together." Haley said.
"Why won't we be together?" He asked finding it hard to believe.
"Ally here hates prom."
"Well not just prom. I hate very formal dance. They're just so... extravagant." She explained earning confused looks from the boys as well as Emily.
"It's like we have the same mind." Ryan got up from his chair and gave a high five to her.
"But it's the only event in school that we can actually enjoy." Emily said sounding distressed by the idea of not attending prom.
"Exactly! And it would be our last ever school dance." Cameron, who was sitting on the arm of Emily's chair said.
"It's not a big deal. Honestly, I'd prefer celebrating our school days with a house party rather than wearing make up and showing off clothes." This was welcomed by a snort from Cameron.
"Prom isn't just about that. Our whole class would be there and we would be having fun together for one last time. That is a big deal. Besides we have an after graduation party."
"You sound like a girl...." Ally started "And I'm not stopping anyone from going I just don't want to go. Simple." She chuckled it off infuriating him even more. He seemed to take it personally as he held his angry gaze towards her she looked away giving no heed to his words.
"Okay cut it guys!" Ryan interrupted their row. "We'll see about prom later it's still far away. Why don't we play a game?"
"What game?" Emily asked speaking for the first time.
"Truth or dare."
"Oh no that's so lame." Becky said falling back into the couch.
"Yeah. Let's play something else." Cameron said casually shrugging it off.
"Are you scared that you'd have to do a dare, Miller?" Ally mocked him relentlessly.
"I don't do dares." He looked at her challengingly but she looked away.
They were joined by some more school mates for truth or dare game. They all sat in an almost circle some on the floor while some on chairs. Ally was sitting comfortably on the floor with a soft drink in her hand as the game started with the bottle pointing at one of her classmates Michelle. She chose truth and was asked about the worst rumor she started or particpated in. The game went on for a few minutes with only three people choosing a dare. The questions and tasks were getting crazier with each person making the group howl and laugh even harder.
Finally the bottle pointed Cameron. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Oh, I got one. How many times have you been in love?" Haley asked curiously keeping her elbows on her knees.
"You're supposed to ask embarassing questions, Haley." Becky slapped her head muttering to Ally. Ally looked at him as inquistively as the other people in the group. His head was low hiding his face but when he finally looked up he was prepared to say something.
"Uh... Okay..." He sighed but a smile covered his face perhaps to hide his real emotions. "Just once, I guess." He silently said.
"Oh... With whom?" One of the other girls asked while Ally paid attention to each word he uttered.
"My first girlfriend. I'm not telling you the name 'cause she actually ended up cheated on me." He shrugged and took a gulp of the cola in his hand. This statement surprised many people including Ally. She thought about the pain he must've felt recollecting the bitter memories.
"Okay guys, enough of this crap." Ryan said when he sensed his friend had gone through the same hurt all over again. He didn't want Cameron to answer anymore questions. Being his best friend he must've actually seen his pain. "You're making everyone sentimental, bro. No one cares now that you've a hot girlfriend." He concluded with a rude playfulness. She saw Emily smile at this and rub Cameron's back affectionately.
The game resumed again and this tims no one allowed Haley to ask questions. The mood had escalated like the wildness of the dares that were given. After a few more spins the bottle pointed towards Ally and she confidently chose dare.
"Um... Give a lap dance to the guy sitting opposite to you." Ryan said. She looked at Cameron his alarmed face was mirroring hers.
"There's no fucking way I'm doing that. I should get another option like you did." Her refusal was treated rather indictively by the crowd since a quarter of them were already a little drunk.
"Then your only other option is to kiss him for a full minute."
"Excuse me, I have a girlfriend." Cameron answered for her.
"It's not like she's here anyway." A red headed girl argued. That was true because Emily had left only ten minutes ago. "It's not cheating it's a dare."
"If he's ready to do it I'll do it." Ally said pushing her hesitation away. Certainly it didn't have to mean anything to him but she would finally be able to understand her feelings.