“You don’t think it will rain do you?” I asked looking out of the window of Frankie’s sleek car and up at the dark cloud covered sky. The sun had just began to set.
He shrugged. “Dunno.”
I scanned him form the corner of my eye. He was kinda cute in a puppy dog sort of way. Blonde hair. Soft blue eyes, almost grey. If it wasn’t for the fact I wasn’t a big fan of his type of guy I probably would have thought him attractive.
What type is he? I wondered and looked at him more closely. I knew he was carefree and almost bashful when it came to girls. I smiled remembering the first time I’d met him, how he had fumbled over his words so easily. Yet I had seen him with his own fair share of girls.
He must have noticed me watching him for he turned and gave me a small almost embarrassed smile. “Do you come to every one of these parties?” I asked conversationally. He wasn’t very easy to talk to.
“No. Well I used to.” He paused at a stop sign then took a smooth turn. “Last year we went every time. Kinda expected, you know?”
No, I didn’t know. “Expected?”
He nodded. “Well yeah. The football team and cheerleaders are like the soda and chips at a party. You can have one without it but it’s not as big.”
I’d never thought to ask before. Kale had mentioned there was one almost every Friday. That there was always something going on up at the bluffs. Why had I never gone before? “Why haven’t you lately?” I asked. Had Frankie gotten a girlfriend to bide his time?
“Well I usually stick to my own.” He took a turn and glanced over at me. “And we’ve been hanging at Jakeson’s and Brendon’s a lot more than we used to.”
I nodded. Come to think of it Friday night had become a movie night of sorts. We mainly were at Jakeson’s since there were no parents there. Unless… unless Brendon asked me to come over then movie night was held at his house. Wait a second… “Since I came you guys stopped?” I asked. If everyone showed up to hang out that meant they couldn’t be at the parties.
“Yeah. Used to go every time but lately we’ve been hanging out with you.”
Basically he was saying ever since I came they’d stopped doing what was expected of them. Of course it made sense. They were the in crowd. Even I wasn’t niave enough not to realize that. But the fact they’d been putting off their highschool life just because I was a socially awkward outcast with only them as friends wasn’t fair to them.
“Thanks for inviting me.” I said and shoved my hair back once more. I didn’t know what bothered me more; the fact I’d stepped in and messed up their normal life or the fact that they had just assumed I wouldn’t want to try to mold to their lifestyle.
“No problem.” He shrugged again and we approached a long street crowded with cars. “This isn’t like…a date, is it?” he asked nervously. I couldn’t tell if his voice was worried or hopeful.
I hadn’t even thought about that. “No.” I replied as simply as I could. “Just two friends going to a party.” I watched Frankie for his reaction but he didn’t seem upset. I turned my eyes out the window. “You sure you can get a spot?” it looked so crowded.
He chuckled and I looked over to him. “Rein. I’m a football player.”
Like that was an answer? I found out what he meant the second he pulled up. There was literally a section of the worn down grass where everyone had crammed their cars onto roped off with three or four cheerleaders standing around talking to some boys.
Frankie nodded as he pulled up and they parted for him allowing him to park in one of the free spots. “How long are they on car duty?” I asked looking over at the cheerleaders who went back to preserving the saved spots.
He chuckled. “They’re JV. That’s the closest they’ll get to the party.”
I sighed as he climbed out of the car. I reached for the handle to get out as well but it didn’t budge. I looked at it like an idiot. Had I pulled it wrong?
To my relief the door opened and I looked up at Frankie who offered me a hand up. I took it and climbed out of his car ready to explain that the door hadn’t opened for me. Before I could though he’d shut the door for me and smiled bashfully. “Childlock.” He explained and clicked his keyring making the car lock behind us. “Only way I can be a gentleman these days.”
I laughed as he tucked his hands into his pockets and looked at me. He looked almost at a loss for words. “That’s cute.” I said for lack of anything else to say.
We stood there beside his car awkwardly for a minute or two, just looking around. Him with his hands in his pockets looking down towards my feet. After a bit he pulled his right hand from his pocket and ran it through his blonde hair, finally looking at me. “Want to go?” he asked and nodded his head in the direction that a few people had just disappeared.
I nodded. “Sure.” I felt bad for Frankie as I followed behind him. I wasn’t exactly the most outgoing person for him to have chosen to go with him to the party and he didn’t seem to be the type to talk first either. We kept ending up stuck for anything to say.
As we entered the trees I ended up falling in step in front of him so that the people leaving could pass by. Up ahead I could see the shine of a bonfire through the trees and I watched it as I followed the natural flow of the path.
“Careful.” He said, sliding his arm around my waist from behind as my foot slid over a rock and I nearly tumbled down the side of the path. For a moment I was frozen, my cheeks bright red as I looked down at the somewhat steep ditch. It wouldn’t have hurt me had I fallen, just been mortifyingly embarrassing.
“Thanks.” I mumbled as I shifted and regained my composure. “Wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Frankie withdrew his arm from me and nodded. “I can go in front it’s kinda tricky your first time.” I stepped back and he squeezed around me. “Just grab on if you start to fall.”
I listened and followed behind him, listening as he warned me of branches or soft ground. “People walk this drunk?” I asked amazed that he could walk without at least stumbling once.
He laughed. “The JV footballers are in charge of babysitting when it comes to that.”
This didn’t surprise me and as the sound of talking and laughing and music got louder I asked “So if JV isn’t even allowed to party who actually goes to these things?”
We stepped out together and the sight of masses of teenagers all drinking and talking surprised me. It was much more than I had expected. Not to mention I could only name about five of the people I could see. “Just the important people.” He said nodding his head towards the general direction drinks seemed to be handed out. “Varsity squads from the near schools and anyone who matters really.”
Of which I was neither. I followed alongside him as we reached a corner where a few guys in sports jackets sat. A few had their arms around girls, which I could tell were cheerleaders due to their logo’s sewn into their school jackets. The rushing feeling of being out of place flooded over me. I didn’t belong here that’s why I’d never come. Kale must have been planning to embarrass me by offering to bring me that first night.
“Two.” Frankie told the boy who had hopped to his feet. The boy nodded and reached into the cooler he’d been sitting on and withdrew two longneck beer bottles.
Frankie grabbed one and opened it, offering it to me. I’m already out of place. I shouldn’t make it worse. I accepted the beer and took a sip of it not wanting to make him regret inviting me so early on. He opened his own and started to drink it.
“Here I’ll introduce you to some people.” He offered and again I obeyed just following him like a lost puppy. As we walked so many people greeted him that I started to feel as though I’d misplaced him. Maybe he wasn’t socially awkward. Maybe just I was.
We neared one of the bonfires set up and one of the guys instantly stopped the loud story he’d been telling the group the second he saw Frankie. “Ey Frankie you made it!” he practically bellowed as he made a huge “come here” motion with his arm.
He chuckled and leaned in towards me. “Vingsil’s Varsity football team.” He informed me softly as his hand rested on the small of my back to guide me forward alongside him. “They’re first in their district.”
I nodded, grateful for the information. “Been ages. Last time I came you weren’t around.” The loud boy said as we molded into their group around the bonfire. It consisted mostly of boys in varsity jackets and a few girls clinging to their arms.
I glanced behind me as the two talked for a few moments. I noticed that the cheerleaders for this school had their own bonfire that they sat perched around drinking and gossiping about the rest of the crowd.
“And who’s your lady friend?” the guy asked and I turned my attention back to where I stood, smooshed up against Frankie as some guy pushed his way through.
Frankie smiled and set his hand on my shoulder nearest him. “This is my friend Rein.” He said as he took a drink from his beer.
“Nice to meet ya.” The boy said. Never giving m his name. He eyed me for a bit as Frankie filled him in on the recent talent they’d scouted for next year’s varsity.
The boy listened, nodding when appropriate but his eyes remained on me. I was actually glad for Frankie’s friendly hand on my shoulder and I took a few more drinks of the beer as I listened to him talk. Everyone seemed genuinely interested as he laughed, recounting one of the more disappointing boys who had shown up for tryouts.
“Say, I’ve never seen you before.” Loudmouth boy said the moment Frankie had finished his story leaving the other guys laughing and shaking their head. “You a cheerleader?”
My heart paused. I’d been discovered so early on! I had no place here among these people. How could I explain my presence?
“No she’s got too much respect for that.” Frankie winked at me and I smiled grateful for his answer. “This right here-“ he paused and switched from his hand resting on my shoulder and instead slung his arm around my shoulder and pulled me towards him. Had he not had a beer in his hand I wouldn’t have put it past him to ruffle my hair as he’d done so many times before. “-is the reason me and the gang haven’t been showing up as of late.”
“I didn’t steal them from you on purpose, I swear.” I said trying to actually speak for the first time since I’d met this boy. Sociable. I had to be sociable.
He eyed me again. “What dose she have to do with your boys lot if she’s not a cheerleader?”
Boy was he ever blunt.
Again Frankie answered before I could. “She’s Pharkerson’s new sister.” He said using Kale’s last name.
As if I suddenly had changed shape the boy looked at me with a more interested eye. “Is she now?”
“Yes I am.” I responded for myself. Did he know I could hear him?
“Kinda like our mascot.” Frankie offered and again pulled me a bit closer to him. I held in a scowl and finished my beer. Mascot my ass.
“Cute mascot.” One of the other boys who’d been listening in piped up.
I bit my lower lip not wanting to inform them that I could indeed hear them. Frankie eased up his hold on me. “Careful mate she packs a mean tackle.” He laughed and lifted his arm off my shoulder and took the empty beer bottle for me.
The loud boy raised an eyebrow. “Does she now?”
I gritted my teeth and smiled. “Yes, I do. I grew up playing football on a military base so I never learned too much restraint.”
A boy stepped forward and filled Frankie’s outstretched hand with a new beer bottle which he then handed to me in turn. I gratefully drank some of it down trying my best not to hiss at these guys. “We’ll get together a team and play you some time. For fun.” Frankie offered. “Just no hard feelings when you get sacked by our mascot.” He winked at the last word.
“Doubt I could play against a girl.”
I smiled mischievously. “Funny. Klaers thought the same thing but I’m sure he’ll humbly say otherwise now.” I used Mike’s last name since I wasn’t sure if they’d know him just by Mike.
This seemed to interest loudmouth and he asked “You know Klaers?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Me and Mike are friends. I’ve played football with him and his motley crew before.”
Even Frankie looked at me slightly surprised. “Isn’t his team going for state this year?” loudmouth asked.
Frankie nodded. “Yeah. Barely beat us for the spot too.”
For a second loudmouth stared at me as if trying to decide exactly what I was and or was not. Finally, after a long moment, he said “How about you call Klaers up right now? Wanted to ask him about a play.”
I knew it was just a lie to see if I’d name dropped without anything to back it up. “You know reception’s bad up-“ Frankie started to say but I shook my head and took a big swig of the beer as I pulled out my phone.
“He’s not on speeddial but sure.” Oh god please answer. I thought as I found Mike’s name and pressed dial. I hadn’t seen him since I’d dropped him off at the emergency room with his broken nose from Kale. The phone began to ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
What am I doing? Why am I proving myself to these people?
Ring.
Had I been a cheerleader he wouldn’t have thought twice about me.
“Hello?”
Mike’s voice caught me by such surprise a wash of relief spread over me. “Hey Mike, long time no talk.” What would he think of me calling?
He didn’t seem upset at the lack of communication. “Hey Rein nice to hear from you. How have you been?”
“Oh I’m good. Just at some party.”
“Really where?” he asked sounding genuinely interested. It was as though I hadn’t gone a day without talking to him.
“Up at the bluffs?” I laughed and could feel the eyes boring into me as I talked. Almost as though they had seen some ghost appear. “I don’t know really. Kale’s friend Franki brought me.”
I downed the rest of the beer and Frankie grabbed the bottle from me instantly. I looked to see what his expression was and was pleased to see he looked almost proud of me. Are names really such a big deal here?
“Oh yeah we’re always invited but never show.” Mike said then as though realizing it suddenly asked “Wait, where’s Pharkerson?”
“Oh. We broke up.” I had totally forgotten that I hadn’t even talked to him during that super rough patch. God it had been long.
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah.” I nodded then looked to loudmouth. “Oh and some guy from Vingsil’s football team wanted to talk to you quick?”
Mike seemed amused. “Who exactly?”
Again I looked to loudmouth. “Actually I don’t know his name. He just insisted I call you when I mentioned I’d played a game of football with you.”
Laughter came through the receiver and Mike said “All right put him on.” He chuckled again and added “He’ll regret doubting you know me.”
I smiled as I handed loudmouth the phone. So Mike had realized right away the circumstances. Frankie smiled down at me as he handed me another beer. I took it gratefully and began to drink it. Maybe with my few connections parties wouldn’t be so bad after all?