P h o t o #48 - Chocolate Kiss
"Come on already, Emma!"
"Be quiet, Jonas. Looking as good as she does takes time!"
"Well I wouldn't know that since she hasn't shown her face all afternoon since you believe in 'the art of surprise'"
"No, you wouldn't know that because you've never taken the time yourself to look good."
I would have almost doubled over in laughter at the sound of Jonas quoting what Kayla had said earlier through her closed door to him when he asked to come in and borrow the lint roller she kept in her cosmetics bin if I hadn't already been shaking at the top of the staircase, my eyes glued to the rich caramel colored carpeting below, as always worrying about my sudden change in appearance and their reactions to it. Obviously I hadn't run my decision by with any of the boys before going through with it, and when I thought about it, if I had, they probably wouldn't have cared, but something tells me it'll come as somewhat of a shock to then once I descend the steps.
"I'm..." I squeaked, causing the grumbling between the two below to end and the little conversations including Elliot's, Cooper's, and Parker's voices to be cut short, "Okay. I'm coming." I stated more firmly before walking down the stairs barefooted, my shoes swinging in my grasp.
My right hand slid down the slick wooden railing while the other gripped onto the strap of the black leather purse Kayla gave to me as a simple accessory, its contents known to only me, my nails a dark shade of elegant crimson, matching the color on my toenails after Kayla insisting that no detail was too minor the night before after handing me the bottle of polish. I watched the solid color shine under the chandelier above the staircase.
The dangling earrings in my ears, the ones I had borrowed from my grandmother ever since I had known I was attending this party, now swayed past my shorter strands of hair. I smiled, glad that I could wear such an accessory after so many years of admiring them in my grandmother's jewelry box.
Just as I was about to round the wall that divided a sections of the stairs I was on from the living room below, keeping me from seeing what was happening below, I halted at the sound of a suddenly irritated voice.
"Hey!" I heard Jonas cough, his voice hoarse for a moment before clearing his throat, "Jesus Christ! Are you trying to choke me?!"
"Choke you?!" Kayla answered back, evidently trying to keep her short temper towards him under wraps, "I was just trying to fix your wrinkled tie! What kind of guy doesn't even know how to tie a knot?!"
I could almost hear Jonas' growl vibrate up the stair well, "What's that-"
My feet clattered down the steps before I could stop them, my legs moving awkwardly as I tried running in my dress, my hands busy holding the strapless top up just so we wouldn't have any accidental flashing incidents.
Once I landed at the bottom, I raised my hand up to the party already finding something to argue about, barely even noticing the rest of our friends standing off to my side, "Are you two ready to go?" My voice came out squeaky and high pitched, basically throwing my motives to stop their brewing fight from progressing right in front of them.
I watched as Jonas' head swirled my way, the way his icy blue eyes, once filled with growing distress now stared into me with a solid look of surprise. I would have made a comment about how strange it was to see him with his light blonde locks slicked back and out of his attractive face if I hadn't registered the other looks I was acquiring from my right.
I turned my head in spite of myself. Parker gazed down at me through, for the first time I had seen, glasses-less eyes. As always, his dark eyes held a look of interest in what he was observing, but their widening suggested he wasn't expecting this either. I then looked over to Cooper at his side, who's warm, sandy irises were as circular as the coasters sitting atop the living room coffee table as he looked me up and down, his usually shaggy hair neatly brushed over and styled in a way that screamed that he was the life of the party.
Finally, my make-uped eyes landed on Elliot, who's hands stood frozen in his dress pant's pockets. His hazel eyes came alive with a heated emotion that had my heart vibrating inside my chest. His hair was nicely combed and a little on the stylishly-messy side, the kind of hair that you had to hold yourself back from running your fingers through its glossy tufts.
I floundered in the spotlight, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Just as I was about to spew out the first thing that came to mind, some that definitely would've made the situation even worse knowing my awkward tendencies, my gaze landed on the color of Elliot's tie and dress coat handkerchief.
A smile lifted to my lips unconsciously as I scurried towards him, eyes never leaving the deep crimson dye of his suit's accents, "Hey!" I stopped right in front of his chest, inspecting the fabric, never realizing how tense he stood under my observations. After finishing my probing, I looked up and gave him a grin, "We match!"
I then turned towards Jonas, something clicking on my head. I inspected his forest green tie from afar, one the undeniably matched his handkerchief as well, the rich color mirroring the same that accented Kayla's designer dress.
"You finally noticed!" Kayla grinned, her hand patting against Jonas' now knotted tie, courtesy of her own handiwork, "I may have talked them into matching with us."
I took in the sight of the four boys around us, noticing that all of their ebony suits were basically carbon copies, the only thing that set them apart were the scarlet accents Elliot and Cooper wore and the similar viridescent ones that Parker and Jonas sported.
Kayla clicked over to me in her heels, swaying her shapely hips all the way, "And do you wanna know the best part?" I nodded, and she through her hands up, all too happy with herself, "They're Christmas themed!"
The boys paid no mind to Kayla's excitement, their eyes still too busy taken in my appearance. I smiled towards the ecstatic girl in front of me, agreeing with her happily, "You're right, that was a cute idea."
"What can I say?" Kayla threw her hands up and shrugged, puffing air from her nose as she looked quite pleased with herself, "It's my calling."
Finally, I turned back around towards Elliot, addressing his gawking my way with rising of my fingers and the conscious tucking of a few soft strands of my short, curled hair behind my ears, "Does...Does it look strange? It was kind of a last minute decision. Kayla did it for me..." For a moment it was as if our little issue was completely forgotten, so I snatched up the chance to speak to him before it slipped away.
Elliot took a step forward, his gaze tracing where my curls ended along the placid skin of my neck, "No, no...it looks..." He searched me with his earthy eyes, utterly captivated, "Wow."
I laughed bashfully, my cheeks flushing as my hand lifted to my face at his winded expression and how much it related to Kayla's reaction earlier, "Thanks," I smiled at the ground as Kayla pulled me into a side hug, admiring her work atop my head.
"Well?" I asked after I had finally slipped on and gotten used to standing in my wedges as we chatted for a minute or two, complimenting each other while the boys did what boys do - as in the usual playful shoving and retorting - "What are we waiting for?"
Kayla nodded as Elliot grabbed his car keys off of the key wrack close to the front door, putting her hand in mine and pulling me along with a giggle. It seemed the content air surrounding our bodies was having an affect on all of us.
"Oh, I get it," Jonas said at my side, already receiving an unsure look from Kayla's way. I watched as it quickly dissipated once Jonas shot me a lopsided smile, "New do, new attitude, huh?"
"Yup!" I answered on the spot, my red lips upturned.
Parker moved at my left, his dark eyes reflecting every fragment of light illuminating the wide front steps as we stepped out into the frosty night, our breaths visible as we descended the stairs, "Really? I think it's a refreshing change for the better." Everyone seemed to silently agree on that, the look in their eyes as they peeked my way revealing it all.
A satisfied laugh popped from my mouth, my happiness never slipping from my face. I was glad they all felt that way, it almost made me feel silly for worrying to much before. I knew I couldn't help myself when I got right down to it since my anxiety was due to the fact that I doubted myself rather than the friends I had come to care about so much. And yet, ever since I had laid my eyes on my new, improved self, the way I was meant to be, I haven't felt even an inkling of discomfort. It was as if I wasn't the same person I was just a few hours ago, and that very thought had me buzzing from my head to my toes.
It almost felt as if we were in movie as our group, all garbed in outfits and hairstyles that could rival those seen on the red carpet, simultaneously walked down the long concrete steps, shoes clicking against the ground. I couldn't have felt more glamorous than I did then, the chilled wind slowly running its spindles through my curls, the stray hairs falling from Kayla's embezzled up-do danced in the night. I admired the jeweled clips she nestled in between the chunks of hair still resting on her head, the professional tinge astounding me.
It seemed childish to me, but I imagined myself as a princess. Even as a young girl I was never really into frilly things such as fairytales or dress ups, but for some reason I couldn't shake the pristine feeling.
Once we got to the bottom, Kayla moved at the speed of light in her high heels, making my jaw drop in wonder at how quick she was when I could barely inch forward, before quickly dipping and snatching Elliot's keys from his fingers.
His dark hair glittered in the crisp air, his attractive face contorting into a look of confusion as Kayla regard him with a cheeky grin as she jingled the keys in her manicured hand, "What are you doing?" He asked.
"Well, obviously the girls are riding in the front tonight." Kayla responded as if his question was comical, "There's no way I'm letting either of our outfits or hair styles get messed up on the way there."
"You want us to all...squish into the back seat?" Cooper inquired, his light eyes looking shaded in the night.
I thought of the possibility of all four boys squeezing into the back of Elliot's car, knowing that when Kayla and I did so with only two of them that we still barely fit. Plus the boys were much larger than us, so it wouldn't make as much sense, "It's fine, I don't mind sitting in the back." I spoke up before allowing someone else to.
"No way, Emma. What if your dress gets creased?" Kayla asked me. I was at a loss of words due to the sole fact that I had never thought of such a small problem being...well, a problem at all. I really wasn't accustomed to the unspoken rules of wearing designer clothes.
"Just take the front seat." Jonas said next to me, causing me to almost jump. Call me crazy, but I just wasn't too used to him giving into Kayla's whims so easily.
Kayla seemed just as surprised as me, her eyes almost bulging out of her skull with astonishment, "Really?" She asked suspiciously, "You sure?"
Jonas nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets, the tall lamp rooted into Cooper's front yard giving away the bashful look on his face.
I was glad. At least they both were making an effort.
Elliot stepped forward, breaking the silence, "I don't care as long as you don't crash my car." He shot a look my way, causing my heart to summersault in my chest, only to look away once we made eye contact.
'Right,' I remembered, 'That's still a problem, isn't it...I'll make sure to get the answer out of him by the end of the night.' I smiled, glad my determination hasn't fizzled out yet.
"Noted," Kayla laughed, and the boys looked away, their lips turned upward. I knew they all - at least everyone besides Jonas - regard Kayla as an older sister figure, and it made the situation all the more cuter to me.
My friend turned to me, "You ready?" She asked as she twirled the keys around her index finger, much to Elliot's quiet dismay from what I could tell.
I gave her a wink, "As ready as I'll ever be."
And with that, we headed for the glistening raven car in front of us, anticipation for the night ahead of us laced in the air.
***
My jaw unhinged for the second time that night as soon as my eyes landed on the house the party was being held at. The mansion was almost as large as Cooper's or Elliot's from what I could tell, and just because I had been to both doesn't mean I was used it the unholy size of the buildings.
Creative Christmas decorations coated the freshly cut lawns, the old snow still in slushed piles surrounding the empty spaces in between as it melted into the ground. They ranged from Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer all the way to How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and I giggled at how silly they all were. People stood on the vast, expanding porch despite the chill in the air, conversing and laughing, all wearing various articles of dazzling clothing. I could have sworn I even saw a college aged student sporting a full on Santa costume. Multicolored lights strung all the way across the front of the home, each window wide open as people partied and sang to the loud music pouring through.
My eyes rose with amazement. At any other time, if I was faced with this scene, I would have run for the hills and never looked back, but now all I could think of was how badly I wished to join the festivities with my friends at my side.
As soon as we parked amongst the many cars lined down the block, I practically toppled out of the passenger side of the car, my wedges hindering my movement but my legs wanting to draw me closer. Goosebumps formed on where my pale flesh wasn't hidden by the silk of my ruby dress, but I barely had time to notice.
What truly had me almost bolting inside the raving house was the complete object of beauty standing on the other side of the wide glass window next to the front door.
Chocolate. Fountain.
My mouth watered in spite of myself, the rich chocolate flowing down and around the circular fountain beckoning me with its sweet goodness.
Kayla and the boys followed me out of the car, stopped where I had by the curb next to the winding driveway.
"Are you sure you're up for all of this?" I heard Kayla whisper at my side and the boys already began commenting and musing over the many decorations, "We don't have to stay long if you decide it's too much for you."
Although her concern touched me to my core, I was too fixated on one and only thing at the moment, "Are you kidding me?" I asked her excitedly, pointing at the window that had all of my attention, "And miss out on that chocolate fountain? I don't think so!"
Kayla linked her arm in mine, knowing exactly what I was talking about, "You're right, stupid question." She flashed me her pearly whites, "Let's go!"
We clattered onto the lawn, laughing like maniacs as we darted towards the front door, barely even acknowledging the guy who came running out of it with a reindeer antler headband atop his dusty blonde hair. Even though everyone was best dressed, you couldn't deny how absolutely crazy this party was.
He called out to us with a hearty whistle, whooping once he caught sight of a familiar face, "Kayla!" His cheerful voice spoke up, his green eyes dazzling, "Glad you could make it!"
"How could I miss your annual Christmas party, Tanner?" Kayla grinned and pushed the boy in his shoulder, making me now realize the vibrant red and white stripes on his dress shirt.
I continued to eye the chocolate fountain, which now stood right in front of us, the glass barrier keeping us from formally meeting due to Tanner's body hogging up most of the doorway, beckoning me with its creamy goodness. I turned back as Kayla and her friend chatted idly, noticing that the boys had been swarmed by a huge hoard of girls in dresses that ranged from modest to eye-catching. I would have considered running over and helping them out of their predicament if I didn't realize how unbelievably calm they were in this situation. They're charismatic smiles and happy demeanors sent the group of girls into a shared fluster, making me almost weirded out at seeing this side of them due to how well I understood the depth behind those rosy surfaces. They looked as if they were in their elements.
I could've slapped myself, 'Duh,' I thought, 'Who else were known as the notorious party kings of the school before you showed up, Emma? Of course, even if they admitted that they partied for reasons besides just enjoying the entertainment of it, that doesn't mean they're in the same boat as you.'
I shook my head, looking back at the chocolate fountain as I watched in jealousy as a college aged boy with a very prominent nose ring took a stab at its tastiness with one of the many snacks from the spread covering the rest of the table around the machine. I could almost feel myself whimpering, never taking the time to consider that my first moments at a college party were being wasted due to my fixation with sweets.
Tanner seemed to take notice of my straying attention, because out of the corner of my eye I watched him pluck a couple piece of sparkly objects from one of the many snack bowls lying in just about anywhere you could imagine, and the deck patio table didn't seem to be an acceptation.
"Here," He dropped them into my hands just as I cupped them, his eyes flicking to the chocolate fountain before back to me, "Just to hold you over for a bit. I don't think we've had time to introduce ourselves."
I gazed down at the sparkly tinfoil the two individual Hershey kisses were wrapped in, almost embarrassed that he caught me being so obvious, "I'm Emma." I said breathlessly, marveling over how well I found myself speaking to him.
Tanner's smile grew warmer as he gave me an undeniably interested once-over, and my cheeks grew hot. I took in the heavy display of freckles blemishing his olive colored skin, not knowing what else to focus on, "Emma. I'm Tanner." He held out a hand, which I shook with ease.
"Oh, right. Sorry, Emma. I was so caught up in catching up with Tanner that I forgot to introduce you two." Kayla acted as though she was swatting her forgetfulness away with a playful roll of the eyes, "That was rude of me." She motioned to Tanner with two hands, "Emma, this is Tanner. He's a senior at my university, and our party host for the evening."
"Guilty," Tanner piped up, earning a chuckle from the both of us.
Then Kayla went to do the same for me, "Tanner, this is Emma. She's my best friend."
I almost floated with happiness at how smoothly she introduced me, like there was no doubt in her mind that we were already best friends even though we hadn't known each other for that long. I was glad the feelings were mutual.
"No problem, Kayla," Tanner moved a bit closer, "I just wanted to get to know your pretty friend here." I almost choked before he went on after giving me a suggestive wink, "Actually, I don't think I've seen you around campus before. Do you go to our school? What's your major?"
I scrambled at the feet of his bombarding questions, but Kayla stepped in for me before I even had a chance to stutter out my answer, "Uh-uh-uh," Kayla spoke as she tutted and shook her finger at her friend, "She's a minor, dude. Off limits."
"Really?!" Tanner asked, disbelief alighting his features, "I could've sworn she had to be at least the same age as you. She's beautiful!" He then stopped himself and turned back to me with a bashful scratch of his head, "Shit. Sorry about that, Emma. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything."
I shook my head, "No, it's fine. Thank you." I brushed it off with a grin so he knew he could relax. I was, in fact, just a teensy bit flattered by his comment. Just a bit.
A group of boys at the other end of the long front deck called out to Tanner and his eyes grew with excitement at the sight of them. He turned back to us, "Well, duty calls. Hosting a party is some pretty tough work." This comment earned a playful nudge at the side from Kayla, who understood his sarcasm quite well from what I could see, "I'll see you both later, then. Enjoy the party!"
We waved as he dashed away, but were cut short when he swiveled back around to squeeze in one last comment, "Oh, by the way, don't drink the punch!"
He sped away without another word and Kayla through a hand to her forehead, "That jackass," Kayla laughed as she watched her friends retreating frame, "Alcohol in the punch again, and he knows there are underaged kids here!"
I turned my head to my friend at my side, "He seems nice," I remarked, his compliment replaying over and over in my head, noting that this was the first time I had ever been regarded in such a way, "You must really have a way with make-up and hair."
Kayla through her arm around my shoulder, plucking a Hershey kiss from my palm and unraveling the foil covering, "All I did was add a little magic to enhance what you've always had, Emma." She popped the piece of chocolate into her mouth.
I pulled her close at the hip, enjoying our quick little side hug. We were always close, but for some reason today we found ourselves inseparable.
After I finally devoured the little piece of dark chocolate in my palm, our happy little conversation over with, I heard familiar footsteps approach is from behind.
"Thank God we finally caught up to you guys." Jonas spoke, causing is both to turn around as he ran a hand through his shiny hair, "I knew I always missed these parties, but I definitely wasn't including the swarm of girls in the mix that came with it."
Parker smirked next to him, "What are you talking about? You seemed pretty keen on accepting their attention."
In my peripheral vision I saw Kayla's flushed face, her steadily growing anger directing itself towards Jonas as he mischievously elbowed Parker in the ribs and the two shared a chortle. Even Cooper joined in on their boyish rough housing.
Unconsciously, I stared up at Elliot, the only one seemingly stoic at the time, noticing the evidently troubled look on his face as he took in his surroundings. It almost took me by surprise; I would've thought he'd be elated to be back at a party after I declined so many times, ultimately keeping them from attending even though I insisted that they could go without me.
Suddenly the thought of me holding them back saddened me, but the feelings barely could catch wind before I realized that all eyes were on me as I continued to gaze upwards at Elliot.
I floundered in the spotlight, "W-Well! Are you all ready to go inside? It's freezing out here!" I threw my arms around my bare shoulders, only now noticing the goose flesh.
"No kidding!" Kayla answered, her voice only mildly holding back the venom it held for Jonas and his flirtatious ways, "I'm way past ready to tear into that chocolate fountain over there." She motioned towards the gracious device behind the glass.
I watched as all of the boys' faces suddenly got very attentive, making me notice how cute they could be. It was easy to understand what caused the sudden shift in the air since it most definitely was a known fact that no one could resist the temptations of
chocolate in liquid form, "What are we waiting for?" I asked them, barely shivering as the chilly wind outside picked up, making the short hairs covering my nape dance in the night, "Let's get us some chocolate!"
A shared nod ensued, and we all rushed into the loud mansion like our lives depended on it, our priorities at this party clearly in line.
Our hearts equally set on that chocolate.
***
Kind of a comical end to this chapter after the serious one last time.
Sorry for the delay! It's actually my 16th birthday today, and how am I spending this milestone, you may ask? Writing on Wattpad and eating cookie cake.
A little anticlimactic, don't you think? Oh well, I'm not one to complain. After all, I do love me some cookie cake!
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!