It was that time of the day when day was fading to dusk, the sky a soft mercurial colour with swirls of orange sunshine being pulled beneath the horizon. California was beautiful at sunset, and it made me feel pleased to be home again, as we bumped along the road in the old bus towards the school.
I seemed to be the only person awake, and looking around I could see all the people who I'd grown close to over the past few months of my new school, albeit some of them I didn't get along with anymore. Nikki was beside me, snoring softly and the others: Cole, Finn, Ethan, Amy and Amanda were dotted around behind and to the side of us. I had never been friends with Amanda, after the cafeteria incident, but I liked to think that I didn't hate anyone.
I turned back around just as the engine died down and all around me, people were yawning and getting up and chattering quietly. Someone nudged Nikki awake and she shimmied out of our seat to grab the bags from the overhead compartment. After grabbing hers, she left the bus and I stood to the side letting everyone else pass before I got my bag. Everyone except Cole.
My mind went back to the time on the bus when we were going to Boston and Cole had to help me get my bag out. I realised that that was the start of our relationship, and I turned around to remind him but he was coming towards me with his signature cheeky smile and the words left me.
Instead, I went on tiptoes to grab my bag before turning around and kissing him on the lips quickly. He pushed me towards him, wanting more, breathing softly against my neck but I laughed and turned away.
"Hey, you know what I was thinking?" I said, letting Cole follow me off the bus.
We stepped into the evening air and we shrugged. "I know what I was thinking, though," he said easily, snaking his arm around my waist.
"Cole, focus!" I snapped my fingers in front of his face and we walked to the concrete plaza where people were huddled waiting for their parents to collect them. "It's end of semester, so we should have a small party to celebrate," I said. "I mean, only a few people who we know well."
"Where would we have the party?" He asked.
"My house," I said. "And I don't know if this is a bad idea but maybe we could invite the people who I, eh, fell out with. Amy, Ethan, Amanda? I don't want to fight with people anymore..."
He nodded slowly. "That could work."
I leaned my back against the wall, scanning the parking lot for one of my parents, but they weren't there yet. Cole stepped in front of me, placing both hands on the wall on either side of me. I bit my lip, knowing very well that he loved it and let him scoop up my chin as he kissed me. Cole's tender lips could make me forget anything, and focus on him only. I couldn't hear anyone or anything, I could just feel him and my hands as they subconsciously wandered through his dark hair. My cheeks were warming up as our tongues moved in a fiery rhythm with each other, dancing and twisting and turning swiftly...
Beeeeeeep!!!
It was absolutely deafening, the car horn that blasted no more than a metre away from our steamy kiss. I jumped away from Cole with fright, my heart racing until I saw that it was my Dad, and then it raced even more because my Dad had just seen me making out with Cole.
"Shit!" I hissed under my breath, the colour draining from my cheeks as I glanced at Cole. I hurried over to the car just as he rolled down the window. I could see his face, red and angry. Cole's steps fell into line with mine and he leaned on the open window, obviously wanting to explain himself. Cole had 'Love Life' tattooed on his knuckles, and my father was eyeing this up uncertainly.
"Hi Mr Evans," said Cole, his accent changing from his usual husky, rough one into a polite one. "I'm Cole Ryan." Dad shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Mr Ryan," said Dad. "If you don't mind now, Bianca and I will be on our way." Cole looked as if he wanted to say something to explain what happened, but couldn't find the words. He opened his mouth just as my Dad said "get in the car," in a stern tone that I wasn't used to from my fairly easygoing father.
I obeyed, waving goodbye to Cole as we drove away speedily. The car ride was silent until we slowed down at a red light a few minutes away from the house. "Nice trip?" dad asked me, turning to look blankly in my direction.
"Uh huh," I murmured.
He dropped the subject of Boston as quickly as it came up and frowned. "This...Cole boy," he began. "Whats going on with you two?"
"He's my..." I wasn't sure what to say, did my dad want to hear that this older looking guy with tattoos was my boyfriend? "...friend," I finished. A skeptical look from him told me that I should have finished that sentence differently. "Ok, well maybe we're a little more than friends."
"Bianca, you can tell me the truth, I'm not going to kill you," he said softly.
I sighed. "Ok, he's my boyfriend and he's really sweet and kind, we were just messing around."
"As long as you know that there comes a line in messing around where you have to be careful. You're 16, you aren't ready for..."
...And so began the speech (which felt weirdly rehearsed) about teenage pregnancy and being careful, and my face was bright red the whole time, but he probably didn't notice because I was staring out the window the whole time.
"If he treats you right and respects your feelings, that's all I care about," said Dad. "I don't care that he's go tattoos and piercings, or that he looks like he's in his twenties. As long as he cares about you."
"Thanks Dad," I said softly.
***
The next day was Saturday and plans were being made for the end of semester party that my parents were allowing me to have that night. There was going to be around twenty people there. So far the list was me, Cole, Nikki, Finn, Amy, Ethan, Amanda, a few of Cole's friends and some people I wanted to get to know better from my classes.
Cole was making a playlist for the party, and even though it wasn't going to be a typical high school party with drinking and deafening music, we would still want music at a reasonable volume. I thought we could order pizza and watch movies too, so it would be a nice, fun get together rather than a crazy, out-of-control house party.
That afternoon, Cole and Nikki came around to help me get the house ready. We cleaned and decorated rooms, we set out plastic cups and plates, and then we went shopping for snacks in Walmart.
"Doritos," said Nikki as she threw a few packets into the cart that Cole was pushing. I skipped along ahead until I reached the potato chips and grabbed as much Cheetos as I could.
"This is so last minute, but I'm looking forward to it," said Nikki cheerily.
"I know," I replied. "I just want to be on good terms with everyone. I don't give a shit what Amy, Amanda and Ethan said or did, I just want to put it behind us."
"Yeah, I'm getting bored of hating on Ethan," mumbled Cole, stifling a yawn like he wasn't bothered to be hate him anymore.
I laughed. "Why do you guys hate each other anyway?"
"Ooh, popcorn," Nikki chirped.
"You really don't know?" Cole raised an eyebrow. I shook my head and he chuckled softly. "It's because of you, Evans." I cocked my head to the side as if to say Me? Why? "Let me break it down for you. We were friends at the start of the year, then we both saw you and said we thought you were hot. We got to know you and thought you were cool, and then we fell out because we both wanted you."
I burst out laughing. "That's so not true, there's gotta be some deep meaning behind your friendship breaking. I mean, I know I'm hot but..." I smiled cockily.
Cole laughed awkwardly. "Yeah you're right, there is a deep meaningful reason, but if I told you I'd have to kill you."
He was smirking again, but there was something behind it, like maybe he was telling the truth and now he was embarrassed.
"We should go to the drinks aisle," Nikki interrupted the awkward moment.
***
At around eight, people started arriving and by nine everyone was there. Cole's music was playing at the perfect volume so that the neighbours wouldn't complain, but it was sufficiently loud to hear over the chatter and laughter.
Ten pizza boxes were lined up on the counter, surrounded by hungry teenagers as they grabbed slices and munched happily. The drinks we bought seemed to be enough for people, and no one wanted alcohol to quench their thirst.
I grabbed a can of red bull and sipped it slowly, taking in the scene of the party. I didn't notice Ethan walking up to me until his hand came in contact with my shoulder, causing me to flinch. "If you're going to try to make out with me again, this isn't the time or place," I said, trying to sound cold but I couldn't stop the smile from pulling at my lips.
"So you're saying that if this was the time and place, you would make out with me?" He asked, but his smile faded when I gave him an unamused look and he just laughed under his breath.
I took another sip of my energy drink, letting each delicious drop trickle down my throat. When I was done, I crushed the can flat and left it on the counter. "I feel like we could never be normal friends Ethan. You know, ones who don't try it on with each other every few minutes..." I said playfully.
"I take it you've forgiven me?"
I shrugged. "Forgive and forget, that's my policy. Although I don't think you did the right thing, I mean you could have broken up with her without hurting her so much."
Ethan ran his hand through his mess of blonde hair. "I suppose so, but you could have thought this guest list through a little better. I mean, you've got you and Amanda who hate each other..."
"I don't hate Amanda. Forgive and forget, remember?" I said.
He rolled his bright blue eyes carelessly. "Me and Amy, who broke up yesterday. The three ex best friends: you, Nikki and Amy, and not to mention me and Cole. Eh, hello? We despise each other!"
He stopped, looking at me for a second. "Nice dress by the way."
I jumped up on the table, letting my legs swing in the air. I didn't usually wear dresses, in fact I never wore them. I liked this one though, it was tight and reached above my knee with soft black fabric, and it was strapless. I liked it because it wasn't a terrible girly dress.
I remembered what we were talking about before he mentioned my dress. "I invited everyone so we could push past the drama and just become friends," I explained. "Besides, Cole told me he wants to be your friend."
"Really?" said Ethan, catching a glimpse of Cole in the corner of the room with Finn and Nikki. He turned to me briefly, his azure eyes filled with worry for a second. "We're okay, right?" I nodded in reply and he pulled me in for a quick hug, wrapping his arms around me.
I hugged him back, whispering, "you were one of my first friends here, we're fucking awesome." And he laughed.
As Ethan hurried off to patch things up with Cole, my eyes fell on Amy and Amanda sitting on the couch. They looked kind of sad, maybe because no one was talking to them. Taking a deep breath, I decided to be the better person as go talk to them.
"You guys want a drink?" I asked them. They appeared to be surprised that I was talking to them at all.
Amy shook her head but Amanda smiled slightly. "I'll have Coke please," she said. I tossed her a drink and pulled a chair over to sit opposite them.
"Amanda," I started slowly. "We didn't exactly get off to a good start, did we?" This made her laugh a little. "I feel like we should start over. I don't know about you but I don't want to have any enemies...So, hi. I'm Bianca." I shot my hand out and she shook it after a second.
"I'm Amanda. Before I get to know you, you should know that I'm a drama queen and a class A bitch, but if you're willing to see past that...to... the lonely girl who just wants to have friends, well, thanks."
Lonely girl who just wants to have friends, I thought. Sometimes you just have to see past people's looks and the way they act and think, maybe she just wants to fit in. Without thinking about what I was doing, I just leaned in and hugged her lightly. She tensed up for a second, but then returned the hug and stood up. "I gotta pee," she said. "And Bianca? Thanks, seriously."
She headed for the bathroom after I showed her where it was, and I was left with the hardest patching up of all. Amy. I took my seat again and just waited for something to happen, whether it was for her to say something or for something to pop into my head, I wasn't sure.
"I'm sorry," she said in a limp voice, catching me off guard.
"No, I'm sorry!" I said quickly. We both laughed.
"Ethan told me about...what happened, that it wasn't your fault," she told me. "I don't have an excuse for how I've acted, so I don't know what to say. I mean, can we just put it behind us?"
I nodded, and was about to hug her as well when a song started blasting through the speakers. I mouthed, gimme a minute to Amy and jumped up just as Cole did, causing us to bump into each other a little. "This is my favourite song," I breathed out.
"Care to dance?" Cole asked me gently. I nodded and he took my hand, leading me to the make-do dance floor in the middle of the room.
It was Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day. It was a slow dance song, so Cole put his hands on my waist and I put mine around his neck. Our bodies moved in rhythm with the music, gently swaying in different directions as we stared into each other's eyes. I was getting lost in the chocolatey gorgeousness of his eyes when I felt someone bump hips with me and I saw Finn and Nikki dancing together as well. Soon lots of couples were getting up and joining in with the dancing as well, people who weren't even together but maybe had a secret crush on them.
The song was written by Billie Joe Armstrong - lead singer of the band when his father died and he wanted to stay in his room for all of September, so he told his Mom to wake him up when September ends. It reminded me of Grandpa, and I closed my eyelids over as we swayed from side to side.
The song came to an end and my eyes caught Cole's for a second and he took my hand. We went out onto the wooden balcony, not able to see much in the black night. It was warm for October, and I slipped between the balcony bars, jumping onto the grass beneath us. Cole tumbled down very ungracefully after me. My laugh sounded loud in the peaceful air as I lay back on the soft grass, Cole leaning over me.
I tugged on the collar of his shirt, pulling his face closer to mine so I could kiss him. Our lips were so used to each other now that they grooved together like yin and yang, making us able to make out in perfect harmony. We rolled over so I was on top of Cole, my long hair falling around us like a curtain, to hide us from the world.
"I think I love you," he breathed, practically taking the words right out of my mouth.
"I think I love you too..." I said softly.
"I've never met a girl like you before, Bianca."
"A girl like me?" I laughed under my breath, leaning in to kiss him again. I pulled away, unable to hide my smile.
"That's because there is no girl like me."
***
Well, that's it guys! I don't want to say that it's the end of this story, because although this is the last chapter in the writing of this story, Bianca's story is not over. Who knows what happens after the last page, or the 'happily ever after'?! I don't know how her story ends, all I know is I'm finished writing it :)
Thank you so much to every single person who read this book. I LOVE YOU! Thank you for sticking with me, and there is no excuse for how I went away for months without writing...but I'm sorry anyway. Thank you for dropping me a comment, for voting, for following me. You're awesome, every single one of you <3
I guess that's it. I don't know when or if I'll write another story, so for now I guess I'll just sat it one last time.
THANK YOU SO MUCH :D
I love you to the moon and back,
Lots and lots and lots of looooove,
~Oreolover75
PS: In the comments below let me know who your FAVOURITE CHARACTER was in this book. <3