I am going to die. There couldn't possibly be a good ending to this. I mean, I don't know anyone who lived to tell the story. You'd think that after all the trouble I've gotten myself into that this would be a piece of cake.
With a deep breath, I take the lunge.
My fingers grab the book that is clutched in the hands of my best friend. Just as her eyes widen, I tear the book away from her and toss it gently onto the bed, careful not to destroy it. The page was lost, and so was my life, probably.
"Jessa!" Hannah squeals as she scrambles after her book. I jump in front of her so she'll run into me instead.
"Nope," I say as I twist her around by the shoulders. "We're getting out of here." I would be surprised that I'm still standing on my feet, but Hannah's not the aggressive type. But that was worse – she will never say when she's mad, so I have to figure it out.
I knew better than to rip the book out of a bookworm's hands, but I'm a thrill-seeker, what can I say?
Hannah's glowers at me. "I was getting to a good part."
I mimic her actions and cross my arms over my chest, pushing my lower lip out. Maybe I was dramatizing her actions slightly. "Aw, that's too bad. Now, back to real life."
I waltz towards the door of her bedroom and pull it open. She doesn't budge from her spot as I wait for her.
"Where are we even going? It's almost nine o'clock and tomorrow is the first day of school," She whines as she grabs a jacket off her bed post.
"Exactly," I say. "We have some things to do before we become high school seniors."
I usher her out the door and we tiptoe down the steps of the two-story home. Hannah's parents aren't rich, but her mother has always insisted on a large house. For whatever reason, I found that out during one of my many dinners in the Carter household. They are my second family but just as important as my first.
We finally teach the front door when someone's footsteps make us freeze. There is nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, so I swallow my pride and stand up straight to prepare for Mr. or Mrs. Carter to come around the corner and wring our necks.
"Tyler?" Hannah gasps as she runs over to her older brother, wrapping her arms around his neck. I let out a breath of tense air that I was holding in and smile.
He's been gone for a while on trips with his friends over the summer and just now decided to come home. He'll be in his third year old college if he hasn't already been kicked out. Being two years older, I always looked at him as a big brother, so I'm also excited to see him.
I join in on their hug and make sure to not make any noise louder than a mouse.
"What so you two think you're doing?" Tyler asks sternly. In the dark it's hard to tell if he's kidding.
"Remember the costume party Andy Russell always throws the day before school starts? We're going." I tell them.
Hannah automatically puts up an argument. "I don't wanna go. Those things always get out of hand."
Tyler grins. "Don't worry baby sis. I'm going." His grin turns into a smirk and I laugh.
"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for college or something?" Hannah asks sassily, only trying to find a reason to get him out of here. Tyler just shrugs. I finally get them out the door and walking towards my car as we continue arguing over going or not.
Although it's supposedly only for seniors, I know Tyler won't have a hard time getting into the party. Everyone in town knows who Tyler Carter is. They practically worship the kid and all the dumb stuff he does, or used to do. The special treatment used to be worse when Will Dawson was around.
Just as the thought crosses my mind, Hannah brings it up. Darned best friend telepathy.
"Guess what I heard," she says form the passenger seat of my small Dodge Neon, a hand-me-down that my two older sisters once used.
"What?" I ask as I watch for deer. They stir the worst at night.
"Will Dawson is coming back," she blurts out. I almost choke on the air I'm breathing and I'm surprised I don't hear giggles coming from the two beside me.
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," I correct her. "Where'd you hear that?"
My heartbeat quickens at the thought of facing him again. He was my first love yet he's my worst enemy. How is that?
"Through the grapevine," she says. "Mom told me today. I don't know where she heard it. You know how those supermarket moms can be..."
"Well!" Tyler exclaims from the backseat, clapping his hands together. "I can't wait to see my best bud again. It's been forever."
If I wouldn't be driving, I would turn around and smack him myself.
"Ty," Hannah groans.
"What? I can't be happy?" He asks innocently. I scoff.
"I'm not letting this ruin my night." I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and count down the seconds until we arrive at my escape.
*
Andy's house is packed. I am well aware of the strangers staggering around the front yard and in and out of the door and garage. Music is blaring and people are yelling loudly, trying to have normal conversations at the top of their lungs.
On our way to Andy's, we stopped at a gas station to change into our costumes. I had packed them up and shoved them in my trunk so that we would be prepared. There was no way we would have been able to change in the house with Hannah's dad being the light sleeper he is.
I had Hannah pick her costume out weeks ago to prepare for this; she had no idea it was for this costume party, though.
My costume consists of a long tube skirt that hugs my figure and reaches from below my ribs to right above my knees. A tan three-quarters length shirt and a scarf decorated my top half as well as a beret that I placed carefully on top of my head.
I was Bonnie Parker.
Hannah, on the other hand, decided to go with a character from one of her favorite books – Hermione Granger. I an't say I hate the Harry Potter movies, but I've never read the books. Yes, I know, Hannah has already shamed me for it, too. She pulls off Hermione pretty well with her untamed, curly head of brownish-red hair.
"What are you supposed to be, Tyler?" Hannah had asked when we were at the gas station getting ready.
Tyler just grinned. "I'm a college student tired of adulting." I knew it was only an excuse for his homeless look.
I wave Hannah and Tyler off as we head towards the house and tell them I'll catch up with them later.
Now begins my search for Connor.
Connor is the boy I call mine, though he makes me question it most of the time. I met him last summer, though I've passed him mindlessly in the hallways since elementary school. At our local bowling alley, he had reeled me into a game with him, which he claims to have let me win, and we were hooked on each other from there on out.
When he asked me to be his, I couldn't say no because I had felt like what was once broken was going to finally be fixed.
When I think of Connor and me as a couple, Will always comes to mind. I know it's wrong, but how do you get someone who broke your heart out of your mind? I hope Hannah's mom was wrong for the sake of my own sanity – that boy drives me insane.
A pair of arms suddenly wrap around me and I break away from my reverie. I twist around to see the familiar face of Connor, which is exactly what I want to see.
"Don't you look hot," Connor's minty breath brushes against my face before he plants a kiss on my lips.
My face burns as the blush creeps up my neck, just as it always does when someone says something like that. I step back from him to see how his Clyde costume came together.
The only problem is that he isn't Clyde Barrow – he's Prince Charming.
I glare at him and prepare for a fight – not a physical one because Connor's a jock and he's kind of two times my size – but my attitude is just as powerful.
"Look, before you get your panties in a wad, you should know that I looked ridiculous as Clyde." He adjusts the stupid plastic crown on his head. "Prince Charming suits me better, don't you think?" He flashes me a bright smile.
I turn away from him and roll my eyes as I walk into the house without another towards him. I wouldn't be upset about it if he would've told me his plans earlier. The communist.
My choice of words comes from my father, a history teacher at my high school.
I don't have to try to hide in the crowd of the party – bodies are packed in the place like sardines. The claustrophobia in me is telling me to find an exit but the stubborn part that doesn't want to see Connor is telling me to go further in.
It made me wary when kids younger than me were staggering around after too many drinks. Don't get me wrong, I like to have fun – I just don't understand why drinking has to be a part of it. I want to remember what happens.
I grab a root beer from the fridge in the kitchen and pop it open. When I move into the living room I see a crowd of people swarmed together as the bass pounds. I can feel it on every inch of my body like a heartbeat.
I spot Hannah sitting on the couch and I take a seat beside her, making her jump slightly. Her Hermione costume is still looking impeccable.
She doesn't look impressed with the party and, to be honest, I'm ready to go as well. Connor ruined my excitement.
"You want to go home?" I ask Hannah as I lean over to yell in her ear. It sounds more like whispering in this noise.
Her face scrunches up in a grimace as she nods in response. Once we stand up and make it halfway to the door to leave, the lights go out. A few girls scream and a few laugh, but then everything goes silent.
I reach for Hannah but it's impossible to tell if any of the people I'm touching is her.
"Hannah? I call and I feel someone clutch my wrist.
Without any warning, strobe lights begin to flash throughout the large room and I stumble a little. I am completely sober, so I can't imagine how everyone else is handling these lights.
Hannah finally finds me and to my surprise, she has a grin on her face.
"They're playing that song!" She says as she starts to dance – more like bob up and down – and lip sync. I listen to the song and realize it's the one she had become obsessed with over the summer. She can never remember the name, though.
"Heathens," I shout so she can hear me. She nods vigorously, yeah, that one!
I soon find myself in the middle of the crowd with my best friend, singing to the songs and enjoying every second of it. Hannah starts to bring out the old dance moves like the sprinkler and such, so to avoid having people look at her funny, I do the same. Now they're looking at us funny.
One moment Hannah is standing beside me, doing that snorkel-thing dance, all her worries washing away, and the next she's disappearing into the sea of people. I am left surrounded by strangers.
A pair of hands move around my waist, pulling me close. I try to see through the strobe lights that have turned back on to see the guy who's about to get a bloody nose, but I see Prince Charming, and I smile.
His smile makes my heart flutter. He leans down slowly, almost hesitantly, like he doesn't know if he should be doing this. I put my hand behind his neck and eliminate the space between our lips.
Everything freezes in time. It's like we're on a different planet, just the two of us, without all these people surrounding us.
He pulls away gently and when I open my eyes, the strobe lights are finally turned off.
But he's gone.
_________
First chapter... what'd you think?
The picture attached is from tumblr, but I think it might be off of Teen Wolf? And of course the song is Heathens by Twenty One Pilots!
What do you think about that kiss?