Cole laughs and accepts my handshake.
"Friends it is."
My overwhelming need to pee resurfaces. Damn you bladder, I was making another friend.
"Well I gotta find the bathroom," I turn around and walk inside without another word to him. I see a girl exiting a room on this floor and take my chances. I pull the door open and whoa did not want to see that!
Just kidding it's the bathroom. I carefully lock the door and let my bladder do it's thang.
When I'm done I go downstairs and try to find... anyone. The party is in full swing but I'm exhausted. I could use my lovely bed right about now.
I spend the next ten minutes looking for at least one of my brothers or new friends. Where did they all disappear to?
I go to the game room, from memory and find my friends, very drunk mind you, in there.
"What are you guys doing?" I ask them.
"Hiding out, it's chaotic out there and everyone wants something from us," Will explains, looking to be mostly sober. My eyes scan the room for Carter, who I know will be completely sober, as my twin he's also allergic to alcohol. I spot him in the corner on top of a bean bag chair, twiddling away on his phone.
"If you didn't want so many people to come, why'd you invite the entire school?" I ask Will, leaning against the plump orange couch he and Lu are sitting on.
He shrugs, "everyone wanted an outlet to celebrate tonight's victory and my place is grand enough to host the entire school and then some."
"Yeah, but if it makes you unhappy, then-" I start but Clinton cuts me off.
"Ara, Will's just bitching, he likes partying a lot more than he's letting you think," Clinton laughs and lightly punched Will on the arm.
Carter suddenly stands up and walks over, "Ara, you ready to go?"
"What? No she just got here, Carter!" Lynn whines.
"Yeeeeaaaaahhhh," Lucy slurs.
"It's getting late -" Carter starts.
"Don't be a party pooper, Cart," Lynn crosses her arm.
"Yeah Cart," I tease, knowing he hates the nickname. He narrows his eyes at me.
"Fine, we can stay a little longer," Carter sighs and the gang cheers. I laugh at the drunken idiots.
Lucy stands up suddenly, "we're going to play hide and seek!"
"Yeah!" the remaining drunks chorus back.
I exchange glances with Carter who has a broad smirk on his face. Carter loves playing hide and seek against me.
"Alright I'll be it!" Carter announces. Lucy squeals loudly and I wince and cover my ears.
"Rules, don't leave the floor or the house. Otherwise it'll take forever to find you all." Carter adds.
"Got it," Clint pulls Lynn towards the door as Carter turns around and starts counting.
When we close the door Will and Lucy take off to the left and Lynn and Clint take off to the right and I'm left alone in the hallway.
I decide to stay in the hall and cautiously listen to the doors and actually here several of them occupied causing me to shudder in disgust.
The door to the game room starts to open slowly so I pull open the door in front of me and hop in.
I lean against the door as I hear Carter scream, "Ready or Not, here I come!"
I listen as his footsteps get softer and I assume he's going in the opposite direction.
I realize I'm in the dark so I feel around the wall until I hit a switch.
I'm bathed in sudden light and my yes adjust to the room. it appears to be an art room. I think back and realize this is the room Cole was emerging from when I was looking for the bathroom a few days ago.
I step forward I awe as I examine the paintings everywhere. They are stunning.
The door suddenly opens and I spin around as Cole enters. He narrows his eyes at me.
"What are you doing in here?" His eyes full of anger.
"Sorry!" I spurt out,"we're playing hide and seek and this is only the second time I'm in your house so I don't know where anything is except the bathroom but that's like hide and seek 101 never hide in the bathroom, and so I was trying to find an unoccupied room in this hall because I was too unsure to leave and then Carter started to enter the hallway and I panicked and ran in here and -"
"Ara," Cole stops me and his eyes have softened and he's smiling, "you're rambling."
"Oh, sorry," I blush and look down at the ground.
"It's okay," Cole leans back against the door.
"You're not mad?" I ask, surprised.
He shakes his head, "we're friends and with how nosy you are, you probably would have come in here anyway."
I cross my arms, "you're nosey too."
He laughs and shoves his hands in his jean pockets, "yeah I am."
He suddenly looks nervous, "so u what do you think?"
"Huh?" I ask, getting distracted by his appearance. The way he's standing looks so - pull it together Ara.
"Of all this," Cole steps forwards and gestures to the art. I turn around and look at it all. It takes my breath away once again.
"It's amazing, Cole," I stare at the closet painting of what appears to be Will playing football. It looks like a photograph but I know it's paint because it's half finished.
"Really?" he asks, " because no ones ever seen any of them before."
I spin around in shock, "no way!"
"Yes way, you're my first real friend, my parents are always gone and Will's too busy to notice so yeah you're the first person to see it," he says and comes to stand next to me.
I walk over to a painting of a small waterfall and a little boy and old man having a picnic.
"They are honestly beautiful, Cole, you could win any contest with these, I swear, because they're so realistic yet hold so much meaning. Like here, just looking at the painting you can tell the kid and the guy love each other and this place. I think it's my favorite painting that I've ever seen," I try and explain.
I turn around and see Cole right behind me with his eyes shining.
"Thank you, Ara," he smiles and my heart melts.
"You're welcome, Cole," I smile back.
"There's actually this..." he stops and shakes his head "uh never mind."
"What," I press and his he stares at me for a second before he says anything.
"There's um," he runs his hand nervously through his hair, making it look better, he walks away to his desk in the back and picks up a sheet of paper, "there's this contest that I could enter but I need to draw a face and since you're the only person who knows, " he sighs, "uh forget it."
I smile, "I'll do it."
He looks shocked, "what?"
"I'll do it," I repeat, " you can paint my face or whatever for the contest."
"Really?" he asks in disbelief. I nod my head.
"If that's what it takes to get your work out there for people to see, then yeah of course I will!" then I add, "if my face is acceptable that is."
"It is," he says quickly and coughs, "well, I see you've made up your mind so thanks, Ara,"
"Sure thing! Just let me know when you want to paint me," I smile.
"Ara! Come out, Come out, wherever you are!"
Cole puts a finger to his lips and pulls out a key. He crosses the room and locks it and flicks off the lights. I come over, slowly to where he's standing.
In the moonlight from the grand window on the opposite wall, I can see everything in the room.
The door knob starts to turn then stops.
"That's Coles room, she won't be in there," I hear Will say and listen as they trudge down the hall, their footsteps growing fainter.
"I know the perfect place for you to hide," Cole unlocks the door and steps out for a second and looks around the hall. Seeing no one he gestures for me to follow him.
He leads me down to the game room and closes the door behind me.
"This is where he started, no one checks where they started until they give up." Cole smiles.
"Genius!" I exclaim and we laugh.
"What do you want to play?" He asks.
Unedited & written on my phone & thanks so much for reading and commenting and voting and all that good stuff. It means a lot to me. Summer vacation has officially started to that means I'll be writing a lot!! This story is just getting started.