{Media: A would be animated Russel}
Chapter 3
“You should wear my teal dress.” Ellen commented while adjusting her makeup.
“No thanks.” I said, already slipping into black flats. I chose light jeans and a black ribbed tank top and planned on sticking to it. Ellen had picked out a casual white and black dress that went to her knees and a pair of low heels. Elliot was already finished and was waiting in Ellen's living room while we did the finishing touches on ourselves.
“How do I look?” Ellen asked. I looked her over.
“Fabulous. Ready to go?”
“Yeah.” We walked out to the living room to meet up with Elliot. He looked at us up and down in an appraising manner and hopped up.
“So you ladies ready?” He asked, eager.
“Yup.” I said, grabbing my car keys.
We headed out the door and hopped into my car. Ellen readjusted her makeup again the entire way while flirting with Elliot. I was antsy and couldn't stop tapping my fingers on the wheel until we pulled up. I had to park a few blocks away because of all of the cars practically piled on top of each other.
“Alright let's get this over with.” I said, hopping out and locking the car. “Oh and guys?”
“Yeah?” They asked.
“If you get drunk and throw up in my car, you're cleaning it.” I said sternly.
“Whatever Ambs.” Elliot said, pulling me into his side. “I'd make you do the same if I had a nice car.” I rolled my eyes. Ellen came at his other side probably hoping he'd pull her close too. He did in fact, but he also shoved me forward into the mass of people walking in. I stumbled a bit and then caught my balance. I gave him a dirty look as I walked my way in to the main part of the party.
“Wanna drink?” A girl in a tube top slurred at me, holding out an unopened beer. I took it and set it back down on a table. Ellen came up from behind me.
“Get a drink.” She already had one in her hand. I shook my head. The pounding of the ridiculously loud stereo thumped through my head. I don't even know why I came here tonight. Oh well. Elliot and Ellen had drinks and started dancing off to the side. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and walked into another room which I assumed was the kitchen. Beer cans and other kinds of trash were spread out everywhere. The host herself was making out with a hippie with a tie-die shirt on, his greasy hair hitting her face.
“Disturbing isn't it?” A voice asked from behind me. I turned around and shock of all shocks, was the guy I'd been trying not to think about.
“I don't know.” I looked back at the couple. “She seems to be enjoying it.”
“She seems to have had way to much to drink to even remember her name.” He responded. A smile tugged at my lips but I forced it to flatten out.
“That's true.” I glanced at him again. He was wearing the same clothes that he had worn to school and the cologne was still as strong as it was in the classroom. I stepped away from him and walked out of that room into a wide hallway, banging noises coming from the closed doors around me. At the very end of the hall was another living room but most of everyone was sitting down, dancing, or drinking. I chose an abandoned lawn chair and sat down. Yes, this is how I 'crash parties'. At least I'm away from—
“Hey, Red.” A voice that was getting far too familiar said right next to me. I turned my head to the side. I didn't even realize he was following me.
“Don't call me Red.” I said instinctively.
“Rosebud, Little red, Rubylocks, Candle, Fireball, Firetruck, Strawberry.....I could keep going, Firecracker.” My hands tightened in small fists at the taunting smirk on his face.
“My nickname is Blaze.” I said, flattening my hands out on my jeans and studying the purple nail polish.
“Who gave you that nickname?”
“My friend, Ellen.”
“So what's your real name?” He asked. I glanced up from my hands and saw him looking at me. He looked genuinely curious.
“It's Am-”
I was cut off by a tanned body blocking my view of Russell.
“Hey, cutie.” Michelle purred. I rolled my eyes at her usual style and crossed my legs, looking straight forward. I knew I shouldn't of left Elliot and Ellen. I hopped up and smoothed out my hair. I took two steps forward and heard:
“Not interested.”
A smile exploded on my face as I walked throughout the house again to the room where I last saw Ellen and Elliot. They were in the corner leaning on the wall together. I walked over to them.
“Hey, Blaze. Where ya been?” Elliot greeted.
“Around.” I sighed. I wonder if I could convince them to go home...
“Blaze, really. You need to loosen up.” Ellen said, giving me a frustrated look. She took a can of beer from a cooler, opened it, and handed it to me. I took it and then looked up at her.
“I don't know...” I sloshed it around in it's can and made a face.
“Just try it.”
I sloshed it around again and then took a slight...sip. The bitter taste hit the tip of my tongue and I spat it back out on the blue carpet. I gargled my own spit and spat that out too. I heard the roaring laughter of Elliot and glared up at him. He shook his head and ran a hand through his dark hair.
“You aren't suppose to sip it.” He laughed. Ellen rolled her eyes at us both and took the beer from my hands.
“Next time, we'll try a better alcoholic drink.” She said, gulping down the rest of the beer. I looked around, wondering when next time would be. Elliot and Ellen goofed off for the next hour, occasionally getting me to dance with them. Things were getting a bit crowded so I walked out into the parking area where I left my car. I walked toward my black Sedan. I debated on sitting in it but then just decided on leaning against it.
“Party getting to you?”
I closed my eyes and rolled my neck toward the voice. Russell had his hands in his pockets and was a good two feet away from me.
“You could say that. What about you?” I sighed and decided to actually engage in conversation.
“I was never one for parties. Besides, you seemed more interesting.” My heart did that ridiculous pitter-pat thing.
“Sure.” I said, just to say something that wasn't cliché or cheesy. Or maybe it was. I ran a hand through my hair and started tapping rhythmically on my car.
“You come by that shade naturally?” He asked, taking a step forward.
“What?”
“Your hair.” He nodded to where my hand was pulling through it.
“Yeah. It's not dyed or anything...” I trailed off and stopped touching my hair.
“I like it.” I looked up at him, surprised.
“Well...thanks.” I half smiled and looked down at my feet.
“No problem.” He wasn't smiling just shifting and looking at my hair while clenching his fist.
“Hey-o! Blazey!” I heard my most likely drunk, female friend call out. She stumbled out, being escorted by Elliot.
“I gotta drive them home.” I said, looking back at him. “It was....nice talking to you.”
He flashed the smallest smile.
“I sense sarcasm. I'll see you in history.” He turned around and walked back into the mass of the party. I rolled my eyes at myself—at him and drove my party-hard friends back to their homes.
***
I woke up to the loud blaring of my alarm clock. I threw my hand down on it, silencing it's obnoxious beeping. I glared at the morning light in my window and crawled out of bed. I stretched, working out the kinks in my back and shoulders. I walked to the other side of my room where the adjoining bathroom door was. I stepped through and turned on the shower. I hurriedly washed my hair and body and hopped out, wrapping a plush blue towel around my body. I wiped the steam from my window and noted how intact my straight perm was. I ran a brush through my red hair and walked to my closet and picked out my olive colored shorts and white tee.
Once I was dressed, my hair was towel dried, and my teeth were brushed, I lazily trotted downstairs.
“Hey, Mom.” I greeted when I made it to the kitchen. She was sitting down at the table, sipping a mug of green tea. She already had on her gray business suit, her honey colored hair in a high, professional bun.
“Hello, Amber.” She said, never taking her eyes off a paper in front of her. I put a bagel in the toaster and took out the small package of cream cheese.
“Is Dad already at work?” I asked, occupying myself with taking out a butter knife.
“Yes, he left early this morning.” Both of my parents were attorneys. AKA: DA I really have no idea about law so I'm not going to get into detail. They met at the same firm and adopted me when I was about two months old. I didn't have any hard feelings about it because I barely remember anything about then, if at all. I had no desire to know who my biological parents are/were. I grew up with great parents and had a good life so I wasn't at all curious and don't want to do a cliché 'I need to know who my real parents are' thing.
“Any interesting cases?” I sat down across from her and hoped I used the right word. She sighed.
“Not really.”
My bagel popped out and I jumped up to retrieve it and spread the cheese on it.
“How are your friends? Ellen and....”
“Elliot. They're the same as always.” I said, taking a bite into my bagel. “Speaking of which...” I glanced up at the kitchen clock. “I have to pick up Elliot. He was missing the bus.” I started for the door, carrying my backpack. “Bye!”
“Bye, Honey!” She called out to me as I shut the door.
***
The day was going 'alright'. Everything was 'normal', though, I don't know why I expected anything to change. I raced to my last class, telling myself that it was a good idea. Anyone want to bet otherwise? I went straight to my desk and looked down, slowly pulling out my notebook and pencil. Automatically, I rested my feet in the seat in front of me but then I remembered that someone occupied that seat. After doodling a bit on my notebook a body sat in front of me.
“You're looking sour.” The voice commented. Great. Perfect. Superb.
“I'm feeling a bit sour.” I said, glancing up through my eyelashes.
He was turned around in his seat, facing me with his legs straddling the desk seat.
“That's too bad. It's a great day.” He rested his hand on my desk and fiddled with my pencil.
“Yeah, I guess.”
He clenched his fist that was resting by his side. That's all it took. My body convulsed back, aching it's way to my fingertips, through my veins. The blood rushing through them felt like liquid fire. My heart felt like with each pump, it burst forth another wave of fire. I was gasping, as if for breath, and my back arched so far that I hit my head on the wall behind me. I shot my body forward and focused on the body in front of me. Although, it's a wonder I could focus at all. My eyes trained on his fist, the source seeming to come from it. He unclenched it.
My body slacked against the desk, my head hitting it with a thump. I focused on my breathing and my stomach felt as if someone had punched me there. A hand grasped my arm and the pain ebbed away.
“Are you okay?” Really? Umm, no! I wanted to scream but what really came out was:
“Euugh.”
“I'll take that as a...maybe.”
I shook out of the grasp on my arm and slowly lifted myself up. I slouched back and yawned, suddenly exhausted.
“Since it's a great day,” He continued as if nothing happened. Not surprising. “mind if I borrow your history notes after school?”
I shoved my notebook at him.
“Here.”
He took it and sighed.
“Do you mind going over them with me?”
I shook my head, communicating a silent: “Hell yes, I mind.”
It must have worked out because he just rested the notebook on my desk and faced the front of the room.
And that's why ladies, you don't ever acquire a crush on the mysterious stranger that you meet in history class....