"I'm so glad you went with what I picked out. You look so hot! Marcus will definitely appreciate what I had you wear" she brags from the drivers seat. I sigh and once again try to adjust my top to the center of my chest.
"Oh yeah, and when the nip slips I'll be blaming you" I tell her, tightening the knot to close the shirt more.
"You're not going to have a nip slip!" she protests. "Although, if you do, make sure Marcus sees" she adds and I slap her as she laughs hystarically.
"You are disgusting! Sometimes I wish I could put a filter on your mouth, or at least wash your mouth out with soap" I scold. I swear I feel like her mother at times.
"You know I'm joking! The top will be fine, just stop fidgeting with it and it won't come undone. Just chill".
She parks the car on the side of the road and looks at me with concern. "Are you alright?" she asks.
I turn to face her and exhale loudly. "What do I do? Are there rules to boyfriends and girlfriends at parties? Should I stay near him the whole time? Or do I wait for him to come up to me? I don't know how to act around him or our friends now". I'm in full panic mode right now. All the suppressed questions in my head are suddenly making their way to the surface.
"Manda, just relax. There isn't a right or a wrong way to go about the night, but you should stay close to him tonight. If you don't, Marcus won't be the only person confused" she explains, and I suppose she makes as much sense as she can.
I never knew I would be the kind to freak out over little things like this. Then again, I never ran these kinds of scenarios through my head before, never felt the need to obviously. Clearly fantasizing would have been beneficial at the moment.
"Alright. Should I go up to him right away though? Or should I wait for him to notice me?"
"You should text him right now and tell him you're here. That way he'll be looking for you to enter" she directs.
Amanda: I'm here
God my fingers are shaking when I'm typing and I feel more than anxious waiting for his reply. I don't like this feeling. Not knowing what to do.
I hear a ping come from my phone and I immediately open the message.
"He answered" I tell Sofia.
"Well what did he say?"
Marcus: I'll be waiting by the door.
"He said he'll be waiting by the door" I read the text to her.
"Well let's not keep the poor boy waiting. I can't wait to see his face when he sees you in your outfit!"
I store my phone in my back pocket and wipe my hands down my pants and give my top one last adjustment.
Sofia opens the door for us and true to his word Marcus is standing against the wall across the doorway.
When I make eye contact with him his face lights up with that smile of his. Perfect pearly whites accompanied by a dimple on his right cheek. I don't know how boys do it, but he still looks put together in a simple blue tee shirt and white athletic shorts.
"Hi, you look great" he compliments and I hope my face doesn't show the heat that I feel creeping all over my body. I've received compliment before, quite and number to be honest, but maybe it's something to do with him being my boyfriend that makes me blush.
"Thanks, so do you" I reply, lamely. I've never been good with receiving or responding to compliments.
"Can I get you a drink?" he asks, leading us into the crowded kitchen.
"Yeah I could go for a little something" I say, resting my arm on the counter.
"What would you like?"
"Whatever you're having" I answer and he looks at me surprised.
"I thought you didn't like Jack and Coke" he questions. It's true, the first time I took a sip from Georgia and I wanted to cry. For my first time it was a little much for me.
"I've acquired a taste for it, actually" I tell him as he prepares the drinks. "Holden had me try it on another occasion and I really liked it".
He raises his eyebrows. "Your little brother got you into this? Yeesh Amanda" and he shakes his head. "By the way, where is that kid? I thought he was coming tonight".
I shrug my shoulders. "I have no idea. At this point I stopped trying to keep tabs on this kid. He just goes off to wherever the hell he wants. My parents are hoping he'll grow out of this phase soon" I confide, and I'm not even sure why I'm telling him this. I don't usually spill the beans until I've had my drink.
"He's a great kid" he comments and hands me the drink. I take a sip, letting the alcohol burn my throat.
"I know, but if he doesn't get his act together I don't know what he's going to do. My parents can only get him so far". Oh God I'm going into full panic mode right here right now. I have to change the subject quick.
As if sending my distress Marcus says, "Why don't we find everyone else? I think they all went to the basement". I nod and follow him, thankful for the distraction.
The basement is nicer than I remember from last time. The bar is longer, the carpet is new and there's an extension.
"When did CJ's house get redone?" I ask. I haven't been to his house since last year and I've noticed little changes here and there.
"A little less than six months ago. Apparently his mom thought the house was out of date and needed to be remodeled" he explains and I nod listening. I've only met Mrs. Morris twice ever, but she seems like a really nice lady. But if you ever ask CJ that question you would think she's the Wicked Witch of the West.
"There they are" Marcus points to a patch of people sitting on an array of bean bags and couches on the back wall and corners.
"Amanda you made it!" Lauren exclaims. I smile at her and at her boyfriend, Jordan, who is currently feeling her up in front of everyone.
"I did" I reply, sitting down in an oversized, grey beanbag chair, and following in suit is Marcus on my right.
"Aww, look at the lovebirds" a very apparent tipsy Jayda says pouting to Marcus and me. "You know we all knew it was just a matter of time before you two hit it off".
"So I've heard" I reply calmly, trying to settle my nerves with my drink, but suddenly I'm not too thirsty anymore.
"Marcus I don't know how you waited for so long" she continues until Isaiah shushes her, taking her somewhere else to dump her thoughts out.
"Well that was a little awkward" Georgia comments.
"Yeah but that will be so funny to show her tomorrow" Sofia says with her phone in hand.
"Does anyone know where CJ is? This is his house and I haven't even seen him yet". I already had a guess, but it was still pretty early in the party.
"With Brooke somewhere. I don't know, but I came with her and I haven't seen her either since we met CJ at the door" Brynn says, taking a hit from the blunt between her fingers and blowing out the smoke from her lips and I want to gag. It doesn't smell as bad a cigarettes, but I still don't appreciate the scent.
"Whore" Nick fake sneezes, getting a laugh from everyone, and even a chuckle from me. What can I say? But as much as I don't like Brooke, I'm not letting him think it's alright to call her anything like that.
So I do something that aways gets the point across. I slap him upside the head. Hard.
"Ow! What the fuck!" he yells.
"Don't call her that" I snap back, and he looks at me surprised.
"You don't like Brooke" he responds, brushing his hair out of his eye.
"Yeah, why is it a big deal, anyway?" Kevin asks.
"Well, unpopular opinion, I don't like being called a whore" I snap and everyone looks at me surprised. I don't know if it's I was already irritable, but I'm just over being here already. A whole twenty minutes in. God I need a nap.
"I didn't call you a whore" he rebukes.
"I've been called a whore, and it sucks, so excuse me for not liking anyone being insulted that way" I snap again and everyone stops talking. Nick looks guilty, and everyone is uncomfortable, the main reason I can't hang out with everyone at once.
I get up from the beanbag and walk upstairs. I need to get away from them and from all the smoke in the air.
I know this house well, and there's a balcony that shoots out of his parent's bedroom. I need to be there... before he says something stupid and I smack him again. I didn't even realize Marcus' arm was around me until it drops from my shoulder.
I walk through the noisy people and the drunken crowd to the one off limits area of the house- Mr. and Mrs. Morris' bedroom. I don't want to tresspass, but it's the only place I can get as much peace and quiet as I can.
I open the glass doors to the wooden balcony. It has cooled down since last being outside, and the fresh air is refreshing on my heated skin.
I don't know why I came here anymore. I'm not usually a party pooper at these kinds of things. When I go out, I go out, but I don't know why tonight is so stressful for me. I could barely stand to spend fifteen minutes in that house without bursting everyone's bubble.
I sigh and rub my hands across my forehead and down the rest of my face. I slug down the rest of my drink, this time ignorning the burn. I don't even know why I reacted the way I did- it wasn't a big deal.
"Amanda, are you alright?" I twirled around to see Marcus walking up behind me.
"Yeah, I'm all good. I don't know why I'm so on edge right now" I confess, leaning my back against the railing.
"Is it because of me? I'm sorry if you didn't want me to put my arm around you" he rushes to say, but I shake my head.
"No, no, it wasn't that. I didn't even notice, actually. I don't know why I freaked out so easily down there".
"Do you want to leave?" he asks.
"I don't want to leave you or Sofia"
"I can go with you. We can go somewhere else"
"No! I just need a minute to cool off. I can tell you want to be here, and I don't want to ruin anything" I explain and cringe internalyl. I wish I could stop rambling.
"Amanda you shouldn't have to be walking on eggshells around me. Meet me in the front, and I'll text Aaron that we're leaving. Everyone will just assume we want to spend alone time with each other, okay?" I look up and his face shows so much concern that my heart doesn't know what else to do other than melt.
"Okay, thank you" I say, and walk after him back to the front door and out onto the lawn and wait for Marcus to return.
"Are you ready?" he asks coming up to me. I smile in confirmation and walk beside him to his car. Marcus surprises me and opens the passenger door for me, leading me into the car.
"Ladies first" he says as I duck my head into the car.
"Thank you" I respond. As soon as I take my seat the door closes and faster than I could imagine he's next to me in the driver's seat.
"So what do you have planned?" As much as I don't want to admit it to myself or him, I am excited for whatever escapade he is thinking of. At this moment I don't think any idea is a bad one.
"I was hoping we could spend some time together at my house" when the words come out of his mouth I see his face morph into a self-conscious expression. "Or we could do something else, I mean whatever if fine with me" he adds adorably.
"That sounds great, actually" I reassure him and he smiles at me as he starts the engine.
"Let's go, then".