PART ONE
THREE DAYS LATER
"Hey, Kel, you busy?" I ask and approach Kelly, Brenda, and Donna as lunch starts. The three of them look up in my direction and she shakes her head, "No, of course not, sit?"
I nod and take a seat at their lunch table.
"What's Up?"
I pauses as I take a sip from my water, then set the purple water bottle down, "How was testifying against Caleb?"
She shrugs and takes a fork of her salad to her mouth, "He's coming on to the case harder than any of us thought. He's saying I'm lying, and it doesn't help that he's rich and white and male."
Brenda nods and stands up, "That's complete bullshit, and are y you richer than he is?"
"Nope, his father works for google and his mother is an actress."
I sigh and shake my head, "Let's talk about something else. Are you guys going to Joel Ritter's Halloween party?"
Kelly nods and Brenda shrugs, "Maybe. I don't know, he's kinda more of a pot head."
Kelly nods and we all get up, then throw away our lunch trays. As we walk off the quad and back to our lockers, Donna stops everyone, "Why don't we throw a party. Make it better than Joel's. Besides, Kelly and I haven't thrown a part in forever?"
Brenda steps forward and sets her books down on the ledge of the half-wall. I step forward, joining Brenda.
"Why not? We still have a few days, I have a free block and I can print out flyers and send out invites. I'll just need an address and a time." Brenda replies and everyone stops for a moment.
"We can have it at Kelly's, her Mom and David's dad are going out of town for the weekend." Donna replies and and opens her locker. She grabs out her binder and Geometry book, then steps away.
Kelly nods, "Josephine, you have next block with Hero and Brandon right?"
I nod and brush a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear. My hair wasn't as platinum blonde as Kelly's, but wasn't as strawberry blonde as Donna's. It was more of a dirty blonde.
"Yeah, and Andrea. I haven't saw her since our lunch meeting about Caleb." I reply and they nod.
"She flies under the radar. Not as social as the rest of us." Kelly replies and the bell rings, signaling for us to split up and go out separate ways to our classes.
After class, the word had already made it's way around West Beverly. Flyers had been hung and post had been put out on every social media site that comes to mind. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, even Facebook.
I meet up with Donna and Kelly, Hero and Brandon following close behind me, "Well ladies, when do you want to start planning?"
"Let's meet up tonight, all of us at Casa Walsh?" Kelly suggests and Brandon shrugs, "Why not?"
We all nod and go our separate ways as the bell rings. I follow Brandon back to his car and Brenda is already in the passenger seat, "What took you two so long?"
"We were talking to Kelly about the party," Brandon replies and climbs into the car. I set my bag on the floor, then buckle my seat belt. The wind whips through our hair as Brandon flies down the highway and heads in the direction of the house. I'm take out my blue scrunchy and pull it onto my wrist. My blonde hair flies behind me like waves in the hot California sun. It's nearly as hot here as it is back home.
As we have for the past month, the car whips into the driveway, but today both Jim and Cindy's cars were missing. Brandon parks where he normally does and the three of us get out and head toward the large house. The exterior is faded white, but has a soft orange glow from the sun.
"Mom! Dad!" Brenda shouts as we cross the threshold and enter the house. It's silent. No TV. No music. No showers or water running. Huh?
Brandon goes up stairs to check and leaves Brenda and I the downstairs to check. She checks everything from the left of the entry way and I check everything from the right of the entry way.
Nothing. It looks as if they left it the way it was this morning.
Then, Brenda shouts from the kitchen.
Brandon and I rush in and see her holding a note, "What does it say?"
She looks down to read it, "Decided to join Kelly's Mom and David's Dad along with Donna's parents on their trip. We'll be back Sunday night around dinner. We'll call when we arrive in New York. Much love, Mom and Dad."
She sets the note down and pulls out one of the bar stools, taking a seat on it.
"Why would they be so impulsive?" Brandon asks and opens the fridge, taking out the carton of apple juice and setting it on the counter. He pours a glass halfful, then puts the carton back into the fridge.
"Maybe they just wanted a weekend vacation, they'll only be gone three days?" Brenda suggest and I take a seat next to her. I pull out my phone and check the text.
MOM:
Hey, haven't heard from you in a while. How's the states? Love you, <3
I hastily text back a lousy reply.
JOSEPHINE:
Sorry, I've been busy getting used to the whole American school system, I know it's late there, but call u tomorrow morning?
MOM:
👍
I set my phone on the counter and look over at Brandon, "Did you invite Andrea to come over later?"
He shakes his head, "Partying isn't really her thing."
"But what if she doesn't care about that and just wants to be around her friends?" I reply and slide off the stool.
"Fine, I'll text her, text your boyfriend too. Tell him to bring his cousins." He replies and I roll my eyes. Eden was definitely a party girl as I've heard from Hero. He says she sneaks out almost every Friday to go to a party. He also told me she's a weekend stoner. She'll probably skip our party for Joel's, know that's where she scores weed.
Elaina on the other hand reminded me a lot of Donna and my sisters. Kinda quiet, reserved, minds her business, but can also be very outgoing with people they enjoy talking to.
I turn on my phone and open mine and Hero's text:
JOSEPHINE:
u busy rn?
He replies in only a few seconds.
HERO:
nah, just doing homework, what's up?
JOSEPHINE:
come over now
I go to turn off my phone, but forget one minor detail.
Oh and Brandon told me to ask your cousins if they want to come over. Jim and Cindy went out of town.
A few seconds later he replies
HERO:
see you in a few <3
I set my phone down and grab my bag from the table, then head up to the guest bedroom where I was currently staying.
I enter shut and lock the door behind me, then toe off my checkered Vans. I throw my bag onto my bed and sit down in the bay window. My room faces the backyard and the house is just high enough for me to able to see into Hero's backyard. The large three house seems smaller from here. How did we even fit in it?
I get up and grab my bag, then pull out my math book. I continue working on my homework from where I left off.
A second later, a knock sounds at my bedroom door, I set my work book to the side and walk across the room to my door. I'm thankful that they let me put anything I wanted in the room. I put a rug under the bed and posters along the walls. Even though my sheets were Brenda's old sheets, then still matched the soft, pale yellow walls that held up my room.
I unlock the door and pull it open. Hero is waiting in the doorway, ready to cross the threshold. He enters, saying nothing, then sits down on my bed. I shut and lock the door, "What, you're shy all of a sudden?"
He shakes his head then looks down with a smug smirk, "Nah, I'm just thinking about you."
I nod and slowly approach hin, he lies back on my bed and tucks an arm behind his head. I climb onto him and take his shirt in my fist, slowly bringing his lips to mine. Our kids is electric. Our kiss is like a fire tearing through the sky. A star absorbing the night and breaking it into pieces.
He sits up and takes off his shirt, in the light, I notice a small scar across his stomach. I reach my fingers down to trace it, but he shakes his head and moves my hand away.
"Sorry," I whisper and shake my head, the move myself away from him. He grabs his tattered blue t-shirt and pulls it over his bare torso.
"It's fine. I just don't want to talk about it. I want to forget it's there," He replies,"So when will everyone else be over?"
"Around dinner, I called you over earlier though. I thought we could- you know..." I start, but he slowly brings a finger to his lips.
"I know, that's why I came prepared." He replied and slowly pulls a condom from his shorts pocket.
He removes his shirt for the second time, then pushes off his boxers and shorts. I remove my clothes and lie in front of him in only my bra and panties. I watch carefully as he pulls on a condom and slowly climbs over me. His lips against my skin are hot, hot like a burning fire. Anytime we kiss, it feels as if we're dancing in a pit of fire and battling it out for dominance.
•••
We get dressed and he sits down in front of me in the bay window. I learn that not only is he a 4.0 student, but he's also a Math geek. He could figure out the questions on my homework assignment in seconds. He's quick to point out my past errors on my other questions and leads me through the process: step by step.
"Are Eden and Elaina coming?" I ask as I shut my book and slide it into my bag. He shakes his head and stands up.
"No, they weren't home, but I'll ask them if they're going to the party. I'll be the designated driver." He jokes, jabbing at his own past tragedies. I don't smile nor do I laugh. I don't understand why people make jokes about traumatic events like that. He brother could've died, but here he is, joking around about it.
Someone knocks at the door and he goes over to it as I had a little bit ago and pulls it open, Brandon is standing in the doorway.
"Everyone else is here, we have a party to be planning."
••••••••••••••
SO THE SMUT SCENE ISNT IN THIS CHAPTER, BUT THERES STILL TWO MORE ON THE WAY.
And instead of a teaser this week: why not give a spoiler from my outline!
PART two HAS TWO TIMELINES:
1. AT THE PARTY
2. AFTER THE PARTY
And I'm sorry it took so long, I've been busy with school and all and my new job gives me almost no time to do anything, but I'll try!
Much love ❤️