August 18th, 2012
"So, what do you think?"
I mused over Andrew's question in my mind for a moment, giving a great deal of thought into something that should've been an easy answer. I made sure my mind had completely absorbed it before I told him, though, just the way I always did when pressed with a question. After a moment of silence, I'd decided; and to prove my point, I scrunched my nose in disgust, crinkling my face in a look of dissatisfaction.
I shook my head, mortified. "I think it tastes like bitter dog shit," I told him, handing the beer back to him. The rancid taste of alcohol was still in my mouth, and I made a feeble attempt at expunging it by wiping my tongue off on the back of my sleeve, which, to no avail, didn't quite help.
And suddenly, at my expense, a whoop of laughter broke out between the observers around me, including Andrew, my supposed best friend. A collosal guy with the build of an SUV named Tyrone, who was too stupid to be in any of my classes seemed to be laughing the hardest, rocking back and forth, droplets of his own beer flying out of his bottle. "Looks like we've got our designated driver!" He said, patting me hard on the back with the force of a bus. I guessed it was true what they said about beer killing brain cells.
I choked on air for a moment, trying to get my breath back, only making the rest of the guys laugh harder. A blonde kid from Andrew's remedial English class named Nick who tried too hard to be Tyrone's "brotha-from-anotha-motha" turned his Ed Hardy hat backwards and smiled crookedly, revealing a silver tooth that I couldn't determine was just a result of poor dental care, or the result of poor parenting. "Bro, I've got a Capri Sun in the fridge if you can't handle it!"
I grimaced, annoyed by their unceasing torment. As much as I would've liked a Capri Sun in that moment, I simply scowled angrily at them all, wondering how long I'd be subjected to listening to them go on and on about how much of a loser I was. It wasn't like I needed them to tell me that-I'd spent seventeen [almost eighteen] years of my young life in front of a book and/or a video game console in a dimly lit room with my mother routinely bringing me up my meals of chicken nuggets and my Juicy Juice. And no matter how many times Andrew criticized me for it, it was a sacred ritual I did not intend on breaking.
"Oh, leave Henry alone," said quarterback Tony Dupree, his dark eyes glossy and bloodshot. He steadied himself by holding onto Tyrone's shoulder, an exchange I had to imagine happened a lot when you went to as many parties as he did. I wouldn't be wrong to assume that alcohol ran through his arms like blood. "I'm sure he'll drink plenty when his balls finally drop," he drawled in a way that made all his words seem like one big, messy sentence, which made the rest of the boys break out in another fit of surly laughter.
Nick laughed louder and slapped Tony a supportive high five in a way that said "hey! We both may be ass holes who'll never get into college, but at least we've got this boy of average intelligence to torment now! Hooray for the present!"
And while I supposed it was true what they said about not getting drunk so you can the one to tell all your friends the idiot things they did earlier, at that moment, I wasn't feeling too hot.
"This kid's a riot!" Said the last of my tormenters, who was a tall, awkward kid named Freddie. I didn't know why he was here anymore than I was. He was a history nerd in my AP US History course whom I was pretty positive could list every state's capital in a song he'd learned in fifth grade and still remembered. But I supposed he was one of those nerds that could get pretty hammered, because he was on his fourth beer of the night.
"I bet you he could have a fun time," Tony said with a wicked grin, implying something that I obviously didn't catch. He looked around to the other boys, who seemed to fully understand whatever he meant. He nodded, smirking with amusement, "...if he let himself."
I raised a brow. Suddenly I didn't feel like we were talking about beer anymore.
"You kidding me?" Nick laughed, "Henry's either parked in front of a video game, or reading every book in the library! Or writing them!"
I blushed. While my love for literature and video games did extend quite far, I didn't believe Nick was doing me justice. In my opinion, at least, it was better to remember what I did the night before, even if it included nothing, as opposed to what I'm sure Nick's nights entailed.
Awkwardly, I shoved my hands in my pockets, "W...What do you mean?" I found myself asking.
Tyrone laughed, "This guy's so innocent," he said, giving me another slap on the back that could very well kill an adult horse. I coughed again, but softly enough so he didn't hear me, "I like you, man!"
"What do you think, Andy? Should we show Henry what fun's really like?" Tony asked, his smirk deepening as he turned to Andrew. Andrew, who looked like a little boy caught between choosing ice cream and chocolate, flickered his eyes back and forth between myself and Tony. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know who he would chose to side with. He'd been a victim to peer pressure ever since seventh grade when a couple of idiots thought it'd be funny if he raided his mom's liquor cabinet.
"Yeah," Andrew said unsurely, ironically wearing a 1,000 watt smile.
Oh, Andrew. Always there to support the underdog.
I felt Freddie wrap an arm around my shoulder. I smelt alcohol on his breath, and tried to ignore it as best as I could. Fellow nerds like Freddie shouldn't have been drinking alcohol; they should be drinking tang and lemonade in their basements. "Then let's do it!" He slurred, although I was pretty sure he didn't quite understand where they were going either.
Tyrone shoved Freddie away, sending him staggering back into a couple that was getting a little too hot and heavy, wrapping a beefy arm around my shoulders that size of a redwood. I tried to shrug it off, but it'd be like the Wicked Witch of the East lifting Dorothy's house from her body-impossible.
"A little birdy told me, Henry," Tyrone said quietly, his voice gradually getting louder, "that someone's still a virgin."
I didn't need superpowers to realize that that birdy's name was Andrew Luesby. Was there anything he wouldn't do to be popular, I wondered? In that instance, I glanced at him, who seemed to casually disregard the fact that I knew more than well it was him who'd disclosed that private information. Andrew had always thought he was such hot shit after he'd claimed Noelle Porter as his girlfriend sophomore year, the only girl I'd ever set my sights on in my life and that I'd loved since kindergarten. And now that the two were together practically every moment of the week, he took the opportunity to make it blatantly obvious that he was the more sexually experienced one of the group. Though I didn't really want to think of Andrew and Noelle in that way; especially not Noelle.
But I had to admit, I wasn't too surprised. Despite the fact that Andrew was someone who'd rat out your dirtiest and darkest secrets for a dime, he was the stereotypically attractive teenager, as well as what I supposed could be called the "bad boy type." With his straight D report card and that old leather jacket he wore every so often to appear edgier, he looked like he could've come straight from an old 80's movie, starring as the rebellious "desperado" sort of guy.
And as all the guys who seemed to find my virginity amusing kept laughing their asses off, I stood there, red as a beet, trying not to rip out Andrew's eyes and dance the mamba on them. I looked at Tyrone, trying to not show any emotion that would warrant more laughter.
"Where'd you hear that?" I asked, clearing my throat. I didn't want to sound too obvious, but my nervousness shone through like a flashlight in a dark tunnel.
"From a certain source," Tyrone said, flashing me a drunken grin. He hiccupped, wiping the beer off of his mouth, causing me to reel. "So, I've decided, since we're buddies now, that I'm going to help you out."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Could Tyrone really help someone? He looked like the sort of person who still needed his mother to tie his shoes for him and button his jacket every morning.
"Really now?" I inquired skeptically, pursing my lips. I was pretty sure, even if Tyrone was good at talking to girls, that all of the charisma and charm in the world would not allow me a ticket off virgin island. The only woman I'd ever spoken to at long period of time was my sister or my mother, and it was usually through means of shouting up and down the stairs.
"Yeah, man," Tyrone said, dropping his hand to his side. He raised a finger and pointed out a head in the crowd, one of which I could barely see. Tyrone was smirking, "you see that girl over there? The one with the heels?"
I looked for who he was talking about, only to see that every girl visible to the blind eye was wearing a form of heel. I frowned, looking up at Tyrone, "They're all wearing heels."
Tyrone scoffed, "Crazy bitches with their need for elevation." He rolled his eyes, "Well, then that girl over there-see her? By the stairs?"
Irritated, I followed Tyrone's line of sight, trying to pick out which girl by the stairs he meant. Eventually, I spotted her; the only girl worthy enough to talk about. Slowly, my mouth slid ajar, embarrassed that I'd stared at her for so long.
"Who is she?" I asked Tyrone, frowning curiously.
Tyrone smirked, as if he'd caught my interest. "I don't really know her name. All I know is she used to go to here, but just moved back from Seattle."
"Well, looks like that Seattle did her good, huh?" Nick said with a sloppy grin, nudging me playfully, almost knocking my glasses clean off my face.
I shrugged him off, and studied the girl for a long moment after that. I couldn't see much of her face, however. She was silhouetted by the dark shadows cast by the moon from the window upstairs. She was leaning against the wall, looking bored, her arms crossed as she stared into space. She had fair skin to match her hair, which ran to the middle of her back that looked untamed and incredibly curly She wore a ratty looking band t-shirt with a leather jacket, leggings, and heels that made her look even taller than she'd probably look without them.
"I guess," I half-agreed awkwardly, frowning. I felt Andrew's gaze on the back of my neck, and I didn't really want to mention my utter devotion to Noelle while Tyrone and Nick were commanding me to pay attention to some other girl.
"You should totally go for her, bro." Tony proposed.
"Yeah!" Nick laughed, "She's probably too heavily intoxicated to turn you down-"
Just then, Tyrone punched him straight in the stomach. Though it looked like he'd punched him with practically zero effort, Tyrone's fist was still about the size of an average human head; explaining why Nick reeled back in pain, Tony having to hold him up.
"Shut up, asswipe." Tyrone snapped at Nick quickly, subsequently averting his gaze towards me. "Just go up and talk to her, alright, Henry? I promise you-by the end of the night, you'll have not only talked to a girl other than your mother, but you'll have had sex with one too."
My eyes widening, I felt my cheeks turn bright red. I shook my head, "Um, I'm not sure I really-"
Tyrone rolled his eyes, grabbing my shoulder with a gorilla like grip in his enormous hands. "Oh, yes you are." He said, and I shook my head. He sighed, "Come on, Henry! In two weeks, we'll be seniors. You've got to start of your year right!"
"By sleeping with a complete stranger?"
But just as Tyrone said that, I saw a tall, muscular looking boy trot down the stairs, not wasting any time to grab the girl in his hands. I watched in confusion and awe as he bent in to kiss her and she swerved out of his way, looking exhausted.
I immediately felt Tyrone's grip soften on my arms, and I wondered if he was watching the spectacle as well. Over the ambient noises of music and chatter, I couldn't hear at all what the girl was yelling about, but it looked pretty serious. The girl's face contorted into a scowl, and I wondered with all my being what it was the conflict was. Then, the girl pushed the boy off of her with all her might, sending his bulky body a mere few inches back.
And then the boy slapped her.
Too shocked to even process what had happened, I was in a daze when I heard someone else's voice. "Oh, shit," Tyrone muttered, pulling me behind him. He looked at me with wide eyes, though I wasn't paying attention. He chuckled, "Well, I guess we can find you another girl..."
"Yeah. Maybe this time one with not so much baggage." Nick chuckled, taking another sip from a half empty cup of beer.
I paused as they continued to converse, not even bothering to comment on any idiotic remarks that might have left their mouths. I just tried to catch at least a single glance back at the girl, hopeful that she was just alright. Past the throngs of dancing teenagers, I could see the fair haired girl, who was now at the top of the stairs, a hand closed around her cheek, as if to conceal any bruising that might've occurred. She looked around desperately, but I couldn't tell if it was to see if anyone had noticed, or to see if anyone had cared.
The boy seemed to manifest beside her out of almost no where, and seized her by the arm, pulling her the rest of the way up the stairs. Once they were on the top stair, I watched them talk for a long time, right before the boy leaned in for a hungry kiss, reaching for practically every body part she possessed. And though the girl looked displeased, she didn't fight.
I squinted my eyes to see clearer, wondering if I'd missed something. Why didn't she fight it?
When they pulled away, he had her by the arm again and pulled her out of my field of vision. But for the briefest of moments, I thought we might've made eye contact; just a fraction of time that was caught in a single glance.
But I might've imagined it.
"...Henry, are you okay?"
As soon as I knew it, Andrew's hand was on my shoulder. I spun around, faced with the most serious look he could give me while intoxicated. I looked at him, staring straight into his dilated pupils.
I tried my best to shake it off, for the betterment of my own wellbeing. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine."
"I'm sure she'll be fine, Henry."
Surprised that Andrew could even notice my concern, my eyes widened. I nodded at him, "You're right, I'm sure," I told him, though I wasn't sure at all.
He looked at me hard with a flat face for a long moment, looking in a quizzical wonderment. Eventually, an almost sad little smile spread across his face. Confused at what he was doing, I watched as he spun back around towards Tyrone, Nick, Tony, and Freddie, raising a red cup filled with beer. "Alright, guys! C'mere!"
Everyone looked to Andrew curiously, who wrapped an arm around my shoulder, smiling like a child. "I'd like to make a toast to my best friend, Henry!"
I looked up at Andrew, who'd always been a good half a head taller than me in surprise. "What are you doing, Andrew?-"
"-Raise your cups, everyone!" Andrew interrupted, holding up his cup as high as his arm could go. The rest of the guys followed suit, grinning just as wide as Andrew. "This is for Henry, who's been the best friend a guy could ask for."
"Here here!" Tyrone cried in the highest voice he could manage, provoking a laugh from everyone, and even making me smile.
Andrew smirked, "And also to our senior year!" He announced, "And may Henry finally get laid!"
They all laughed. "That's something I can toast to!" Tony hooted, shaking the cup so much that the foam from the beer had already begun to spill. Andrew laughed, and clinked his plastic cup with everyone's.
"Cheers!" All five guys announced at once, laughing as even more foam spilled from the cups. And as they cheered and laughed for our senior year ahead of us, filled with all the possibilities and new ideas of a final year of high school, my mind was somewhere else entirely. Curious still, I wanted to take a single glance behind me, hopeful that I'd see the girl waiting; uninjured, wishing for my eyes as she stood quietly, unaccompanied by that boy, at the top of the stairs.
And then I actually looked.
She wasn't.
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A/N: Sooooooo yeah there you go. hopefully, you guys enjoyed this. i've actually taken the time to plan for this story and think about it and yeah i really hope it turns out good so you guys like it. so please, if you would, would you comment, vote, or fan? c:
even if you don't, thanks heaps just for clicking on this. you are a perfect human speciman
-charlotte