Chapter 1
I stepped on the scales, for the up tenth time that day, willing the needle to stop as soon as it started moving. No such luck, as the same numbers I had been looking at for the past year, glared back at me, commanding my attention, while sneering at my inability to rid myself of their ever-looming presence in my life. It never used to bother me that I was slightly chubbier than my friends, who always insisted that I had a different sort of appeal, Millie going as far as saying I was voluptuous, this had us all clutching our sides with laughter. As I was saying, it never used to bother me, until we started year 11, and all my friends got boyfriends, while I was single. Of course, boys approached me, I’m not a beast, but it was always the science geniuses, who soon got bored of me, due to my lack of scientific knowledge, but I stayed friends with some of them. Nevertheless, the girls had long-term, meaningful relationships while little old me, stayed at home on Saturday nights watching old movies with my dad and Lizzie. Gorging me on my stepmothers cakes for her catering course, it was something of a private joke between us three, that Lizzie could burn water, but her cakes were beyond amazing. I laughed at the irony of it. As I was saying, year 11 was the time when it hit me; I was fat.
It all added up now. All my other friends were slim size 6–8. And there was me teetering on the precipice between 10 and 12. I tried not to drag myself into the alien world of celebrity diets, I wasn't about to succumb to an eating disorder. The ones, which were so common between girls my age (I have no wish to look like a walking cadaver). At the same time, I couldn’t help my sudden paranoia around the girls, who could all easily have been models. I regularly declined going shopping with them, just to avoid the embarrassment of having to purge through the racks, in the search for the right size. However, tonight I was determined to let all of that go, if just for one night. Tonight was the night of Charlie’s house party. He was a previous boyfriend of Millie’s, who never quite got over her, but he was also one of my closest friends, which had made it awkward that he had dated my cousin, a part of me was relieved, How naughty of me. I have not explained properly have I? Ha-ha, I tend to go off the subject. Millie is my cousin but we have always been more like sisters, along with Jez and Mackie, the three beautiful princesses with their pudgy best friend. That is we.
My ringtone rang out in the distance and I realised that I had been standing on the scales for the past ten minutes. I wrapped a towel around myself, exited my bathroom, into my bedroom, and frantically searched for the phone following the lyrics that were blasting out of my phones speakers.
....I want someone provocative and talkative,
But it’s so hard when you’re shallow as a shower-
I snatched the phone from its hiding place, and answered it.
“Hey! Kylee I’m so excited for tonight,”
Millie beamed down the phone at me; I could just imagine her flicking her blonde hair (her crowning glory because of its almost iridescent hue), as she spoke, her little habit.
“I hope you haven’t forgotten,” she said sternly.
Balancing the phone between my shoulder and ear, I quickly grabbed my clothes so as not to make the following statement a lie,
“‘Course not Millie.... I’m getting ready right now, in fact” I replied sweetly“, so I’ll call you when I’m on my way?”
“Fine, remember 7 o’clock. My house, okay, bye loser.”
“Aww, you do say the sweetest things, bye.”
After hanging up, I stared at the clock... Arghh! It was already 6:30. I was wearing a pair of dark blue Jeggings, a white tank top and white plimsolls. A large red checker shirt with the buttons undone finished the ensemble, I felt... good, well at least for now that is. I rushed into the bathroom again, and put some foundation on, crouching to look in the only corner of the mirror, that wasn't smothered by water vapour, as I’d forgotten to turn the fan on. In too much pain from my position, I decided to go with the natural look and skipped out on mascara and eyeliner. I brushed my black hair, hoping to imbibe some sort of life into it. When I finally settled on a messy bun, it was 6:55. I stuffed my phone and iTouch into the pockets of my jeggings (I learnt the hard way not to take a bag to party) and grabbed my dad’s car keys. I had voted against taking my pick-up, as I was likely to be the designated driver, for the four of us, and there were only two seats. Plus I think it’s a felony to use the boot as extra seating, although I had considered it. I decided the hang over my friends would suffer the next day, would have them in the throes of agony, and would be punishment enough for dumping their unconscious bodies on me. I shouted a good bye to dad and Lizzie, who were in the lounge, before stepping out of the front door.
As I was driving, (rather cautiously might I add for those who may have witnessed a car of the same make and number plate, which was zipping down the streets at a questionable speed? That was not my car. Just saying.) I thought about Charlie and I pitied him, foolish him, letting a horde of teens loose on his parents liquor cabinet. Mr and Mrs Thorne would be horrified to find the hollow shell that was once their lovely, picket-fenced suburban house. Mrs Thorne would have an aneurism in the silly string, her dying words being “so much mess...”
I chuckled to myself as I parked in front of my aunt’s house, and called Millie’s phone. “Your ride is here” and hung up before she could make a witty retort. The door opened, letting the orange light bathe my car, as my cousin elegantly stepped out of the house, saying a goodbye to her mother, a short, slender woman in her 30s, who waved at me before closing the door. Millie carefully walked down to the driveway in her high heels, I rolled my eyes at her lack of practicality, only she would dress for a house party like it was a debutante ball. I sniggered at her as she entered the car; she stuck her tongue out playfully.
“Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything,” I retorted in a singsong voice. We smiled at each other and I took in the little black dress she had chosen to wear. That’s when the worry started to kick in. Was I too under dressed? I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, and struck up a conversation with Millie. We talked about nothing in particular; but somehow we talked about everything. That’s why we’re such good friends. I pulled up to Mackenzie’s house and drummed my fingers against the steering wheel, as I waited for her and Jez to spot me, at the window. I waved at them and they jumped away from the window, Jez came back and shut the curtains diligently. Ahhh Jezebel, the perfectionist that she is couldn’t bear to leave things out of place. She and Mackie were total opposite, like fire and water, Mack being a never-ending ball of energy, always talking. Always. Meanwhile, Jez was the epitome of cool; she balanced her best friend out. They clambered in the back, Mack in a tutu and neon leggings (as expected), while jez straightened out the creases in her flowery blouse, which tucked into the highwaisted, knee length, black body-con skirt she was wearing. Breathing a sigh of relief, I noticed that Millie was the only one wearing high heels. With this in my mind, I turned and grinned at my friends.
The music was blasting down the street; I could feel my whole car vibrating, as the beat reverberated around me. I shook my head as I followed the music; Charlie really went all out on this party. Bless him. I parked the car five houses away, the closest spot to the house, that someone else’s haphazardly parked car hadn’t already occupied. We all stepped out and began the trek to Charlie’s house, I stole a glance at the shivering mass that was Millie, I’m sure she is rethinking her high heels now. We arrived at the house, which seemed to be oozing the body heat, of many teens all dancing to the pounding music. People were sitting (well trying, most of them kind of just spilling into the chairs, melting in the glare of the streetlamps) on the porch, in the desperate attempt to catch some air; no doubt, the inside was an offence to the senses. Alcohol choked the air close to the house. A taste of things to come. I thought dryly. Mack was the first person to enter, like a true hero, she entered the darkness, and we followed her.
We’d been here for an hour, and I was bored, the other girls had gone off to dance, and as usual, I was the wallflower. I should be used to this by now, I guess.
“Trust you to come to a party and not party,” a voice sniggered behind me.
I turned to see the boyish face of my friend and the poor soul hosting the demolition of his house.
“Charlie, you know I’m not one to get plastered for fun,” I said pointedly.
He stared at me as meaning to say something; instead, he shrugged and gave me a hug, before going off to mingle with the masses, something I just couldn’t bring myself to do. I got nervous around new people because I knew they were judging me, and I didn’t need that. I scoped the room as I had been doing for the last hour, but this time there was something different, or should I say someone. He stood at the doorway, demanding attention from people, he walked in, a chorus of hi’s followed him around the room. I stared at him drinking up his black skinny jeans, and checked shirt. He had on a beanie hat and an afternoon shadow sprinkled across his firm jaw. Wisps of brown hair suck out from his beanie. A thick fringe crowned his forehead, and he swept it to the side of his face, it was hard to tell in the light what colour his eyes were, but I imagined them a deep pool of chocolate with flecks of hazelnut. I almost died, when his eyes caught mine. Thankful for the darkness to hide my blush, I turned away, ashamed that I was caught ogling.
I thought that was the end of it. My friends returned from their different activities, and we sat in the kitchen, they chatted about what they had done, sadly, no details were spared, candidly pouring off the tongues of my friends. Then the conversation moved onto me, I shook my head quickly to deflect any questions. They all gave each other knowing looks.
“Ky-“
A group of boys, who burst into the room, laughing at a joke one of them, had told, cut off Millie.
“Good one Xavier,” said a large stocky boy, with a shock of red spiky hair, to someone behind the group. I craned my neck to see whom he was talking to, as discreetly as possible. I was shocked to see it was that guy from before. A gasp escaped my lips, and the boys turned to us.
The spiky redhead leered at us and said
“Why, hello girlies” and he winked at Mack. I rolled my eyes.
15 minutes later, we were still in the kitchen, and the others were befriending the group of boys that had interrupted us. Well except for Xavier (what a cool name) and I. He looked at me and winked. I raised an eyebrow at his gesture, causing him to grin childishly. Showing two rows of wolfish white teeth. I was absorbed and I couldn’t help but smile slightly. He walked towards me and sat on the counter next to me. He twisted so he was facing me. What he said shocked me.
“So did you like what you saw earlier or would you like to look some more?”
I blinked, taken aback by his unabashed behaviour.
“Who starts a conversation like that?” I retorted when I had gained control of my tongue.
“I do, obviously. It worked didn’t it. You’re talking to me,” He said with a look of mock superiority, earning a giggle from me.
I smiled at him again; he had that affect on me.
“Do you come around here often?” he asked with a straight face, although I could see a smile dying to escape.
“Of course,” I played along, “It’s my favourite choice of eatery, plus I get discounts because I know the owner”
We shared a look, before bursting into laughter. This was too good to be true. He was flirting with me. I turned to him and noticed I was right; he did have brown eyes, but no flecks. Too bad. He turned away blushing, he looked like a little boy caught stealing cookies. I smiled wider, astounding even myself that it was possible. Then I noticed he was staring at something, or should I say someone (hmmm... that sounds familiar). He was staring at Millie. My beautiful, blonde cousin; Millie. My heart dropped, and tears I refused to shed blurred my vision. I could see Millie looking back at him, flashing him a grin, as she pretended to listen to Ben or Will, whatever his name was. I suddenly felt so silly. I should have known. What would he see in me? Kylee the fatty. Not when there’s Blonde Millie with the legs that never end, or Bubbly Mack, full of life and Pretty Jez, perfect as can be, to choose from, He was just being polite.
He seemed to remember he was stuck with me and turned back round to me, grudgingly, I thought sadly. In that moment, I came to detest him. He tried to talk to me again, but I jumped off the counter and walked out of the room, muttering an excuse to the girls about stomach problems and aspirin. Not that they cared.
****
As we were leaving, I saw everyone exchanging goodbyes. Xavier turned to me, his friendly smile sliding off his face. It could have been because of the passive look on my face. On the other hand, maybe I’m just that unbearable. I shook the thought out of my head and pulled my mildly intoxicated friends out of the house, nodding my head at Charlie, who was trying (in vain) to get people to leave; he gave me a wary smile, and went back to coaxing the home wreckers back to their houses.
The atmosphere in the car was uncomfortable. Jez and Mack were snoring, slumped against each other, Mack dribbling slightly. Meanwhile, Millie and I were wide-awake our usual chatter was non-existent. Millie was first to break the silence.
“So... That Xavier was interesting.”
“Oh... Yeah, I guess.”
“We got talking, and I found out that he just moved back to this area, he moved away when he was 10, he used to live on the other side of town,” she talked about how he was going to the boys school near our school, Millers Prep, while I nodded vaguely. What she said next stunned me.
“You can have him you know-“
“I can have him? What does that mean? I can’t get him! I have to have him given to me! Some sick little hand me down?” I spat at her.
“I didn’t mean that. I just-“She began coolly.
“You just thought that you would help silly Kylee finally find a guy. Well I don’t need your help! Okay?” I said, my voice rising.
“Okay.”