Chapter Twenty Nine: First Time?
"I can't believe I'm attending another party after that awful last one," Steph avers as they exit the car.
"Stop whining and try to enjoy the night. And that party wasn't awful, baby girl." Brooke croons as they both stare at the house hosting the party which is the brightest one in the neighbourhood.
Stephanie has never been to this side of town but it's not like she attends parties.
"Okay this baby girl thing has got to stop," Steph demands as they walk up to the front door that is wide open.
"Whose house is this anyway?" Steph glances at Brooke.
Brooke shrugs. "I don't know. I heard about it from someone in school and apparently, everyone is going."
"So you have no idea who's throwing the party?" Steph questions as she looks at the lawn littered with trash, cups, bottles and what not.
"Does it matter?" Brooke retorts.
"It matters to me," Steph mumbles to herself. Steph notices a guy on the porch checking Brooke out but she doesn't seem to notice or if she does, she doesn't notice it.
They both climb the stairs and halt at the top.
"You ready?" Brooke asks her.
"Nope."
"Great," Brooke says enthusiastically and pulls Steph with her into the house.
The party is just like the usual party high schoolers throw. Music is blaring out of stereos all over the place, magnifying the sound so much you can feel the music. And just like the last time, Steph resists the urge to cover her ears. She rubs both hands on her jean clad thighs in trepidation. She didn't let Brooke coax her into wearing one of her dresses this time around.
People are busy talking, dancing, drinking, making out- doing whatever the heck they want.
Brooke takes one of Steph's hand in hers and weave them through the crowd of teenagers to the kitchen.
"Want a drink?" Brooke asks Stephanie after letting go of her hand.
"You know I won't drink," Steph replies as she looks around the crowded kitchen. Teenagers in twos and threes. Some drinking, some talking or doing both.
Brooke turns around to face Steph with a cup. She looks behind Steph.
"Bitches at 6'o clock," Brooke tells her.
Before Steph can turn around to see for herself, they appear beside her.
"Wow! Didn't know someone like you come to parties," Ivy says snootily, sizing Steph up.
"I don't know why they even let people like you in parties," Brooke retorts to Ivy who's ignoring her.
"And who are you?" Ivy gives her a once over.
"Certainly not a bitch like you," Brooke replies in a dry tone.
Aspen gasps but Ivy remains stoic.
"Oh I see. You're a friend of hers- a loser like you," Ivy says.
"And you're not? If someone like you is the definition of a winner, I'd prefer to stay where I am." Brooke hisses.
Steph remains silent, watching the exchange.
Ivy lifts her left hand close to her face and begins to inspect her fingers as if the conversation is boring her.
"You know, I've seen wannabes like you. You can only wish you're in my place."
"I think she's the girl dating Cole," Aspen tells Ivy.
Ivy shakes her head slightly. "I'm disappointed in Cole. He could do better than this-- " she gestures to Brooke, "just look at what she's wearing-- what they're both wearing."
"At least it's better than yours. Yours look two sizes smaller and it looks like you'll soon pop out of it. Like jack in the box," Brooke scoffs.
Stephanie snickers and Ivy sends her a glare, making her to avert her gaze to the floor.
"I'm tired of seeing your face. It's ruining my night," Brooke waves her hands and looks away as if disgusted by Ivy's appearance.
Stephanie stares at Brooke in disbelief and Brooke sends her a grin. Then they begin to ignore Ivy and Aspen. Ivy glowers at Brooke but says nothing because she's still shocked. Her face still looks calm but she's raging on the inside. Before she can make any move to get back at Brooke, Aspen pulls her away.
"Why are you pulling me away? Let me at that bitch," Ivy bellows at Aspen.
"Do you think you have a chance against her?" Aspen gives her an incredulous look before releasing her hold on her. "If you do, go ahead."
But Ivy doesn't move.
"Yeah, I thought so too," Aspen scoffs and Ivy walks ahead in anger.
Stephanie and Brooke watches them walk away before Steph turns to Brooke.
"I can believe you just did that," Steph says, covering her mouth with her hand dramatically.
"Someone needs to put that bitch in her place and constantly knock some sense into her head," Brooke rolls her eyes.
"She didn't even do anything. I was expecting a cat fight to be honest," Steph says.
Brooke shrugs and takes a sip from her cup.
"We need to find Cole and Luke."
"You need to find Cole," Steph corrects her, emphasizing on 'you' and Brooke does another eye roll.
"You still wanna avoid him here?" Brooke asks in disbelief. "He made you come here, you know."
"No, he didn't. I'm here at my own free will. If I didn't want to come, nobody would have changed my mind," Steph retorts.
Brooke stares incredulously, "Sure."
She takes a sip of her drink.
Steph purses her lip. "Ivy is here. Have you forgotten she warned me to stay away from him?"
"The more reason you should find him. Who the heck cares about that bitch?"
Steph doesn't say anything to that, she watches Brooke finish her drink.
"Okay, I'm going to find them. You coming?" Brooke inquiries.
Steph contemplates. Even though she doesn't wanna leave Brooke's side, she'd prefer to stay in the kitchen.
"No, I'll stay here."
"Do as you please but do not take drink from anyone and don't do anything I wouldn't do," Brooke chides.
"Sure mother," Steph huffs before Brooke walks away with a smile on her face.
Steph sighs and decides to make herself comfortable by sitting on one of the empty stools. She looks around the kitchen, people are talking, drinking and kissing. She sighs before pulling out her phone from her back pocket to play a game.
Few minutes later, Steph is so into the game that she doesn't notice someone beside her.
"Hi," Steph hears the voice that gets her attention. She looks up to see who a girl with beautiful ebony skin looking at her.
"Can I sit?" The girl asks after gaining Steph's attention.
It's a party, you can sit anywhere you want, Steph thinks but nods.
"Sure."
Steph watches her sit on the empty stool beside her.
"I see you're playing Candy Crush. I love that game," she tells Steph.
Steph stares at her phone's screen before replying. "Yeah me too."
"Not your scene huh?"
"Yeah," Steph answers.
"Same here. My best friend dragged me here," the girl says with a smile.
Steph finds herself chuckling. "Mine too."
"I'm Adaeze," the girl extends her hand for a handshake. "Ada for short."
"Ada," Steph finds herself saying as she takes her hand. The name sounds foreign in her mouth.
Adaeze smiles.
"I'm Stephanie," she introduces herself. "Steph for short."
Adaeze chuckles at that.
"Stephanie has always been one of my favourite names."
"Why thank you," Steph grins. Though she just met the girl, she feels comfortable talking to her.
"So where are you from?" Steph finds herself asking.
"That's if you don't mind me asking," she quickly adds.
Adaeze smiles before answering. "I'm from Nigeria in West Africa."
"Wow!" Steph locks her phone and drops it on the counter.
"How long have you been here?"
"For about three months," Adaeze replies after a moment of thinking.
"So how are you liking it so far?" Steph inquiries as her eyes flicker to Adaeze's hair. It's looks really thick, voluminous and she has the urge to touch it.
"It's pretty cool but very different from where I come from," Adaeze says. "Here is well developed unlike where I come from. The main problem we have is corruption. Our leaders embezzle the money meant for the masses which leads to a lot of other problems. The difference is as clear as day."
"Really?" Steph asks, intrigued. "How so?"
"Well, for starters, schooling is different. Back at home, we have kindergarten, nursery, primary and secondary school. Some even finish high school at the age of 15," Adaeze explains.
"Wow!"
"The food is very different. I even got sick during my first week here because of the food," Adaeze says with a chuckle.
Steph smiles but says nothing.
Her eyes once again flicker to Adaeze's hair and she just stares at it, wondering how it would feel in her hands.
"What? Is something in my hair?" Adaeze asks as her hand finds it way to her hair.
"No, nothing is in it. It just looks so thick and kinky," Steph replies.
Adaeze chuckles as if she's heard that a lot of times.
"Can I touch it?" Steph asks reluctantly.
"Sure," Adaeze leans forward and Steph touches her hair.
"Wow!"
"You have no idea the trouble I go through to make my stubborn hair look presentable. It's mostly in braids." Adaeze states as she sits straight.
"I can't even imagine," Steph mutters. "Tell me more about your hometown." She loves learning new things.
"Oh right," Adaeze answers with a thoughtful look on her face. "Fun fact- a lot of people hate cats where I come from."
"Why?" Steph whines in confusion. "They're lovable creatures."
Adaeze scoffs. "They're believed to be used for diabolical means. Only few still take them as pets."
"That's awful," Steph drawls.
Adaeze spends the next ten minutes telling Steph more and Steph listens attentively.
"I've always wanted to travel around the world, you know. Learn new cultures and all that. Maybe I would visit sometime."
"Yeah, sure. If you'd be able to survive it. Our sun is something else." Adaeze huffs which causes Steph to laugh.
"I can't wait for winter."
"Why? It'd be freezing," Steph states.
"And it'd snow," Adaeze grins.
Then she sighs. "Even though this place is awesome, I can't help but miss home. Well, there's no place like home."
"Yeah."
"At least at home, I won't get weird stares from some people or be treated differently because of my skin colour. There's the particular girl in my school, she's the Queen B and she calls me Oreo every time she sees me. I just insult her in my native tongue."
"That's awful. She's a bitch."
Adaeze laughs and stays silent for a moment.
"What they don't understand is that we didn't choose to be this way. God created us this way and it could have been them in our shoes if God wanted it. And the thing is that I'm so proud of my colour."
Steph sighs but doesn't know what to say to that. Then she settles for, "I think it's having people with different skin colours, races, tribes and cultures that makes the world beautiful."
Adaeze smiles. "Yeah, it is."
They both look around and remember they're in a party.
Steph chuckles. "We're in a party."
"Yeah," Adaeze drawls. "I kinda forgot."
"Me too!"
"Stephanie!" Steph looks in the direction she heard her name and sights Brooke walking over.
"Here comes my crazy best friend," Steph mumbles to Adaeze.
"Steph, the guys are wondering where you are. Let's go," Brooke informs her immediately she reaches her. Then she notices Adaeze.
Steph does the introductions. "This is Adaeze, B. We just met." She tells Brooke and to Adaeze she says, "and this is my crazy best friend Brooke."
"Hi," Brooke smiles at her. "I love your hair but wouldn't want it. It looks like a lot of trouble."
Steph gives Adaeze a look that says 'i-told-you-so' and Adaeze laughs.
"Thanks."
"What's funny?" Brooke looks at both of them in confusion.
"Nothing."
"Yeah. Let's go," Brooke pulls Steph out of her seat.
"Wait," Adaeze stops them before they go. "You're forgetting your phone." She hands Steph her phone which she left on the counter.
"Oh thanks," Steph says gratefully as she pockets it.
Brooke begins to drag her away.
"Bye, uhm......"
"Adaeze," Steph reminds her.
"Bye Ada," Brooke hollers and Steph waves which makes Ada chuckle.
Brooke pulls Steph through the crowd, all the way to the living room. Steph sees Luke and Cole talking to each other on the couch and her heart flutters. Butterflies erupt in her stomach.
Sweet cheese!
Brooke makes Steph plop down next to Luke on the sofa.
"Hey!" Steph exclaims and glares at Brooke. Her arm brushes Luke's own and she takes in a sharp breath before creating space between them. Brooke smirks and sits on the other side, beside her boyfriend.
"Steph!" Luke exclaims with a smile. "Where have you been?"
"In the kitchen," Steph mutters, not meeting his gaze.
"I thought you wouldn't come," Luke admits.
"Well, here I am," Steph says.
"I'm glad you came," Luke says with a smile.
She really doesn't need this right now. It's not helping.
"Hey Steph," she hears Cole's voice.
"Hi," she smiles at him.
"First time?" Luke asks her, noticing how uneasy she seems.
"What?!"
"Is this your first time at a party?"
"No, not at all," she shakes her head, recalling her first time at a party and how she kissed Chris.
'Is he here?' She wonders.
Luke tries to make conversation and Steph tries to act normal but she's freaking out on the inside. She knows Ivy- Poison Ivy is here and this doesn't look like she's staying away from Luke, does it? A moment later, Steph stands to leave with the excuse that she needs to use the restroom but the truth is that she needs to get away from Luke.
She bumps into a couple making out and turns around to apologize only to see that it's Chris and a blonde.
"Stephanie?" Chris gapes. He remembers her saying that she won't be at the party so what's she doing here?
The fact that he called her by her actual name doesn't go unnoticed by Steph.
"I thought you said you weren't coming?" He asks while his partner glares at Steph.
Chill, I'm not after him, Steph wants to tell her but she doesn't.
Steph gives a nonchalant shrug.
"I changed my mind."
Then she walks away before Chris can utter another word.
"Player," she mumbles to herself.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Stay safe.