Chapter Eight
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After the boys’ set at the Charity Ball, Alexa is reeling, “Oh my god, they were amazing!”
“I know right, they’re so sick”
“I knew Keaton could do all that stuff, but not as good as that”
“Exactly what I was thinking”
They come off stage and there are compliments all around. We finish the night by dancing to another band that plays and when the night eventually ends, I am completely stuffed. We all go back to the limo and on the way home; I end up falling asleep on Wes’ shoulder. I don’t wake up until I feel like I’m not on anything solid anymore. I slowly open my eyes and find Wes smiling down at me, “Just go back to sleep little baby, I got this”
I do as he says and soon I feel myself being placed on my bed. Harper’s voice comes out soft, “Thanks guys. I got it from here”
Someone kisses my forehead softly, then another, then another and finally one more - Keaton. “Good night cutie, see you later”
I smile faintly before being completely dragged off the bed. “Ok movie moment is over; get your butt of those clothes and into PJ’s cos I sure as hell ain’t doing it”
I scowl at Harper, “Ruin my moment why don’t you”
Her face softens just a bit, “Yeah okay, I admit it was cute”
“Exactly.”
“Nah but seriously, get changed so we can go to sleep”
I do as she says before falling back into bed. As soon as the lights turn out, I’ve fallen into a deep, deep sleep.
--
The week goes by as normal the only difference being that Alexa has started to spend more time with Harper and I and I’ve come to realise she’s an insanely cool chick. I’m chilling with Alexa in my room on Thursday when I get a text from Keaton – hey, do u wanna go for a skate or something? I just needa get out of the house, wes and drew are being too intense. Alexa peers over my shoulder, “Who is it?”
“Just Keaton asking if I wanna go for a skate”
“Oooh can we go and can you guys go to the Skate Park so I can perve on all the guys”
I laugh, “You are just as bad as Harper. But yeah sure, lemme just text him back” – yup sounds good, alexa’s coming too. Meet at the fountain in twenty x. I look down at what I’m wearing, “Ha, looks like I’m going to actually have to put some clothes on. I don’t think just my bikini is the right attire to skate”
Alexa laughs, “Do I have to put any clothes on?”
“Yes you do fool”
I grab the first things from my draw, which are a pair of army shorts and my Johnny Depp singlet. I put on some black socks and my maroon vans before shoving my corduroy Obey hat onto my head. I put my contacts in and grab my skateboard, tell mum where we’re going then disappear out the front door. It takes us 15 minutes to walk to the fountain then another five to get to the skate park. As we start walking up to it, I look at Keaton nervously, “I’ve never actually been here. Come to think of it I’ve skated about twice since I’ve been here”
“You’ll be fine”
Alexa sits down on a seat so I flop down next to her. We let Keaton go do his thing before eventually he comes back over, “The boys keep wondering if you’re a poser just holding your board because not doing anything”
“Let them think that, I’m not ready to skate just yet”
He shrugs, “Suit yourself”
Alexa and I pick out the hot ones before three girls we’ve never seen before show up at the concrete jungle. They talk to a few boys before giving us dirty looks. Eventually they get around to skating and they’re alright, pretty average. Alexa sighs, “Those girls keep giving us dirty looks”
“Let them, who cares”
“I do because I feel like a tool. Can you please go skate so we don’t look like idiots?”
The girls give us the fifth dirty look since they arrived so I jump up, “Yeah I guess it is time I went and skated”
I grudgingly get up and walk over to where Keaton is hanging out with a few guys. They give me funny looks as I approach them but Keaton just smiles, “Finally Arabelle. Boys, this is Arabelle; my good friend from New Zealand who just moved here. Arabelle, this is Sammy, Aidan and Parker my skating buddies”
“Hey” I say with a ‘sup nod, “And it’s just Ara not Arabelle”
Keaton chuckles, “It’s Ara to me”
Aidan nods to my board, “So is that just for show or can you actually skate?”
“Yeah I can skate, don’t you worry”
“Well show us then” Keaton announces
Parker stops me, “Whoa, you wanna do that with your cast?”
“Uh, yeah? It’s cool”
I put my board down on the tip of the edge and he still doesn’t look convinced, “How did you break it?”
“Surfing accident” I say simply before tipping over the edge and letting the board soar down the concrete ramp. I come up to a metal rail and grind that finishing off with a simple kick flip to the ground. I loop the park and skate back up the half bowl to where the boys are. I come up the edge and flick my board up to catch it in my good hand, “Yeah, my cast is no big deal”
Aidan laughs, “New Zealand chick can get down”
We pound fists before Keaton wraps an arm around my shoulder “Sorry boys, she’s my New Zealand chick. Find your own”
“Yeah friend, you can be my New Zealand girlfriend anytime” Aidan says suggestively while Parker and Sammy just laugh.
I laugh myself and Keaton pushes him playfully, “Wrong answer bro”
“So who’s your mate Ara?” Parker asks, gesturing to Alexa sitting on the bench. “She’s super-hot”
“That’s Alexa, a friend of mine. I could introduce you if you want?”
So that’s what I do and they instantly hit it off. They start talking so the others and I just straight skate for the next hour and it feels amazing. Alexa and I give those other girls’ dirty looks of our own before going off with the boys to the ice cream shop down the road. Sammy and Aidan are engrossed in their own conversation and Alexa and Parker are in a complete different world so that leaves Keaton and me to sit at a table of our own. I try to look him in the eye but licking my ice cream up from the cone as it melts proves the task too difficult so I settle with just sneaking glances at him, “So how come you wanted to get out of the house?”
“Oh never mind, it’s over now”
I stop licking and look at him “Keaton. You tell me now”
He moans, “Well it’s just that Drew and Wes are getting a bit too much at the moment, you know? With the competition coming so fast, they’re way more intense and I just needed out for a while”
“Xbox not enough this time?”
He laughs, “Nah because I can still hear them when I play. So thanks for coming out”
“Hey no problem, I haven’t been for a skate for a while so it was nice to get out again especially seeing as I can’t surf yet”
“Fair enough. So how is it not surfing?”
“Like death. The beach is just there, right outside my window, mocking me every morning. Surfing is like … an extra limb to me and it feels weird not being able to get in the water”
“You’ll be in there eventually”
“Yeah let’s hope so”
We finish the rest of our ice cream in silence then leave the shop and make our way home. Aidan, Sammy and Parker part ways, which just leaves Alexa, Keaton and I. Keaton, walks us home and when we approach our driveway, I turn to Keaton, “Wanna stay for dinner?”
“Nah, it’s fine I gotta get home anyway, I told Mum I would be back before seven”
I shrug, “Suit yourself. But you gotta come in and say hi or my mum will kill you for snobbing her”
He laughs, “Okay then, if you put it that way”
We make our way up to the house and drop our board on the front porch. I push the door open, “Ma! We’re home!”
“In the kitchen honey”
We find her cooking in the kitchen and when she sees Keaton, she smiles “Hi Keaton! How’s my favourite boy of the group?”
“Are you serious Mum?” I laugh, “That is so inappropriate”
“What?” she says innocently, pinching Keaton’s blushing cheeks “All the other boys are so loud but not Baby Keats”
He groans “Oh no not you too Mrs. T. ”
She laughs, “Sorry sweetie. It’s growing on me. Ara isn’t a baby anymore so I have no one”
This time it’s his turn to laugh, “Oh then you should know we all call her Baby Ara and I’m older than her by a month therefore you can’t call me a baby”
“Good argument. So are you staying for dinner?”
“Nah, I have to go home but thanks though”
She smiles, “Ok then. Tell your mum I say hi”
“Will do. Bye Mrs T., nice to see you”
“Bye sweetie, come over anytime”
I walk him to the door while Alexa talks to Mum about some weird subject. He picks up his board, “I had fun today”
“Yeah me too”
I wrap my arms around his neck and let my head fall into the crook of his shoulder. He puts his arms around my waist and embraces my hug. “Hmm I’m so tired so I’m just going to stand here for a while and let you support my weight” And that’s what I do. I let myself lean against him and he does support my weight, gently rubbing his hand in a careful circle on my back. It’s quite comforting actually. Finally, I pull away, “Ok I guess I have to let you get home eventually”
He ruffles my hair, “Indeed you do. I’ll see you tomorrow anyway”
“Yeah sure. Bye Keaton”
“Bye Arabelle”
--
On Friday at lunch, Harper and I are eating silently when Alexa comes running up to us, all flustered and excited. I give her a funny look, “You okay there love?"
"So how come you didn't mention to us you’re having a party?"
"Um, because I'm not having a party?"
She hands me a piece of paper, "That's not what this flyer says"
I read what it says aloud, "Noah and Ara, your friends from New Zealand invite you to come join us and celebrate Emblem3's X Factor success. This party is going to be insane, so make sure you come. 34 Beach Road. 8pm. This Saturday". I look up at the girls, a dark look on my face. "I'm going to kill him; he heard what Mum and Dad said about having parties while they're out of town"
I stand up, march over to his table, and slam the flyer down next to his tray, "Cancel it"
"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to find out sis"
"Cancel it Noah, you know what Mum and Dad said and you know what happened last time"
"What happened last time?" Kyle's asks curiously
I ignore him, "Noah you have to cancel it"
"No can do sis. I've already made the arrangements"
"Well you better hope that it doesn't turn out like last time" I say through gritted teeth, "Because I am not getting dragged down with you when Mum and Dad find out"
"They aren't going to find out" he says carelessly
"Yes they will you idiot. At least last time we had an invite list, you've pretty much broadcast this to the whole of Huntington"
He shrugs, "Then I guess the party is gonna be off the chain"
Kyle interrupts, "What happened last time? Someone tell us!"
Noah grins, "Back in New Zealand me and my mates through this huge birthday party for Ara's 16th and my parents found out"
"Yeah," I say cracking a smile just thinking about it. "That was one sick night but my parents didn't think so. We broke the spa pool and a TV. Noise control was called twice so our stereo was seized. Then eventually the police came and shut it down"
Noah chuckles darkly, "I don't think there was one sober person that night"
"Did you pay for it when your parents found out?" Kyle asks with wide eyes
"Oh yeah we definitely did. Grounded for a month, no phone, no laptop, no Xbox. Only were allowed to go to school. No surfing and no skating. We had to clean all the mess the next day just us two." Noah smiles despite saying that, “But it was all worth it because that night was sick"
Wes laughs and pounds his fist, "Man you Kiwi's are super crazy"
"Yeah and we're gonna get caught again Noah and the punishment is gonna be worse" I say, immediately remembering why I’m here
Noah snorts, "You can't surf anyway so who cares. Plus we found loopholes in that grounding, so we'll do it again this time"
"Fine, whatever. But if anyone has sex in my bedroom, you're washing my sheets and sterilizing my bed"
"Oh get out of here you freak"
I laugh and walk back to my own table. Harper glances at me, "So what's the verdict?"
"Party at mine on Saturday so come over early so we can all get ready together"
"Sounds sweet"
"Tell your parents you're staying at mine and get ready to go freaking insane"
--
On Saturday, the girls come over early to get ready. The boys have done a good job of setting up - putting away any breakable valuables, closing the spa pool off so no one can break it, locking the doors to important rooms and setting out a table of snacks and a table with a keg on it and a few bowls of punch. I go downstairs to where the boys are in the kitchen and turn to Noah, "If we're actually doing this I want my cooler filled"
He laughs, "I thought you would never ask"
He starts pulling out bottles of vodka and bottles of juice. Keaton looks at him, slightly afraid "What are you doing with those?"
"We put them into the water cooler, keep them cold and make it easy access. But it's mostly for people who don't like drinking beer, which is Ara in a nutshell"
"That is probably the coolest thing ever"
I shrug, "I guess it's a New Zealand thing"
"How do you get the ratio right?"
"You don't. One time Noah put way too much vodka in and not enough juice and I was drunk after my first cup"
"It's all good sis; I finally have the ratio right. Cameron Facebook’d me what he'd done and he said it was perfect"
"Ok then, it better be"
"Yeah it will be no worries. Now it's 8 o'clock so you better go and get ready because people will be arriving in about an hour"
I go upstairs and the girls have already started so I jump in the shower and wash myself thoroughly before getting out, a towel wrapped securely around my body. It takes me a full twenty minutes to blow dry my hair and another half hour to straighten it out so when I finally get around to picking out something to wear people are already starting to arrive. In the end, I settle on wearing a dark red dress, black socks with all-black chucks and my black bowler hat. I put some jewellery on, do my make-up and finally deem myself ready. The girls and I take a few pictures together before making our way down the stairs and outside to where everyone is. Noah hands me a drink, "Nice of you all to join us"
"I'm a girl, I'm allowed to take ages to get ready," I say, rolling my eyes.
We're all chilling until a familiar face walks through the house. I run over to him, the alcohol from ym first drink making me lore relaxed than usual "Zack! You made it!"
"Yeah of course, I wanted to see how this side of town parties" he looks around at our house, at all the people and all the alcohol. "Judging by what's here it's pretty damn crazy"
I laugh, "Yeah blame my brother. Come on I'll introduce you to some people"
I lead him over the group and introduce him. I give Wes and Noah a stern look so they plaster on angelic smiles and shake hands with the dude, "Glad you could make it bro, alcohol's inside if you didn't bring any"
"Thanks mate"
Noah looks at us both, "So how did you two meet?"
"At that party we went too at Wes' mate’s house"
"Oh so are you from Newport?"
"You got that right, you've got a nice house here mate"
He smiles, "Yeah thanks. Let's just hope it won't get trashed too much"
I prod Zack playfully in the side, "If it does you can help us clean it up"
"Get out while you can" Drew jokes
I slap him playfully, "Come on Zack. I need a drink; we'll see you all later"
I drag him by the arm through the house to get another cup of vodka and juice from the cooler. Then I drag him to the living room where all the furniture has been cleared to make a makeshift dance floor. Then we dance. And dance. And I go through another cup of vodka and juice after the one I already had in my hand when we started. We dance some more then I leave Zack to go to the bathroom while I go to refill my cup. I'm messing around in the kitchen when Alexa and Harper come in, "Where's Zack?"
"He just went to the bathroom"
Harper laughs, "The boys were really unhappy about him"
"Obviously, well I don't care because I have fun with him"
"They were trying to work him out, see what his intentions were"
I roll my eyes, "Wes and Noah are so over protective"
"It wasn't just them," Alexa admits. "It was all the boys, even Keaton"
I sigh, "Well they're just going to have to get use to the fact that I like boys that aren't them and I like talking to boys that aren't them and I like hanging out with boys that aren't them, aaand I like kissing boys that aren't them"
Harper laughs, "Yeah you go Glen Coco"
"Zack is really hot I guess" Alexa says
"Indeed he is, now if you'd excuse me I'm going to go find him"
I eventually do so we go outside to where the other boys are. We join in a game of beer pong, and lose. Zack disappears so I talk to the boys some more, and I drink some more. He comes back and says he has to leave so I plant a sloppy kiss on his cheek and give him a hug before he goes home. Then I talk to the boys some more. And drink some more. And the rest of the night is a blur.
--
5 votes for the next chapter and few comments? Lol even if I don't get it I'll probably post the next chapter anyway haha
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