Early update since might take 2 weeks to update again.
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It's loud. Two of my cousins, one from each side of the family are djing. The food has been out and served. Almost everyone is dancing. I was already expecting the party to die out not until the next morning as they usually do. My prima Delfina comes in a long pretty black folclórico dress with colorful flowery embroidery. We danced together earlier in a style native to my moms city where you exchange partners in intervals. But if I kept going I wouldn't have enough stamina to stand Jackie's.
"I'm impressed you still know the steps" Her tone is derisive, but in fun.
"Claro que si. ¿quién te crees que soy? Benicio?"
"If it wasn't por su novia, he would be dancing with me"
"Benicio is all Caballo Dorado and cupid shuffle"
That makes her giggle. She smiles and then at Jasper with that look I know very well. She's had it for Jasper ever since she's met him. It's not serious but whenever he's around she likes to flirt. We're almost the same age but she took that one year over me as seniority since I was ten, and would never listen to me when I'd tell her to leave my neighbor alone. Looking past my naivety it might have been jealousy than consideration for Jasper but she was pretty obvious. Not persistent or overbearing but bold.
"Like the dress?" She asks him, spreading it's detailed waves out to it's entire span.
He looks it over, "Impressive. Pretty"
"A dress fit for me"
I think as kids I was also jealous of her confidence. To have the gall to say what she thinks, to say what she means and to say all the cliches without a tremor in her voice. I know that would have saved me so much time.
Jasper has never humored her flirting or her interest. My cousin was traditional and was not the one to conquistar men, so she'd never ask him out at parties or dinners. It didn't seem to upset her so it saved me the confrontation but she would occasionally tease me to help her.
"I think the dances make the parties. Are you going to dance again?"
He glances at me, "Maybe" My mom always danced with him at the beginning and he already had but we both wanted to save our energy for the party.
She looks at her phone to check the time and grins at my neighbor, "It's almost midnight, will you come look for me?"
My eyebrows shoot up. She's talking about the midnight kiss. Jasper takes a sip of his limeade, unaffected by her advances, "Hm. Flattered. Not interested, sorry"
"Always sorry, never 'How's next Saturday?', huh?" She places a hand to her hip. Delfina was pretty. Very pretty. She knew it too.
He shrugs, "I have a girlfriend"
"Aw, I'm happy for you. She's lucky" She doesn't falter. Delfina was too confident to be taken by rejection, "Guess I'll just have to hit on another one of your friends instead, Mateo"
"Por favor, Delfina. Leave my poor friends alone" She laughs arrogantly walking away from us.
My family members hug each other, wish each other the best and kiss their significant other at the end of the count down. I stand there with Jasper, awkwardly and silently wishing I could be with him like I want to. We clink our plastic cups together and drink our horchata. I make sure to get to my family before slipping away and being pulled into anymore emotional banter about the new year.
My parents wouldn't notice, everyone here gets too carried away with conversation.
At about 1:30am, we're in Jackie's house. I go with Jasper anyway since Benicio managed to slip away a little earlier than me in our car.
Oliver texts me asking if I can be his back up DD since his might tweak but I explain I can't. Holden unsurprisingly reads my text asking where he is but doesn't reply. Considering he's supposed to be the guy I sit through parties with, he's no where to be seen. I make a mental note to talk to him about it eventually.
Jasper's band mates are even here. They're all on the couches talking while Cas and Genesys pass a blunt back and forth.
Jackie's doing a keg stand in the living room with both his good and bad leg in the air while Drac and a drunk Fabian spot him.
I raise a brow at Jasper, prematurely tired compared to everyone else, "Honestly, do you really want to be here?"
"No. Not at all"
I danced too much at my parents' party and I think I'd feel a little alone without Jasper or Holden, so I suggest, "Hide away?"
"Hide away."
We pass through the crowd able to avoid anyone we really know. I would've thought it were harder since everyone knows Jasper and his height stands out.
Passing the kitchen, I stop Jasper gripping his shirt. He sees it too.
Both of our friends are standing close together, seemingly about to kiss. I'm surprised and at the same time feel like I'm intruding. Jasper puts a hand on my back signaling me to go forward, away from them to not be seen and give them privacy.
Going up the spiral stairs we check the doors. Some locked and others occupied. We end up at the top floor, which is more like an attic cleaned up to be another bedroom.
I cross my arms and lean backwards on the desk by the closed door, "Why wouldn't Holden say somethin?"
"He doesn't know about us"
"That's different"
He narrows his eyes quizzically.
"He liked me. I didn't want to take advantage of our friendship just because he says it's okay. And..." I clutch my biceps, "I'm not ready"
"Maybe he's not ready"
"But he's out"
"Doesn't mean he doesn't wants his life on blast. Maybe he's not ready. Or" He shrugs, "They could be nothing. Nothing to say. They're just fucking. Who knows"
I don't disagree with that but Holden's been acting odd, "He doesn't hang out with me anymore, or talk to me. Dude disappeared on me. I'm being ghosted, man. I just feel he could've said something"
"Don't tell him anything. Let him come to you if he wants"
"I won't. It's unexpected. They didn't really get along before this"
"We didn't either"
"I didn't dislike you" I blink, "Did you?"
He smiles coming closer to me, "No. Just annoying"
"The more you say that the more I believe it" I pout.
He lays his hands over either side of my face, his eyes dancing between my eyes to my lips, "It isn't true. I was being a coward because I liked you"
My cheeks heat up under his palms. I look away from him as best as I can since he's keeping my head forward, "I'll never get used to your honesty"
"Woah–" Unexpectedly, he grabs me from under my thighs and picks me up. I hold onto him not used to being the one lifted. I was tall and did not weigh a feather. He holds me by my bottom and carries me to the bed.