to the casino floor as it tempts me to go find him. My previous worries of being spotted by someone who knows me left the moment his lips touched mine. Now, all I care about is being close to him.
I take a couple of steps forward, unable to wait any longer in the lobby where he left me, when I see him rounding the corner. It doesn’t keep me from moving closer to him though. I stop when I’m a foot away from him, realizing that I don’t know what to do. I want to kiss him again, but a second kiss now would be too soon after the first. I want to hold his hand again.
I can do that , I think.
Then, I see the small black bag in his hand. My eyelids blink rapidly as I try to understand what I’m seeing, but I don’t understand what is in the bag. It’s not alcohol. It almost looks like it could be…
He tucks the bag into his jacket pocket when he notices my stare, and he quickly takes my hand back in his. My thoughts of what could be in the bag drift away. I longingly look up at him, but he just smiles at me. I guess I won’t be getting my second kiss after all.
***
The music is loud and overwhelming as we enter Vanessa’s parents’ house. I lose Tristan’s hand as we enter the house, immediately making me feel cold and empty. He keeps walking toward a group of seniors in the living room while I stand, frozen, in the entryway that is crowded with people. Everyone has a red Solo cup in their hand and a smile on their face. Everyone is happy to be at the last party of the year and to have a break from school for the summer.
I haven’t been to many parties like this—not that I haven’t been invited because I have. I have just always been the good girl, the rule-follower. I never felt the need to go to parties with underage drinking and who-knows-what going on upstairs, but all it took was Tristan asking me out, and now, here I am.
I walk into the living room where Tristan is, but I feel a hand on my shoulder, immediately bringing me to a halt. The hand isn’t Tristan’s. I know that because I can see him across the room, laughing at something Vanessa said. She’s whom he should be with, not me. She’s beautiful, confident, and a bit of a rebel, just like him. She’s nothing like me.
I turn to see whose hand is on my shoulder, and I find Eli standing there, smiling brightly at me.
“I didn’t know you would be at this party.”
I force my lips to return his smile. “I didn’t know I would be here either.”
“Let me get you a drink,” he says.
“No need,” Tristan says, thrusting a red cup of beer into my hand.
I smile at him and take the cup. “I’ll see you later,” I say to Eli.
Tristan guides me away from Eli. He stops and raises his eyebrow at me. “You and Eli?”
“No,” I say quickly.
“Good,” he says, wrapping his arm around my waist like he owns me.
I take a sip of the beer. It’s warm and disgusting, but I force the liquid down my throat anyway. And then I take another sip and another.
Tristan guides me outside to the back of the house where there is a DJ and a makeshift dance floor set up next to the pool. Several people are already in the pool in various stages of dress—fully clothed or just underwear. And I saw one guy who was either naked or wearing nude-colored underwear.
“Want to dance?”
“I’d love to.” I feel my face light up brightly.
I watch as Tristan downs his beer, and I do the same. He takes my cup from me and tosses it on the floor along with his own cup. He then takes my hand and moves me onto the crowded dance floor.
We begin dancing easily to the music. We’re not touching, despite how badly I want to touch him, but then, as if God is answering my prayers, I’m bumped forward into Tristan’s arms. I giggle up at him, embarrassed that my hands are now pressed against his firm chest. He doesn’t seem to mind though. Instead, he twirls me around so that my back is pressed against
I take a couple of steps forward, unable to wait any longer in the lobby where he left me, when I see him rounding the corner. It doesn’t keep me from moving closer to him though. I stop when I’m a foot away from him, realizing that I don’t know what to do. I want to kiss him again, but a second kiss now would be too soon after the first. I want to hold his hand again.
I can do that , I think.
Then, I see the small black bag in his hand. My eyelids blink rapidly as I try to understand what I’m seeing, but I don’t understand what is in the bag. It’s not alcohol. It almost looks like it could be…
He tucks the bag into his jacket pocket when he notices my stare, and he quickly takes my hand back in his. My thoughts of what could be in the bag drift away. I longingly look up at him, but he just smiles at me. I guess I won’t be getting my second kiss after all.
***
The music is loud and overwhelming as we enter Vanessa’s parents’ house. I lose Tristan’s hand as we enter the house, immediately making me feel cold and empty. He keeps walking toward a group of seniors in the living room while I stand, frozen, in the entryway that is crowded with people. Everyone has a red Solo cup in their hand and a smile on their face. Everyone is happy to be at the last party of the year and to have a break from school for the summer.
I haven’t been to many parties like this—not that I haven’t been invited because I have. I have just always been the good girl, the rule-follower. I never felt the need to go to parties with underage drinking and who-knows-what going on upstairs, but all it took was Tristan asking me out, and now, here I am.
I walk into the living room where Tristan is, but I feel a hand on my shoulder, immediately bringing me to a halt. The hand isn’t Tristan’s. I know that because I can see him across the room, laughing at something Vanessa said. She’s whom he should be with, not me. She’s beautiful, confident, and a bit of a rebel, just like him. She’s nothing like me.
I turn to see whose hand is on my shoulder, and I find Eli standing there, smiling brightly at me.
“I didn’t know you would be at this party.”
I force my lips to return his smile. “I didn’t know I would be here either.”
“Let me get you a drink,” he says.
“No need,” Tristan says, thrusting a red cup of beer into my hand.
I smile at him and take the cup. “I’ll see you later,” I say to Eli.
Tristan guides me away from Eli. He stops and raises his eyebrow at me. “You and Eli?”
“No,” I say quickly.
“Good,” he says, wrapping his arm around my waist like he owns me.
I take a sip of the beer. It’s warm and disgusting, but I force the liquid down my throat anyway. And then I take another sip and another.
Tristan guides me outside to the back of the house where there is a DJ and a makeshift dance floor set up next to the pool. Several people are already in the pool in various stages of dress—fully clothed or just underwear. And I saw one guy who was either naked or wearing nude-colored underwear.
“Want to dance?”
“I’d love to.” I feel my face light up brightly.
I watch as Tristan downs his beer, and I do the same. He takes my cup from me and tosses it on the floor along with his own cup. He then takes my hand and moves me onto the crowded dance floor.
We begin dancing easily to the music. We’re not touching, despite how badly I want to touch him, but then, as if God is answering my prayers, I’m bumped forward into Tristan’s arms. I giggle up at him, embarrassed that my hands are now pressed against his firm chest. He doesn’t seem to mind though. Instead, he twirls me around so that my back is pressed against
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