Work Text
"…I'm telling you, man, last night was sick. I can't believe you actually got Little Cody to eat twenty plates of hot wings without puking his guts out."
"What can I say? That dude could eat a few people and be okay with it. Hey, I gotta go, but I'll text you when my next party is. Later, Jonesy."
"Later, Levi."
Jonesy sauntered back to his friends' table, taking his seat beside Nikki. The girls stopped their chitchat and their eyes were on him.
"Who was that?" Caitlin asked.
"Levi." They continued staring at him. "I've never told you guys about him before?"
The girls, along with Jude and Wyatt, shook their heads.
"Oh. I've known him since I started playing JV hockey. He's a cool guy, plus he throws some legendary parties."
Caitlin sighed as her memories were recalled. "I've met some really great people at parties like those—the really lavish ones I went to when I still had all my money."
"You mean all your parents' money?" Wyatt asked.
"Yeah—that."
Jonesy rested his elbows on the table. "Parties aren't just about the people you meet. They're also about the things you see." He smirked. "Seeing the all the cheerleaders twerking last night was certainly a highlight of my night."
Nikki plucked his arm.
"What? You didn't wanna go with me!"
"That's because I don't want to see a bunch of cheerleaders shaking their asses," she said, her face blank.
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, babe, you should give my friends' parties a chance. At least once."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine. Eventually."
Caitlin rested her elbows on The Lemon's countertop. Because of Jonesy, she longed to hang out at a party tonight, but huffed, not knowing who would throw one. It was a universal truth: during the summer, a party could happen at any time—especially if one had the right social connections—yet today, Thursday, was one of the summer's slower, uneventful days. How disappointing.
She looked at the food court's clock, eager to get her shift over with (even if it had only just begun).
9:0
5
a.m.
The time disappointing her, she looked to her friends, most of them engaged in conversation about things other than a party. The only ones not involved in any sort of dialogue were Wyatt, who'd been penning song lyrics; and Sydni, who'd been typing what Caitlin assumed to be an article for her new blog.
Sometimes she wanted Sydni to be more involved and more open with the group, even if she herself could recall the uneasiness of being the newest member. But she wanted Sydni to break out her shell. During their night at the roller skating rink, she'd seen the opportunity for her to burst out her cocoon and be the "beautiful social butterfly" Caitlin wanted her to be… and she knew just how.
"I've totally got an idea!"
The gang stared at her following her outburst, causing her to blush. She didn't realize she had interrupted their conversation.
"What is it, Cait?" asked Jen.
"I think I just figured out our weekend plans. Sydni, you should totally throw a party on Saturday night!"
Wide-eyed, Sydni quickly shut her laptop. "What? Why me?"
"You know how we said parties are a great way to meet people? That's just what you should do!"
Sydni's eyes met hers. "I really appreciate the suggestion, Caitlin, but I'm fine. I already know people." She didn't feel like adding that the only people she knew were the gang, Leshawna, and a few others she'd met when on her mall tour with Caitlin. Everyone else she knew and loved resided in Baltimore.
"But a party will help you in getting to know people on a personal level. You'll know them better because of it. And it won't hurt your social standing."
Sydni continued to stare at Caitlin.
"We'll totally help you plan the whole thing."
Jen beamed. "I don't mind being in charge of planning."
Nikki rolled her eyes. "Oh, no. Now Jen's got an excuse to go overboard."
She laughed. "Shut up! I do not. I can be a perfectly calm planner."
"Uh-huh, we'll see about that."
"So"—Caitlin turned her attention to Sydni—"What do you think?" She hoped Sydni would say yes, since everybody else was on board with the idea.
Did she want to throw a party? Hell no. There was no way she would.
But did she want to go to one? Possibly, but only if the gang was involved.
Then again, by throwing one of her own, they would be there.
Maybe she spent too many weekends in isolation. Maybe this would be good for her. Most importantly: maybe Caitlin had a point. She could help revert her to her old self. She could be the girl she had been before the heartbreak. She could be a little more whole again.
"I think"—she bit her lip—"I think I'm going to throw a party."
Caitlin jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "Yay! This is going to be great!"
Before the gang became too rowdy in regards to Saturday night, Sydni raised a timid finger in the air. "Um, guys?"
The group looked at her.
"I have to check with my parents first."
Caitlin stopped bouncing. "Oh… Do you think they'll let you have it?"
She hesitated. "Maybe. I mean, I've never been really wild or anything, and they trust me with most things. I think I should call my mom."
"Call your mom?" Jonesy laughed. "That's lame. Why don't you just throw it behind their backs?"
Jen glared at him. "Maybe because she actually respects her parents and doesn't want to get grounded for life."
"Excuse me? I respect our parents as much as you do, maybe even more"—Jen rolled her eyes—"but sometimes they just can't know the details behind everything."
"Jonesy," Sydni said, "I'm not gonna lie to my parents."
He leaned forward. "So what? You've never told a little white lie to them before? Ever?"
She didn't have to gulp down any emotions when talking to (or arguing with) Jonesy. She never felt intimidated by him or his attempts to persuade her. "Of course I've lied to my parents before"—Does he think I'm that naïve?—"but that doesn't mean I have to lie to them now, thank you very much."
Jonesy stuck his fingers out, mimicking claws. "Meow, looks like this kitten has some bite."
She scowled at him as she reached for her phone and dialed her mother's number. Pressing the phone against her ear, she said, "Hi, mom. I know you're busy and all, but I need to ask you something…" She looked away from the gang while speaking to her mother, hoping they would stop staring. "Can I throw a party on Saturday night? I promise it won't get too out of hand… Yes… Okay… Will do… Thank you! Talk to you later, mom… Bye."
She looked back at the gang, who (thank goodness) weren't staring at her as intensely as before.
"Guess who's having a party on Saturday night?" she asked, her voice livelier than earlier.
Caitlin's eyes lit up with joy.
"I guess we should start thinking about what to do and what to get. I mean, even though it's only Thursday, time moves way too quickly. Before you know it, it'll be Saturday." Jen grabbed a notepad from her satchel. "We'll need music, food, maybe some decorations, and we need to start inviting people."
Nikki bit her tongue. She knew once Jen had a goal in sight, there was no stopping her until she reached it—a habit both tiring yet endearing.
"Maybe we can go shopping around at that party store on our lunch breaks," Caitlin suggested.
"Are you talking about the one I worked at a couple weeks ago, 'cause I got an ex-employee discount if you need it," Jonesy said.
"Never heard of an ex-employee discount," Wyatt said. Jonesy sent him a dark look.
Sydni, after smiling at Wyatt's quip, said, "We should definitely head there on break."
"Anything to ditch folding crop tops at the Crappy Barn," Nikki said. "I'm in."
Noon quickly rolling around, the girls set foot through the mall's third floor in search of the party store.
Jen's eyes scoped around. "Sometimes that mall directory is hard to interpret," she mumbled.
As Sydni walked, trailing behind Nikki, several thoughts crossed her mind. Does she still hate me over the blog thing? Okay, hate is seriously blowing it out of proportion, but she's just been… really tricky to read lately. She increased her speed, in effort to catch up to Nikki. She twirled a lock of her hair as she gathered the strength to talk to her. Maybe this is what Caitlin's talking about. I need to just say what I need to, part of her argued.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Jen shouted, "Found it!"
Never mind.
The girls strolled into the store, meeting in the front.
Jen said, "I guess Caitlin and I can look for decorations and things like that. You and Nikki can go looking for utensils, plates, and cups."
Nikki snorted. "Gee, that sounds riveting."
Sydni followed Nikki's lead down the cutlery aisle and started looking for coordinating colors. She had to remind herself that the more interesting moments of planning would come later.
Nikki busied herself by picking items up and throwing them back onto their shelves when they weren't to her liking.
As Sydni grabbed various plastic bags full of green and blue cutlery, napkins, and cups, she looked at Nikki again. Maybe this was her chance to ask. Opening her mouth again, she almost asked her question when she heard Caitlin's cheery voice from another aisle.
"Oh my God, you guys have got to check this out!"
Nikki and Sydni walked to the aisle to find Caitlin holding a long, cylindrical item.
"Look at this: it's a confetti cannon! Can we get it for your party? Puh-lease?" She pleaded as if she was asking her parents for a bunny. She looked at Sydni with puppy eyes, batting her lashes.
Sydni grinned. "Okay. We can use it at the end of the party."
Caitlin's chipper smile never faded.
Jen and Caitlin walked to the register and, before Nikki and Sydni could do so, Sydni finally asked, "Hey, are you still mad at me over the whole blog incident?"
She shook her head. "Why do you think that?"
"Because, I don't know, lately I can't read you. And I've been feeling kinda weird at the Khaki Barn since then."
She shrugged. "Just know that I'm not mad at you anymore. Stupid shit happens, and it may not feel the best when it happens, but I eventually get over it"—she laughed—"after I get even, of course. If I worried about what people thought as much as you do, who knows where I'd end up? So loosen up. You're fine."
She sighed in relief. "That's good to know. Thanks, Nikki."
"No problem. And, about earlier, excuse my boyfriend for his lack of a conscious. If there's anybody to be mad at, it's always him."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Regarding today, the day of the party, Jen had been completely right: it was like Thursday and Friday had fallen off the calendar just to make room for Saturday. This afternoon, the gang came over Sydni's house to complete last-minute tasks for the party.
Jen rapidly clicked her pen before pointing it at Caitlin. "Caitlin, you invited everyone, right?"
"Um, define everyone."
"Caitlin! You were in charge of sending out invites!"
"Sorry! I sorta fell asleep in the middle of texting people. But I swear I'm going to finish that right now."
She, slapping her palm against her forehead, asked, "Wyatt, have you and Sydni finished getting the playlist together?"
He sat next to Sydni at her dining room table, saying, "Not quite. We're still making some changes."
"Great. Just great," Jen muttered before turning to Jonesy. "Where's Nikki?"
He shrugged. "I dunno."
Jude pushed a few cases of soda through the front door. "Bra"—he looked through the dining room—"where do you want me to put these?"
Sydni replied, "You can leave them right there, Jude. I need to get my dad's cooler from the basement."
Before walking through the living room and into the kitchen, Jude said, "Okay."
"Is that where the beer's gonna be tonight? Sweet," Jonesy said.
Sydni frowned. "Jonesy, I promised my parents there'd be no alcohol."
"C'mon, what's a party without a little bit of booze?"
"A sober one." She placed her hand on her chin. "But maybe since you're really focused on drinking, you can be on door duty tonight."
"Why?" he whined.
"To make sure people like you won't bring in any drinks. I refuse to be grounded over people getting drunk off their asses."
He sighed, reluctantly agreeing. "Fine."
"Great."
Jen huffed. "If any of you actually needs me, I'll be in the living room."
"These go here"—Jen laid a few stacks of plastic cups on the living room table—"these go here"—she placed some napkins next to them—"and these"—she referred to matching blue and green plates—"go here."
She stared at her meticulously laid items. Something wasn't right. She eyed the crooked napkins before straightening them. Again, she changed the order of the cups.
Jude, having watched her rearrange every item on the coffee table hundreds of times in one minute, walked behind her and placed his hands on her tense shoulders, startling her. He massaged them, tending to her with care.
"You seem really nervous. Got anything on your mind, bra?"
"Sydni and Wyatt haven't finished the playlist for tonight, Jonesy keeps complaining about the lack of liquor, Caitlin is still inviting people, and I need Nikki to help me hang some of the decorations we bought. And I don't even know why we need this stupid confetti cannon!"
"Whoa, Jen—the confetti has feelings too." As she frowned, he said, "Everything's going to be fine. Just relax."
"I can't relax."
Dropping his hands to his sides, he studied her. "You're not just talking about the party, are ya?"
She inhaled sharply, not only because she didn't want to hyperventilate, but also because he figured her out so easily. She shook her head. "I can't stop thinking about Nick."
"But what's the matter? You sound sad about him. I thought you really liked him."
"I don't know, Jude. He's been kind of distant these past few days, even after that blog stuff happened. The only time he talked to me was to tell me he's coming to the party, and now I don't know what to do. I can't figure him out right now." She groaned.
He smiled, looking her in the face. "You'll be okay, Jen."
"How do you know that?"
"Because you're only as okay as you allow yourself to be."
After Nikki showed up to "finally" help Jen, the gang had left a short time later. Luckily, preparing for a house party hadn't taken as much effort as Sydni thought. (Because hiding valuables, including her father's many DIY projects, only took instinct.) Now it was a matter of her parents leaving the house before everything started.
"You're telling me how to spend my night? I thought I was the parent here."
Sydni stood in the doorway of the upstairs bathroom, watching her mother apply lipstick. "I'm not telling you how to spend your night, mom. I'd never do that." She shrugged. "I just think that you need this—a night away from paperwork, a night where you can actually have fun instead of… instead of everything else taking up space in your head."
"Really? Because it sounds like that's what you need. That last part, at least."
She bit her lip. "But this is about you, mom. I want you to have a nice night out with dad. That's all."
Her mother finished applying her makeup. Sydni moved as her mother made her way out the bathroom. "And I want you to have a safe night with your friends." As she and her mother walked down the stairs to find her father on the living room couch, she said, "Speaking of, all the emergency numbers are on the fridge."
"Okay."
"Remember: don't let anyone carrying alcohol into the party."
"Okay."
"Sydni, I'm serious. Remember what happened at your friend Michaela's party?"
"You know she and I hadn't been drinking, right?" She twirled a lock of her hair around and around. Or at least I hadn't.
"The entire football team had been acting like drunken idiots and got themselves arrested. That's what concerns me. Some of them are lucky they didn't get expelled for that. I can't believe she threw such a party behind her father's back. She's always been a wild one."
She couldn't argue with that last fact—Michaela had never been innocent—but she felt the need to defend one of her best friends. "You know Michaela's not a bad person."
"I never said she is. I just said she's wild and her father needs to control her."
"Okay." It was obvious she wasn't going to win with her mom regarding this subject. After they made their way downstairs, she asked, "I don't mean to be pushy, but are you and dad about to go? It's almost nine."
Her father, having been seated on the couch, stood up and spoke for her mother. "We are," he said. "Have fun tonight."
Her mother, opening the front door, said, "But don't go completely wild. Please call us if there's an emergency; my cellphone will be on vibrate. Oh, and another thing—"
"Honey, can you let that girl breathe? She'll be just fine. Won't you, Syd?"
She nodded. "I will, dad."
"See?" he asked his wife, who sighed reluctantly.
"We'll be home around midnight," her mother said before leaving.
Sydni closed the front door, leaning against it. She sighed, knowing it was time to move on. This wouldn't be the first party she threw, but it was certainly the first she'd throw without the help of her two best friends. Gaining six new ones, however, was overwhelming and unexpected, though it was something she could accept. But memories of her and Michaela and Danielle at the parties they went to lingered…
The doorbell loudly sounded. Her eyes widened as she leaped away from the front door. She opened it and the gang appeared.
"Hey," she said. "You guys can come in and make yourselves at home until the party starts."
They did so until a couple people arrived. Jonesy began manning his post at the front door, expressionless as he made sure the two who arrived didn't have liquor with them. Ten minutes hadn't even passed before he grew bored. A grin only graced his face when he saw Jude encouraging others to crazily dance with him and when Nikki glanced at him while talking to Jen. She got off the living room couch, telling Jen that she'd be back, and walked in his direction.
As soon as another few people walked through the front door and were "cleared for entry"—Jonesy chuckled at the thought—Nikki stood in front of him.
"I came to see how your 'door duty' is going."
"Ugh, I am so bored. This isn't even close to being a bouncer. This bites."
"You'll get over it," she said, causing him to scowl.
"Why do I have to be here while the rest of you guys get to have fun?"
"Hey, it's your fault you chose to be a party snob."
"If wanting a little bit of booze makes me a party snob, then, yes, I am one."
She rolled her eyes. "Listen, since you're this bored, I promise to stop by and keep you company later."
"Thanks, Nikki." He hunched over, kissing her on the cheek.
A smile tugged at her lips. "The things I do for you. Later."
"Later," he said, watching her walk away. He placed a hand on his chin and smiled, admiring the switch in her hips.
Jen and Nikki had stopped conversing once Nick arrived. He'd perched himself on the arm of the couch, making it clear to Nikki that he wanted to be with Jen. Nikki had gotten the hint and left in search of different company, preferably Gwen.
Jen and Nick ended up in the backyard shortly afterwards, sitting beside each other in wicker patio chairs. He tried making conversation, acting as if all was fine, but she didn't feel comfortable. Her heart was weighed down with confusion and desperation.
"Nick, do you think you can get us some drinks?" she asked. She needed to buy herself some time. She needed to speak with the one person who would understand her and (hopefully) give her some advice.
"Sure, what do you want?"
"Um, it doesn't really matter."
"Okay. I'll be right back."
As soon as he left, she ran across the yard to find Caitlin batting her eyelashes at Benj.
"Hey, Benj, can I borrow Caitlin for just a moment?" Before he could respond, Jen grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her away. "Thank you."
The two girls stood near the privacy fence.
Caitlin looked at Jen with bewildered and concerned eyes. "Jen, are you okay?"
"No." She bit her lip. "I need help—guy help."
"What's wrong with you and Nick?"
"He's been kind of distant these past few days. The only time we really talked was today, and now he's acting like things are okay and I don't think he really knows how I'm feeling. I don't even think he knows I realized it's been different lately, but—"
"Take a deep breath. Maybe you're overthinking it. I'm sure Nick has a reason why he's been distant, and it's probably not because of you. But you should be honest with him about your feelings. I bet he'll be willing to talk it out and you guys will be fine."
Nodding, Jen said, "Okay." Even though her mouth suddenly went dry, she gulped down her emotions, letting them settle at the pit of her stomach.
Jonesy didn't see people coming into the party anymore—he only saw dollar signs. Living, breathing, walking dollar signs.
When a girl had paid him five dollars as she'd entered, unaware that she didn't have to pay to be allowed inside, he'd almost given her money back. Almost. Instead, he'd held onto her cash and told her to have a good time.
Charging five dollars per person, in "honor" of the girl who "so graciously" gave him the idea, Jonesy managed to make plenty of money already. It surprised him that the party only started forty-five minutes ago.
"What's up, dude?"
Jonesy turned around to find Levi running a hand through his ash-blonde hair. He was the one person Jonesy (probably) wouldn't collect an entrance fee from. Smiling, he said, "Nothing much. Glad you're able to make it."
"Hey, I'm always here for a friend." In a singsong way, he said, "Look what I brought." He held a six-pack of Coronas in the air, prompting Jonesy to push his arm down.
"Dude, as lame as it sounds, my friend doesn't want any booze in here—something she promised her parents. Lame, right?"
"Nah, I totally get it. But if you want a drink, I'll keep 'em in my car. Just say the word, and I got it."
Wyatt had never been much of a partygoer. He only felt comfortable going to them when he was with the gang. Right now, none of them were in sight. The last time he'd seen Jude, he'd been devouring chips and other snacks with Starr. Both of them had fun pretending that no one else was around, living in a make-believe, junk-food land. From the looks of it, Jude had been lighting up before the party started.
He had also seen Jen and Caitlin talking near the fence, but other people had crowded his vision and he could no longer see them. Jonesy still manned his post at the door, albeit looking less bored.
Nikki had been laughing with Gwen about something. He didn't know what they'd been going on about, but whatever it was belonged to them and deserved to stay between them. He didn't feel right getting into other people's business. He had his own to tend to anyway—business like where to find another can of soda.
He turned away from the patio, where people had been dancing to that song "Gas Pedal" by Sage the Gemini. It was because of Jonesy that he knew about that song in the first place; he'd played it endlessly when Jude and Wyatt once hung out at the Masterson-Garcia's house. It wasn't in Wyatt's tastes, neither was it in Sydni's tastes, which he found out when they had been discussing the party's playlist together. Her collection of music was amusing (in a positive way).
Making his way through the screen door leading to the kitchen, he blindly bumped into somebody.
"Sorry about that. I just—"
"Hi, Wyatt."
"H-hey, Marlowe." Even if he'd been hurrying through the door, he suddenly wondered why he didn't notice a storm of ginger hair on the way in. Wondered why he didn't stop.
"How are you?"
"I'm… I'm okay. I've been better."
"Well, that's great." Her eyes darted away. "I guess I'll see you later then."
"Yeah, later."
Deliberately not grabbing a soda from the cooler, Wyatt walked through the first floor until he was at the front door. He watched Jonesy grab money from a girl making her way in and shove it into his pocket.
"Jonesy, what are you doing?"
His face froze, knowing he had been caught, but the worry soon melted away—Wyatt would be easy to manipulate.
"I'm making a profit, if you must know."
"But what if you get caught?"
"I'm not gonna, and you're not gonna tell anybody, right?" He eyeballed Wyatt hard.
Wyatt sighed after a long moment. "Fine, but I won't be held responsible if something happens." He rubbed the back of his neck, shifting his focus to his feet.
"What's got your G-string in a knot?"
His eyes quickly met Jonesy's again. "What?"
"It's obvious something happened, Wyatt."
"Alright… So I ran into Marlowe and, I don't know, things haven't been the same between us since the other day."
"I've got a suggestion: what you need to do is stop being a wuss and go dance with her." He gave Wyatt a push in (what he believed to be) the right direction, shouting, "Go get 'em, tiger!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"What's the matter, Jen? You look down again." Jude smiled. "Hey, that kinda rhymed.""I need to find Nick. I've been looking everywhere for him."She had no luck in finding him after speaking to Caitlin. (Of course Caitlin had fallen under Benj's spell once Jen left.) She knew it didn't take that long of a time to get a drink. She took a deep breath, wondering if he left. What if he knew they weren't as comfortable as he made the two of them out to be and just left, just stopped trying? She frowned.Passing a bowl of chips to Starr, he pointed down. "I think I saw him heading to the basement… I think.""Thanks, Jude!"While making her way down the steps, she heard him say, "No problem… I think, therefore I am. That's some Latin phrase I learned."Yeah, he's pretty high.There were less people in the basement, in comparison with the heavily populated first floor and backyard. The basement's atmosphere was significantly more relaxed. She wondered why Jude and Starr bothered with the intense activity of upstairs when they could be in a better environment down here.To each his own, she figured.Walking around some guys playing a round of pool, she found Nick resting on a sofa, his eyes closed and his head bobbing to the beat of some song playing from the speakers. She took a seat beside him and he opened his eyes."What happened to you earlier? I went to get us something to drink and you just left."She, acting on spontaneous courage, asked, "What happened to you for a couple days? You barely talked to me and made me feel weird. Not bad, not sad, not crappy, but just weird. You've been distant and then all of a sudden you tell me you're coming to the party and everything's okay."He leaned away as she spoke, his green eyes widening at her outpour of emotion."Sorry for blowing up like that.""No, it's not your fault. You're right about all of that, and I'm really sorry. I get really caught up in my work sometimes, and for the past few days I've just been inspired—maybe a little too inspired—that I didn't want you to know what I was working on until I was done. I didn't plan on telling you today. I really wanted to tell you—or, um, show you—sometime this week, since our two-week anniversary is coming up. I know girls like celebrating those types of things.""What exactly were you going to show me?""A few poems and drawings that were inspired by you. Jenny, you're my muse."She blushed. Nobody other than Travis had called her Jenny, but she didn't mind Nick doing so. He made her heart thump against her chest. She had never been someone's inspiration before, never been the gem of someone's creative vision. She always rambled to her friends about wanting to be at least one person's role model, their motivation, but she never thought it'd be him.Sure, some guy she liked had once called her a goddess, but it was only because he'd heard such great (false) stories about her, not because he tried getting to know the real her. Nick, in contrast, was willing to study her.After parting from a kiss she didn't even recall initiating, she grinned. "So, when did you start drawing?"Despite her heart being caught in her throat, Sydni found the conversations she'd been having with people to be nice. When Caitlin told her she needed to open up and it would be for the better, Sydni found her advice to be accurate. It wasn't like she doubted it (that much).After ending a lengthy conversation she'd been having with Bridgette, she found Caitlin motioning for her to meet her.When Sydni walked over, she asked, "What is it, Caitlin?"She clapped her hands together. "Oh, you'll never guess who showed up to your party!"Despite her friend's grinning, she gulped. "Who?"Caitlin pointed in a certain direction and Sydni's eyes followed."Oh shit—Alejandro." Her breath caught in her throat. "He actually came."Caitlin beamed. "You should go over there and say something!"Her eyes widened, staring at her friend in disbelief. "Um, no thank you.""Come on, you have to. You like him; he likes you. It's fate."Fidgeting with her bracelet, she cringed at things like fate and destiny and meant to be. She had already believed in happily ever after and that turned out to be a load of—"Seriously? Fate? I think that's a little extreme, Caitlin.""But you didn't deny that you like him."She blushed."Now, let's get you over there to talk to him!"Sydni lost control over her body as Caitlin pulled her across the yard by the wrist. After breaking free from her grip—Wow, she's strong—she found herself in front of Alejandro.Caitlin grinned. "I guess I'll leave you two to talk."He spoke first. "Hey there."She stammered, "H-hi. Don't mind Caitlin. She's just really… pushy, that's all." Really, the first thing I say is about Caitlin? Words: they fail me. She smiled, hoping she wasn't freaking him out with her silence. Swallowing some of her nerves, she said, "It looks like we're always in the same place at the same time, right?" Right?"It seems that way." He grabbed her by the hand. Her palms burned. "It's definitely not a bad thing.""Really?""Of course. I wouldn't be able to dance with you if we weren't together right now."Not wanting to let another "Really?" slip out, she said, "Well, let's dance… and stuff. That'd be nice." Wow, that was so poetic—totally Shakespearean."Yes, it would."When "Luxury" by Azealia Banks began to play, he led her to the patio. He placed his hands on her waist and she threw her arms over his shoulders. There was some distance between them; she couldn't help but wonder if she was leaving room for Jesus. Sarcasm aside, Caitlin's voice invaded her mind, telling her to hold her head up, telling her that even if she faked a little courage, it would count as an effort towards the real thing."Thank you for your monetary contribution. Come in," Jonesy said to everyone who arrived at the door, his voice saccharine.With all the money he'd been making, all he saw was signs—dollar signs. He hadn't decided what he would do with his profit yet, but it would definitely go towards something worth it. Maybe he'd save it in his "Jonesy Garcia Needs His Own Car" account."Move it," a disembodied voice in the living room said.He looked at the crowd with fearful eyes, spotting a girl with purple hair making her way through. He knew it wasn't Connie because she had longer purple hair (and she was hanging in the backyard, mostly around Marlowe). He shoved his money into his pockets, thankful of nobody being at the door right now.Nikki walked towards him. When she stood on her toes and her lips met his, he congratulated himself for not having one of Levi's beers, because she would've tasted it on his breath. His opportunity for monetary gain would have been completely over.She placed a hand on his cheek, smiling at first. Her lips pressed into a thin line afterwards. "Jonesy, you're sweating."He grinned, chuckling a little. "Is it me, or is it kinda hot in here?""It's not hot in here at all. What's going on?" She crossed her arms. "You sweat when you're nervous."In an effort to keep his cool, he said, "Baby, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about here."She pursed her lips.Shit, she knows something's up. I am so screwed.It took all her strength to not freak out.Alejandro continued to hold Sydni at the waist and she wanted to melt. Even if she'd talked to him on a couple occasions, she was surprised by his skill to coax the words out of her. In other words, he was great at small talk. She thought for a while about the things she wanted to say, whereas the words flowed out his mouth with such grace and ease.He'd asked where she was from. ("Baltimore, which is in Maryland, on the east coast—if you were wondering.")What she liked doing. ("Reading, going on the internet—things you probably hear a lot of people say.")What she really liked. (She'd smiled. "Writing, music, and skating.")What her favorite places to go were. (She'd paused. "Um … anywhere with good company, I suppose.")What she wanted to do. (She couldn't answer that one without embarrassing herself. "Kiss you" would've been too direct of a response.)She'd mustered up enough confidence to ask him basic questions too—at least until "Back of the Van" by Ladyhawke began to play.The synths shimmered and her heart ached. What was once comfort in his arms turned into unease. She pulled away from him, guiltily glancing at her bracelet. Her subconscious burned with the guilt of being with the wrong guy during the wrong song."Are you okay?" she heard him ask.She shook her head, biting her lip. If he asked her what she wanted to do now, she would say, "Hide." Her eyes gleamed as she told him, "I'm sorry."She ran."Jonesy, I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on."Nikki glared at him, her hands placed on her hips. She knew him well enough to recognize his dishonesty."I'm just guarding the door like I'm supposed to.""Uh-huh, sure you are."He crossed his arms. "I'm beginning to think you have trust issues.""I have trust issues? You're always doing underhanded things. I just happen to catch you in the act, Bernie Madoff.""Hey, at least I'm doing my job. You haven't seen anyone in here with booze, have you?""Okay, you got me there. Whatever. But you're still—""Hey, Nik, isn't that Sydni up there?"She initially thought he was trying to distract her from interrogating him, but when she turned around, she saw Sydni running up the stairs."Aw crap. I'm gonna go find Caitlin and Jen. The three of us can find out what's wrong with her. But you and I"—she narrowed her eyes at him—"we'll talk later."He exhaled as she walked away.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Running up the steps reminded her of running away from Jake upon confronting the truth—that there were no such things as "happily ever after" or fate, that her first love was a horrible liar with a crooked smile.She nearly tripped on her way up, but she was numb, wondering how that mocking Ladyhawke song made it onto the party's playlist in the first place, playing while she danced with Alejandro of all times.She was grateful there were no people acting inappropriately upstairs, at least.She slammed her bedroom door and sat on her bed, blinking fast in an attempt not to cry. She had to come back downstairs and give Alejandro an explanation eventually; it'd be better for her to do it without red eyes. (Like how Jude's eyes appeared.)As much as she desperately sought to ignore it, she could hear and feel the thumping bass from the music downstairs. She bit her lip. The song began to fade out, being replaced with some Calvin Harris song, but the welling tears in her eyes remained.She didn't even flinch or jump when she heard three raps against her door. She knew it couldn't be her mother and her crazy door-knocking rhythm. Her mind said, Please go away, but her heart said, Please come in."Come in." Please.The door slowly opened to reveal Jen, Caitlin, and Nikki. The trio walked into the room, facing Sydni.Jen spoke first. "Are you okay? Nikki saw you running up here."She shook her head, her eyes not meeting theirs."Need to talk about it?" Nikki asked.She nodded.Caitlin asked, "Is it about a boy?"She nodded again with a sigh. "You guys can sit on my bed if you want to. You don't have to stand there."She felt the bed move when the three plopped onto it—Nikki on one side of Sydni, and Jen and Caitlin on the other."His name is Jake," she started. "We'd been super close friends for a while. At least we had before I fell for him. It's so romantic and cliché, isn't it? Being friends, then more than friends." She fought a smile. "That song that played earlier—'Back of the Van' by Ladyhawke—played when we first kissed. He was my first real boyfriend." Hot tears ran down her cheek. "Then he cheated on me with some senior bitch. I didn't know why he did it. To be honest I still don't know why." She wept. "When we broke up, I realized I invested so much time with him. I poured my heart out to him. I'm ashamed that I almost slept with him."Jen let her cry on her shoulder."I didn't want to be an echo of him. I wanted to be my own person again, so when my mom told me about the chance to leave Baltimore behind and start a law firm in Toronto, I thought why not?"Caitlin gasped, her hand hovering over her mouth. She whispered, "So you moved here to start over.""Mmhmm.""Oh, I'm so sorry!" Caitlin threw her arms around Jen and Sydni.Laughing, she asked, "What's there to be sorry about?""Everything! That boy, you moving up here—""But if I didn't get my heart broken, I wouldn't have met you guys." She smiled. "My dad tells me everything happens for a reason. I think I'm starting to believe him again.""Sorry about forcing you to talk to Alejandro.""Caitlin, it's okay. I'm fine. I just need some time.""Okay."Observing the group hug that was going on, Nikki decided to join it. She wrapped her arms around the three girls. They sat together in serenity and comfort, even if the commotion of the party was one floor below."Aw, I love you guys," said Caitlin.Nikki chuckled at her, never failing to throw her own emotions into a situation. Regardless, Nikki smiled and said, "We love you, too, Caitlin." After they rested on the bed for another minute, she said, "Okay, we should go back downstairs. Besides, my lunkhead of a boyfriend is acting suspicious."Once they ended their group hug, Sydni placed a hand on her chin. "I bet he snuck alcohol into the party.""He claims he didn't, but I take that with a grain of salt.""I'll deal with that later. I just have one thing to do.""Marlowe, do you have a minute?" Wyatt asked.She glanced at Connie, asking with her eyes if it was fine that she left. Connie nodded, and Marlowe walked with Wyatt to the patio, where they now danced. (While they did so, he couldn't help but feel the burn of some of his friends' eyes on them.)"Sorry about the other day, Wyatt. I guess I cared too much about what my friends thought. I wanted them to believe we've moved on—because we have—and I ended up being seriously cold towards you.""No, I understand, and I forgive you. Sometimes my friends have their doubts about us, too.""I still want you to know that we're the best of exes. We've just been on… interesting grounds.""But now that we're off those 'interesting grounds,' where do we stand now?""We're better now."He smiled. "So… since we're better, and since the mall's talent contest is coming up, maybe we can reunite the band?""That's a nice possibility.""Yeah. Hopefully it'll get Connie to stop hating me.""She doesn't hate you, Wyatt. She acts that way towards almost everyone."His nose crinkled. "Even if she's been that way times one hundred since we broke up and 'coincidentally' put the band on hiatus afterwards."She laughed. "I still love your sense of humor."Sydni found Alejandro near the privacy fence, away from the patio. Slowly, she approached him."I know I started acting weird earlier, and I'm really sorry about that."He glanced at her. "You don't have to apologize. Clearly, something must've upset you.""And it wasn't you at all, by the way."He smirked, reaching for her hand. "I understand. So, are we going to pick up where we left off?"As much as she wanted to, she decline. "No thanks. I think I need to dance alone for a while.""Maybe some other time."Her eyes filled with hope instead of tears. She pulled her hand away from his. "Definitely.""Bye. Thanks for coming," Sydni said to the last group leaving the party.It was a quarter after eleven when she realized people needed to leave the premises. She had switched the music to smooth jazz and most people got the hint, but when some groups had extended their stay, Nikki had been the one to handle them.("Get your ass out or get your ass handed to you by the cops. Either way, you're leaving," she'd said.The remaining groups of people had run out. Even Jude ran until Nikki pulled him back in."Jude, I didn't mean you had to leave.""Oh." He'd chuckled. "Sweeeet.")The gang now focused on cleanup efforts, wanting the house to look decent before Sydni's parents arrived.Caitlin grimaced at a few pizza crusts on the carpet. Letting the others dispose of them, she said, "I wish we got to use the confetti cannon. It would've been so magical.""Maybe some other time," Sydni said. Heat rose in her cheeks, her words exactly like Alejandro's earlier ones. He was a possibility, someone to consider. But, for now, he would be unknown territory. Hopefully he would be there when she was ready to even re-explore the idea of infatuation. Her palms clammy while disposing of some cups, she thought of how he took her by the hand. The unknown taking her hand…While throwing cups and plates of chicken bones into garbage bags, Nikki glanced at Jonesy, who sat on the living room couch with his hands in his pockets. As she looked him over, she asked Jen to hold her garbage bag for a moment.She stormed over to Jonesy, asking him, "Okay, what have you been up to?"He knitted his brow. "Nothing. Trust me, Nik.""Why should I?""Because I'm the Jonesmeister. You have my word."Wyatt, observing this scene with the rest of the gang, tugged on the collar of his shirt, growing hot. He grew especially flustered when Nikki's eyes met his."Wyatt, do you know something?" she asked."Of c-course not."Sydni approached him. "You don't have to lie, Wyatt."He gulped. The pressure mounted. Their eyes were on him. He flung his arms into the air, blurting, "Fine—I found Jonesy charging people admission to get into the party and I think he managed to get a case of beer."Jonesy whipped his head around. He was mortified. "How'd you know about the beer?"Wyatt exhaled. "I saw you sneaking off to that Levi guy's car and leaving with it."Nikki slapped Jonesy's arm, causing him to wince. "Nice one, Casanova.""Not cool, dude," Jude said.Sydni faced Jonesy. "You're going to refund everyone's money.""Come on! I just wanted to make a little coin!""But you did it at my party, where people were supposed to get in for free."After a tense moment, he said, "I think I know how we can settle this."She raised an eyebrow, which was hidden by her bangs. "How?"He never replied, instead running through the front door.She ran after him. "Jonesy, I know where you live!"Jen, throwing more trash away, said, "That boy never learns, does he?"Nikki sighed. "Never."