Chapter 6

The party had already begun when we arrived. Jen ran to the door, with Marcus and me slowly tagging along a few steps behind. Jen opened the door to let us see inside. Girls in dresses of every color stood around, dancing to the thump of the heavy bass.

Marcus and I gaped at the scene before us. I wasn't used to parties, but Marcus had never seen one like this before. I glanced at him to see a small smirk playing at his mouth. I knew he was a party animal, but the look on his face made me curious as to how much he actually did it.

We stepped inside where the music pulsed even louder. Jen was greeted by Marcia, a girl from her other group of friends. She looked at me and her smile wavered. She glanced up at Marcus and a huge flirtatious grin spread across her pearly white teeth.

"Who's your friend?" Her voice was teasing and flirty. I scowled at her.

"Alex's new boyfriend," Jen chimed. She knew he wasn't my boyfriend, but she also knew I didn't want Marcia and the other snarky girls all over him. I silently thanked her, but didn't dare look at Marcus.

He reached for my hand, sending warmth through my fingers. We walked side by side, following Jen as she introduced us. Eventually, she left us to go mingle with the other party goers. Marcus and I stood closer to the wall, sipping on our drinks and hardly talking. He didn't let go of my hand.

"Do you want to go outside?" Marcus asked after we fell into an awkward silence.

"Yeah, sure." My heart was pounding. I was thinking way too much about what had happened last night and what may happen again tonight.

We walked out into the front lawn. We both stood in a silence that was deafening, dragging on forever. He switched his weight between one foot and the other, his nerves giving away to him deep in thought. Something was obviously making him nervous. He didn't say anything. I pretended not to notice. We stood in a prolonged silence that only seemed to be made more quiet between the two of us by the noise that was escaping the confinement of the house.

He stared up at the stars, sighing heavily. I finally turned to him, staring at his flawless features. He kept his nose turned to the navy sky but knew I was looking at him. "Yes, Gorgeous?"

Nothing, you just se- what did you just call me?" He remark nearly slipped right past me.

"I called you 'Gorgeous.'" He finally looked at me.

My eyes dropped to the ground. I began processing what he had said and debated whether or not he meant it. I couldn't seem to find the ability to reply.

"You look really beautiful when you're deep in thought. I can almost see the wheels turning in your head at all times." He continued to look at me, spilling out the compliments.

I kept my eyes down. I couldn't seem to find the courage to look him in the eyes when he said all those things. I knew what would happen if I did and I wasn't sure if I wanted it to or not. The knot in my stomach began to grow larger until I could feel it in my throat.

I slowly looked up at him. When my eyes landed on his, he was smiling his amazing smile at me. I blushed, smiling back at him. I didn't know how to respond to all of his compliments. I muttered a small "thanks" and continued to stare into his grey eyes.

We continued to stare at each other until the shouts from inside had caught our attention. The count down had begun. He looked towards the door then back at me. The last five seconds of the count down were a blur as realization hit me. I didn't know if this was what I wanted yet. I wasn't prepared for it last night and I wasn't tonight.

Before I could say anything he leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips. He pulled away a few inches to look me in the eyes. We stared at each other, nose to nose, before we both went in for another deeper, more passionate kiss.

I don't know how much time had passed before we pulled away from one another, seconds or minutes. I couldn't tell the difference. I was so enthralled in the embrace that everything else that was happening seemed to fade out. A warm tingling sensation spread through my torso and up my spine. The feeling spread down to my toes and up to the tip of my nose. When he finally pulled away he left me feeling breathless.

I stood closer to him than I had ever dared to before. We were both breathing deeply, trying to catch our breath after the long embrace. We stood with our foreheads touching as we caught our breath. My hands rested on his chest, while his rested on my hips, gently pulling me closer.

We returned to the party with the music louder than it seemed to have been when we had gone outside. We walked side by side searching for Jen. When we found her she was with her usual group of friends. Her face lit up as she took notice of us and ran over. When she finally reached us she reeked of alcohol. Her words slurred and Marcia showed up behind her as Jen continued to sway back and forth.

"We thought you two had left." Marcia said. She hugged Jen and they both swayed together, strengthening the alcohol's stench.

 "No, we just went outside. The music was really loud and difficult to talk over," Marcus explained. Marcia continued to drool over him as he spoke.

 "Alex, I love you so much. You're my best friend!" Jen wrapped her arms around me and sobbed into my neck as she spoke.

"I love you, too, Jen. I think we should go." I turned to Marcus to speak. He nodded his head in agreement.

After Jen waved goodbye to everyone we helped her into the back seat. She continued to hug me and tell me how much she loved me while I tried to take the keys out of her clutch. After I pried her arms from around my neck, I walked to the driver's side and climbed in. I started the car and waited for Marcus to get in. When I looked around the car he wasn't anywhere to be found. I went back inside to try and find him. I walked into the living room to see if he came in to make sure Jen didn't leave anything. He wasn't among the people in there.

I searched nearly the entire house. I went to see if he may have gone to the restroom. The door wasn't closed completely, only leaving a small crack open. I pushed the door open, my frustration reaching its peak. When the door swung open I saw Marcus with Marcia. She was kissing him. I stood there. My frustration was replaced with something different and it went far past its peak. Marcus noticed me after a few seconds.

"Alex, it isn't what it looks like!" He pushed Marcia off him and took a step towards me.

I ran off out into the front yard before he could say anything else. I climbed into the car, not letting Jen see my tears. I drove off just as Marcus made it outside. I dried my tears and drove to Jen's house. I helped her out of the car and walked her through the door and to her room. I made sure she was in bed before I called my parents. I told them I was at Jen's and I needed a ride. I sat in silence as Jen slept and I waited.

When my parents arrived I still didn't speak. I just went to my room when we got home. When I reached the comfort of my own bed I let the tears fall. I sobbed and hiccuped into my pillow. I muffled my noises so I didn't alert anyone in the house. I cried until my eyes hurt. My heart physically hurt. My face was soaked with tears and ruined makeup. The image kept flashing before my eyes. It kept replaying in my mind, torturing me. I cried until my body couldn't take anymore I and I fell asleep.