“Liz, wouldn’t you rather go to a movie instead?” I asked her as we walked up the driveway to Justin’s home. “I think that movie with crazy leprechaun is out.”
Liz stopped walking for a moment and looked at me oddly. I cracked a smile and she shook her head, laughing. “I don’t know how Jonathan puts up with you.”
“I know I’m bad.” I laughed softly.
“Has Jonathan called?”
“No.” I sighed.
Liz glanced at me. “That boy still hasn’t called? Have you tried calling him again?”
“No.”
“Why not?” I shrugged. Liz shook her head.
Walking up to the front door, Liz rang the door bell. Meanwhile I looked around. Cars filled the driveway and lined the street and music blared from the party going on inside the house.
The door opened and we were greeted by Justin. “Hey!” he said cheerfully. “You made it! Come on in.” Liz walked in and I followed in behind her. “Do you girls want something to drink?”
“I’ll take a beer,” said Liz.
Justin nodded and then looked at me. “Do you want anything?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
“I’ll be right back.” Justin walked away.
I looked at Liz. “You better not leave me.”
She laughed. “I won’t. Don’t worry.” She looked around. “Do you know anybody here?”
“No, I don’t know anyone.” I looked around.
“Really, no one?” Liz asked a little surprised.
I looked at Liz. “No.”
“Huh.”
“Why are you so surprised?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, I just thought…never mind.”
Justin came back and gave Liz her drink. He smiled at me. “Do you mind if I steal your friend from you for a little while?”
Liz smiled at me and patted my arm. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” With that she and Justin walked away.
I rolled my eyes. “I knew it.” I turned around to leave, but stumbled over something on the floor.
"Whoa there,” said a male voice as he caught me before I fell.
I looked up and met a familiar face, but couldn’t place him. He was
tall, with brown hair and brown eyes and had an athletic build. “Are
you okay?”
I smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind me ear. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.” I started to walk around him, but he was quick to stop me.
“Wait, are you leaving?”
“Uh…” I chuckled. “I don’t know.”
“Well, in that case, let me make up your mind for you. Stay awhile, lets get to know each other a little.”
I stared at this guy in front of me for a moment. He looked so familiar to me. I felt like I know him, or knew him. It then suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks.
“Come on!” I smiled at Seth and we rushed upstairs to an empty classroom and I closed the door behind us.
Seth looked at me with a smile and took a step closer to me. “I thought you and Mark were…”
“No,” I said and kissed Seth. He deepened it and pinning me against the wall with his body.
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at person, who I now recognized as Seth Slater from high school. “I’m sorry, but I really have to go.”
“What’s the rush, Adrienne?” His smile turned into a smirk. “You know I missed you when you moved. You were the talk of the locker room of weeks when you moved away.”
“I’m not that kind of girl anymore.”
He chuckled. “Well, I don’t know about that. You put on quite a show last night.”
I gave Seth a questionable look. “You were at the club last night?”
“Yes, I was, well not exactly. I was outside. I’m a free lance photographer.”
I narrowed my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. “You mean you work for those paparazzi magazines.”
He shrugged his shoulders with a sigh. “It pays the bills.” He smiled.
I gave him a dirty look. “You jerk. Does Justin know you’re here? Does he know you work for those magazines?” I paused for a moment and then said, “Justin doesn’t know you’re here doesn’t he?”
“Uh, no, but I came with a friend,” he said quickly. “A friend of Justin’s.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Whatever.”
“So…do you maybe want…”
I gave Seth a ‘you got to be kidding me’ look and walked away. I spotted Liz, Justin and JC talking outside on the patio and walked over to them.
“Speaking of the devil,” Liz smiled at me. “Where have you been?”
“Oh, what do you mean? After you left me back there, like I was weird or something?”
Liz laughed and patted my head like a dog. “Oh sweetie, you’re not weird…just a little different.”
The guys laughed and I pushed Liz’s hand away. “Shut up.”
As the laughter calmed down between us, silence followed. Uncomfortable by the silence, I looked away from the group. My attention was caught by a familiar voice from close by. It was Christian, he was talking and laughing with a group of girls, but where was Annie? I scanned the back yard and finally spotted her sitting by the pool alone. She looked upset and had clearly had been crying.
“Hey, isn’t that my shirt?”
Hearing JC, I turned to him. I smiled at him innocently. “Yeah, I found it.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“Do you want it back?” asked Liz. She nudged me. “Take it off. He wants it back.”
“Shut up,” I told her.
“No, I want it back.” JC looked at me. His face serious. “Now.” I looked at him questionably. He cracked a smile and I hit him playfully on the shoulder. His responded by grabbing my hand and pulling me closer to him.
I knew what came next. He kissed me, I kissed him back. Then I’ll take a step back and he’ll look at me with those amazing beautiful blue eyes, I remember. As much as it hurt me, as much as I wanted to let him kiss me I couldn’t, but I didn’t protest. This was something I had secretly wanted since I had run into JC at my sisters party.
Before I could think another thought, I felt JC’s warm lips on mine, but the kiss didn’t last long because I heard a click of a camera and familiar voices, a guy and a girl talking and laughing close by.
I broke away from JC’s kiss and turned in the direction I heard the familiar voices. They were Seth’s and Annie’s. Seth was working his charm on my sister and taking her picture.
“Adrienne, what’s wrong?” JC asked, his voice a little worried he made a mistake kissing me.
I didn’t answer him. My attention was on my sister and Seth. I didn’t trust Seth and I wasn’t for sure what kind of lies or stories he was feeding my sister to make her think he was a her soul mate or something.
I watched Annie giggle at something Seth said as he traced his finger up her bare arm and tug down her spaghetti strap. Seth then pulled out his camera and pointed it at Annie.
I had seen enough. I had seen too much. I push myself away from JC and ran over to Annie, grabbing her by her wrist and pulling her to her feet. I glared at Seth. “What do you think you’re doing?!” I yelled at the tops of my lungs, getting everyone’s attention.
Annie looked around. Everyone was dead silent looking at her, me and Seth.
Seth stood up with his hands up in front of him defensively, a smile cross his lips. “Hey, we were just talking.”
“Yeah, I believe you,” I said sarcastically. I snatched the camera away from Seth.
“Hey!” he yelled, reaching for his camera, but I pulled back yelling at him.
“Whoa, whoa, guys,” Liz said, running up to me and Seth. Justin and JC followed behind closely.
Seth looked at Liz and then back at me. “I don’t know what’s wrong with your friend, but tell her to give back my camera!” He reached again for the camera, but again I pulled away. “Dammit, BITCH WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM!”
“You are!” I shouted. I pointed to Annie. “She’s sixteen!”
He laughed sarcastically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We were just talking.”
“Okay, okay, wait just a minute,” Justin said speaking up. He took the camera from me. “If you and Annie were just talking then there shouldn’t be anything on this camera, right?”
Seth suddenly became uncomfortable but stood his ground. “We were just talking.”
Justin nodded. “Okay, I believe you unless this camera says otherwise.” He turned the camera on and immediately was shocked to see what was on the camera. He quickly turned it off and looked up at Seth, but before he could ask him to leave Bryan, his friend and Seth’s friend walked up.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” Bryan asked, the smile he had faded as he realized something was wrong. “What’s wrong?” He looked between his friends.
Justin looked at his friend Bryan. “Get your friend out of here before I call the police.”
Bryan looked at Justin confused, but nodded anyways. “Come on Seth lets go.”
“Take your camera with you,” said Justin after taking the memory card out of the camera.
Watching Seth leave, Annie turned to me. She shoved me back hard. “I can’t believe you did that!” she screamed. “You embarrassed me! I liked him!”
I looked at Annie in disbelief. “Annie, that guy-”
“No, I don’t want to hear it! Why did you have to come back?! We all got along without you just fine! Just go back home, we don’t need you here!” With that Annie ran inside before I could say anything.
Liz looked at me. She could tell I was clearly upset by what Annie said. “Adrienne.”
I raised my hand gesturing to give me a minute alone and I walked away.