After a few minutes, I walk out my door and pause. The hallway is full of people and no one harasses me. Gigi was right, my show of exhibitionism is forgotten as the rowdy crowd partyies on. I notice that the floor is still wet though and decide that before anything else crashes down, I should look for my brothers to clean up the mess.
I am making my way through the crowd and realize that there are more people in this house than would probably be allowed by the fire marshal. After shoving my way through bodies and red plastic cups, I find Jaden in the corner in what appears to be a heated discussion with Melora. He looks like he doesn’t need to be bothered right now. I stand on tip toes and try to look over everyone’s heads for Christian. I see him in the middle of a group of guys and walk over to him.
“Hey Christian.” I try to get his attemtnion. It is nearly impossible to hear over the noise of rap music. He doesn’t appear to hear me, so I inch closer.
“Hey Christian!” People start to crowd around and I push forward.
“Christian!” Finally, he hears me, but so does everyone else he is talking to and they go silent.
“What’s up, Nori?” He slurs out.
“Can I talk to you for a sec?”
“Sure, sure.” He manages. Christian comes over to me and puts his arm around me. “Hey guys, this is my little sister, Nori. She just turned 15, isn’t she the sweetest thing ever?” Christian mortifyingly pinches my cheek like I am a two-year-old.
A voice I was recently introduced to then says, “Hey, Halle.”
I look in the direction of that voice and see the boy that had accidentally stumbled into my room looking for the bathroom.
“Huh?” Chris asks in confusion. “No, it’s Nori. Naw-rhi.” Chris tries to drunkenly sound out my name.
“Oh, right.” The boy says, winking at me. For the first time, I notice that he has the most amazing eyes I had ever seen – I know, it’s cliché, but they really were insanely unique. They are the same eyes that I noticed earlier, and they are a pretty shade of gray that I didn’t know existed. The color is actually almost a blue-gray and they are rimmed with the dark, long lashes that every girl wishes they were born with. I look at the rest of his face and note that he has a pleasant, inviting face. He has a square jaw, just like all the hot movie stars, and a perfect straight nose. He has a full mouth that is just shy of being feminine, and dark hair that is a beautiful contrast to his light gray eyes. He is gorgeous. In the back of my mind, I hear the word heartbreaker associated with this boy.
“Nori, hey, you there sis?” Christian pulls me out of my admiring reverie. I notice that Gray (as I have momentarily named him) is looking at me with a slight blush staining his cheeks.
“Looks like you pulled another one in, man.” Someone says.
I realize they are talking about me. Obviously my admiring stare isn’t invisible to anyone. But it sounded like he got that a lot.
“Yeah right. This is my little sister Norielle, she is 15, she is hands-off to all you fools!” Christian points his fingers to all the guys in the circle. “Actually…” Christian jumps on top of the counter and whistles to get everyone’s attention. It is so loud from the music playing that only a few other heads turn to look (thank God!). “Hey everyone, this is my little sister, Norielle. It is her birthday, and that is why we have all come to gather at this fine festivity. Isn’t she the cutest little thing?!” Then Christian bends down and, again, pinches my cheek. A round of laughter fills the room.
As Christian is bending over pinching me, he loses balance and starts to wobble. “Whoa, whoa.” He stammers out, right before I step out of the way to let him land on his face with a satisfying thud. Good, serves him right! I snicker to myself.
I bend at the waist and say, “There is a huge watery mess in the living room that needs to be mopped up. Happy cleaning!” I saunter away with a fine feeling of redemption.
Downstairs, my party has become quite the rager as well. There are at least twice the amount of people now than there were earlier. It seems like there are a ton of people that I didn’t know, but when I look harder I notice that people from upstairs have come down. I am surprised to see that both parties are starting to intermix.
“Hi, sweetie! You made itahhh!” Gigi breathes the last word in my face and a very potent mixture of beer and vomit waft my way.
How long have I been gone?
“Oh, Gigi, what have you been doing while I was away?” I ask her as I wrinkle my nose and shoo the smell away with an exaggerated wave of my hand.
"Oh the greatest thing happened! Derek and I were talking and talking – hiccup – and then suddenly we started making out – hiccup – and then I ran to the bathroom – hiccup – and I puked and he held my hair – hiccup – isn’t he amazing?!” Gigi slurs out.
“Yes, sounds like the making of a great love story.” I sweetly say to her.
“Where have you been – hiccup – anyway?” She asks me.
“Oh, I had to make sure everything was alright upstairs.” I pause and look around me before I say, “Oh, you will not believe it. I saw the HOTTEST guy ever. I swear, he had these eyes that you could just, I don’t know, like, get lost in. They were gray, but not like a cloudy day gray, more like –”
“Like a light blue-ish gray?” Gigi finishes for me in a dreamy kind of way.
“Yeah, how did you know…” I trail off when I see that she isn’t really looking at me anymore. She is looking past me, up the stairs.
I turn around, slowly, hoping that there is just air behind me – I have never been that lucky. Right behind me is Gray and a bunch of his friends. I pray up to the high heavens that he didn’t hear me. That the noise from the music and chatter and laughter had drowned out my obsessive monologue about the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen.
Gray comes up to me and says, “I have heard them described as steel colored, if that helps.” Gray gives me another wink. “Hey, we didn’t really get introduced earlier. My name is Mason.”
Ah, Mason is his name. What a beautiful name for a beautiful boy.
“Umm, hi!” I wave at him, but it is an awkward wave where my arm is suddenly glued to my side and just the joint at my elbow is working, allowing my forearm and hand to rotate in a circle.
Mason cocks an eyebrow at the awkward gesture.
“I guess you are just determined to be around all of my embarrassing moments tonight?” I ask him sheepishly. He flashes his orthodontically perfect, pearly whites at me and my knees almost buckle.
“Geeze, Nori, you really know how to – hiccup – pick ‘em!” Gigi sloppily says to me.
“Gigi!” I exclaim as Mason laughs. I hurriedly say, “Sorry, she doesn’t know what she is talking about, she is drunkedy-drunk-drunk!”
“Um, Nor, I am not feeling so well – hiccup – could you – hiccup – ” I look at Gigi and her face has turned green. Forgetting about Mason, I panic a little then grab her hand and run, no fly, through the glass doors on the other end of the room. We make it with just enough time for her to stick her head around the corner and puke her guts out. Like the loyal friend that I am, I hold her hair out of her face and I turn my head away trying to control my own gag reflexes. After a good five minutes of puking, and then three more minutes of dry heaving, she collapses on the floor and starts crying.
I crouch down beside her. “Are you ok Gigi? What’s wrong?”
“You held my hair too.” She looks up at me with the most pitifully delirious face.
“Yes.” I say, not quite sure where she is going.
“You’re such a good friend. I just love you so much.” She pats my face, none too gently, then starts snoring. I sigh and try to pick her up and move her off of the cold ground. Gigi is a pretty slim girl, but with her passed out and limp like this, I can’t pick her up. I think about going to get Derek to help me out, but I don’t want to leave her out here alone and unconscious.
I switch positions and try to heft her onto my back. I manage to get into a standing position, with her on my back and her feet dragging. Although we are no more than five feet from the door, I feel myself start to sink lower and lower as Gigi weighs me down. I try to straighten, but my right leg gives out and I fall, face first, onto the ground with Gigi still snoring on my back. I am breathing so hard at this point, that I decide to take a break in the odd position that I have found myself. This is the second time tonight that I end up lying underneath my best friend.
Must be karma for letting Christian fall on his face earlier.
I hear the glass door open and a mixture of embarrassment and thankfulness comes over me. Embarrassed at the position I am in, but thankful that help has arrived –until a now familiar voice says, “I guess I am determined to be here for your most embarrassing moments.” Mason says. “Do you need some help? Or were you purposefully lending yourself as a mattress for your friend?”
“I believe that I am in desperate need for some of your brawn right now.” I try to smile through the hair in my face. Mason picks Gigi up and I stand, swiping at my front to remove the dirt stuck to me.
“Where do you want her?” Mason asks me. I look over at him and he is holding Gigi, with one arm supporting her back and one under her knees. One of Gigi’s arms is draped over Mason’s shoulders and the other is in her lap. Although Gigi is passed out, I have never been more jealous of my best friend as I am in that moment where his arms are around her.
“Umm, I guess my room. Can you make it all the way upstairs?” Really, he looks like he could stand there all day holding Gigi’s weight, but I thought I should ask anyway.
“Yeah, she is light as a feather, just lead the way. Well, I guess I have already been to your room, but better you are with us in case your friend comes to. I don’t want her to wake up and freak out with a stranger putting her in a bed.” He smiles his heart stopping smile and I know in that instant that if I were to wake up with him putting me in a bed, freaking out is the last thing I would be doing.
I lead the way through the downstairs crowd, which seems to be ever growing, and up the stairs. I weave through more bodies, constantly checking behind me to make sure that Mason is following, but he seems to be having an easy time of it. We finally reach my room and I open the door for Mason to bring Gigi in. I pull the covers from my bed as he lays her on top. Then each of us grabs a foot and we take her shoes off.
“Thank you so much for bringing her up here. I don’t know how long we would have been out there if you hadn’t come out.” I say.
“Sure, no problem.” He whispers, being mindful of Gigi sleeping.
“You don’t have to whisper. She is knocked out for the rest of the night.” I explain to him. This isn’t the first time I have been in this situation with Gigi.
He smiles then says, “Why don’t we get outta your room and enjoy your party then?” This time he leads the way out and to my surprise, he heads downstairs. At this point, the party has been going on for a few hours and is in full swing. A lot of people are enjoying themselves, and I realize that I have missed most of my party.
“Looks like everyone is having a good time.” I say to Mason, “I missed most of the party with all of my, um, issues tonight.”
“Oh, this is quite the party. But I hear the Reyes twins always throw a mean party. Happy Birthday, by the way.”
“Why thank you, Gray –, uh, Mason.” Crap!
Mason pauses at the name, then looks at the bar. “So, looks like your brother has made himself the bartender. Do you want a drink?”
Thankful that Mason ignored my slip-up, I look over and sure enough Jaden is behind the bar, serving some sloppy drinks. The liquor cabinet is still locked but it looks like that didn’t stop them from getting alcohol.
“Sure,” I reply to Mason, “but nothing that Jaden has to actually make. Maybe a beer?” I clarify.
“Got it, I will be right back.” I watch Mason walk towards the bar and throw a hi-five at Jaden. I wonder to myself what he would think if he knew that his friend is getting a drink for his sister.
Just then, someone steps in my field of vision and I look up. “Hey Norielle, raging party!” It is Carter Green, one of the many new people that I met this year. I remember thinking he was cute when I first saw him but as the days passed, he proved himself to be quite the meathead. He is nice enough, and flirted with me all the time, but I just wasn’t interested after all the bonehead things he would say.
“Hey, Carter. Thanks!” I say to him, hoping he will disappear by the time that Mason comes back.
"Yeah, definitely the biggest party that I have ever been to. Nice selection of tail here I’d say.”
See what I mean? Complete meathead.
“Right.” I don’t even know what to say to his comment except, “Is there anyone catching your eye right now? I could try to hook you up.” I smile at him.
He apparently takes that as an invitation, and puts his hand against the wall on my right side, leaning into me. Then he says, “There is one that I’m interested in.” Carter stares deep into my eyes, going for that smoldering look, but he just manages to make his features all contorted.
I roll my eyes at him and say, “Oh Carter, I am not your type. You need someone that is more fun. Maybe a hot blonde! You know there was this girl upstairs that totally looked like your type!”
“Pretty is my type, and girl, you are beautiful.” He smiles at me and I have to admire his confidence. Not a lot of boys my age have the guts that he has.
“Aww, thanks. Umm –” I have run out of polite ways to turn him away. Luckily, I hear a girlfriend call my name. “Oh, looks like someone is paging me. Hey, enjoy the party Carter I’ll talk to ya later!” And I book it out of that conversation as fast as is polite.
While I am on my way to the group of friends that caught my attention, I try to slyly look for Mason. To my dismay, I see that he had gotten derailed and is talking to some other girl – nothing spectacular to look at, but I am still irritated. Earlier words come back to me: looks like you pulled another one in, man. I can totally see what the boys were talking about earlier. The girl Mason is talking to looks so blatantly into him. I know that I have just met him, but I can’t help but be a little jealous. I had the attention of, I am sure, the hottest guy here and I couldn’t keep his attention long enough for him to get me a drink. I sigh and, despite my jealousy, start to finally enjoy my party with my friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment