No Parties, No Boys, No Parties with Boys

Chapter Three - No Parties, No Boys, No Parties with Boys

 

            The sofa pulsed with each beat that streamed out of the speakers from next door. I powered down my laptop that rested on my thighs, and set it on the coffee table that my feet were propped against just a few moments before. I grabbed the empty glass that held my orange juice and made my way to the kitchen.

            I could see clearly into the yard next door from the window in the kitchen as I set my glass into the sink. There was a crowd of people dancing and holding red plastic cups, most of them obviously drunk. I cursed beneath my breath and slipped on my shoes, ready to give Josh and Eric a piece of my mind. Who do they think they are? It’s almost midnight and they’re playing their music so loud I wouldn’t doubt that the people five blocks over could hear it.

            Pushing the sliding door, that leads into my backyard, open, I slipped on my jacket. The light breeze from the night blew past me and into the kitchen before I pulled the door closed.

            Compared to my old house, this yard is fairly small, and takes me only a minute to cut through it and hop over the metal fence that separates our yards. I noticed a group of girls, standing in the darker part of the yard near the fence, giggle as I walked by. A few feet away a couple was making out by the house.

            I made my way through the dancing teenagers on the patio, and slipped in the back door of the house, scanning the room for either Eric or Josh. I noticed Josh in the far corner of the living room, and started to push my way past the crowd of people that were grinding against each other.

            “Josh,” I shouted, trying to catch his attention as he started to disappear out the front door, someone pulling him along. I caught a glimpse of reddish hair and realized it was the burgundy haired girl from the gas station. Well, no use in following them. I turned around and looked for Eric instead. He was nowhere in sight, and my ears were starting to ring from the loudness of the music. My eyes glanced over the black speaker that’s producing the sound just a few feet away. No wonder I can barely hear my own thoughts.

            I spotted Eric in the kitchen as I was pushed into the hallway; I tried to turn around but couldn’t get through the suddenly more crowded hall. It takes me a few beats to realize there’s a fight in the middle of the living room. That explained the crowd. I stood on my tip-toes to get a better view of the kitchen but couldn’t see past the taller heads around me. Sighing, I sunk back down to my original height.

            Just as the crowd started to clear out in front of me there’s cheering. A bunch of ‘Woo’s an ‘You suck’s float through the air along with a bunch of cuss words. Getting frustrated I started to push harder through the crowd.

            A warm hand landed on my waist and I elbowed the arm away as best I could, as I tried to move forward, unable to see who it was behind me. The hand fell but returned with a tighter grip, which pissed me off. The crowd around me started to thin and I could finally turn around, as I swatted the hand off again, unsuccessfully.

            I matched the hand with the guy directly behind me. His stance was strong, despite how he swayed as he tried to step closer to me, nearly knocking me into the wall. His shirt was dirty, and smelled like beer and cigarettes. He was close enough for me to make out the scar above his crooked nose, probably from getting into fights. I could guess that he doesn’t lose those fights often, judging by the muscles in his arms that flexed as he put his hands on the wall, one on either side of my head.

            “Excuse me.” I said in the bitchiest tone I could muster, trying to show him how angry I was, thinking maybe he’ll back off. No such luck. He leaned in towards my face, and I turned my head, trying to move away, but I was trapped against the wall.

            I gagged at the thickness of his beer-filled breath as he whispered into my hair something I couldn’t hear, and even if I could, I doubt I’d be able to understand it. I shoved him away using all my strength but it was useless. He was at least a foot taller than I am, and definitely stronger. He pressed me against the wall.

            I opened my mouth to shout for help, but his hand clamped down on it before I got the chance. How is nobody noticing this? Or are they all too drunk to care?

            I lifted me knee and shoved it into his groin, remembering the self defense class they forced us to take in the eighth grade. He stumbled back a few paces but regained himself and pulled my arm as I tried to get away.

            “What the hell?” Someone shouted from the doorway a few feet away. A second later the guy was no longer holding me against the wall and was being pushed into the wall across from me. I looked over and saw Josh, his face red, and his hands balled up into fists.

            My face flushed with relief and the drunken guy who just tried assaulting me slides to the floor, too drunk to pick himself up, despite his efforts. Josh grabbed my arm and pulled me through the crowd of people who gathered to watch this episode. They couldn’t be bothered to help me, but when someone gets pushed or punched they’re all over it. People are so stupid.

            A gush of cold air hit my face as the front door of Eric’s house slammed shut. I looked up at Josh who was cussing under his breath still. I took in his thin build and how un-muscular he seems compared to the loser he just knocked down. He must have had an adrenaline rush, or that guy must have been really wasted.

            “Are you okay?” He asked me after a few seconds. My brain was a little numb and I kind of think I was in shock. I nodded, and muttered ‘thanks’ as loudly as I could. He nodded, and grabbed my arm again, only more gently, and towed me along the sidewalk and then up my driveway. He stopped in front of my house and tried the doorknob.

            “It’s locked.” I told him, still bewildered by all that’s happened. He cussed under his breath again.           

            “Well, that’s just dandy, how the hell are you going to get inside?” He asked. It must be the shock or maybe the cold, but I giggled at his use of the word ‘dandy’. He rolled his eyes at me and gave me a questioning look. I shrugged my shoulders.

            “Do you have a key or something?” He asked looking under the welcome matt, and then into the flower bed beside the door. I swatted his shoulder.

            “You’re going to mess up the flowers.” I scolded. He laughed at me this time and I asked, “What?”    

            “Nothing, you’re just locked out of your house, and you seem more worried about those stupid flowers than the fact that you’re going to be sleeping in your backyard tonight.” He said sarcastically. The backyard, right! I pulled out of his grasp and started towards the backyard.

            “I was joking!” He said, running after me, and putting a hand on my shoulder. I shook it off and kept walking.

            “No, the patio door is unlocked.” I said, as I rounded the corner of my house and stepped onto the patio. He sighed exasperatedly, and gave me an annoyed look. “What?” I asked again.

            “You made me look under you’re Welcome matt for nothing?” He asked incredulously. I laughed as I pulled the sliding door open and walked inside. I turned around when I noticed Josh start to follow me.

            “What? Can’t I come in?” He asked, stopping outside of the door.

            “What about your party?” I asked motioning with my head towards the gathered people in Eric’s backyard. I could still hear them shouting and laughing through the loud music.

            “Eric can handle it.” He said shrugging.                              

            “You’re an a*s.” I told him. He looked at me with a shocked expression.

            “What? Didn’t I just help you, and now you’re calling me names?” He asked in a disbelieving tone.

            “Yes, and I thanked you for that. But I bet it was all your idea to have this stupid party, and you’re just going to leave it to Eric to deal with now?” I said, layering disbelief into my own voice.

            “Whatever, he wanted the party too.” He defended. I snorted, knowing that’s a lie, but dropped it anyway. He comes through the door shutting it behind him, not waiting any longer for me to invite him in.

            “Where’s your dad?” He asked. Eric must have told him I only lived with my father. Eric seems to catch onto things easily. I’ve only talked to him two or three times, when he stopped in at the gas station to talk to Josh. It’s been only a week since Josh started working at Hank’s. It feels like it’s been months though, having to put up with him and all.

            “Business trip,” I said casually. He came back last week while I was still painting my room. He had a fit because of the ‘mess’ I made. Which wasn’t really a mess considering it was just a few paint splatters on the layers of newspaper I had laid down. He mainly stayed locked up in his office the entire week and announced he was leaving for business again yesterday morning. This wasn’t anything unusual.

            “Oh, so house to yourself, huh?” He said, suggestively. I smacked him with the newspaper that was lying on the kitchen table. He laughed and snatched it out of my hand and smacked my butt with it. I scowled at him. He laughed even more hysterically. Another reason why I can’t stand him; I think the list is starting to get pretty long now.

            For one, he can’t do anything on his own at work. He needs help with everything. Restock the chip rack? He needs someone to tell him where each type goes. A customer comes in and he needs to ring up their items? He can’t get the register to work. Turns out the first time he just got lucky.

            Also, all he eats is candy and sugar-filled crap. He eats chips or pudding for lunch (sometimes both); a box of donuts for dinner, the jelly-filled kind, when he works late. And he is constantly chewing on some sort of sweet no matter what time it is. It’s repulsive and annoying.

            Last but not least, Katie decided to make us work the same shifts for the rest of the month. I don’t understand her logic at all, but she figures the two of us equal one of her. Therefore, she works the night shifts alone, and Josh and I work the day shifts together.

            School starts up in two weeks, which means I’ll be seeing him just about all day everyday. That is really going to put a damper on my usual friendly mood.

            “Can I have a glass of water?” Josh asked, sitting at the table. I laughed.

            “Yeah, the glasses are in that cabinet there, and the faucet is right there.” I said pointing at the sink. He groaned as if getting up is going to kill him, and it might, considering he’s probably still a little drunk from the party. He gets up and grabbed a glass, turning on the faucet.

            I left him in the kitchen and went into the living room, hoping he’d leave out the back after his glass of water. I turned on the TV, and flipped to one of the dramatic movies that are always on, not paying attention to what it’s called.

            “What are watching?” He asked plopping down beside me. I scooted over so that my arm was against the armrest, and I was as far from him as possible. So much for hoping he’d leave.

            “I don’t know,” I shrugged.

            “Then why are you watching it?” He asked. I rolled my eyes and stood up, tossing the remote onto where I was sitting.

            “I’m going to change, you can leave whenever you’d like. Preferably now,” I said with a mock polite tone.

            I went to my room, locking the door behind me, and changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

            I crossed my fingers that he left, but was instead disappointed to see him sprawled out on the couch, snoring. I sighed and grabbed a blanket out of the closet and draped it over him before locking the back door.

            I hoped to god dad doesn’t decide to come home early.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[ConspiracyAnalyst101]

Wow, I'm liking this progression :) Go Josh! Bonus points for being on the ball :D Hehe, unfornately again there isn't much I can offer in CC. You're quite consistent all around. Still not sure how exactly Clair looks, her image is a little hazy to me but her personality is anything but lacking ;) I'll have to continue another night but, as always;

Loving it and awaiting more!
Conspiracy101