g a r d n e r
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"Gage, you know I don't like parties," I say to my best friend when I get in his car on Friday evening.
"This will be fun, trust me!" He says, trying to sound assuring.
"How do you know that this will be fun?"
"Gar, have some faith in me,"
I sigh. "Fine. Who's party is it?"
"Nathan Taylor's—"
I audibly groan.
"Look, I know you don't really like Nathan, but he's not all bad,"
He's probably just going to this party for a girl.
He's completely oblivious to the fact that I, his best friend, have liked him since tenth grade. It's hard to see the guy you like chase things that ultimately hurt him in the end, but no matter what I do or say, he keeps searching for people in the wrong places. Now, I'm not saying it's me he's looking for, I'm just saying he could pick a more down to earth person— one that doesn't worry about what color hair clip she needs in her hair.
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Gage pulls his car into the driveway. I'm honestly completely surprised there's even room for his car, normally (or from what I've heard) Nathan's parties or huge. I've never actually been to one though, because as I stated earlier, I don't like parties. Or lots of people.
I follow Gage inside the house, sidestepping several people are already drunk. Gage promised me he wasn't drinking tonight, so he still has his keys.
The second Gage walks through the door, girls (and guys) flock to his side, although who can blame them? I can't help the pang of jealousy that shoots through my chest. To my surprise, though, Gage pushes them all off, grabbing my wrist and pulling me with him.
He goes outside into the backyard where some of our friends— Shane, Trent, Andrew, and Noah— are.
"Wait! Gardner Briggs? At a party!?" Shane jokes.
We all laugh. "I dragged him here," Gage says, looking back at me. Gage and Shane share some sort of silent conversation over the next minute and a half, involving lots of eye movement, nods, and (I'm assuming) lip reading.
"I am literally shocked. Even if you dragged him, I can't believe you got him here!" Trent says.
I roll my eyes at them. "I'm only here because I was told it would be fun," I say, glaring at Gage.
He glares right back, too. "Hey! It will be fun!"
I've been here for thirty minutes, and all I've done is follow Gage around like a lost puppy.
"Hi," a girl says to Gage, trying to get all up close and personal with him, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. I look down, scowling at the floor.
"I-I'm sorry? Have we— have we met?" He asks.
She laughs. "Not yet, but I know who you are. Gage Wilson... My name is Carmen,"
Gage nods, reaching behind him and grabbing my wrist.
"I'm sure you're very nice, but I'm not interested," Gage says nicely.
She shrugs. "How about your friend here, then? Hmm? He looks like he could use some fun." She looks at me, trying her best to grab my attention.
"You don't touch him. You stay away from him." Gage says, sounding the angriest that I've heard in a while.
She laughs sweetly. "But it's not up to you, Gage. It's up to him." She says his name in a sweet way that could drop poison, and rage bubbles in my chest when she says it. I feel the expression on my face change and harden.
"Let's go," I say softly into his ear. He nods, grabbing my wrist again and pushing away from Carmen and out of the house.
Gage looks over at me when we get in his car, starting the car and pulling out.
"Geez, I'm sorry, that did not go how I planned it," he says.
"It's okay," I tell him. "Do you even know her?"
"No. I've seen her around school, I think, but we've never talked. I doubt she actually even likes me, she just wants some fun,"
"And you don't? I thought you liked that kind of stuff?"
He pulls into the empty parking lot of the local park, towards the end of the lot where there's a bunch of trees.
"I used to. But that was before I liked you." He says, biting his lip when he looks at me.
My stomach soars to the sky as the butterflies get stirred up; I can't help but smile.
"You like me too, don't you?" He asks.
"Since tenth grade," I breathe out.
He smiles, pulling me to him and kissing me hard.
"Hey," I say, pushing back. "Let's—let's go back to my house..."
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"Hi Mom, we're home," I call out when Gage and I walk in the front door.
"Hi sweetheart, hi Gage," she says. "You're home early."
Neither of us knows how to reply to that, so we shrug and go up the stairs to my bedroom.
Gage sits on my bed, leaning against the pillows and pulling me on top of him, grabbing my waist.
I bite my lip, looking down at him. "Are you staying tonight?" I ask him.
He looks up at me, pulling me down to him. "I can if you want me to,"
I nod, our lips touching again.
2/11/21
