you should know what you're falling for

seven

My dress starts to shrink to my body as we make our escape, the area that was splashed begins to become see-through. Self-consciously, I cross my arms across my chest.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and whip around. It's that Josh Hyland kid again, and he's holding his jacket. "Take it. It looks like you need it." He grins.

I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment and snatch the jacket. "Thanks." I say stiffly, and clutch it tight, not wanting Josh to think that he should put it on me. In a hurry, Kendall and I continue to scurry across the lawn.

Kendall stumbles out to the car and flings open the driver's seat door. "Oh no, you're not driving." I scold, and scoot in before she can. She scrambles around to the other side and plops down in the passenger seat beside me. 

"Thanks, by the way." whispers the drunken girl, who promptly pops out a little box of Altoids and takes a mint, "Want one?"

I shake my head, "No," and drive forward solemnly. The only sound in the car is Kendall drumming her fingers on the dashboard. 

"I'm really sorry about the dress," she cries. I sigh and make a left turn,

"It's really no big deal, we'll just put it back, and everything will be fine," I roll my eyes and explain, annoyed. Besides, her family is rich enough anyways, one cocktail dress won't matter at all. 

"You know, I know what it feels like to be stared at, too." Kendall whimpers into the silence, "To be different, I mean."

I purse my lips and continue to navigate the car in silence.

She continues anyways, "I was in the system when I was little, but I ended up with Christi when I was really young. Like, ten. But I still remember that feeling."

Even though I was not aware of Kendall's past, I still don't make a sound. She's drunk, and she probably has no idea that she's telling me all of this.

I feel her small, cold hand on my wrist and look up abruptly. Her eyes are big and shining, "You don't have to shut everyone out, you know. We're trying to help you. Alex doesn't."

"Well, Alex is a pretty special kid, isn't he?" I retort, stopping the car in the driveway, and bracing myself for our arrival at home.