The Boy Next Door

Chapter 6

'Dear Diary, I need to go out and meet some people. And by "people" I mean "guys". I'm alone. And I need to find somebody. If Jared can move on, so can I. So that is why I'm going out tonight. Carter offered to take me out to a party, to meet some potential boyfriends. It is currently 4.34. So we will be leaving at six o'clock. I am wearing a red dress which compliments my body shape, and it comes to just above my knee. I am also wearing a pair of red high heels and red lipstick, with my usual eyeliner. Wish me luck! Tonight will be my night.'

I heard a knock on my bedroom door just as I finished putting my high heels on. I rolled my eyes as I was forced to get up to open the door.
I opened the door with a scowl, expecting it to be my dad. However, when I saw Mason standing there, I smiled.

"Sorry. I thought you were Dad so I was practicing my angry face." I said sarcastically.

"That kid from next door is downstairs waiting for you." Mason told me.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at my phone for the time.
"He's early!" I exclaimed.
Mason shrugged before putting his hand into the pocket of his shorts and pulling out a slice of pizza. I expected him to throw it in the bin like any normal person would but when I saw him take a bite of it, I was shocked.

I gave him my most disgusted look before saying, "Ew." I then walked downstairs where I found Carter waiting for me by the door.
"You're early!" I giggled.
When he looked up from his phone and saw me, his face lit up entirely. I knew he was checking me out but I played it cool and opened the door.

"Uhm . . . I-I thought w-we could maybe go for food b-before we go to the party." Carter stuttered.
"Sure! What kind of food were you thinking?" I asked him.
"Pizza?" He suggested.
My disgusted face returned as I thought back to Mason eating left over pizza straight from his pocket.

"How about we go to a diner instead and get some burgers and milkshakes?" I suggested, hoping he would agree.
"Yeah, that sounds good. I know a great place!" Carter told me before we walked out of the house and got into his car.

***

"You have good taste! This place is exactly like the diner across from my old house in Florida." I informed Carter as we sat down at a booth next to a window. "Jared and I used to go there every Tuesday after school."

"Hey, tonight is about you. Not Jared. Just don't think about him." Carter said to me, placing his hand on mine on the table.
I looked him in the eyes. Realising what he had just done, his eyes quickly glanced to our hands and he removed his hand so fast I almost didn't notice.

"Carter, my man!" I heard a male voice call from behind me. Carter's eyes moved from me to the male standing at our table.
Carter smiled and stood up before bro hugging the stranger. Awkwardly, I sat at the table and looked out the window.

"Hey, Aaron! How have you been, man? Long time no see." Carter said to the guy before sitting down.
"Yeah, you haven't been in school in a while." Aaron laughed. "Hey, guys! Over here! It's Carter!"
I watched as he raised his arm and waved at two other people sitting at a table at the other side of the diner: a girl and another guy.

Within seconds, both of them stood up, grabbed two seats and dragged them to our booth while Aaron sat down in the booth, beside Carter.
"Who's this?" The guy asked, eyeing me up and down with a smirk on his face.
"This is my friend Brooklyn. She just moved here from Florida a couple days ago. Brooklyn, these are my friends Aaron, Matt and Ashleigh." Carter introduced us.

"Oh my god! We finally have another girl in our group!" Ashleigh exclaimed.
"Hey, Brooklyn. Are you coming to Melanie's party tonight?" Matt asked me, still smirking.
"Uhm . . . Yeah." I answered, trying to give him the best fake smile I could.
"How about you meet me in a bedroom later tonight and we can, uh . . . Get to know each other a little better." Matt suggested to me, flirtatiously.

My eyes glanced over at Carter, who was giving Matt the dirtiest look I had ever seen.
I shuffled in my seat a little before looking down at my menu, refusing to answer Matt.

"Why must you be like this every time you meet a new girl?" Ashleigh asked Matt, hitting his arm.
"C'mon, man. Stop it." Aaron sighed.
"What? It's not like Carter's going out with this one." Matt groaned before taking a sip of his soda.
"Really, Matt? You're referring to her as 'this one'? Wow." Ashleigh said angrily.

"Do you really want to go back there?" Carter asked Matt as he stood up from his seat, staring him down.
My eyes widened as I looked up from my menu.

Suddenly, it clicked on that Matt was the "best friend" who slept with Carter's girlfriend when they were still together.

***

When we finally got to the party, Carter warned me to stay by his side until I met someone else because it was so busy.

Nervously, I grabbed his hand and held it.
He looked at me with a questioning expression. "I don't like big crowds like this." I informed him.
"You won't find a potential boyfriend tonight if they see you holding my hand." Carter laughed. I looked him in the eyes and smiled.
"I don't care." I said.

He looked down at me before taking his hand out of mine and wrapping his arm around my shoulders instead.

Vodka burns my throat. But Jared's name burned my head. So by the end of the night, I completely blacked out, knowing I'd have a hangover. But it was better than staring blankly at my hands, trying to forget what it was like to touch him.