It all started when she called

30. The beautiful boy

A/n: Hey, I'm sorry it's been so long. School started up and I've been pretty occupied. Because of my late updates it might be hard to remember there was ever mention of a party... but here we are. The part scene. And, forewarning, there is alcohol In this chapter. I do not glamorize teen drinking!!

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Venus

It's Sunday. And god, after a long talk with my parents, they agreed to let me go. I'm really not the type of person to sneak out, and it's not like this party is something that seems truly worth doing that for.

My mom just kept repeating the same thing, like I needed to be reassured or I'd brake down in tears. "We trust you honey, we just don't trust the people there. You smell marijuana? Leave. And I know you won't because your very trustable, but don't drink or make out with any boys. Okay? We don't want our-"

But I'd interrupted her before she'd said 'little darling' and that's how it's always gone.

After a lot of nail bitting and and lip picking she'd said yes, just because my dad had said it first.

Lately he's been dropping hints that he wants me to be the stupid teenager I'm supposed too. I think he's noticed how much of hermit crab I am, even though I go off and have adventures with Juniper when he's not around.

But I guess some would argue they're not really adventures, just things that I would consider adventures, like riding my bike down to the mall and getting a pretzel.

But whether i drink at the party or not I know that just the idea of me going to one puts my mother in a tizzy.

I bite my lip at the thought. Her, with me, bending this way and that, looking for hickeys like they're some deadly infection.

It's happened before, the one time i'd gone to a sleepover at thirteen and there'd been a boy there, one that blatantly i didn't think would make an appearance. long story short, it was humiliating.

I'm obviously older now, but the woman still hasn't gotten past the fact that my ''tweens'' ended five years ago.

I let a long sigh escape my lips as i pull up to a rather large house with lights flashing thorough the windows and loud muffled music seeping through the walls.

Why did i do this? Like, yeah right adventure, more like hell.

my stomach drops as i picture myself among those kids, clutching a plastic red cup and staring wide eyed at someone who's trying to have a conversation with me, all the while Juniper's grinding on some hunk in the other room.

''why did i do this?'' I ask myself again, and tighten my grip on my steering wheel.

I don't want to mess this up. no matter how much i dread the idea of it, even though i have no idea what i might face inside that house, i don't want to mess it up. it's my first party, the thing almost every teenager has to go through to even be considered one, and Juniper's there.

She's there waiting for me, and she's the only reason I've actually come. I think we both know I myself would also be a rather odd appearance at this thing. Everyone at school either knows me as the teachers pet or not at all, just because I'm such a wallflower. Maybe Jackson Torres's weird one time splurge in a weird chick.

But I have Juniper, right? If anything goes wrong, i have her.

I honestly can't tell if i'm more anxious about judgment or the idea that i might have to see Juniper kiss someone, but both those things keep me inside my car, pondering endlessly if i should really go in.