Oreo

9

I pushed the door open enough for Jamie to hobble through on his crutches. I never had a problem with helping Jamie do anything because Jamie was just that type of person where no matter what he said or did he could never be anything less than perfect.

There had been a time when I felt that way about Zero, and I had thought that he felt that way about me but that didn't last long. I realized early on how naive and just generally wrong that kind of thinking was.

"So are you gonna let Squirt pick out your outfit for tonight?" Jamie says, flipping through an old magazine that was collecting dust on the wobbly coffee table. It's been there since we first met, which is why I think he picks it up every time he comes over- because he knows what it says. "Either she does or I do, pick your poison."

I sigh. "It isn't right that Clement would let me go to a party but not to football practice."

"You can relax at parties- you get all stressed out at football."

"I wouldn't be stressed if Bryce Leonards would learn how to make a decent pass." I grumble.

Jamie laughs, throwing the magazine lamely in my direction. "Not all of us learned from the best, alright?" He was referring to how Valor used to be the star player of our football team. In fact, Valor was the star everything before his temper got the best of him. "Is being that good at a spiral even legal?"

"He could throw at a wall and it would just drill through."

We sit in silence for a little while longer. "Well, me or Squirt? Is Squirt even here?"

"I'll go get her. She's probably up the street with Bo."

"I wanna see him too."

You wanna see a lot of things, don't you Jamie? I think as I push out the door. I'd never say that out loud, of course.

"You bet I do." I hear Jamie remark through the thin wooden door. So I would say that out loud. Oh, well.

---

"I think you should wear that black sweatshirt you have-"

"It's almost eighty degrees outside- no chance."

"Fine. Then you can put on that purple dress I have-"

"No dresses."

"Then wear those yellow shorts-"

"I don't like yellow."

"Well I don't really like you right now!" Squirtle finally bursts out, and I laugh.

"I get that pretty often actually." She still seems angry, so I pin her to the bed and run my fingers up and down her sides.

"Stop!"

"Say, 'Strobel is the bestest best friend to ever best ever' and I'll stop."

"Strobel is the weirdest-" I jab her side, making her squeal and giggle even more. "Weirdo to ever weird-" I jab her again. "Ever!"

I take her thrashing hands and shove them out of my way, tickling her even more ferociously. "Say it!"

She gasps. "No!"

"Say it!"

"No!" She takes the pillow by her head and smacks me in the head with it. To defend myself, I pick up another.

"Say it, and you will live."

"Oh, I'm just so scared!"

I advance, slapping her with the soft object over and over again until we're both exhausted. "Say it."

"Strobel is the bestest best friend to ever best ever."

"And Squirtle is pretty cool too."

"You bet it."

---

I know everyone at this party- of course I did- everyone knew everyone at every party so why the heck do people keep throwing parties to watch people they know do the same things that they always do at every other party? Why do I always end up going to these parties?

Well, at first I hated parties just because I never knew what to put on, and because I was more interested in helping pay bills or throwing a football around or something, but that was before Zero. When I was with Zero, we went to parties all the time- and I loved them. He would hold me tightly around the waist and not leave my side ever and he would include me in conversations and make sure that I was never drinking to much or too little.

I suppose I hate parties again now because there's never anyone by my side anymore, and I always drink just a bit too much.

So that's what I thought about while I stood leaning on a wall covered in floral wallpaper and paintings of flowers and sunrises and even more freaking flowers, clutching a cold beer in my hands, just out of it enough to sway and risk spilling some booze on my tank top and jean shorts. I could hold my liquor well enough to know this danger, and so I was determined not to screw up.

But I didn't want to hold my liquor. I wanted my liquor to wrap around my soul and warm it. I wanted my liquor to hold me. I downed the beer in a few short gulps.

I don't remember much after that, thank goodness, because I never want to remember what happens at parties, but I do remember the sticky feeling of beer being all over a polyester tank top.

----------

I am so sorry.

I know people get sick of writers who criticize themselves and just complain about their writing but I think most of us can agree that the whole tickle-pillow-fight between Squirtle and Strobel was absolutely, awfully, absurdly, cliche.

I ask that if there are any other complaints, that you comment, as I will read them and I promise to head to them, and uhm because I don't think I have too many readers, and I do need a few more characters (maybe four, at most) I'm going to ask that if you would like a character of your own (maybe even you) to be written into the story, just post it on MY BOARD. If you comment it I probably won't read it because I'll be looking for other things but the character form should answer these questions...

Name/Nicknames
Age (I may not include this but write it in anyways)
Gender
Hair color/type (curly, straight, thick, thin, ect)
Eye color/type (big, small, almond-shaped, wide, ect)
Skin color/marks, blemishes
Tattoos/piercings
Relative height/body type (short, tall, wide, narrow, ect)

Sad or Angry
Happy or Content
Inside or Outside
Basketball or The Mall
Reading or Writing
Skirts or Shorts
Morning Shower or Night Shower
Loud or Quiet
Simple or Complex

(I know some of those are kind of weird but it's those weird questions that help develop your character, I think)

What are three of the character's main goals/motivating forces?

What does the character actually have to do with the story? Are they in a relationship with another character already? Will they soon be in a relationship with another character (any character, even Strobel if you so please)? Do they work for someone? Are they someone's friend?

Even if the character may not meet or know these other following characters, what might your character think of these people...?

Zero?

Strobel?

Clement?

Valor?

And lastly, any other details or things that you'd like to throw in, feel completely free to do so.

Guys, I know that this is a whole bunch of work, so it's ok if you don't answer all of the questions (I won't use all of the information anyway) but please, please, please put the effort into your character because the character is likely going to be pretty primary to the story. I like to include the readers with things like this and I really hope that people participate. The polls will be open for about as long as it takes for the story to get finished so take your time!