To Be Loved

8| Alpine Ave No.13?

So, Mom allowed us to go to the party, something about her not wanting to stop us from having fun cause we're "growing." How nice in't?

So now we're deep in our closet trying to find what to wear.

How do you dress to a high school party?
Do I wear a dress? Ew, definitely not.

I'm pretty sure I'm like a causal dressing person, but I still want to look intentional how I dress to the party, so what do I do? I'm in a dilemma over here.

I pull up a stool and climbed on top of it to reach the higher part of my closet, I had put the box that contained major of the clothes I had brought from Nigeria up there.

I had a particular pair of jeans in it that I had gotten on my 16th birthday before everything happened, and I never wore it again afterwards.

I didn't want to bring it but I couldn't, it was the last gift Dad ever gave to me so why should I live it behind? I still want a reminder of him here.

He was a nice guy at quite some points.

I think I have a good top to go with it since they still fit perfectly. I searched my closet again for the top and found it.

It was a white turtle neck crop that had a kind of v shape that gets smaller and smaller and gets to a sharp end. (Image above).

I pulled up my all round favorite pair of white sneakers and decided to match it with it. Perfect, not all flashy and dramatic and looking out if character, just causal and nice. I think it's okay.

Brie better say it's good too ,because she's actually the one who would give me a final say as regarding this, lol, but she's obviously the more fashionable one. I don't really give two craps all the time.

****

So I'm all showered and smelling good with Brie's perfume I had stolen. My braids, which were a mixture of dark brown and gold were let to fall down as Brie said was good.

Brie was also all dressed up in a blue black striped maxi dress that had an open back and a small circle joining at the front part. (Image above) she looked very nice.

Now we were ready yes, but you know what's going on right now?

I didn't ask what time exactly the party was. Cool right?

The time was about past nine right now, that's a decent enough time to start a party isn't it? They're not opening a strip club, are they?

"Brie let's just go." I said after a while to Brie that was lying on the couch her phone in her hand.

"So, if it hasn't started we should go be looking like two over excited mumu, abi (right)? She said giving me a side eye.

"Dude it's past nine already." I told her, we had finished getting ready over thirty minutes ago. "That's a decent enough time to start anything, and sides you know since when he said he was going to the friend's house already, like past five, wetin dem dey do abeg?" I asked switching to pidgin in my frustration.

"If you guys have somewhere to go, go on time, else I'm locking that door and no one is going anywhere."  Mom said coming out of her room. "Cus I don't know when you want to go now, that would warrant you getting back on time, I'm allowing you to go but you both better be back here, before nothing at all past 11pm, else, ita le ma sun ni, se gbo mi?  (You'll stay outside the night, Do you hear me?)"

"Yes, ma." We responded simultaneously.

"Good, you both look beautiful." She said and went back inside.

"Oya, let's go jo," I said and picked up my cross bag that was on the couch beside Brie.

"Yeah," she said and stood up. "Hope you sha remember the address, ma?" She asked

"Kind of." I said and laughed at her reaction. She looked like I just said the stupidest thing she ever heard. Maybe I did.

"I'm just joking now, I still remember the street now, and he said No.13, so." I said as we started out the door.

"Hmm, okay o, I sha know I no come California come lost," she said in pidgin before yelling out a bye to mom.

"Bye honeys, be safe and don't do anything I would do!" She yelled back.

"Should that be, anything I wouldn't do?" Brie asked a bit quieter.

"I know?" I asked her. "Okay mom." I said and closed the door.

"Wait are we walking ni?" Brie asked laughing.

"I don't know, should we take a cab? I think that would be better." I suggested.

"Do you remember the name of the street?" She asked

"I think I saw, Alpine Ave." I said and we stopped a cab.

"Alpine Ave No.13?" I asked the driver.

"Oh, you girls going to the party, sure." He said and couldn't have given a more perfect answer.

"Told you," I said to Brie before entering in to the backseat of the cab and she followed.

"Tsk, whatever." She said rolling her eyes and I chuckled.

*****

Okay so we're hear.

Okay. Why I feel suddenly nauseous right now, I don't know? I really don't like coming out my shell, I don't like leaving my comfort zone, what if we don't fit in. Lemme rephrase that what if I don't fit in. Brie thrives at parties and outings.

I didn't even planning on going to my secondary school prom back at home if we hadn't left. What am I doing here?

I need to zip my head up, I've never not attended things out of feeling not confident enough. I just like my shell very much, so where are all these insecurities coming from?

I took a breath and finally got out of the car after Brie who was already marching up the little flight of stairs on the porch of this beautiful house.

I could here loud music playing from outside already and I breathed in again, confirming for sure it had started.

"You ready?" Brie asked me ready to knock the door.

I checked the time on my phone, 9:56, before turning off the screen and slipping it into my bag.

"As I'll ever be." I told her and she knocked.

Two tall guys opened the door and I realized Dale was one of them.

"Heyyy, fine peach, what a pleasant surprise." He said opening the door wider for both of us to come in.

"Good evening Dale." I chuckled at his familiarity, "Joel invited me and this is my cousin, Brie."

"Hi there ." Brie said with a small wave.

"Hello." He said eyeing her a bit from head to toe. "We'll you girls go on in and have some fun, I think I saw Joel over by the drink section, if you'd want to see him." He told us.

"Alright then thank you." I said.

"See you around." He responded and I and Brie finally stepped into the big building hosting a pack of bubbling high school kids.

"Well someone's definitely made lots of new friends, look at you claiming all I'm not social, making handsome friends." Brie said laughing.

"Shut up jo." I told her.