Forever Yours

chapter seventeen

It's the last Saturday before school starts back up. Joel, Mia, and I are at Mitch's end of summer party. I have dreaded going, since I know Jack is going to be here. It just freaks me out, why would he want to hang out with a bunch of high schoolers anyway?

In preparation for Jack's appearance, I've been drinking— A LOT. Two shots in and I'm feeling a little wasted, but I am nowhere near as drunk as Mia as I watch her dance with Hank. From here in the kitchen, he looks a little uncomfortable, but what do I know? I'm drunk! I take another shot of vodka as Mitch makes me a cranberry vodka. I like vodka.

I gratefully take my drink from him and make my way out to the living room where Joel is sitting on the couch. I take it upon myself to sit on his lap. Up until this moment, Joel has been on edge. I guess I'm not the only one nervous for Jack's arrival.

But once I kiss Joel on the cheek, he smiles. I boop him on the nose with my finger and say into his ear, "Hey handsome, why so serious?"

"What are you? The Joker?" I laugh at his lame joke. But it's funny. Almost anything is funny to me at this point.

I take a sip of my drink. It's so cold I feel it run down my throat and through my hot body. There are so many people in here that I'm sweating. "Wanna dance?" I ask as the music gets louder.

"What?" Joel can't hear me, so I yell louder.

"Wanna dance?!" He shakes his head and looks at me like I'm crazy. Like how could I ever bring up such a preposterous thing at a party? But I pull him up off the couch and drag him over to where everyone is dancing.

He stands still with his arms crossed as he watches me dance seductively for him. I keep eye contact with him the entire time as I sway my hips back and forth to the blaring music. It makes me feel like a bad bitch as I dance, circling Joel. I run my arm across his chest and down his arm, then down to his lower back. I circle back to the front of him. I grab his crossed arms and force him to dance with me. I put his hands on my hips as I grind up against him.

We dance for a while, until something—well someone, four someone's— catches my eye from over Joel's shoulder. He must realize who I'm seeing by the look on my face. He gets an angry look on his face before turning to peek to confirm who he thinks is now here. Jack, Amy, Ryan, and Brooke too.

Joel grows stone still, and I cup his face with both my hands. "Don't worry about them. Dance with me babe."

He finally looks me in the eyes and says, "I don't really feel like dancing anymore." He pulls away from me and goes back to sit in his spot on the couch.

I pout like a baby in the middle of everyone dancing. Why did he have to show up? Jack ruins everything! I'm angry now as I go take a seat next to Joel on the couch. I grab his hand and kiss it; he still feels very tense. I take a peek over at Jack and instantly regret it as I see him staring at us with an evil smirk on his face. He doesn't come up to us or say anything though. He just gets a drink and walks out into the backyard with Amy.

"See, you can relax now," I say to Joel.

"I'm not gonna chance it," he says back. Joel snatches my drink out of my hand and chugs the whole thing. Rude.I guess he's trying to calm himself like I was.

Mia and Hank walk over to sit with us on the couch. We are all in deep conversation when I take a glance out the window to the backyard. I instantly wish I didn't. I see Jack and Amy arguing with each other and all of a sudden, he shoves her to the ground.

I gasp and for some odd reason I get up quick and run out there to her rescue. I hear Joel yell my name from behind me as I run out the back door.