Butterfly

•||Chapter Two: Party of the Year||•

•||For Vivia||•

I shiver, and wrap my arms around myself. I wore my new bathing suit, the yellow one, and a pair of my running shorts. Every once and a while cold wind bit at my exposed skin. I couldn't wait to jump into the heated pool, my toes were literally twerking.

Laura and I got here early, since we were pretty much the hosts. There were some picnic tables down the walkway, on it were bowls, platters, and jars of food. My best friend, of course, couldn't stop giggling. She kept squealing everytime she heard footsteps or a car.

"Calm it, Laur!" I yelled at her. She narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips argrily.

"You're the one who needs to calm down! Quit moving, for once!"

I started to portest with, "You know I can't-" but the sound of a car lock and a bunch of teenagers interupted. Laura gave a high-pitched fangirl squeal, and trotted off somewhere.

Soon, more and more people came. I waited -impatiently, of course- until...oh my Lord...Ethan IS to die for... "Hell..." I mutter. He looks so perfect, in his old faded t-shirt and swim trunks...his hair, oh, his sandy colored hair, it's-

"Felicity!" Laura snaps. I jump a little and whirl around. "Come on. Let's jump in!"

I was right about the pool being heated. It felt so good, I just wanted to lay there and float on my back. Except, the fact that I didn't have that kind of patience and calmness. I sit up, giving up on that idea, and guess who struts towards me?

"Andrea?! What are you doing here?!" I screech agitatedly.

She twirled a blonde curl on her finger, and gave me that fake plastered innocent smile. "Oh? My boyfriend invited me. You know, Ethan Armstrong?"

"You're not his girlfriend!!!" I scream, pulling myself out of the pool and standing in front of her. I easily beat her height, and I'm proud of it. "Now, come on, Andrea. Why don't you take a swim?"

She narrows her little eyes and gives me the ice-cold stare. "You wouldn't dare, Felicity." I roll my eyes.

"Then tell me you're not his girlfriend. Maybe I won't push you in."

"Oh, I don't lie. We're dating for sure." I grab her arms and a leap into the deep end of the pool, pulling her with me. She screams and comes up to the surface of the water, mascara running down her face.

Andrea screams again, more in frustration this time, and climbs out of the pool. "Y-You...FREAK!!! You and your fake ADHD!!! That's just for attention, isn't it?! Your parents don't even want you, you have ONE friend, that hippie girl, and you ruin everything for people you're jealous of!!! I'm leaving, who's coming with me?" I'm so stunned, I say nothing.

A few popular kids turn to her, then some more, and almost all, until Ethan speaks up.

"Felicity is MY friend, Andrea. I tell you we're breaking up, but we were never even dating. Leave her alone, take your friends and your bullshit rumors, and get out of here." Her turn to be stunned, my turn to be dazzled.

A bunch of jocks, Ethan's friends, move back to where they were, and then the jocks' friends. Andrea huffs and leaves, with the few people who stood with her.

The party resumes the same way, except now Ethan is at my side. He shows me to a distant gazebo, where the music isn't as loud, and we sit on dry towels. Ethan tells me how he sits here and listens to the birds, and the animals.

I kneel on my towel, and point at a green caterpillar walking around the gazebo. "You know, Felicity, people are much like butterflies. You're the sane for most of your life, and at one point, during a hard time, you need some help breaking your cocoon, and sprouting wings."

The peaceful thought made me smile. Ethan was more than a handsome jock. He was the opposite of me, and maybe he's the one to break my cocoon and hold me until I can fly.

--------------------------------

"Your party rocked, Laura!"

"That was one of the best parties all year!"

People loved the party, and when we came back to school on Monday, it's all anyone could talk about. Laura thought it was annoying.

"Nobody even wants to talk!!! Everyone's talking about the party, and they didn't even know who hosted it," she would huff each day. "Honestly, they call think themselves grateful?!"

I rolled my eyes, refusing to speak up in fear that she'd tear me apart. I liked the attention, in a deep deep part of my brain. Only one thing was missing.

Ethan Armstrong.

He hasn't spoken to me at all, and I'm worried he doesn't want anything to do with me. Have I done something wrong-

"Fel, you're speaking your thoughts aloud..." Laur says with her natural worried tone.

I sigh. "It's doesn't matter. Just nevermind." Laura knew I was paranoid, but when I speak my thoughts aloud, only the worst could be troubling me.

Maybe I'd see Ethan. Slim chance, considering the overall population of the school. If I happened to see him, it's even LESS likely he'd converse with me.

I was in way too deep.