Catchfly: Seeing Stars

Chapter 32: Let The Beat Build

November 21 – 9:31 PM

"Oh, guys! This is too much." Austin holds up the Lakers Jersey, admiring it while Elias throws his on. Austin has one of Magic Johnson, Elias' is from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar– two of their all-time favorite Lakers players, and if I have to believe them, two of the best basketball players in history. Will got the idea a few weeks back. The rest of us instantly offered to chip in.

"And, as per tradition, mom made you cookies." I hand them a can filled with mom's homemade glazed cookies, à la grandma Yelena's recipe: mom's mom. Mom bakes them every year for Austin and Elias' birthday. If anyone adores them as much as I do, it's my mom.

"Aw, thank mama James for us." Elias takes the can. Austin snatches a cookie out.

Ever since the third grade, they've thrown their birthday parties together. Austin's birthday is on the twenty-first of November, Elias' on the twenty-second. It's more meant to be than any relationship I've ever seen. The two of them have been friends the longest out of all five of us– even longer than me and Avery, only by a couple of months, because Avery and I met in school and Austin and Elias knew each other from little league basketball. Not something you'd expect them to brag about, but they do. All the time.

"Now it's time for some alcohol!" Austin jumps up. Elias follows him.

I remember the first time I presented my mom's cookies to them at their seventh birthday party. My mom baked cookies because she had no idea what else to give two boys of that age. Their party was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themed. Austin's mom put out green soda pop that we pretended was radio-activated water that turned us into Ninja Turtles.

Eleven years later, green soda pop turned into beer, and Ninja Turtles turned into stupid teenagers.

Avery tugs Reeve with her to the hallway. Will is in a heated discussion with Dave Peterson. Sports terms are thrown around, and I decide it's not really my scene.

I do a quick scan of the party area. Austin doesn't have an extremely big house, but still he managed to fit at least a hundred people in here. The music is a lot of throwbacks and hiphop. They crafted their party playlist at least a month ago already. It's been a main topic of conversation during lunch breaks at school. They've always thrown their parties together, but never before has it been such a big one. Austin's parents went out tonight so Austin and Elias could throw a small get-together, which I'm pretty sure meant max ten people.

But as I look around, this party looks bigger than Jesse Davis' parties do, and that's saying something.

I recognize most people in the crowd, but none of them are people I'd go up and talk to– not sober, anyway. I find Stacey Wester, chatting with Riley Gomez. They've been best friends since the seventh grade, when Riley first moved here and clutched onto Stacey like a bug. I guess she found some sense of comfort in being friends with the mean girl. Riley is still the nervous, shy girl she was all those years ago. I feel bad for her. She could have been so much more if she hadn't been forced behind Stacey Wester's shadow all this time.

"Hey! Paisley!"

I turn my head, smiling big when I see Mindy walk up to me with her hands in the air. She throws them around me.

"Hey! I haven't seen you in forever." I squeeze her.

Mindy and I work together at a party rental supply store. It's been under renovation for the past couple of months, so I haven't seen her in a while. She also goes to New Bern High, but we don't have any classes together– unfortunately, because she's one of the sweetest people I know. We only really spend time together at work.