Better Kept Secret

chapter 5

The day of the party comes quickly, and the time passed hasn't settled my nerves.

"Can you pass me the hair straightener?"  Claire says to Rachel. I arrived at her house a few minutes ago but Claire has been here for about an hour.

"I don't know if I'm wearing the right clothes. It's casual right?" I say to the girls while gesturing down to my outfit. I'm wearing a patterned top with a jean skirt and my black boots.

"Ya, that's cute. Do you want me to curl your hair?"

I touch my hair gently, rubbing my fingers through it.

"Sure. Thanks." I pull up a chair behind Rachel and she does my hair while we listen to music. We talk and laugh but I only occasionally join in on the conversation because my nerves are getting worse.

"Claire, you are so lucky you have Alex," Rachel says. Claire and her boyfriend have been going out for around three months now and they're perfect for each other. They met because they're both on the debate team and they clicked because they're so similar. Serious and smart, but also know how to have fun.

She giggles. "He's really sweet. The other day he bought me roses, just because he wanted to."

I hate couples.

"It isn't fair. Elowyn and I have to sit here, all lonely and single." I don't exactly mind being single, but I do get that jealous burn when I see someone in a happy relationship. Like, how dare you have fun and be in love around me?

"You'll find someone. I actually know the perfect guy for Elowyn."

"What?" I chime in.

"I know him from science and he's so nice. Smart too. You'll love him."

"Who are you talking about?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," she giggles.

"Claire! You aren't taking me to this party to set me up with someone, right? Because even if this guy thinks I'm spending the night with him, I'm not."

"I'm not. I swear. I just want to introduce you two."

Rachel sits up straighter and perks up because she loves to talk about relationships.

"Tell us your type," Rachel says.

"I'm not really sure. I don't think I have a type, just nice hair and a nice smile."

"Are you thinking of anyone in particular when you say this? You must have a little crush," Rachel says.

An image pops up in my head of a brunette boy, who's tall and has this beautiful smile with dimples framing it. The image is Ben. All I see is Ben.

I gulp. "Not at the moment. There was this one guy in my history class but then I realized he was never that cute." Why was Ben the first person I thought of when she asked me who my 'crush' is? I'm too old for this. For silly crushes, especially for silly crushes on friends.

"I know who mine is. It's David. Oh my god! He's so hot. And he's on the basketball team. Sometimes I go to watch one of my brother's games just to see him."

"You can have him," Claire adds. "Trust me. Tonight is the night."

✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦

The three of us walk into the party together closely huddled. I scan the crowd, looking for people I know and my stomach eases a little after realizing I know most of the people here. It's loud and all I can hear is shouts and the music pumping through the house. We walk further in and a group of boys nearly knock us over as they rush past us.