The Secrets We Keep

The Ninth Chapter

Hayden

"Who was that guy you were dancing with earlier?" I ask Diane as I take out my earrings. We're back in her room after dancing the night away. While I get dressed into something comfier, I spy her trying her best to make her floor a comfortable enough bed for me. 

"I don't know. Just some random stranger. I was really into him until he opened his mouth to try and kiss me and he had the worst breath ever."

"That's so disgusting," I say with a laugh and grab one of her make-up wipes to remove my concealer and mascara. "Where are all the sexy guys we were promised in TV shows?"

"I think you found one or two," Diane observes as she stops fiddling with her old Barbie sleeping bag and sits on her bed. She meets my eyes in her bedroom mirror and smirks. "Spill it."

"Spill what?" I ask, even though I know exactly what she wants to know. After I joined up with her on the dancefloor, she practically made me give her a play-by-play of what she saw going on at the bar. I told her I would tell her when we got home but I'm not sure I want to get into it yet. I don't even know how I feel about my conversation with Christopher and then with Nathan. 

"Seriously, Hay? Come on, the two best-looking guys all night were all over you and you're making me pull the information out of you? Be a good friend? Tell me all about it so I can forget about the bad-breath guy?"

"Fine," I say, sighing and setting down my things so that I can take up my spot on the floor. "But there's not much to tell except that they go to Excelsior and I only sort of know them."

"What's the dark-haired one's name?"Diane goes on, her eyes taking on a dreamy quality as she recalls him. "He was so fine, babes. Please tell me about him."

I laugh at her moon-eyed expression. "His name is Nathan. He's actually really sweet," I say, leaning back on my arms so that I can look at her better. "Damien thinks he likes me," I admit and then I blush. Why am I getting into this?

I'm acting like a freaking middle schooler with a crush... And even though I can't help but feel a spark with Christopher... there's something wrong there that he won't tell me about. And then there's Nathan, who seems so sweet and sweet on me. But we don't even know each other.

"Yeah, duh, that was clear from across the room. And I'm very upset with you, the least you could've done was allow me to have some one-on-one time with either of them. Imagine if we started dating friends and- Ow! Don't you dare throw a pillow at me, Hayden!" She says, wielding another one up dangerously. "You know I don't take mercy!" 

I look at the pillow that lies on the ground after I threw it at her face. It was the only thing I could think of doing to change the subject.

I laugh and try to stand up but she's on me in a second. "Ow!" I shout when she gets me in the ribs. "Ok, it's on!" I pick up the one I threw at her and we go at it again and again until we eventually flop onto her bed, laughing so hard our sides hurt. 

And this was everything I needed. With all the chaos at school and at home, it feels good to just be a normal teenage girl again. 

-

On Saturday, Diane drops me back at home. It's still early and I think everyone's still asleep as I start picking some things out of the fridge to eat. I get a fright when I turn and find my brother leaning his arms against the kitchen counter. 

"You scared me, Damien!" I hiss as one of the peaches I bundled in my arms rolls down onto the ground. "Why are you slinking in like a cat? Don't you know it's considered normal human behavior to announce your presence in a room?"