Don't Let Go S1

S1 EP3 - WISH WE WERE OLDER

"Do you know you lick your lips a lot? It's distracting. Stop doing it"

My teaching adviser frowns at me.

"Look"

She shows me a video she just took. Oh yeah, I do lick my lips. But so what?

We were practicing for a school competition and it's 6:30 pm. I've wanted to go home since 4.

I got picked for a vocal duet by my adviser earlier today. How she knew I could sing puzzled me. I never sang in public so how did they know? I don't even hum in classrooms or in between classes.

I sing, by the way. Not professionally. And never in public.

We practice a few more times and our adviser finally lets us go home.

I pack my things and see a message from Jomo.

"Picking you up at 8. Joseph wants drinks at his house. He's planning a theme party"

"Omw home. Just need to shower then I'm all good" I reply. I walk out of the school as fast as I can and try to get a cab.

I could walk home as I normally do but it would take me about 30 minutes. A cab stops and I get in.

I tell the driver where to go and he shakes his head. It's just a three minute drive.

Clarity by Zedd blasts on the radio. I hum to it while I watch the city zoom by. We get to my house and I pay.

I get in my room and pick out what clothes to wear. Joseph's house was either very cold inside, or very warm on the outside. I hear my phone beep and I read a text from Jomo.

"Omw"

"Almost done" I reply.

I get in the shower and try to scrub my entire body as fast as I can.

I get back to my room and pick a plain white shirt and maroon sweatpants. I gather my stuff and head out the door. What if we'll be drinking in the garden? I double back and take the sweatpants off. I change into a pair of shorts and I grab a zip hoodie just in case.

I open our gate as Sir Bobby maneuvres into our driveway.

I give him a wave and he nods back to me.

I get inside and give Jomo a hug.

"Why are you always out of breath" Jomo demands

"Cause you're always on the way!" I retort.

"OK , so Joseph's theme is paint party at the club this Saturday. We need to get some face paint" He says as he scrolls thru his phone.

"Paint party? Like for the whole body?" I ask.

"No stupid, just the face"

"Oh OK, I want to be Avatar blue then" I reply.

"Fuck no, everyone's gonna be doing that! We gotta be different!  We'll do African Tribal. And we'll be twinning so we need the glow in the dark ones!" He exclaims.

"Oh right. What's African Tribal?" I ask.

He shows me photos from his phone.

"Oh OK. African Tribal it is then." I say.

We get to Joseph's house and are greeted by his cousins. We say hi, catch up for a bit, then head inside.

Joseph greets us at the dining room and tells us to get some food first before drinks.

They had four unopened pizza boxes, a huge bowl of chicken wings, and a past station. I skipped the pasta and just had pizza and wings on my plate.

We caught up while eating and Claudia questioned us about the boys that were sliding on her dms. Both girls were pretty and fit so I wasn't surprised that they easily got hit on. Especially when they were the new girls in town.

"Where's David?" Jomo asks.

"Facetiming with Mia" Gab replies as she rolls her eyes.

"Mia?" Jomo asks

"His girlfriend" Gab answers.

"So they're still together?" Jomo asks, looking intrigued.

"Yeah, they're trying to make it work. I don't blame him though, Mia is one hell of a girl..." Claud explains.

"OK guys, theme is Paint Party... give me your thoughts?" Joseph asks the group.

"I like it, my friends like it, I'm down" Gab says.

"Yeah but it's gonna be bitch to take off after the party isn't it?" Claud asks.

"You don't have to paint the whole face. You can do writings or something. Besides, you already put make up everyday. What's the difference?" Joseph says.

We laugh and start discussing what to wear aside from the face paint.

The rest of the night went by slowly. We had drinks by the pool and just talked about everything under the moon. Claudia showed us the guy she was planning on meeting at the party and Joseph asked our opinions on the club's event decorations, table set ups and drink names.

It was 1 in the morning when David finally joins us at the poolside.

"So, you OK?" Joseph asks him.

"Yeah I'm good. We'll try" David replies.

"Good for you guys. It might just work you know" Gab said.

"Yeah, my ex boyfriend and I lasted for three years long distance so maybe it's worth the try"
Jomo adds.

David gives us a smile.

"There's food on the table if you wanna eat" Joseph tells him.

David flops down on the lounger beside me and asked what I was drinking. I pointed to a bottle of Belvedere and Sprite.

He nods and gets up to make himself a drink. He gets the same thing I got and raises his glass to me.

"Cheers" .

We clink glasses and drink. He finishes his all the way and makes himself another.

"Addie, what are you guys doing for paint party? Claudia asks me.

"I wanted to do Avatar but this fucking bitch here wants to glow in the dark" I say, pointing to Jomo.

"So you guys will be the plants? That glow in the dark? " Gab asks.

"No stupid, we're gonna do tribal glow in the dark" Jomo laughs.

"I don't have anything to wear so can I join you guys on that?" David asks him.

"Yeah of course. We'll get ready at my house" Jomo answers.

"What are you guys gonna be?" I ask the girls.

"Fairies. With fairy lights" Claud squeals.

"Niiiice. Are the skirts short?" I ask.

"Obv!" We all laugh.

I'm back in my room a couple hours later. I'm not drunk but I feel a little tipsy. I flip through my playlist and tap shuffle.

"I wish we were older , I wish were older"

I pull my blanket over my head and close my eyes.