Babe.

17.

Blanca.

Emmanuel and I wore matching scowls as we left the house. We were going to the party my father's firm was throwing tonight, it was one of the things I dreaded most every year. I hated the party and all of the leeches that hung around there. Most of the people were snakes or fakes and it pissed me off.

"Why do we have to go?" I whined as my mother forced me towards the car.
"Because we're supporting your father, I don't want this anymore than you do Blanca." She replied fed up.
"But even Dad doesn't want to go!" I complained.
"And yet he's still going so so will you. Now get in the car." She ordered.

I groaned slumping myself in the seat beside Emmanuel, "no luck then?" He asked amused.
I scowled, "not even a drop."
"An hour BB and then we're out of there." He muttered to me.
I nodded, "I'm counting on it E."

We made sure to stick around at the beginning to say hello and make an appearance then we disappeared to the roof far far away from the blood suckers down stairs.

I forced a smile as we walked into the hall, be nice, this is good for your father all of his cleats and investors are here, I thought resisting the urge to turn on heel and run.

I said hello making polite conversation with the more bearable people of the bunch. Not all of them were horrible just the majority, and that was already too much.

When we had finally reached the one hour mark I went to find my brother. He was standing with Kya Banks one of our good friends and another victim of this function.

Emmanuel grinned at me as I walked over to them, "look what I stole." He said holding up three beer bottles.
I grinned back pulling out the two wine bottles I'd found in the kitchen, "look what I stole."
"Alright Blanca!" Kaya called grinning, "let's go!"

I grinned as she slung her arm around my shoulder and we disappeared out of a back door and up the service stairs to the roof.

Benny.

If I had to spend one more minute at this stupid function I would kill myself so when I saw Blanca and her brother leave out the back I took it as a sign to follow.

I was unfortunately held up for another twenty minutes by my father making me talk to some hot shot baseball douche before I could go. Normally it might have interested me but right now I couldn't have cared less.

"Thanks man!" I called over my shoulder as I ran towards the door before anyone else could lure me into their trap. I grabbed another bottle from under the table before walking upstairs.

When I got there I saw Blanca and another girl leaning against the bannister of the roof Emmanuel in the middle of them their heads resting on is arm. Blanca was wearing a black dress that was tight her at the top but tanned out at the skirt bit and some black heels. Her older brother's suit jacket draped around her shoulders to keep out the cold.

"Rodriguez!" Emmanuel called cheerfully, waving his hand out drunkenly, "come have a seat!"
Blanca who seemed equally drunk narrowed her eyes at me, clearly she still regretted taking to me the first time around.

I pulled the bottle out from behind my back, "I come in peace."
She nodded approvingly and patted the ground beside her, "just because I wouldn't wish the vultures down there in anyone." She warned pouting her finger at me, "don't take it the wrong way.
I nodded amused, "relax and give me some of that."

I looked around a second time only to realise Ella and Alfie weren't up here, "where are the other two of you?"
Emmanuel shook his head, "those morons made a bet to see who would last longer down there."
Blanca wrinkled her nose in disgust, "ugh, why would they ever do that?"
Her brother shrugged, "beats me. You couldn't pay me enough."
"Agreed." His sister replied clinking her bottle against his.

"I'm Kya." The girl on Emmanuel's other side called reaching her hand out to me.
I shook it, "I'm Benny."
Kya's eyes flicked to Blanca who shook her head, "nah it's fine."
Her friend smiled at me, "in that case, it's nice to meet you."

I snorted, "what was that for."
"We'll I haven't exactly heard good things about you so I was checking to see if I should be a bitch to you out if solidarity." Kya explained quickly.
"Fair." I responded, I hadn't exactly given Blanca good things to say.

"So Blanca if you're drinking does it men you're not going to be perfect tonight?" I asked her settling back against the wall.
She jabbed me in the arm with her finger, "you promised you wouldn't bring that up."
I held my arms up grinning, "sorry."
"Hm, you should be." She answered.

I turned to her, "how about this? Tonight we call a temporary truce, no bitchiness from either of us."
Blanca nodded, "sounds good. Now drink up the fun is only about to begin."

Once I had reached their level of intoxication Blanca yanked me to my feet and the two of us ran to little lock box at the back of the roof. Pulling a key out of her cardigan Kya unlocked it and pulled out a boom box setting it down on the bannister as Blanca passed her a mix tape from Emmanuel's pocket. Kya slotted it in and pressed play and a second later Kool & the Gang's "Get down on it" started blasting from the speakers.

Blanca grabbed my hands spinning us both around, "come on Benny, get down on it." She snickered.
She broke away from me her glossy hair flying out behind her as she leaped on Kya's back letting out a whoop.

Apparently tonight was the debut of fun other Blanca not the stressed one. I would take that too, she normally wouldn't have been like this around me either.

This was the girl I wanted to be friends with, this was the Blanca I wanted to know. But she didn't seem to want to know me when she wasn't drunk out of her mind.

I watched stunned as she and her friend danced around, I mean I'd always known to some degree that she was pretty even if I didn't want to admit it. But now that I was looking closer I realised that this girl was beautiful.

And I didn't say that lightly, but there was no other way to describe her. She was fucking beautiful.

When the song switched to Bruce Springsteen's  "Dancing in the Dark" she hurtled towards me her body slamming into mine as she tried to come to a stop and ended up skidding.

"Don't just stand around, dance." She urged me.
"Will you dance with me?" I asked surprised.
Blanca nodded eagerly, "duh."

I grabbed her hands twisting her around before spinning her out again her dress fanning out as she moved. Blanca gasped her mouth wide open with a shock, "where did you learn to do that?"

I shrugged, "I don't know really. I think Nico showed me or something."
"Who knew that you could dance?" She replied grinning ear to ear, "how awesome. You're not as lame as I thought you were."
"Thanks?" I offered amused.
She winked making my heart jump, "you're welcome. Now do that again."

Silently thanking my brother for forcing me to learn this I spun her around the roof to the song blaring in the background. My heart soared at the delighted look on her face.

"So tell me," Blanca started giggling, "what on earth possessed you to ask Denise out?"
I shook my head helplessly a grin cracking on my face, "the devil?"
She burst out laughing and I followed because it was contagious.

"We should truce more often." Blanca admitted, "you're good company when you're not being a total douche to me."
Didn't I know it? "Sorry about that." I replied quietly.
Blanca brushed it off, "it's okay. You always have been I'm used to it now."

My heart constricted at her words because she was telling the truth. I had started our whole enemies thing not her, she didn't know me any different.

"What if you didn't have to be?" The words left my mouth before I could stop myself.
She frowned, "what do you mean."
"If I stopped being to awful to you would it make any difference?" I blurted out.

I could see her consider it before she answered slowly, "it might do. But I'll believe it when I see it."
"You don't believe I'll do it?" I teased her.
But her face remained impassive, "it's not a matter of believing it's a matter of trusting. And I don't trust you. Start proving me wrong and maybe I'll change my mind."