Yeah, I Hate You Too, Sweetheart.

Chapter 18 - Justin

Justin

          Multiple tables had been set up outside the sloping back lawn, little candles and festive poppers placed all over the tops, along with other delectable delights. The night air outside was cool and crisp, an occasional breeze blowing through the party guests. I breathed in deep, lung fulls of air, leaning against the back doors with my arms crossed. 

  So far, things had been going pretty well at this party. Sure, I'd been looking forward to hanging out with Nick and the guys, but in all honesty? I'd spent half the time already freaking out about Laila, wondering if she was purposely avoiding me because I hadn't manned up and kissed her, or wondering if Avery was muttering embarrassing stories about me to her as they walked off to where ever they were at the moment. 

  Yeah, you could say that was ridiculous, but I honestly couldn't put my mind at ease and I had no idea why. 

   "There you are, man!"

I glanced over my shoulder in surprise and saw Nick making his way towards me with a huge, devious smirk in place. My guard instantly went up. He definitely had some childish thing that he was bound to pull at least some time tonight.

  "What's up?" I said to Nick, slapping hands with him.

"Oh, nothing..." Nick trailed off, waving an airy hand. "Sorry it took so long to get here. I had to drop Maggie off at one of her annoying cronie's house." 

  I breathed a mental sigh of relief. Good. So Maggie wouldn't be here tonight. That automatically made things ten times easier. 

  "Nice night, isn't it?" Nick said conversationally a few minutes later.

 "It's just extraordinary," I said, trying hard not to sound sarcastic. 

  "Gorgeous," Nick agreed, not really paying attention to me. "Just gorgeous."

"Yeah," I nodded. 

   Where was he going with this? Actually, if I thought about it, I wasn't so sure if I really wanted to know.

  "Say, where's Laila?" Nick asked coyly, glancing over at me.

Ah. Of course. So that was why Nick was really here, bugging me - he wanted to talk about Laila.

  "Beats me, " I said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I think she's off with Avery somewhere." 

"Hm," Nick hummed in thought.

   He drummed his fingers against his crossed arms before he let out a triumphant shout.

"There she is!" he crooned, pointing a finger out at some point in the back yard. 

   I shuffled forward against my better judgement and glanced over at where he was pointing. Sure enough, there was Laila. She was laughing at something that Avery was saying, showing off her straight white teeth as she smiled. Her hair was let down from its usual twist, gently flowing to the middle of her back, and I had to admit that I much preferred it that way. Her hair had felt like strands of silk between my fingers - granted, the one time I'd actually gotten the guts to run my fingers through her hair. 

  "Hey, Justin?" Nick was saying, waving a hand in front of my face.

 I jerked a little in surprise and glanced over at him sheepishly.

  "Yeah," I said, albeit a bit shortly.

"Would you mind if I... uh, went to go talk to her?" Nick continued, making his voice light and airy.