Young Lust

30 - Don't You Dare

"Anything in particular you want for your birthday?" Mum asked as we ate dinner early together at the table.

Oh. I hadn't realised how quickly my early November birthday had crept up.

"Uh, a Divinyls album?" It was the first thing that popped into my head.

"Surely there's something you want more than that?"

"Not really."

"Well, let me know if you think of anything," Mum left the table to wash up.

As I stood, someone rang the doorbell.

"Hey, Joe. What's up?" Ever since he'd looked after me that day, we'd begun to get along a lot better.

"Party tonight at Johnny's," he removed his sunglasses and hung them from the V-neck of his shirt, coming inside.

"Okay?" I stepped aside for Joe. "At least you've given me... like, two hours' notice," I said sarcastically. "I haven't even showered today."

"Better get onto that, then." Joe waltzed upstairs to my room, so I followed.

"I vote these," Joe picked up a pair of black and red underwear from the pile of clean washing on my bed.

"Oi!" I yelped, snatching the undies away from him. I stuffed the pile into my wardrobe, exchanging it for my dark jeans and a white top that's front was totally covered with silver sequins. I tucked the outfit, plus underwear, underneath my arm and headed for the bathroom.

---

"Sparkly enough?" Brad playfully shielded his eyes from my shiny shirt.

"Nowhere near," I chuckled as I sat down in the circle, not unlike the last party. Joel and Katie were inseparable like usual. I sensed a somewhat unfriendly air between Kirsten and Erin, who had a drink in her hand and was surrounded by a pile of empty cans and bottles. Tom was looking bored, kind of just minding his own business.

Joe sat next to me and looked around. "Where's Steven?"

"Who knows?" Brad answered.

"Here," Steven suddenly dropped down on my other side. "I didn't realise that you were coming."

"That's probably because you didn't tell me about tonight." I raised my brow. "You're so distant lately. But I guess now isn't the time, hey?"

"Right." Steven said, seeming like he didn't really care.

I rolled my eyes and faced slightly away from him. "I need the loo," I muttered and stood up.

I had no idea where the bathroom was, so I just followed the hallway and picked a door. It was the right door, but the bathroom was occupied - there was Johnny standing above the toilet, a stream running from his crotch to the bowl.

"Oh, God," I spluttered and shut the door again. I tried so hard to get that image out of my head, but it stayed right where it was.

A few moments later, the bathroom door reopened and Johnny smirked at me. "Long time, no see..."

"Sorry," I muttered, avoiding eye contact. I entered the bathroom, double checking the lock behind me.

When I exited, Johnny was still hanging around, as if he had waited for me.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Maybe. Where's Steven?" Johnny responded.

"Why don't you go and look for him instead of hanging around the toilet?"

"Geez, you make me sound like a weirdo." He put his hands in his jeans pockets.

"You don't need my help for that."

Wow, déjà vu.

There was a brief awkward silence before I shook my head slightly and walked off.

---

It was hard to hear anyone speak over the Billy Squire song blasting from the stereo in the living room. It took a few tries before I realised that Steven was saying that we should detach from the group and go outside.

Beer in one hand, my hand in the other, Steven led me to the back yard where it was a lot easier to hear ourselves think.

"Before you say anything," Steven took a gulp of his beer, "yes, I know I've been distant."

"And?" I said after he stopped talking.

"And," he took another sip, "sorry, I guess."

I frowned at him. "Sorry, you guess? What, are you bored of me since I agreed to be your girlfriend?"

Steven drank some more before answering with a shake of his head. I didn't know what to say. He was acting like more of a jerk now than he was when we first met at school.

"Is there a point to this conversation, or can we go back inside?" I questioned, crossing my arms to shield myself from the breeze.

Steven scoffed. "I apologised, that was the point."

"Wasn't much of an apology, if you ask me."

"Well," he took yet another drink of beer as if he was judging whether to say the next part, "I didn't ask you, did I?"

"That's it. Steven, what is your problem? Did I do something I'm unaware of?" I made my stance a bit stronger. "Where is all this negativity coming from? We were doing well, not so long ago."

"Look here," Steven's voice suddenly became deeper, more stern, yet quieter, all at the same time. "I know, okay? I know what you've been up to."

I looked at him blankly, and spoke slowly, confused. "Uhh? What exactly have I been up to?"

"Do Tom and Joe know about each other?"

"Okay, what the shit are you on about, Steven?" I raised my arms in a shrug.

"You and Joe, you and Tom, sneaking around together." Steven's voice was loudening. "Like, you were at Joe's house the other day. No one goes to Joe's house except his sluts."

"Stop. Just stop right there." I spoke even quieter than how Steven started.

"Steven," a voice called from behind me, "you've got to see this!"

Gee, everyone wants Steven tonight.

"Don't you dare go," I demanded furiously.

My boyfriend looked coldly down at me, and without saying another word, he trudged back inside.

I could feel the rage rising inside me at the conversation that just took place. How could he think that? Why did he think that?

When I managed to get back into the house, I realised why someone had called Steven in.

"Seriously!" Kirsten huffed. She was trying to coax Erin off of the table. Erin was up there, dancing away, another drink in her hand. Her audience cheered as she began to unbutton her blue top, revealing a lacy, white bra.

I caught a glimpse of Steven. He was leaning against a doorframe, one leg crossed in front of the other, smirking at Erin, soaking in the sight before him. It made me even angrier, but I was too squished into the crowd to escape.

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A/N: I'm sorry for not updating 💔
Damn, Erin! 😵