Waiting To Exhale

Ten

When we arrive at the party I can feel my stomach tightening. I don't even want to get out of the car. People are going to make fun of me. I knew I shouldn't have come.

Jen assures me I'm going to be fine then helps me out of the car. She holds my hand as we walk through the door. It stinks in here. I guess nobody cares since they're all getting drunk. I want to like them, drunk and without a care in the world. I head to the liquor table and fill a plastic red cup up with straight vodka. "I don't think you want to drink that straight. Try adding some juice." I pull the cup from my lips.

A tall, skinny mixed guy is hovering over my small frame. I pour a little juice into my cup just to get him off my back. The grapefruit adds a good taste. I like it. I throw my drink back, ignoring the burning sensation in my throat. I fill my cup up again quickly down it. I feel a slight buzz and it feels great. I feel great.

The same guy that instructed me to put juice in my vodka comes around the table and places his hands on my waist. I tense up. "Um, I have a boyfriend."

"Come on, it's a party. You're mine for the night." He plants a kiss on my earlobe.

I start feeling the effects of the alcohol so I decided to grab another cup. I just want to get drunk and I want to forget. "What's your name?"

"Anthony."

"I'm Olivia. Do you want to dance?" I don't wait for his response. Of course, he wants to dance. That's what people do at parties. I grab his wrist and drag him to the dance floor. I turn away from him and he grips my hips tightly. I grind on him slowly at first and then faster as the beat picks up. I learned this from a couple of movies I watched. Anthony seems to like it so I must be doing it right.

We dance for what seems like hours. During that time I downed a couple more drinks. Anthony keeps handing them to me and I'm not declining. It makes me feel good. I get a buzz from it.

It's not like how I suspect Gabriel feels. When he drinks he drinks alone and it makes him angry. I'm drinking at a party and I feel great. I haven't seen Jen since we split up when we arrived. She's a big girl. She doesn't need me looking for her. She's off having a good time. Liked me.

My feet are hurting from these heels. I have no choice but to sit down. Anthony says he'll sit with me. During our dance, a couple of guys came up to me. They said they didn't mind sharing and neither did Anthony since I'm not his girl. I like Anthony. He's not clingy like Mason. He doesn't care if other guys look at me, which I'm surprised they even wanted to. I'm not even pretty.

"Come here witcho fine ass," Anthony says when I sit on the other end of the couch. I look at him like he's stupid. There's no other room.

"There's no room."

He rolls his eyes and looks at me like I'm the stupid one. "You can sit on my lap girl. I ain't gone bite if you don't want me to." He gives a sexy smirk. I sashay over to him. I rub my hands over his soft light brown skin. Then in his curly hair. It feels so soft.

"You smell good," I say randomly.

"I wish you didn't have a boyfriend. Where is he anyway?"

"He's home. He doesn't know I'm here so I would appreciate it if you didn't tell him." I giggle.

"I don't even know the guy...put your number in my phone. We can just hang out sometime if you want." I give him my phone and he plugs my number in. I notice how he doesn't save my number and he tells me he'll save it when I give him a call. I giggle even more.

We talk about stuff I forget and then he gets up to go to the bathroom. Apparently, he was holding it so he can sit and listen to me talk. I like him already. I rest my head on the back of the couch. The party is still going on without me. Not that it cared when I joined.

After a while, I feel the couch dip beside me. I turn thinking it's Anthony but the guy staring back at me is not Anthony. Instead, it's a muscular guy that looks just about as drunk as me. "You're not Anthony."

"No I'm not and you're not my girlfriend and I don't care." He scoots closer to me. I laugh. He looks so funny looking at me like that. He throws his arm across me. When I don't move, he rests his hand on my bare thigh.

"What are you doing? My friend is going to catch you and when he finds out he's going to be very angry." I giggle some more.

"You look good. Let's go upstairs."

"Okay. What's upstairs?" He doesn't answer me. He picks me up and carries me upstairs. I feel myself getting tired. I'm sleepy. I can fall asleep right here in his arms. Too bad he stinks.

My back hits a bed. I guess he found an empty room. I close my eyes.

"You are so beautiful."

"That's because I have all this weave and makeup on. It looks good."

"I bet you look beautiful without."

"You're funny. I like you."

"You like me?" I nod. "I like you too." He comes over and hovers over me. He starts kissing my lips roughly.

"I have a boyfriend. I've only had sex once and with him." I guess he didn't hear me. He continues the rough kissing. He starts pulling his pants down and my dress up and I freak out. I start screaming and kicking but he's bigger than me and I don't think anyone can hear me over the thumping bass of the music. Still, I continue to scream. "Stop it! You can't do this. Tears fall from my eyes. I'm sure I'm messing my foundation up and my mascara. Brandon is going to kill me.

"No! No! Please stop. Please!"

I see the door swing open and the guy is thrown off of me. I jump from the bed and stumble into Mason's arms. He pushes me aside and delivers a couple of rough blows to the guy. Mason grabs my arm and leads me outside to his car. Jen is there waiting for us.

"Do you think Brandon will be mad at me for messing up his work?" I ask Jen. She laughs and so do I. I'm still shaken about what just happened so I take Jen's cup and swallow. Mason is outside making a call. When comes back I quickly throw it out the window.

He doesn't say a word the whole ride. I even try to hold his hand but he pulls away. He drops Jen off and takes me back to his place.

He starts pacing the floor. He's pissed. It is written all over his face.

He's pissed.