Losing Charley

Prologue Part 2

The first thing I notice when we enter the house is there is more than the usual crowd here. I see a ton of people that are older than me, but it is summer and most people haven't gone back to college yet. Dylan takes me into the kitchen and places our cooler in the corner. I finish my Fatty Natty and pull another from the cooler. Dylan keeps me close to him as we head over to talk to Trent. Until Dylan and I started dating, I didn't party too much, not saying that I never attended one but I guess being the oldest child I never wanted to go against my parent's wishes. As we walk through the house it's obvious the effect Dylan has on everyone in the room. He is Mr. Popular at Dixon High, and like a magnet, all the girls and teachers are drawn to him immediately. It amazes me how a guy can just walk into the room and have all the girls swarm to him. What makes me smile is the fact that I know I'm the one he loves and treasures.

Knowing I have the hottest guy at school who likes me for me makes my heart warm. We share the same dream, and if all goes as planned, that dream will come true. We hope to go Division I in swimming after we graduate in May. For me, the drawback to our dream is Dylan's possessiveness. He likes me to be at his beck and call. He doesn't want me to hang out with Cash or my other friends like I used to.

After talking to Trent for a while, the music begins to thump in the night, and I'd give anything to be on the dance floor right now. As my body begins to involuntarily move to the music, I look at Dylan and wink. Letting go of his hand, I make my way to the makeshift dance floor in the living room.

In true party fashion, there are plenty of girls trying their best to entice a guy to dance with them. As the beat picks up, I sway my hips a little harder and pull my long blonde locks onto my right shoulder. Feeling someone come up behind me, it's obvious it's not Dylan, and as I glance over my shoulder I realize it's Piper. Letting out a laugh, we let loose and as the song changes, I see Dylan standing against the wall with his arms crossed and a crooked grin. Pointing toward him, I tell him to come to me. When he shakes his head, it leaves me no choice but to cut up even more with Piper.

Within seconds, Dylan is cutting in, and on me like white on rice. Pressing his body against me, it's obvious the effect I have on him. He can't keep his hands off me. They are in my hair, tracing up and down my arms, neck, waist, and legs. Inside, my body is playing tug-of-war with what I know is right. Realizing we are putting on a show for the world to see, I pull him from the dance floor and make our way to our own private area on the back porch. Dylan takes a seat in the rocking chair, and I straddle him. I kiss him on his forehead and make my way down to his lips and neck. We mess around and just have fun. Knowing I don't have parents at home lets me cut loose, but I'm still in control.

As the porch begins to get crowded, we slow our pace, and drink another beer or two. Around midnight, it dawns on me. Joker. That damn goat!

"Dylan, you gotta get me home. I forgot to check on Joker."

He rolls his eyes. "Seriously, Charley! We can't leave now. We were just getting started."

"If it was any other night, I would have had to be home already."

His eyes light up when it dawns on him that my parents aren't home tonight. "All right, let me get the cooler and tell Trent we're out."

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom. Hold my beer. I'll be right back."

I hurry back to Dylan, pound my beer and head out the door. About halfway home, I start to feel like I'm not in my own body. I know the car is moving, but it's like a total out-of-body experience. I begin to feel like I'm going to puke, but I know I haven't had enough to be that drunk.