Sunset Memories

Chapter 16 - Truth, Just Truth

When New Year's Eve came, I got a call from Max. 

     ''Hey!'' he said energetically. ''I'm throwing a party at my place. Coming?''

     ''Yeah, sure,'' I replied, putting down my 6B pencil and closing my sketchpad. I had been practicing shades of sunlight with my new pencils. ''What time?''

     ''Whenever until whenever,'' Max answered. ''There's already a couple people here, and the party goes on, man.''

     ''Nice. I'll bring Danielle, we'll be there in a bit.''

     ''Cool,'' Max said, and then hung up.

     I put my sketchpad and my pencils back under my pillow. I'd been lying on my/Danielle's bed, sketching the sun that looked like it would start to go down at any minute. It was only seven p.m. but it felt like it was nighttime. I was tired and awake at the same time. Not really alive, I guessed, but more existing. I felt empty. I needed something to jolt me awake. And a party was probably the best thing. 

     Danielle walked in the room, carrying two bottles of orange juice. 

     ''Hey,'' I grinned at her. 

     ''Hey. You look really down. Orange juice helps the blood sugar.'' She handed me one of the bottles. I opened it with a satisfying pop and drank the tangy liquid. I felt slightly better, more alive. Plus the social conversation with Danielle was helping, too. 

     ''Max invited us to a party,'' I told her. ''His place. Whenever we want.''

     She gulped down some of her juice. ''Sure. Should we go now?''

     I drained my bottle. ''Yeah. I'm ready to get out this place.''

     She smiled at me and pulled me off the bed. We grabbed our toques and coats, caught a ride with Alexander, and arrived at Max's place a bit later. Lights were blaring in some windows. AWOLNATION, Max's favorite music, was blaring into my bones. 

     ''Wow,'' Danielle said, impressed. ''I guess parties are more of Max's hobbies, not dances.''

     She grinned at me shyly, recalling the memory of the Christmas Dance. I gave her a smirk that said Don't remind me and we went into the house. 

     Max was DJing again, but he wasn't clicking buttons and fiddling all over the kit. He had a red jacket over top of white jeans and a white Calvin Klein shirt.

     ''Hey! Danielle, Luca, how's it going? Last day of 2013!'' He punched a fist in the air. ''Excited?''

     I nodded. Danielle said, ''Yeah,'' and then went off to see Hanna and Astrid.  

     Max grinned at me and stepped closer. ''Dude,'' he said in a low voice. ''Truth or Dare tonight. You know what that means?''

     I frowned. ''No.''

     ''It means there might be a chance of getting Danielle to say she has a crush on you, man,'' Max grinned excitedly.

     I froze. ''What? Why would she have a crush on me?''

     Max laughed. ''You're such a bad liar. I can see the way you look at her, man. You've got, like . . . some sort of glow in your eyes.'' 

     I felt my face get warm. ''My eyes don't glow!'' I protested angrily.

     ''Say what?'' came Hanna's voice. 

     I turned and saw her, Astrid, and Danielle looking at Max and I, their eyes examining me quizzically.

     ''Since when do your eyes glow?'' Astrid asked.