Someone You Know

1

Before Aubrey turns around I descend down the hall linking my arm through hers. Her blonde locks fly to the left as her attention turns to me. Her face breaks into a smile staring back.

"You know I hate the way this feels," she says slightly laughing. I can feel her arm start to remove from mine as the warmth leaves the left side of my body.

"Don't you always" I reply being more of a statement than a question.

She instead takes my hand leading me towards the front door of Ashley's house. Pushing my hand out I turn the knob exposing our faces to the aggressive heat that greets us as we step out with Rosie and Ashley trailing behind.

"Keys?" Ashley asks as Rosie then throws them to her.

Rosie pulls off her shirt leaving herself in her blue bikini top and pulling her strawberry blonde hair into a bun trying to stay cool against the heat already occupying the car as we all get in.

"Have you heard from Ally at all?" she asks.

"She got a ride with Eli," I state unsure.

"She's always with him what do you expect," Ashley says. Underneath you can tell they're bitter words.

Aubrey squeezes my hand tighter after hearing her. I let go not wanting to be reminded by what her gesture means, about all those long ago fights from before with her.

"We'll just meet the boys and Ally over at Lexi's party then," Rosie says putting the conversation to an end.

.~~~~~~~.

"Park here," Aubrey exclaims while pointing towards an empty spot among the rest of the parked cars.

She's already hopping out dragging me along with her before it's fully parked. I could hear Ashley and Rosie becoming breathless behind us trying to catching up.

"Will you slow down at all?" Ashley yells at us.

"I doubt it," I say, my face breaking into a wide smile. It's our third time over at Lexi's, but this time she invited almost all of the junior class.

Before we go through the already open doors of the house, I can feel the music run up my feet through my body from the vibrations underneath me. People line the halls drinking and being absorbed in their own conversations. I guide us to the back of the house outside. Across the pool is Ally sitting alone at the edge of it. Her feet already dipped in. I call over to her. She looks up relieved that she finally has people she knows around her.

"Where are the other four," I look around not seeing them at all.

"No idea. They went off to get drinks about 15 minutes ago," Ally tells us while her eyes wonder around distracted searching the crowd for the boys, but you can tell it's more to find Eli.

Ashley reassures her, "They'll be back. Stop worrying about it. I bet they just got caught up talking to people. We're here now."

She gently begins to lower herself sitting next to Ally. Before I do the same I remove my clothes to reveal my dark maroon bikini. I immerse myself in the water. The sounds around me become muffed, the music, the conversations, the people. It all belongs to the background now. I swim through blindly before my head breaks through the surface.

My brown hair spills downs my face. Peaking through Thomas, Eli, Ethan, Dylan and Mason stand there holding what they'd promise Ally. I push my hair aside to see Dylan bending down holding out his hand. I slip mine in his as he helps me up out of the pool. I keep my hand in his intertwining our fingers together. Leaning up I kiss his cheek.