Ordinary

*CHAPTER 5*

Sneaking out of the house Friday night was a breeze since my mom was passed out in her bed by 5. Meg pulled up to my house at 8 o'clock and we were off.

Our town was too small to have a "nice part of town" so mansions were just randomly spread amongst the basic ranches. Jessica's house was the biggest of those mansions. We parked on the street and walked up to her perfectly kept front lawn. People were going in and out the front door and you could hear the party thumping just inside.

Despite the enormity of the house, people were packed shoulder-to-shoulder inside. Meg and I went straight to the kitchen to get drinks.

"Oh my god!" Meg screeched when she reached the threshold to the kitchen. Before I even entered the kitchen Meg had her arms wrapped tightly around a tall slender figure with light brown hair. When their hug broke I finally realized who it was.

"Noah!" I screamed wrapping him in a tight hug.

Noah was the third musketeer of our friend group. We all met in freshman year biology class and we've been inseparable since.

Meg slapped his arm hard. "You asshole why didn't you tell us you were back."

"Well we were supposed to stay in Maui till the end of break", he explained. "But my mom got a call that one of her aunts passed away so we had to fly back for the funeral. We just got in earlier today."

"Aw. I'm sorry to hear that", I said.

"Nah, that's okay. I barely knew the woman." He shrugged. "Beside the weather in Maui was crappy anyway."

Noah's family wasn't filthy rich, however money was never a problem for them. They resided in one of the more modest of the scattered mansions.

"Anyways, what can I get you lovely ladies to drink." Noah, the master mixologist, could create magic with his hands just a seconds.

"Can you make me one of those Jack and coke bombs?" Meg asked.

"I can try but I don't think they have any cranberry juice. And you my lady?" Noah flashed his adorable dopey smile.

"Thanks, but I think I'll just stick with beer tonight." I wasn't in the groove to get totally shit-faced, just a little buzzed.

"Suit yourself. The coolers out back." And with that he jumped into action to make Meg her drink and I started towards the back door.

I reached into the back pocket of my jeans for my phone. When I clicked it on I read the time. 8:32. I wondered if Casper was here, if he was even coming at all. When I got back inside, ice cold can in hand, I scanned the main living room for any sign of his beautiful dark curls. Nothing. So I returned to the kitchen.

Noah and Meg talked as Noah drank the clear liquid from his cup and Meg sipped dark maroon liquid from hers.

"Any sign of prince charming?" Noah asked when I approached the counter.

"Huh?"

"Meg told me everything." Noah smiled. "Finally, after 17 years of life, Josie Sanders has found herself a man."

"Don't get too excited yet", I warned.

"What do you mean Jo? You guys were made for each other", Meg whined.

"I'm just saying nothing has happened yet."

"But that doesn't mean it won't", Noah pointed out.

"And it doesn't mean it will either." I shrugged. "I just don't want to get my hopes up." But who was I kidding, my hopes were already through the roof.

"Well have you seen him yet." Meg was on her tip-toes scanning the sea of people.

"No, not yet." I wondered to myself if I should text him, so I asked, "would it be weird if I texted him."

"No, why would it be?" Meg asked, confused.

"I don't know it's just-"

"Just text him", Meg pushed.

"Oh okay."

I pulled my phone out again and began typing Hey, are you coming over to Jessica's? My finger hovered over the blue arrow for a second before hitting it.

"There. Was that so hard?" Meg asked as I pushed my phone back into my pocket. I simply rolled my eye in response.

"Heyyyyyy", a high-pitched voice sang from behind Meg and I, and from the look on Noah's I already knew who it was.

I turned around with a fake smile readily plastered on my face. "Jessica!" I yelled with pseudo-enthusiasm.

Freshman year of high school I joined cheerleading (biggest mistake of my life). Someone on the team started a rumor that I was trying to steal Jessica's boyfriend. Since there was never any proof, Jessica and I continued to be nice to each other, but I think Jessica believed all the rumors to be true so we've continued this passive-aggressive relationship for years.

"I'm so glad you made it" she gave me the classic peck on each cheek while making an exaggerated *muah* sound.

"Yeah, thanks for having me."

Jessica's smile fell instantly when she turned to face Meg. "Eh... er... Hi" she smiled pathetically.

"A pleasure as always", Meg laughed as she spoke.

Although Jessica had beautiful golden locks and was always dress to perfection, I truly believe she hated Meg so much because she envied the natural beauty Meg possessed that she never could. Meg's beautiful bronze skin paired with her golden eyes and beautiful thick tightly curled dark hair, was unmatchable.

"Alright, well I'll see you guys around", Jessica chirped. She turned on her heels and bounced back off into the crowd.

Meg waved her middle finger after her. "God, I hate that bitch."

"We all do." I patted Meg on the shoulder

"Yeah, we're all just here for the free alcohol", Noah said as he finished off whatever it was he had been drinking. He poured out three shots and we all took on, lifting them into the air. "To free alcohol" he said.

"To free alcohol", we echoed, clinking our glasses together.

After about 30 minutes of drinking and listening to Noah talk about his trip, I realized that my phone hadn't buzzed yet. I pulled it out of my back pocket and unlocked it. What I saw made my heart sink a little. Underneath my message sat a notification: read at 8:46.

"Maybe he's just busy", Meg offered. "And you can't blame him for that."

Meg and Noah convinced me to put all thoughts of him aside and just let myself have fun tonight. We moved into the main living room and started dancing to the beat of the music blasting through the speakers.

My cares seemed to melt away the more I swayed to the music. With the heat of the dance floor and the slight buzz from the alcohol. I felt like I was dancing across clouds.

After a while the heat started to get to me so I left Noah and Meg to go get a water from the kitchen. I pushed through the crowd and made it to the threshold. Just near the back door I noticed a guy with dark curls and my heart skipped a beat. I didn't want to jump the gun so I walked around to see if it was Casper or not. Then I saw long blond curls moving. Jessica's blond curls. I concluded that the guy couldn't possibly be Casper but whoever it was Jessica was just obnoxiously making out with him. Just as the thought crossed my mind the guy turned his face away from her and towards me. It was him.

It was Casper.