In a Perfect World

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: One year and six months ago

            I really didn’t know what I was doing at this party. Six hours have passed since Ella came over and told me to put on the hottest dress I could find in my closet. She spent forever on my makeup and then dragged me to this stupid, cliché of a high school party, celebrating the end of the school year. It was at Matt’s, a senior football player’s, house, there were drugs and beer all around the house and the music was so loud I could barely hear what anyone was saying to me. I’d had the same cup of beer in my hand since Ella gave it to me about an hour ago and I’ve been here for almost two. It was almost ten o’clock and I was about ready to leave but Ella disappeared a while ago and her brother was my ride home.  Putting my cup down on a random table, I combed the house some more in the hopes of finding Ella. 

            But twenty minutes later, after probably searching the whole house twice, I still couldn’t find her.  Defeated, I went outside into the backyard, where I sat down on one of the chairs, took my heels off and set them down on the ground next to me. Because I didn't really met anyone here, since I was mostly hanging out with Ella, but now that she was gone I was really lonely. In an attempt to fill the lonely silence, I began humming a random song that I didn’t really know when all of a sudden I heard someone behind me clapping.  When I turned around, I saw the captain of the swim team casually leaning against the sliding door.

            “That was nice,” he complimented sincerely as he walked up to me and sat in the chair next to me. 

            “Umm… thanks,” I mumbled, slightly embarrassed, as I felt my face grew warm.  Compliments didn't come easy to me, especially since I knew I was a terrible singer. 

            “Not your scene I presume?” he guessed, casually propping his feet up on the patio table. 

            “Why do you say that?” I asked, stealing a glance at him.  He was staring directly at me and at the very second I turned to look at him, our eyes locked.  The shine in his gleaming green eyes was mesmerizing and I couldn't look away.  I watched as the corner of his lips turned up into a small smirk as my gawking became more apparent.

            “Well... you’re sitting by yourself outside,” he paused. “You know, with no one else around you, all alone,” he continued, cracking a smile and turning his chair to face me. 

            There was no escaping it this time.  He was staring intently at me, examining my face, as I spoke, "Well, when you say it like that," I told him, running my fingers through my bangs nervously.  His attention was quite intimidating.  He was possibly the most sought out guy in the whole school and was known for sleeping around.  Parties like this were his niche, but instead of being with some random girl he was talking to me, a lowly freshman-or soon to be sophomore girl.  "No, it really isn’t my scene. I’m more of the stay at home and hanging out with friends type of person,” I told him, turning my chair to face him and carefully crossing my legs so that my short, tight, gold dress didn’t ride up and reveal too much.  Wow.  Could I have been any more of a nerd?  I made myself seem like such an anti-social person, yet I was usually pretty outgoing to people more in my social standings at school. 

            “So if this isn’t fun for you, why did you come?” he asked, scooting his chair closer to mine. 

            “My best friend dragged me here. She said it was unacceptable for me to stay in on the night of the biggest party, so here I am,” I smiled innocently.  To be fair to Ella, I didn't really fight her when she dragged me to this party.  I was pretty excited to spend a night out after spending the whole year studying hard.  It was time to finally cut loose.