Leap of Faith

Chapter Ten

Rebecca

Seth was dragging me to a party tonight. Unfortunately.

I don't know why he was always so hell bent on turning me into one of the populars. It's not as if I had ever shown any interest. He was constantly trying to integrate me into the popular crowd and I really didn't have any desire to be!

I was still pretty angry at him for not telling me about Mom dating, and I was even angrier that he was okay with her seeing guys, but I figured if I was going to be mad at anyone it should be Mom, not him.

I stared at myself in the floor length mirror and took in the sight of my body filling out the navy dress. It hugged my chest and flared out past my waist, stopping just above my knees.

I combed my fingers through my hair and swallowed hard. I hated parties, quite honestly. They were scary and too loud and too sweaty.

Seth barged into my room and said we were leaving and I reluctantly followed him to the car.

"Hey, you look great," Matt said and I jumped, startled as I stepped onto our yard. He and Finn were stretched out on lawn chairs sipping root beers.

"What," I laughed, "Did you run out of real booze?" Matt wrinkled his nose at me.

"What do you take me for, Becca?" he said, undignified. "You think I would drink while your parents are home?" I rolled my eyes.

"Where are you going?" Finn asked, looking me over. I did a little twirl, the skirt swishing around my legs.

"To a party my brother is dragging me to," I sighed as Seth beeped the horn. I waved goodbye and climbed into the car.

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The bass boomed in my ears, and I could already see the grinding before we were even in the house. Seth pulled me along into the kitchen where the keg was set up. The fluorescent lighting made my skin glow and blinded me from above.

"Here," a blond girl said, smirking and handing Seth the cup. He passed it to me and I laughed.

"You know I don't drink," I snapped, thinking that this wasn't the way an older brother should act. He shrugged and chugged the cup. I grimaced, almost tasting the bitter liquid sliding down my own throat.

"Parrrrrttttttyyyy!!!" he yelled out and stomped off into the living room, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I groaned, looking over at the girl. Great.

The blond looked me up and down and then frowned. Her bleach blond hair radiated light in the white kitchen and she squinted at me.

"He your boyfriend?"

"Brother. Unfortunately."

"He's hot."

"Fantastic."

I stepped out onto the deck and crossed my arms tight across my chest. It was only sixty degrees but goosebumps prickled on my arms. I was always cold anyways.

I grabbed my beanie out of my purse and slid it over my hair. These parties were always creepy unless you were smashed or stoned, and clearly I was neither. These typical teenage parties always bothered me. You never knew half the people there, let alone how old they were, and where the hell did all that alcohol come from? Didn't people check ID's?

I sighed, leaning over and stretching out my back. Crickets chirped in the distance and I squeezed my eyes shut momentarily.

Looking out over the back woods I watched a rabbit scurrying away and deeper into the trees, so focused that I didn't even hear the door open behind me.