When Anna Met Josh

Chapter Three - The Moment I Met Josh

"Urrghh, come on Anna, have some fun for God's sake!"

"Here, have another drink" Liam passed me a bottle of vodka. I dumped it on the kitchen bunker, just like the other three that he'd given me.

It was Friday night, two days after he had rejected me. Poppy had dragged me to Johanna Reed's house party. I didn't want to be here. I would rather have been at home, in an oversized Garfield t-shirt, stuffing my face on Ben and Jerry's ice-cream and binge watching Orange is the New Black, but Poppy, and everyone else, insisted that going out would cheer me up. They'd nagged at me all day to come, so I had reluctantly dragged myself out of my pyjamas and shoved on a pale pink pencil skirt, with a matching crop top and a pair of nude heels. I'd put on minimal makeup... I might've not been in the mood but I wasn't going to a party like a tramp. Besides, if I didn't go I'd never hear the end of it.

I still wasn't out of the spotlight at school, people were still laughing and staring at me and the rumors were still rife. The only reason that stuff wasn't happening here was that everyone was too wasted to remember it now, let alone care about it and Derek Fergus had just fallen down the stairs and vomited all over Johanna which had stolen everyone's attention. Maybe Derek wasn't all bad.

I sat on a stool, with Erin beside me and the others stood around us. Coloured lights illuminated the otherwise dark house and 'Starboy' blasted from the speakers. The kitchen was hot, despite the cool breeze that blew in through the back door that had been left ajar and the smell of sick, alcohol and pizza lingered. I wasn't really paying attention to anything that was going on until Milly nudged me.

"Come outside with me!" she yelled over the music.

I hopped off my stool, which was quickly occupied by Cian and followed Milly through the crowded kitchen to the back door. The cool night breeze was refreshing. Milly opened her bag and took out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. She opened the packet and offered it to me.

"Since when did I ever smoke?" I peevishly asked.

"You might've started," She took a cigarette out for herself and lit it "since you became all depressed over him..." she added, an irritated and disapproving tone in her voice. My mood had began to ware thin with some of my friends now.

"I loved him!" I protested "I'm trying to let go of him, but it's hard, he was the first person that I really loved" I fought back the tears.

"Don't start crying again" muttered Milly "It's getting ridiculous Anna, get over him already!"

"It's not as simple as you think"

Milly puffed on her cigarette and rolled her eyes. Neither of us said anything.

Then I noticed him.

A boy that I hadn't seen before was standing across from me, leaning against the garden fence. He was relatively short in height, but well built, his grey polo shirt pressed tight against his muscular torso. His jawline was sharply chiseled and his fair hair was messed up and stood on end. He grinned at me, showing off his perfectly straight teeth.

My gut twisted again. Even the people that I didn't know had found out what a moron I was. He was probably thinking to himself what everyone else was thinking, but didn't even attempt to conceal his amusement like some of the others did.

I turned to go back into the house; no way was I standing out here, being someones personal comedy show. Milly caught my arm.

"Why are you going?!" She snapped at me "You can't leave me out here by myself with all of these creeps."