What They Say ~ O2L Fan Fiction ~

What They Say Chapter 2

At 8 o’clock, Connor picked me up at the apartment building that Amanda and I lived in. He drove up in a red Corvette.

“Whoa. Upscale, I like it” I said as I stepped into the passenger seat.

“I know right. Now let’s get this show on the road. No pun intended.”

I laughed because his puns were always intended and we sped off. The closer we got to this party, the more nervous I got. What if everyone stared at me? What if I embarrassed myself? What if I embarrassed Connor? Oh God, he would be mad at me forever. This was probably a mistake but I couldn’t turn back now. I was already too far in. Oh well.

“What did you just say?” Connor was glancing over at me.

“Nothing.” At least I didn’t think I said anything. I hoped I didn’t.

“Oh… Must’ve been static on the radio” He changed the station just in case because he hated when the static ruined the song playing.

“Yeah, must’ve been static” I agreed.

Connor pulled up to the party. I was really scared from when I psyched myself up on the drive here but he looked fine so I pretended to be okay too. Going up the long and steep driveway, it started to rain and I stopped. I looked at the sky like I always did when it rained. When we were kids, we tried to catch the raindrops like snowflakes on our tongues.

“What are you doing?” He was asking me while I looked up at the night sky and stuck out my tongue.

“What I – we – always do. Remember?”

He looked at me like I was crazy. It was like he had no memory of ever catching the raindrops when we were younger.

“Stop it Tessa. We aren’t eight anymore. You’re going to embarrass me. Just act normal and go with the flow.”

“Fine” was all I said and it was quiet and quick. Why was he acting so weird?

Immediately upon entering the strange building, Connor was showered with greetings, hugs, and gifts. I was seen and forgotten like a secret that you find out about your parents. They’d hush you up and it was never spoken of ever again. Connor was loving all of the attention, though. He was dragging me through crowds of weird smelling people grinding on each other to terrible music. When did he become so social and full of himself? When I knew Connor, he was fat and clumsy and would only talk to people when they gave him some candy. Now he was standing so tall and talking to everyone. This party sucked anyways. I thought we were going to hang out like old times. Watch a couple of scary movies and pig out on junk food with a few other people he knew. Not go to some huge, big high-lister party and dance with people we didn’t know to outrageously loud music in a strange place unknown to most normal people.

I pulled away when I saw a free seat away from most people, but he didn’t seem to notice until someone asked him if he knew who I was and why I was there because obviously I didn’t belong there. He walked up to me and just stared at me for a while before he spoke.

“Tessa, what are you doing over here? I thought you were going to socialize.”

“Connor, I want to leave.”

“What are you talking about? We just got here. Loosen up, Tessa. What happened to you? Just let go and have fun!”

“Loosen up? You want me to loosen up? Connor, are you freaking serious!? You can’t tell me to loosen up! And you can’t ask what happened to me because NOTHING happened to me. You’re the one that’s changed. You’re the one who’s different. When we were kids, you would be with me hiding away from all this mess that some people call a party and we would be watching an old horror movie and eating all the junk food we could afford with our allowance from the week. So Connor, don’t tell me to loosen up, don’t ask what happened to me, and don’t even try to tell me to have fun because you know me and you know that none of this is ‘fun’”.

I ran away with tears rolling down my hot cheeks. My throat hurt and I was worn out. I could tell that the majority of the people at that hole called a party were staring at me and I honestly didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to curl up in my bed and sleep for an eternity.

Why would he be acting so different? Why would he talk to me like that? Who was he? Certainly not the Connor I knew before. But you know what they say, fame – although in his case it was minor – changes people.

I walked home and eventually stopped crying. I just couldn’t stop picturing his face in my mind. The way he just stared at me so coldly before telling me to loosen up. He had some nerve, telling me that I had changed. He’s the one that changed! He was different. Meaner and more full of himself. He acted like everyone around him was a peasant and meant nothing. Then I thought about the way I acted. I yelled at him. Not once in my life had I ever yelled at Connor. I never had any reason to until now I guess. I mean he was being a stuck up jerk. I had the right to yell at him. But in front of all of those people? I didn’t know and my head hurt so I just stopped thinking and kept walking.

Just then, a car pulled up behind me. I didn’t look back because I figured it was either a murderer or Connor, neither of which I had the energy to deal with.

“Hey! Would you turn around?”

It was a familiar voice but not one that I had heard since the Digitour. I turned around only because I was sure that I knew who it was.

“JC! God, I’m glad to see you. What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?”

His chubby cheeks raised and his lips curled into an adorable smile when I turned around. “Connor texted. He said you embarrassed him at the party tonight and then just left. What happened?”

“It’s a long story” I said as I climbed into the passenger seat of his lime green Camaro.

“We’ve got time. We’re about 40 minutes from your place.”

“How do you know where I live?” That was really weird. I only told Connor where our place was.

“Amanda and I have been texting a little” he said and blushed a little. I could see it from the streetlight we were under.

“Oooh! You so like her!”

“Weren’t we talking about you? I think we were.”

“Okay. Whatever.”

He was right. In exactly 40 minutes we were arriving at the apartment building and I had relived the party and cried all over again. I was glad JC was there to listen. That’s really all I needed. He walked me to the door and gave me a friendly hug goodbye.

“Thanks JC.”

“No problem” he said smiling.

“Hey, how did you know where I would be? There are a billion streets in this place and you found me just like that.”

"Lucky guess?"

“Amanda told what street I would be on didn’t she?” She knew me too well.

“Maybe…” he trailed off.

 I chuckled and said goodnight before walking into the lobby. I went into the elevator and pressed 10, then patiently waited for the doors to open and bring me to my home.

Opening the door, I found Amanda sleeping in the computer desk chair facing the door. She must’ve fallen asleep waiting for me. I looked at my phone and hadn’t even realized that she texted me a bunch of times. The time said 2:14 am and all I wanted to do was sleep so that’s exactly what I did. I walked into my room, shut the door quietly, stripped, got into my baggiest shirt and shorts, and fell asleep on my welcoming bed.