Between You and Me

~~7~~

Shilo and her friend Abbie showed up two hours later to my apartment, hauling ass with a bunch of bags. I didn't ask what they held because I was warned about how Shilo gets before a party.

By the time they showed up, I had patched up my hand from my earlier fight with Oliver Barnett. Thank goodness for Shilo's party craziness, otherwise I would never live down where I cut my hand so bad I had to wrap it in five layers of gauze. I'll use it to keep my hand from freezing when I grab another beer later at the party.

"Hey you two, come on in." I open the door all the way for them to squeeze in.

Abbie is a great girl. She has a fashion sense like I've never seen. Weird part is, she doesn't have any interest in fashion, only architecture. That's what she's working towards after we graduate this year. She says that architecture is similar to fashion and design in the search for balance, expression and mostly function.

"Okay, my dear. Let's talk party prep!" Shilo smiles at me and I chuckle before opening my closet to Abbie for planning.
"Is there anyone special you wanna impress tonight, Sage?" Abbie asks as she begins tossing my clothes on my bed.

I think about it for a second. It would be great to show a certain QB who he pissed off.

Crossing my arms I slowly answer, "I want to look fierce tonight. Like a guy has to be dared by his friends to talk to me."
"I can totally do that, but I'm not so sure your closet can, girl," Abbie smiles, "Luckily for you, I brought just what you're looking for."
"So who's respect is it that you want, Sage? A girl can look fierce all on her own, why radiate it?" Shilo asks, sitting my on the bed as Abbie digs through one of the bags she brought with her.
I think of my response while Shilo gets her makeup kit out in front of her, "I guess I didn't feel to strong today, I want to at least look the part."
Abbie nods her head to my hand, "Is that why you feel a little clumsy today, honey?"
"Maybe." I smile at her and wink before closing my eyes while Shilo works on my eyeshadow.

~~~

By the time the three of us are ready to head out, the party is just about to get started. Abbie's cousin Daniel is throwing the party and he always stays sober when he's host so I have instructions to find him if I need help.

We all hop into the back seat of a cab that Shilo called for us, leaving her keys locked safely in my apartment.

This won't be my first high school party, but I'm for sure no veteran when it comes to this. We all have alarms set on our phones for 12:00 am when Abbie is going to call both of us and make sure we're okay. Shilo told me not to worry about creeps, the majority of our classmates are good guys, but she does this every party just to be safe. My mom knows where I'm going and who I'm going with, which have always been her two rules for my night time adventures.

I can feel the confidence running through me at how I'm done up for tonight. I'm in ripped black jeans, a tight synthetic leather wrap-around jacket, studded high heels, black studded fingerless gloves (that help cover my hurting hand) and I have a blackish grey clutch with my phone and taxi money. My hair is lightly curled and my makeup is natural yet dark.

I'm so ready for this night to get crazy I wish it started yesterday.

Once we arrive at Daniel's house, a middle sized modern farm house on the edge of town, we all check for our alarms at midnight and then head on inside to the vibration of the beat.

As soon as I walk inside I can feel my confidence reach a level it hasn't met since my parents divorced. Before I was demoted to the town's poor case I was a party animal. The few times i did get out, I often never remembered the next morning.

I head straight to the bar on the far side of the entry hall and grab a beer, opening it with one smack against the edge of the table. I turn around and lean against the table, peaking into the living room turned dance room next door. All of the furniture has been moved out of the way for writhing bodies moving to the beat.

"Don't you look interesting."

I turn my head and face a guy slightly taller than me, even in my heels. He has dark hair, like Abbie, and his smile makes me smile.

"You must be the host, Daniel." I nod my head and tip my beer bottle to him.
"That's correct. You must be Sage." He does the same, but makes like he's tipping his non-existent cowboy hat.
"I hear you're the man for the job if I get in trouble." I point to Abbie, already moving to the music.
Daniel laughs, "Right again. Can I give you my number for if you do wind up needing me, for anything at all?"
I raise an eyebrow and marvel at his game, "Of course."

I hand over my phone and he adds his number before smiling again and heading off to stop a bunch of girls swimming while drunk in his pool.

"That was fast" Shilo chuckles as she sidles up beside me.
"What can I say, he's got game."
Her smile fades, "Be careful, hey? I don't want you too drunk."
"There isn't enough alcohol in this house to get me drunk, Shi."
"Don't be cocky." She waves a finger at me.
"I'm not." I smile reassuringly as I head onto the dance floor.

~~~

I'm sitting by myself outside in the night just finishing another beer when someone sits beside me. I don't have to look up to see who it is.

"I've been watching you all night. How are you not drunk yet?" Oliver Barnett asks in disbelief.
"Creepy much?" I look at him out of the corner of my eye and see him roll his.

He sighs and leans back on his elbows in the green grass of Daniel's backyard. I toss my now empty bottle beside me and lay down completely, looking up to the few stars I can see. Barnett shifts closer to me and I glare at him before shuffling away again.

"You know, I really was going to apologize to you about how I treated you that night at Dan's."
"Just at Dan's?" I turn my head and watch his lips move when he responds.
"No. Everywhere. Over text, in my phone call... In person."

I close my eyes and listen for signs as he continues.

"I've been under a lot of stress lately, what with my dad and all. University applications are due half way through the school year and I don't even know what I want yet, but he seems to have a pretty clear idea of what he wants for me. Football scholarship to a division one school, drafted, retire and then help him at his firm. I'm not sure I want to make football a career. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I'm not sure if its worth all the-" He pauses and turns to look at me, "I don't know why I'm telling you this. It's not really part of my apology."
I shut him up with a glare, "Yes it is. If you think for a second your dad can lock you into something you don't want, then you need to realize that you are a human being, with a brain whom is capable of making his own decisions."
"Whom?" He tries to hold in his laugh.

I smack him on his shoulder, then hiss and hold my cut up hand to my chest.

"What's wrong?" He grabs my hand and pulls off my glove, freezing once he sees the many cuts on my palm and my fingers.
"Nothing." I pull my hand away and hide it underneath my good one, looking up to the stars again.
"That isn't nothing. What happened?" He tries to grab my hand again and pull it closer to his face for examination.

I know that seeing his human side with the troubles of his future has made my heart start to flutter whenever he grabs my hand, and I can't handle that. I stand up and take off into the house in search of something stronger than a beer this time.

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