Don't Hesitate

Chapter VII

Seven

The deafening music laced with moaning, hooting and obnoxious laughter didn't really help the conversation I was having with Alessandra, Lily, and Jamie. The three were sprawled on to the couch, while I'm sitting on the edge of a coffee table, facing them.

They didn't look like they minded the noise, just talked like we were having lunch or something. In fact, they weren't talking to me at all, I was just watching them. I hated parties. They made me uncomfortable. I tried to take up as little space as I could, shrinking my shoulders and clutching my red cup full of mysterious liquid-- probably beer on my lap.

Though I'm friends with the most popular girls in school, I only have them. I don't talk to any body else. So looking around the room to find somebody to talk to is useless. Everyone looked so drunk they probably couldn't hold a simple conversation anyways.

"Too bad there's no karaoke, huh?" Lily chides, looking at me and Jamie. Jamie laughs and is about to say something when Lily cut her off again.

"I didn't know you had that in you, Laura! Shit, you blew us all away. You act like a mute sometimes cause you don't talk much but you're totally pretty and your voice is amazing and I think those two even out your shyness." Lily encourages.

"Thanks," I say, smiling. I turn to Jamie to see what she thinks but she's looking down at her cup, a frown on her face. Alessandra notices this too. I feel bad, so I start to complement Jamie. "Jamie, your singing-"

"Laura, I think you may be even better than Jamie," Alessandra suddenly adds.

"What?" I ask incredulously. Jamie is an amazing singer. She's one of the best in school, she's in theater and gets all the big roles and has so many friends. She is so outgoing, and she's the only one who I actually enjoy spending time with. Out of the three of them, she's the one I look up to. So full of confidence and smiles. I wish I was like that.

"Watch out Jamie," Alessandra says before she leaves the couch to go talk to Brady, who had just arrived to the party.

Jamie looks disgruntled and I'm still confused about what Alessandra said.

"Jamie, you wanna grab another beer? I see you're finished." Lily says, breaking the tension. Jamie gets up without saying a word and looks at me, I can see a slight annoyance in her eyes. She shoves herself past my legs and Lily does the same.

What just happened?

I run my fingers through my hair and held my cup with both hands. I realize I haven't drank anything yet so I take a quick sip. I scrunch up my face as the liquid goes down my throat. I never liked alcohol-- and the girls made me try all different kinds of it.

My mind wanders to them now. They have been acting weird ever since the first party I attended. Alessandra would always make these mysterious remarks that would make Jamie cringe, and Lily and Alessandra would always talk behind out backs. Lately, I've been feeling more distant from Jamie than ever, and we never go out just the two of us now, she always says she's busy. It also hurt how she just shoved her way past me. Jamie wasn't like that.

I was so lost in thought just staring at my cup that I didn't notice a figure hovering in front of me.

I look up and I breathe a sigh of relief that it's Alex. I immediately get up and hug him as he wraps his arms around me, then he tilts my chin up and gives me a quick kiss.

"Mmm," He says, then looks down on the coffee table, grabbing my cup and taking a long sip.

"You can have it."