In Colour (Slow Updates)

+ saying hello +

Twelve

That afternoon, since Lottie felt sorry for me, I was able to go to the skate park. But not until after my tutoring session (which consisted of Thea and her friends ogling the baseball team), and seeing Justin Pierce (which consisted of coffee and maybe a bit of kissing). 

So after he'd dropped me at the skate park, and after a quick goodbye kiss, I walked over to the concrete jungle. My friends, who had watched everything play out, started to wolf-whistle and cat call.

I blushed a deep red and flipped them off. Plopping down on the ground, I rolled my eyes. "Don't be so immature."

JJ grinned goofily. "Penny has got game. Who's the lucky bugger?"   

"No one," I grumbled.

Geordie laughed and ruffled my hair while a few of the boys made kissing noises. "That's Justin Pierce. Bad boy and total hottie of Edenhill High. He's so totally dreamy."

"You're so full of shit," I hissed good-naturedly.

Geordie blew me a kiss as JJ chuckled. "So are you a couple?"

I shrugged. "Not really. We haven't really talked about it. It's just a bit of fun."

"Interesting," Cameron said before nudging my shoulder. "Be careful."

I rolled my eyes at his protectiveness before jumping up. "So are we going to skate or what?"

An hour later, after skating religiously, I collapsed in a tired heap next to JJ. He chuckled at me. "You've been out of practice for a while. A bit tired?"

"My whole body is on fire," I admitted.

"So, my cousin's birthday is this coming weekend and he's not really into big parties so he's having kind of like a barbecue thing. He said I could invite whoever and I've already invited a few of the boys. You keen to come too?" he asked casually.

I froze but tried not to let it show. "Uh, I'm not too sure. I'll have to check with Lottie."

"Okay, sweet as," he said. "Let me know anyway. It'll be sick to have you there."

I managed a smile. "I'll try my hardest to talk Lottie around."

Even though I had no intention whatsoever of going or bringing it up with Lottie, that weekend, I ended up on Aaron Archibald's front path, staring up at the family mansion.

That's what happened when Lottie bumped into Mrs Archibald at the supermarket. After she mentioned it, Lottie didn't back down with her relentless nagging of wanting me to go. She loved Aaron and it was no secret. She loved Thea too and that's why, after dinner last night where Thea had joined us, she was standing next to me, having felt the wrath of Lottie's incessant sweet-talking.

Thea whistled lowly. "Who knew we'd be attending Aaron Archibald's 18th due to an invite your sister scored us."

"Yeah," I said off-handedly, my mind elsewhere and my stomach like led.

She cast a sideways glance at me. "You seem nervous."

"Just tired," I replied without missing a beat, an answer I had given a lot of times in the past year.

She took a deep breath. "Do I look okay?"

Thea was wearing a cute summer dress with a matching cardigan and strappy sandals. Her hair was perfectly curled and her make-up was immaculate. Compared to my simple jeans, Vans and plain blouse (that Lottie had forced me to wear), she looked like a goddess.