Don't Call Me Baby

2 | SOMETHING UNEXPECTED

"How's the party going?" Someone screams in my ear and I catch a glimpse of their reddened cheeks. Their breath reeks of vodka and something that I can only compare to the smell of a dumpster.

I don't even know this guy, but he's trying to chat me up. Looks like a single girl at a party is the easiest prey because this is the third dude to come to me already and I've only spent a total of fourty minutes here.

"It's alright." I reply to the drunk teen, who is currently creepily smiling at me. With a quick movement, that includes my elbow crashing into someone's ribs and receiving a few curse words, I make my way to the center of the party where I hope to finally find the familiar face I have been looking for.

I bump into people who are too drunk to even realize where they are, but the polite part of me still obligates me to say sorry every time I end up colliding with another person.

I look around but everyone looks ginormous next to me and I can't really see anything but a bunch of sweaty armpits and worn out band tees in front of my face.

The orange juice I'm holding is still untouched because someone just pushed it in my hands when I entered
and I am not about to trust any teenager with my drink.

"Jordan!"

I try to search for the voice that is calling me, but I'm once again met by nothing but sweaty bodies. I can't even begin to describe how disgusting the smell of feet in a crowded room is, as that has been the only thing I've been able to smell for a while now.

"Hey, Jordan!"

My arm is suddenly grabbed by someone and I'm turned around in the middle of the crowd. The first thing I see from the person in front of me is their neck which is covered in tattoos. Oh. Next up are the skinny black jeans and the edgy band tee where a name is written in such a strange font that it looks more like the  creased leather of a worn out sofa, rather than an actual band name. And finally (leaving the best for the end) I glance at his face where I'm met by a pair of light brown eyes and pitch black hair that is almost perfectly messed up. It's unfair how good it looks on him, when I look ridiculous if I don't put a brush through my tangled locks.

"Hi." I manage to mumble back and Archer graces me with one of his wide smiles that uncovers a pair of braces on his lower teeth, which look
extremely cute paired with his dimples.

"Have you been looking for me? I saw you searching through the crowd when you came here." He says, cocking one of his brows as if he's challenging me to tell the truth. I gulp uncomfortably but nod anyway. This seems to be enough of an answer for him, because he grabs my hand, saying 'Come on!' and starts leading me even deeper into the crowd.

We finally reach the counter top where the majority of the alcohol is placed and a bunch of red cups are abandoned for one reason or another.

Archer still has that smile on his face which always leaves me questioning what his intentions are. I feel like I know him, yet I'm completely oblivious. This is probably one of the things I like the most about him, though.

"There you go, guys. She's here!" Archer announces and a bunch of faces turn to stare at me, which makes me feel all the more uncomfortable. In any other scenario, I would've just walked away from everyone's eyes, but knowing that Archer Finn told them about me, I can't seem to make a step on my own. I look up at the tattooed boy next to me, as if searching for permission (for what, I don't know) and he simply nods at me, finally releasing me from his grasp. I hadn't realized we were still holding hands up until this moment.

The amount of attention I'm getting from Archer makes me feel amazing, I can't lie, but it's also very suspicious. I haven't seen him making out with anyone right in front of me yet, but sadly enough that's what I expect of him. He has let me down way too many times for me to actually hold any hope that he likes me. I have accepted my sad fate as a hopeless romantic who has a giant crush on a person who barely ever recognizes my existence in any other social situation except for parties (although this is by far the most I've gotten from him ever).

"So this is Jessica!" A blonde girl with a very very young looking face but a shockingly short black dress that leaves little to the imagination, speaks up first. Her eyes glint devilishly and I already smell the scent of jealousy in the air. Oh God. I roll my eyes at her stupid attempt to injure my pride and make a fool out of me, but what she doesn't know is that I have no pride to begin with so there's really nothing to destroy there.

So this is one point for me, zero for barbie.

"Her name's Jordan, Bailey." Archer sighs and sends me an apologetic look to which I simply shrug my shoulders as if her attitude is nothing more than a slight inconvenience. "You know, you could try being a bit more polite to my date for tonight."

After I hear him defend me, a smile finds its way to my face but is cut short by the end of his sentence. Oh. So that's why he's being so nice to me and invited me to this party. I am just the next girl in his list of targets.

"Excuse me." I finally speak up which attracts Archer's attention back to me and I turn around making my way towards the front door. I feel stupid and ashamed to have come to a party which was just a set-up for Archer to try and seduce me. I don't want to sleep with him and have him forget about me the next morning.

I'm either getting the full package or nothing.

But Archer Finn doesn't offer more than his body to anyone.

So I don't know what I was expecting when I came here.

I guess it's true that hope dies last.

"Wait, Jordy!" Archer shouts from somewhere behind me but I keep on walking, trying to stay calm at least until I call my mom and get home so I can cry to my heart's content. I don't want to see this guy anymore, I don't want to hear his voice, I don't want to feel his touch, I don't want to have anything to do with him.

Or at least that's what I'm trying to tell myself.

The logical side of me screams to just leave already and forget I ever met Archer, but my heart, well it's telling a whole different story. Deep inside of me, I know I want to at least taste the feeling of being with Archer Finn even if it means spending the night with him.

Is it worth it?

I'm leaving in a week.

What do I have to lose?

So I stop and bring the red cup to my lips, drinking a solid amount. Just as I suspected before, the drink inside is far from just some orange juice, because I feel it burning at the back of my throat. But dang it makes me feel good.

And it definitely gives me courage, because next thing I know I'm in Archer Finn's arms and I'm kissing him.

Furiously.

In the middle of a party, full of people I don't know.