When We Were Young - George Daniel

CHAPTER EIGHT (thirteen)

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Here's the next chapter guys. Thank you for the support on my last one, it's all really appreciated!

Enjoy :)

February, 2004

Valentine's Day. 

Also known as my thirteenth birthday. It had fallen on a Saturday this year and the boys didn't hesitate to plan me an 'epic' as Matty called it, birthday party.

Ross was mixing the punch at the kitchen bench and Matty was sorting out the snacks into different bowls. I was sat on the dining table blowing up a few pink and purple balloons. Matty threw a lolly in the air and I caught it in my mouth.

"Yes Eve!" Matty cheered laughing loudly clapping his hands. I chewed the lolly teeth and swallowed, opening my mouth to show the boys proudly. 

"Is that your party trick Evie?" Ross asked from the kitchen.

I shrugged. "I guess so."

The party was at Matty's house since mum didn't want everybody over and bothering Matilda. Matty asked Denise and she was more than happy to host my birthday party. Louis was one now and Matty's grandma was happy to look after him for the night.

"Right so George rolled a heap of joints last night and they're in my second drawer. We can only smoke them outside around the side of my house or in the basement," he told Ross and I matter of factly. "If mum finds out she'll go mental."

I was pretty shocked that none of us had been found out for smoking weed yet since the smell was so strong. Maybe our parents just didn't know what it smelt like.

"I have a few of my own I'm bringing anyway," Ross said.

"Well we won't be sharing ours with you then mate," Matty spoke scoffing a handful of chips into his mouth.

Me and Matty had pretty much returned to how we were before all the kissing stuff. It was nice that we could keep up what we already had going on. It made me feel better about the George thing a little bit; at least I still had one of them to count on.

"Is George coming tonight?" I asked.

"Of course he's comin'," Matty said. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Coz he doesn't even talk to me anymore."

"He'll get over it," he said standing up from the table. "He's just being a moody bastard. He's hitting puberty I reckon."

***

I squeezed through the crowd of people gathered in Matty's living room. I recognised most, mainly my classmates at school and a few family friends. Matty had taken it upon himself to invite a bunch of his friends from school, Adam too, but I didn't really care since it was his house and everything.

The cd player in the corner was blasting Fall Out Boy, my current favourite band. Matty had made me a mixed CD so among FOB were a few bands I'd never heard of. He said he'd done it for me mainly so afterwards I could load it onto my iPod and expand my music taste.

I hadn't seen George yet and I was nervous too. I kept my eye out for him, looking around the sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces, not knowing what I would say to him when I did finally see him. Maybe he wouldn't turn up? I couldn't bare to think that.

"Evie!" My friend Victoria from school came running up. 

"Hey Vic!"

"Oh my God, I can't believe I'm at a party at Matt Healy's house," she gushed.