(Book One) Do you ever feel as if your life has yet to begin? I've been alive for almost seventeen years now and absolutely nothing has ever happened to me. Not until I met a girl who kick-started my life. She introduced me to love, sex, scandal, ex...
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We drive up to an unfamiliar house and idle.
Confused, I look over at Ari and start to ask. "What are we waiting...?"
A girl opens the doors and slides into the back of the Jeep.
"Let's get this party started!" She squeals in delight.
The girl leans over the seat and kisses Ari on the cheek. Then she turns to look at me.
"Hello, gorgeous! Who are you?"
I blush at the greeting. Ari introduces us. The truth is we've already met before. She either doesn't recognize me or has simply forgotten me. Her name is Courtney. We sat next to each other in AP Lit the first semester. We even completed a group project together and spent time in the school library after school.
Courtney is one of Ari's best friends. She is African American and Asian. Perhaps part Japanese, or Korean, but I'm not sure. Either way, she is beautiful. She is on the school dance team and plays soccer with Ari. In other words, she is part of the "in-crowd".
Shortly after a skinny boy comes running from a house across the street. He unceremoniously leaps into the back of the Jeep without opening the doors. As if he'd done it a thousand times.
"Yeet! Don't forget me! I've got the Fireball!" He waves the handle of liquor in the air.
Ari and Courtney whoop and holler at his declaration.
This is Derek, Ari's other best friend. She has many "best friends". They grew up together as kids. He doesn't go to our school; therefore, I don't know what his social status is. To be honest I'm not sure what his ethnic background is either. If I had to stereotype him, I'd say skinny-uber-nerd-skater-boy. That's a thing, right? He smiles politely at me but his attention is quickly diverted to Ari.
The three of them chat excitedly. I slunk in my seat and try to get small. Ari notices I'm feeling left out and tries to loop me into the convo a couple of times. My answers are brief and clipped. She ends up giving up. I'm not intentionally trying to be rude, but I'm nervous. I've deduced we're clearly heading to a party. There's going to be alcohol, lots of people, and I'm not going to know anyone but Ari. She's going to start having fun with her friends like she is right now. And I'm will be off in the corner forgotten. I'm regretting the decisions I've made up to this moment. What is a party without friends? I wish Kris and Katie were here.
We pull up to a house in a badly lit neighborhood, there are cars parked up and down the street. From the street, the house is relatively quiet. Lite chatter and laughter fill the night air as we walk up to the door. The closer we get the louder a steady beat of music grows.
Ari grabs the handle and opens the door. A blare of music and laughter escape and I'm taken aback. We step inside and Ari swiftly closes the door behind us sealing off the commotion to the outside world. I survey the party it's not what I'd expected. There are perhaps twenty people. The lights are on and bright. The living room is tiled and has been cleared of furniture. There are a couple of couches, folding chairs, and a table with a group of people playing cards. The kitchen is connected to the living room and all the booze is stacked on a marble island. There's a set of glass sliding doors leading to an outside space. And there is a pool. People are hanging around it, but no one is in it.
