Young Lust

7 - Proper Introductions

We'd stopped to pick up Joey and Tom from Tom's house, and they were a bit surprised to see me in the front of Steven's kombi.

After a while, we pulled up next to a tree in a dark street.

"I'm no expert, but aren't parties supposed to be a little more lively than this?" I asked.

"Tch, really?" Steven replied. "You can't just pull up in front of a huge party, not if you treasure your car."

"We're walking a bit," Tom said.

We all got out of the old van and started to walk. The further we went, the more I could hear music and the more Joey complained.

"Why'd you park so far away, dude?" he whined.

"To see you suffer," Steven joked.

"Good thing you didn't wear heels," Tom said to me.

"Have you not taken any notice at all of how I dress in the last however many days?" I replied.

"Yeah. You like David Bowie, then?"

"Yup. Got a few of his records,"

"You have a record player? Steven, I think we've hit gold with this one," Tom nudged Steven.

"So she's got a record player, and?" Steven snapped.

I raised my eyebrows slightly.

"Geez, alright," Tom said quietly.

"Sorry," Steven said. "One corner left."

He was right - when we turned the next corner all I saw was this huge house with people littered everywhere in the front yard. The front of the house was decorated with differently coloured lanterns, there were a few beer cans and bottles lying around and there was even a guy laying face down on the lawn.

"Well, that guy's screwed, it's not even seven o'clock," Steven joked as we passed him.

We managed to get inside and squeeze our way through people, to get to what was obviously a living room.

"Johnny, m'boy!" Steven said and fist bumped a tall guy with shoulder length blonde hair. After they caught up a bit, Johnny noticed that I was still there.

"Oh," he said and looked me up and down, "who's this, Stevie? New girlfriend?"

"No," Steven and I said in unison.

"Really? Well then, I might have to swoop her up for myself," Johnny said as he stepped towards me and slung an arm around my shoulders.

"Tempting," I said sarcastically, and I ducked out from under his arm and stood to face him again.

"Aw," he pouted. "Well, Steven, are you gonna introduce us?"

"Name's Jade," I introduced myself.

"She's a friend from school," Steven added.

"Look out for this one, Jade, he's a bit of a... philanderer," Johnny winked at me.

"He's kidding," Steven said and lead me away from him, "if anyone's a 'philanderer' it's him."

"Right," I agreed, not caring.

---

Steven approached a group of people sitting on the floor in the corner of the living room.

"What's happening over here?" Steven asked and he sat down with them, motioning for me to join.

"Nothing really," said a girl who had short light brown hair and black rimmed glasses.

"Out of booze..." announced another girl with brown hair, almost as long as mine. Her dark purple lipstick went nicely with her pale skin.

"You should get us some more, Stevie!" implied a guy with short black hair and a Guns N' Roses shirt.

"Katie, you're too young. Joel, get your own," Steven laughed, "there's plenty around."

"What's up, Erin?" Steven asked a blonde girl across the group.

"Nothing much." she replied quietly. "Who's your friend?"

"Everyone, this is Jade. Jade, everyone." Steven waved his arm toward the group.

As I looked around I noticed Joe in the very corner. He was going with a girl who had her legs around his waist and arms around his neck.

"Joe, Courtney," Steven acknowledged them without worrying about their escapade.

I remembered my words from earlier - 'What girl in their right mind...' - and thought; apparently I've found a girl who would want to go for it with Joe.

"Love the hair colour, Jade," the short-haired girl said with a smile. "I'm Kirsten,"

"Thanks, nice to meet you," I said and she shook my hand.

"And I'm Katie, since Steven doesn't know what a proper introduction is!" the purple lipstick girl said.

"There are so many of you though..." Steven replied.

"There are five of us, you retard," Katie said to him.

"I think mother would want to have her precious little daughter home before midnight," Steven said in a mock posh accent.

"I'm not Cinderella, ugh, and I'm nearly sixteen, not twelve." Katie crossed her arms.

"Sibling love," Erin interrupted.

"Rightio," I said.

"Guys, Jade's never been to a party before, so I expect her to be treated well." Steven said.

"We can do 'well'," Joe said. It seemed he wasn't as occupied as before with the Courtney girl, who was still basically sitting on him.

He nudged her off, kissed her again and then went off somewhere.

"Just don't drink out of the punch bowl," Kirsten told me.

"There's a punch bowl?" Joel and Katie both asked. They got up and set off to find it.

"I have to pee," Erin announced, and she left too. Steven said he needed to as well, and got up and followed Erin without another word.

"Why is everyone leaving?" I asked Kirsten. She shrugged and leaned against the wall.

Then Joe came back, holding a plate. He sat next to Courtney again and passed the plate around.

"Brownies!" exclaimed Courtney. She passed the plate to me and I took one, and I gave the plate to Kirsten.

I rested my brownie on my knee and leaned on my hands behind me on the carpet.

Katie and Joel returned now too. Both took a brownie without saying anything and Joel hooked in.

"Did you make these, Joe?" Katie asked.

"Yeah, and should you be-?" he answered.

"No she shouldn't," Kirsten said and snatched Katie's brownie from her.

"Why? They can't taste that bad," I said and picked mine up.

"It's not the taste you should worry about..." Joe smirked.

"You let her have a brownie," Steven said as he appeared. "Why would you give her one? And my sister as well," he sounded annoyed.

"Chill out man, Katie didn't have any, and I'm sure Jade can make her own decisions." Joe rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Steven answered. He took my brownie and tossed it back onto the plate.