Falling for Diana Clarisse

6

We got to Amanda’s home in thirty minutes with traffic delays. It would’ve been a ten minute drive if there were no delays. I’m pretty sure this is a couple blocks away from our house. It looked like a one-story home from outside, but it was definitely more spacious than it looked. Amanda parked in the garage, and I parked by the sidewalk. As I was getting out, another car pulled into the driveway. It was Nick.

He got out with drinks. “Hey! I didn’t have your number! Fortunately, Amanda saw you!”

I laughed and went inside with him. Amanda was already getting everything set up. “Boys, make yourself at home! Nick, you can give Evan a walk around the place.” We went around the house. It was almost like our house. Three rooms, two bathrooms, a den, living room, kitchen, dining room, patio area, and the rest of the details that sum up a house. We headed out to the living room, where everything was ready.

“I know the place is messy, but we should still be able to make it through the night without any troubles,” said Amanda. Nick and I gave replies about it being nice and everything, that there wasn’t anything to worry about.

A good twenty minutes went by, and it was still us three. “So, who else is coming tonight?” I asked.

“Carmen, Ana, Lilyanna, and Shane. Your man isn’t here, but is what’s-his-name still coming? I mean Jackson,” replied Nick.

Amanda was lying on the opposite black leather couch, playing on her phone. “Lily and Shane aren’t coming. They took Christopher to Disneyland for the weekend. I’m figuring out why Diana and Carmen aren’t here yet. I thought Carmen was coming with you? And no, Jacob,” she emphasized, “is not coming. He’s backpacking in Europe with his brother, remember? Oh and Evan, I’m Shane’s sister, so I’m Lilyana’s sister-in-law.”

I nodded and Nick responded. “Carmen said she would pick up Ana. She said something about an existential crisis earlier. Man, I was looking forward to having a conversation about some stuff. And as for Jackson, I don’t give a rat’s ass where he is. I doubt he’s ‘backpacking with his brother’.” He made quotes with his hand.

“Well, you should care what’s going on with him,” said Amanda.

“And I don’t.” Nick smirked and turned to me. “Evan Todd, would you give a rat’s ass about the snarkiest dumbass of the world?”

What am I supposed to say? “I don’t know. If I don’t have to deal with someone like that often, then, no. I wouldn’t let his actions bother me. I’m sorry, this might not even pertain to me, but what’s all this dilemma with this guy, Jacob, right?” I looked Amanda, who rolled her eyes at Nick, who was pouring himself a drink. He stood up, after taking a big gulp of whatever he had.

“Okay, take me for example. I’m here in jeans, jacket, shirt, and some normal chucks. You’re wearing the same attire, basically. Amanda here is wearing jeans, a blouse with some fancy lacy stuff around the collarbone area. She has her slippers and I don’t think she’s brushed her hair since last night but it’s okay because it’s in a bun.” He received a glare from Amanda. “Ana and Carmen will wear literally the same thing because these three literally share their closets so whatever. Jacob? This ostentatious, conceited dickwad would come here in a suit, later to complain about it being hot. I mean, why would it be hot?” He said sarcastically. Whoever Jacob is, he sounds like a grade-A douche bag.

“Nicolas, sit yourself down and shut up.” Amanda muttered. “Talk any more bull, I’m exiling you to the guest room sans your phone and drinks.”

He sat down, raising his hands as if he didn’t do anything wrong.

“When are they arriving, have they said anything?” I tried to change the subject.

She sighed and shrugged. “No, and there’s traffic.” She looked at her phone. “They won’t be here for a while. They said we should get started, not to wait for them.”

Drinks were poured, the TV was turned on, karaoke music was on her tablet, syncing with the TV. She pulled out out a spinner board. The circle was divided into six, five numbers and “drink”.

“Okay, here are the rules. we all first take a drink. Each number is a person. Nick, you’re one, Evan, two and I’ll be three. Diana will be four, Carmen, five. 'Drink' means you take another drink. One of us will spin, and whatever the arrow lands on is what’ll happen. If it lands on your number, you still need to sing. Any other number means that person will sing. Four and five aren’t part of the game for now. Once you finish the song, you spin. And so on. The songs are all on shuffle, with lyrics on the TV. The songs are common ones, so it shouldn’t be that bad. And for the drinking part - part one: you drink after you sing a song. Whoever sings a song perfectly, as in with no problems, the rest of the party takes two drinks. Make sense?” Amanda explained. I nodded.

Nick claps his hands together and grins. “Okay, who’s ready to get wasted?