-the beach; 10:08pm
parties weren't a thing i enjoyed much. i was friends with everyone, but they all had their own friend groups. i was never really in a friend group, just the friend that wasn't claimed. standing around at parties was typical for me. just a background character.
i was a pouge, but not like the rest of the pouges. my dad is a business man. we have a decent home and an okay car. we have this fancy boat too. he's gone most of the time, so it's just me and my mom. my mom works at a local restaurant that has no customers except for the fishermen, after a long day of fishing. so i guess i was more of the wealthier side of the pouges. that's why i'm fitting in at this kook party.
"hey, that's a pretty dress!!" i heard from a girl my age. she had a perfect body, beautiful eyes, and blonde beach hair. i look down at my dress, just a light pink silk dress, dipping at the front. "thank you, i like your dress too. very eloquent." i smile at her. she laughs and twirls her pink, long dress. "i'm sarah" she says, still with a huge smile on her face.
"i'm jade."
"jade. that's a pretty name"
"thank you, sarah" i smile, tasting the cherry taste from my chapstick. a group of 3 boys and a girl rush into the party. one of the boys runs up to sarah. "john b!! i missed you so much!!" sarah squeals as john b picks her up and twirls her around.
i look at the ground in discomfort.
everyone gathers around where i'm standing. the girl in the group announces she's gonna get some water "okay kie" i hear one of the other boys say. kie skips away. "hey jade, this is john b!!" she expresses. "hi john b" i say as i smile. he waves using a finger gun. "do you mind if me and him go to the terrace real quick" sarah asks. "take your time" i say, sighing.
"so jade i hear," the blonde boy says, putting his hand on the pillar i'm leaning on.
"jj, knock it off", i hear the other boy say.
"pope, go fetch some degree or something real quick" jj says, as pope rolls his eyes and walks away.
"so you're friends with sarah?" jj asks. "actually i just met her, kinda weird, i know" i say laughing. he laughs back with a comfort in his voice. he stops laughing and widens his eyes looking in my eyes, surprised. "you have beautiful eyes", he gasps. "what color are those?!". he tilts my head back as i squint my eyes trying to escape from him huddling over me. i step back and say,
"...they're blue?".
"the most beautiful blue eyes i've ever seen. they're like the sky!!" he expresses.
"you know what, jj? your eyes are pretty beautiful too."
"..wait. really? even when i cant even open my left eye?"
"yeah. well i mean, your right eye is pretty cool so i'm assuming your left eye is too".
"aw thank you, jade. hey i was won-" jj speaks as pope rushes up to him.
"hey there's an issue, jj. we have to go back to john b's house before the cops get here"
"omfg what happened? i wasn't even involved this time" jj says. "can we bring jade?" jj asks pope. "i don't care what you do, as long as you can trust her" pope says, rushed. jj looked at me up and down. "seems pretty trustworthy to me." he says and than drags me out of the party by the arm. we finally get to the dock and we get on this small boat.
john b's house-
everyone rushes in the house and we cram in a living room. it's sarah, john b, pope, kie, jj and me. kies in popes arms and sarah is laying on john bs lap. me and jj just sit on the floor staring at each other. "so you wanna play like monopoly?" jj suggests out of the silence. everyone gets on the floor and gathers around the coffee table. it feels good to be with people who are comfortable around you.
jj gets the game box from a shelf in the kitchen.
"ya'know i always wanted to be the monopoly man." jj says, carrying the box. the way he walks makes my stomach hurt.
"no one cares about your monopoly man dreams" john b snaps.
"i care about them" jj snaps back.
he sets the box down and sits down, with his knees to his chest and his chin in between his knees.
we play many games. many and MANY games. and than, he touches my hand.
