A Life With Boys

Chapter 5

Amber and I had a nice deal: she would get me drinks; I would get hers and mine into te school. And not by using that stupid locker-way. I had to make a good impression and I already had a solid plan.

It took her a few days to make her grandma get the booze, but on monday I had four bottles in my backpack, next to some books to mute any sound the bottles would produce. I was nervous, which was totally unnessecairy because none of the teachers would look what's inside my bag.

I couldn't believe it was already my second week in Milden. Time went by so fast. With only a few days left until prom. Altough I hadn't thought I would be able to, I had rejected to go to prom with Russel. I knew the prom was planned so soon after the vacation so students had an opportunity to get to know their classmates. So I didn't want to be stuck with a date that might suck. But actually having a date would be nice, as it would be my first one. Therefore, I was glad that Russel had said "let me know if you change your mind".

While struggling to get my key, which was slightly bend, into my locker, someone approached me.

"Hey," a male voice said.

I looked up in Vince's pretty face.

"Let me help you." He took my key and opened my locker. "No booze in there, yet?" He laughed.

"How do you know I'm going to prom, I never told you," I replied curiously.

"Russel told me. So I wondered," he did the smiling-and-trying-to-be-sexy thing again. It totally worked. I kept looking at his lips. Did I like him? "Do you want to go to prom with me?"

Yes. Yes, yes, yessss. "Uh, your friend also asked me, you know."

"That's something he didn't tell me! I assume you're going with him, then?" He sounded disappointed.

"No, I said I don't know him well enough and I don't want to be 'limited' to one person and get to know everyone."

"So, you're going alone?"

"I want to go with you, but I don't want Russel to feel like a second choice. How am I going to explain it to him? He might be mad at you, too."

Vince thought about that for a moment. "We shouldn't let that ruin our prom, should we? Let's just go together and let Russel find himself another date. I will tell him that you're my date, so you won't have to worry about him. Okay?"

I nodded, though I didn't find it statisfying. Russel would feel hurt and Vince didn't seem like he was going to make him feel better. Perhaps it was better if I would go alone. But I couldn't, I had hoped and even dreamed that Vince would ask me. I didn't imagine it could be true and I was his date now. He was right, I shouldn't let Russel ruin my night just because he had been nice.

He asked me something about some stupis physics homework he hadn't made and after that he waved me goodbye. I hurried to my class as the bell rang. Meanwhile, I texted Amber, who answered instantly.

"VINCE ASKED YOU AND YOU DOUBTED? You're insane" I smiled. She was so straight to the point and completely right. I shouldn't worry about Russel.

"It's so strange that I moved here just a week ago and I've already been asked for a date 2 times. How did I do this? XD" I had to ask. I wasn't super beautiful or something. Not even mentioning my experience on this topic. How come all boys were so cute and seemed to like me?

"The problem with Milden High School is that everyone has fucked eachother. They're happy to have some fresh meat to bite in"

I burst out into laughter. Amber was obviously right - she knew so much - but it sounded hilarious. I pictures her saying it and her expression made me laugh even harder. Unfortunately it ment that the guys were using me. But it didn't take away the fact that they were cute and that I had a date to go to prom with.

"Whatever. Vince is handsome"

"That's how I know you ;) now go and capture his heart, pirate!"

I closed the conversation at the exact moment Nathan walked past me. He looked over my shoulder and glanced at my phone.

"You're so social, you only communicate via your phone," he joked.

"That's not true! I'm talking to you now." We took our seats in biology and watched the teacher come in and talk to some students.

"Excited for what is going to be the best prom ever?" Nathan asked.

I nodded, but watched the teacher. I heard her say she had the wrong books with her and she would get the right ones. This was my chance! As soon as the teacher closed the door, I lifted my bag up and climbed on the table. Everyone in the class stared at me and gave me the "WTF are you doing?"-look.

When I got the bottles from my backpack, everyone seemed to understand what I was doing and some people even started to applaud. "Be quiet!" Nathan called out. "We don't want the people next door to become suspicious." He winced and several students nodded.

I had two bottles of Smirnoff Ice, one Malibu and a vodka. When I stood on the point of my toes, I could touch the ceiling. It pushed away one of the ceiling plates and put the bottles on the left side of the hole I had created.

Then, I got a marker and drew a circle at the edge of the plate, so I could recognize it later. After putting the ceiling plate back in place and climbing of the table, everyone started giving me compliments.

"That was great!" Someone yelled.

Nathan smiled genuinely at me. "That was cool! I knew you wouldn't just put the booze in your locker, but this was genius."

Another minute passed by before the teacher came back. "What happened here?" She asked as she saw her students walk through the classroom, all talking to eachother. The conversations ended abruptly and eveyone returned to their seats.

During lunch, Ann, Nathan, Evan, Russel, Vince and a few others wanted to know how I hid the bottles. They wanted to hear every detail. I wondered what was so special about it, I mean, it wasn't that hard, right? Had nobody ever thought of this plan before?

I decided to ask it and my friends seemed to realize again that I was new and didn't know about a girl who indeed had the same idea two years earlier. Her teacher found out and she got suspended for three weeks. I understood from what Evan told me that she wasn't beloved by her teachers and had been suspended earlier. And she hid like a dozen vodka bottles in several classes, so I had little to worry about.

When I walked to my car after that afternoon, Paisley - one of Shannon's friends who threw her lunch in my face - walked towards me.

"I heard about your bravery." Her tone was extremely sarcastic.

"So what?"

Her smile was everything but friendly. "Well, Shannon and I hoped you could hide our booze as well."

"No way." I tried to walk past her, but she stepped in front of me and blocked my way.

"Sure?" she asked. "We might find a way to ruin your date." She gave me another evil smile.

"Which date?" I tried to sound convincing, but apparently my date with Vince was already generally known now.

"Eveyone knows about you and Russel, don't try to fool me, miss Eggy!"

Oh. Russel. I didn't have a date with Russel, so there was nothing to ruin either. "Do what you want," I said brushing past Paisley.

Of course, Amber heard that I had succeeded in hiding our drinks for prom, so when I came home, she was helping Dani clearing up Ty's toys. Again, I had to tell all the details of hiding the booze. We went to my room and tried our prom dresses on. Amber told about a boy who had flirted with her and we laughed about Paisley thinking I was dating Russel. For the first time since my father had died, I felt happy. Really happy. I was so thankful we moved to Milden. And I couldn't have been more excited for prom.