verbatim - c.hood | social media

four

a r i a n a

"are you sure this is okay?" i asked my cousin anxiously. "i mean, it's her birthday party. technically, i wasn't even invited."

"but you got her a present." luke says. "anyone who has a present for the birthday girl is more than welcome to her party."

luke was forcing me into going to his friend harper's birthday party with him. 

but he was being a pain in my ass.

"the skirt's a little short, ari."

"luke, shut up before i make you." i rolled my eyes. "i think we're here, maybe you should just go in and i'll drive back home. you know, 'cause of my skirt."

"no, you're coming." he insisted. "besides, you're too much of a prude for me to have to worry that much."

"but how worried are you?"

"with michael and ashton there, terrified."

leading me inside, the party was more than well in full swing. drinks left, right, and centre, people in the pool, people everywhere quite frankly. it made me feel claustrophobic.

i hated it.

"luke! grab a beer!"

taking ahold of my wrist, luke walked me over to where his friends were, including the birthday girl, harper.

"hey, you made it!" she smiled. "you must be ariana, i've heard so much about you."

"hi... this is for y-you..."

i couldn't get rid of this fucking stutter.

"aww, you didn't have to do that, thank you." she smiled. "alright boys, who's ready for shots?"

"me!"

"me!"

"off we go!"

i leaned against the wall, watching my cousin and his friends follow harper off into the kitchen. i hated parties and hated being left alone, so none of this was treat for me in any way, shape, or form. things back home were different, where i would always be with laura and milena. that, and i knew every single person in my small town. things just felt so much worse being away from home, i could barely handle the tight feeling in my chest. 

"ariana, hey!"

turning my head, i look over to see luke's friend calum. he's leaned against the wall with a hand in his pocket, the other holding a red solo cup filled with some sort of alcohol. 

"h-hi." i stammered.

this really wasn't going well for me.

"where's luke?"

"h-he went to go do shots." i said. "with the b-birthday girl."

"of course." he laughs lightly. "harper's quite the character, she can throw one hell of a party. you enjoying yourself?"

"i guess." i shrugged. "i d-don't really do these things."

"luke tells us that you'd have quite the time back home." he says. "a party like this can't be so bad, i'm sure a few guys have taken you out to things like these."

"n-no..."

"no to the parties or the guys?" he asked, setting his cup down on the counter and folding his arms across his chest.

"both, i guess." i mumbled. "parties back home a-are nothing like these.."

"alright." he nodded. "but you're telling me a guy's never taken you out before?"

"did i not say that the first time"

was that a bad thing?

"so like, you've never dated anyone?"

"no."

"not even kissed someone?" he asked, slightly amused.

"nope."

"hmm.." he hummed. "then maybe we'll have to change that."

calum had already made his way in front of me. yet as claustrophobic as this party made me feel, he didn't make feel that way at all. not even between him sand the wall pressed to my back. he placed his hands on my waist, my small hands resting on top of them as though they were being held down in place.

"you're a very pretty girl, ariana." he said to me, moving a piece of my hair behind my ear.

he tilts up my chin so i'm looking him directly in the eyes. slowly he leans in until his lips are attached to mine, and his hands hold onto my waist once more. 

for my very first kiss, it was one hell of a good one.