Finding Amity

Chapter 12

We sat around the table, stuffing our faces with the greasy pizza. I am a big eater, so I was just getting started when Pippa, Marley, and Harry tapped out. As I reached out for my last slice, a piece of pepperoni pizza, I could see Isaac staring at me in amusement.

"What?!" I asked, daring him to comment on my eating habits.

"Nothing." He shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

"If you wanna say something about what I'm eating, go ahead." I pushed him.

"I don't have anything to say.

"I do!" Harry bursted. "How the fuck do you fit nearly a whole pizza inside your body? You're like 5 feet tall!"

"5 foot 4!" I protested. "And I don't know, I just do."

The truth was, after my parents accident, I dealt with it by locking myself in my room and refusing to leave for months. I survived on water and a couple bites of the vegetables Carrie cooked for me. One day, I left my room to have a shower, and Cooper didn't recognise me. My face was sullen and caved in at the cheeks, big black bags hugged my eyes and I had completely given up on wearing pants because none of mine would stay up.

I saw his heart break in his eyes when he saw me like that. Carrie started watching me eat, making sure I was getting enough food. Something about her praise every time I gained a pound, made eating more than the average girl more of an achievement.

So when I was enjoying what I was eating, I didn't stop until I was full.

The second the pizza boxes were empty, Marley's roommate Jess burst through the door, a flock of preppy girls and jock-looking guys straggling behind her.

Jess was pretty, in a normal way. Long blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, and long tan legs. She did not look like the kind of girl who'd be friends with Marley.

Everyone filled into the room, more people than seemed physically possible. The jocks seemed to stick to the kitchen, holding beers and talking about some sports games. A couple of the guys turned and nodded to Isaac and Cruise, while the girls just stared as they danced in the lounge room. A new song was playing, this one was dubstep. Cruise stood up and joined a red head in a little black dress on the "dance floor".

A blonde guy started pushing through the crowd, making his way to the table. He took a seat between Isaac and me. "Want a drink?" He asked, offering a red solo cup with pink liquid.

"Uh, sure." I stuttered, not entirely sure what to say. This is why I don't like social situations like parties, I know I don't want a drink, I know that I hadn't planned on drinking, I know that I don't want to wake up tomorrow with the hangover I had last Sunday, but I still took the drink. "Thank you."

"No problem, I'm Joey."

"Amity." I informed him, as I brought the cup up to my mouth.

Before I could take a sip, the drink was grabbed out of my hands by Isaac. He chucked the full cup through the crowd of guys in the kitchen into the sink, miraculously managing to not hit anyone.

"Dude!" I shot back. I didn't think Isaac was even paying attention to that guy.

"It could've been spiked." He shrugged. He had a point, I just didn't want to agree with him.

"Sorry, Joey." I added. "He's not intentionally accusing you."

"No, I am." Isaac countered. He seemed to be actively trying to annoy me.

"He's right." Joey admitted. I turned to him, my mouth agape. Isaac's jaw tightened and I could feel the hot daggers he was staring into the side of Joey's face. "NO! Not like that!" He jumped in. "I mean, he's right you can just take a drink from any random stranger that offers it."

"Oh..." I mumbled, feeling stupid.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you." He rushed.

Joey was the typical jock, broad shoulders, tan skin, a charming smile, but he was nervous and awkward which made my heart warm. I could relate to his foot-in-mouth situation.

"I'm not making a good impression, am I?" He laughed. I giggled with him.

"Amity." Isaac called, his phone in his hand.

"What?" I asked, keeping my eyes trained on Joey's green ones.

"Pippa needs to talk to you."

"Can it wait?" I asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

"She says it's an emergency."

I quickly apologised to Joey before following Isaac down the hall to Marley's room. Inside, everyone was sitting on Marley's king sized bed, a pink velvet bedhead behind them. The walls were covered completely by posters of cartoons and anime characters and pink macrame hangings.

"Whats the emergency?" I asked Pippa, who was notably confused.

"Theres an emergency?" She questioned, looking around the room for someone in peril, as if she might not have noticed.

I spun on the spot to face Isaac, who was sitting at Marley's desk.

"I was having a nice time talking to Joey, and you drag me away for a fake emergency for what? What was the reason?"

"That guy was a creep." Isaac muttered.

"He was being nice." I argued.

"Wait, Joey with the red hair? Or Joey with athletes foot?" Marley asked.

"He had blond hair." I noted cautiously.

"Athletes foot." Marley, Danny, and Pippa hummed together.

Isaac held a hand out to the group, as if that was reason enough for lying to pull me away from a conversation I was enjoying. I glared at him.

"What?" He demanded. "Now you know he has athletes foot, you're welcome."

"I would have liked to find that out on my own!" The group all looked to me, confused and little disgusted. "That didn't come out how I meant it to!" I sighed out loud and let my exhaustion show on my face. I know I came out to investigate the mystery that is Isaac, but I was slowly discovering that I couldn't stand him. "I think I'm gonna go home. I'm tired, this party was nice Marley, thank you for inviting me, goodbye."