continued after Sara in the other direction. We walked into a small, wood paneled space with a beat up couch covered in multi-colored afghans and a console television pushed into a hollowed out fireplace.
Mandy Cochran smiled at the sight of us, shuffling through the bodies to get to where we stood, while Sara inspected the scene. I didn’t really know Mandy; she played volleyball with Sara. But this was her house, so I knew we should at least make an effort to say hi.
Sara scanned the room, not thrilled with what she saw. “Back upstairs,” she insisted, completely ignoring Mandy. My face twitched in confusion, but I followed after her anyway. I held up my hand to wave in apology when I saw Mandy’s smile fade as she watched us disappear up the stairs.
By the time we were back in the kitchen, Sara needed a refill. Instead of following her out to the deck like a pathetic sidekick, I took a seat on a wooden stool next to the kitchen counter. I watched the card game, trying to figure out the rules and if there was a point to the absurdity. I quickly discovered there really wasn’t a point―it was all about getting drunk and making people do stupid things in the process. I sighed and shook my head.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Jill exclaimed when she and Casey walked into the kitchen with pink bottles in their hands. “Where’s Evan?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, making a face―finding it strange that was the first question they asked. “I’m here with Sara.”
“Ooh, are you fighting?” Casey pursued, leaning in like she was about to hear a secret.
“No,” I answered, drawing out the “o” and looking at them like they were crazy. “I think he’s downstairs playing pool.”
“So what do you know about your mother’s hot boyfriend?” Jill drilled.
“Not much,” I replied shortly, annoyed with the question.
“I think he may be hotter than Evan,” Casey interjected.
“No,” Jill argued, then paused and said, "Okay, maybe."
“Seriously?!” I finally interrupted, wanting to put an end to the conversation.
“I was just saying,” Jill retorted defensively.
“That’s messed up,” I shot back. “You don’t compare my boyfriend with my mother’s. That’s so very twisted.”
“True,” Casey agreed, “but he is―”
I walked away before she could finish. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a big enough house to lose them, so I slipped into the bathroom when I saw the door open. This was the first party I’d been to in Weslyn since last May. Apparently, I hadn’t missed much.
I looked around for Sara upon exiting the bathroom and found her talking to a tall blond with dark eyebrows in the corner. They were laughing and leaning toward each other, her hand occasionally brushing his arm―all the signature flirting moves.
“That’s Neil’s cousin,” Jill explained from beside me. She had apparently been waiting for me to get out of the bathroom. “He’s visiting for the weekend from New Hampshire.”
“Oh great,” I groaned. This was not going to go over well. And right on cue, Sara’s smile faltered. She turned abruptly and stormed out onto the deck. The guy was left dumbstruck, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. The girls giggled next to me, indicating that not only did they witness the ditching, now everyone at the party would know about it as well.
I sighed and followed after Sara.
“Hey.”
She continued to pour the beer into her red cup, not looking up.
Before I could find the words to make her feel better, which wasn’t something I was used to doing, I heard, “I dare you to jump.”
I looked over and a guy with a dark green flannel shirt and a backward baseball hat was standing on the top railing of the deck.
“Is he serious?” I asked Sara. She just let out an amused laugh.
Then he was gone. I rushed to the railing. All I could see was his baseball hat. The rest of him had disappeared into the mountainous snow bank
Mandy Cochran smiled at the sight of us, shuffling through the bodies to get to where we stood, while Sara inspected the scene. I didn’t really know Mandy; she played volleyball with Sara. But this was her house, so I knew we should at least make an effort to say hi.
Sara scanned the room, not thrilled with what she saw. “Back upstairs,” she insisted, completely ignoring Mandy. My face twitched in confusion, but I followed after her anyway. I held up my hand to wave in apology when I saw Mandy’s smile fade as she watched us disappear up the stairs.
By the time we were back in the kitchen, Sara needed a refill. Instead of following her out to the deck like a pathetic sidekick, I took a seat on a wooden stool next to the kitchen counter. I watched the card game, trying to figure out the rules and if there was a point to the absurdity. I quickly discovered there really wasn’t a point―it was all about getting drunk and making people do stupid things in the process. I sighed and shook my head.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Jill exclaimed when she and Casey walked into the kitchen with pink bottles in their hands. “Where’s Evan?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, making a face―finding it strange that was the first question they asked. “I’m here with Sara.”
“Ooh, are you fighting?” Casey pursued, leaning in like she was about to hear a secret.
“No,” I answered, drawing out the “o” and looking at them like they were crazy. “I think he’s downstairs playing pool.”
“So what do you know about your mother’s hot boyfriend?” Jill drilled.
“Not much,” I replied shortly, annoyed with the question.
“I think he may be hotter than Evan,” Casey interjected.
“No,” Jill argued, then paused and said, "Okay, maybe."
“Seriously?!” I finally interrupted, wanting to put an end to the conversation.
“I was just saying,” Jill retorted defensively.
“That’s messed up,” I shot back. “You don’t compare my boyfriend with my mother’s. That’s so very twisted.”
“True,” Casey agreed, “but he is―”
I walked away before she could finish. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a big enough house to lose them, so I slipped into the bathroom when I saw the door open. This was the first party I’d been to in Weslyn since last May. Apparently, I hadn’t missed much.
I looked around for Sara upon exiting the bathroom and found her talking to a tall blond with dark eyebrows in the corner. They were laughing and leaning toward each other, her hand occasionally brushing his arm―all the signature flirting moves.
“That’s Neil’s cousin,” Jill explained from beside me. She had apparently been waiting for me to get out of the bathroom. “He’s visiting for the weekend from New Hampshire.”
“Oh great,” I groaned. This was not going to go over well. And right on cue, Sara’s smile faltered. She turned abruptly and stormed out onto the deck. The guy was left dumbstruck, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. The girls giggled next to me, indicating that not only did they witness the ditching, now everyone at the party would know about it as well.
I sighed and followed after Sara.
“Hey.”
She continued to pour the beer into her red cup, not looking up.
Before I could find the words to make her feel better, which wasn’t something I was used to doing, I heard, “I dare you to jump.”
I looked over and a guy with a dark green flannel shirt and a backward baseball hat was standing on the top railing of the deck.
“Is he serious?” I asked Sara. She just let out an amused laugh.
Then he was gone. I rushed to the railing. All I could see was his baseball hat. The rest of him had disappeared into the mountainous snow bank
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