make our way around the back of the house, Ryan asks me, “What was that all about? Is there something going on with you and Jace? I don’t want to piss anyone off bringing you here.”
I shake my head. “Honestly, I have no idea why they were being so weird. They’re Jace’s friends. I don’t know them too well.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, then,” Ryan says reassuringly. It’s your first party so I bet they were just surprised to see you. Everyone will be happy you came.”
I recognize the Barbies, a few guys from the football and soccer teams, and a handful of other faces. But there are a lot of people I don’t know. Where did they come from?
“Hey, I’m going to grab a water or a soda or something. Do you want anything to drink?” Ryan looks at me. “It doesn’t have to be alcohol.”
“I don’t know. I guess I should have a beer?” I wonder out loud.
“Sure. I’ll get you one from the keg. If you don’t like it, you can just pass it to someone else.”
I look around the crowded yard while Ryan gets our drinks. A few people stumble about drunk, and a couple makes out on a hammock on the back porch. There’s a campfire a ways off in the woods, and it looks like a big crowd is gathered around it.
I am both disappointed and relieved that Jace isn’t here. It’s upsetting that he has a whole life - going to college parties, and doing who-knows-what – that he’s never mentioned to me. But I’m relieved that I don’t have to face his reaction. He might have made me go home, which would have been totally humiliating. If he ignored me, it’d be even worse. I’ve always suspected he’s too embarrassed of me to bring me around his friends, and it would kill me to have my suspicion confirmed.
I gulp when I see Kayla and Andrea approaching me. Kayla saunters up next to me, a smug expression on her face. “Hey, look who finally decided to join the fun.” She bops her hip next to mine like we’re old friends, which we’re definitely not
“Did you bring Jace with you, Pepper?” Andrea asks as she takes a sip from a wine cooler.
“Um, no. I came with Ryan.” I nod in his direction. He looks up and smiles at us, raising a cup of something.
“That’s too bad,” Kayla coos. “Jace didn’t come around much this summer. Always at some UC party, and only graced us with his presence now and then. Maybe he’ll show up more now that you’re coming out.”
“Er. . . doubt it.”
Andrea giggles. “You really are clueless, Pepper Jones. I kind of like it.”
Ryan saves me when he joins us and hands me a beer. “Do you want to head over to the fire?” he asks.
“Yes!” I exclaim, a little too eager to get away from the Barbies.
Ryan wraps his arm around my waist and I grin into my cup. I don’t care what we’re calling this, but it’s definitely a date. He guides me into the woods, where at least thirty people are gathered. A few couples are cuddled up, and a group of rowdy boys are standing by a table, watching people throw ping pong balls into cups.
I see Dana Foster and Tina Anderson talking with a group of people I can only categorize as the junior class Barbies. They tried to get me to go to parties with them freshman year, when I was still (sort of) friends with them. I knew they only wanted to hang out with me because they thought I’d help them get closer to Jace and his crowd. I was relieved when Zoe befriended me and I became friends with people on the running team instead.
Ryan gestures to a log. “Want to sit?”
I sit on the ground and lean my back against the log. “Here, do you want to lean on me?” Ryan sits with his legs slightly parted and his knees up. I hesitate before leaning back against his shins.
We sit and watch the fire for a few minutes and I try a couple sips of beer. It doesn’t taste very good.
Lisa Delany is talking with Connor Locke, Jace’s
I shake my head. “Honestly, I have no idea why they were being so weird. They’re Jace’s friends. I don’t know them too well.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, then,” Ryan says reassuringly. It’s your first party so I bet they were just surprised to see you. Everyone will be happy you came.”
I recognize the Barbies, a few guys from the football and soccer teams, and a handful of other faces. But there are a lot of people I don’t know. Where did they come from?
“Hey, I’m going to grab a water or a soda or something. Do you want anything to drink?” Ryan looks at me. “It doesn’t have to be alcohol.”
“I don’t know. I guess I should have a beer?” I wonder out loud.
“Sure. I’ll get you one from the keg. If you don’t like it, you can just pass it to someone else.”
I look around the crowded yard while Ryan gets our drinks. A few people stumble about drunk, and a couple makes out on a hammock on the back porch. There’s a campfire a ways off in the woods, and it looks like a big crowd is gathered around it.
I am both disappointed and relieved that Jace isn’t here. It’s upsetting that he has a whole life - going to college parties, and doing who-knows-what – that he’s never mentioned to me. But I’m relieved that I don’t have to face his reaction. He might have made me go home, which would have been totally humiliating. If he ignored me, it’d be even worse. I’ve always suspected he’s too embarrassed of me to bring me around his friends, and it would kill me to have my suspicion confirmed.
I gulp when I see Kayla and Andrea approaching me. Kayla saunters up next to me, a smug expression on her face. “Hey, look who finally decided to join the fun.” She bops her hip next to mine like we’re old friends, which we’re definitely not
“Did you bring Jace with you, Pepper?” Andrea asks as she takes a sip from a wine cooler.
“Um, no. I came with Ryan.” I nod in his direction. He looks up and smiles at us, raising a cup of something.
“That’s too bad,” Kayla coos. “Jace didn’t come around much this summer. Always at some UC party, and only graced us with his presence now and then. Maybe he’ll show up more now that you’re coming out.”
“Er. . . doubt it.”
Andrea giggles. “You really are clueless, Pepper Jones. I kind of like it.”
Ryan saves me when he joins us and hands me a beer. “Do you want to head over to the fire?” he asks.
“Yes!” I exclaim, a little too eager to get away from the Barbies.
Ryan wraps his arm around my waist and I grin into my cup. I don’t care what we’re calling this, but it’s definitely a date. He guides me into the woods, where at least thirty people are gathered. A few couples are cuddled up, and a group of rowdy boys are standing by a table, watching people throw ping pong balls into cups.
I see Dana Foster and Tina Anderson talking with a group of people I can only categorize as the junior class Barbies. They tried to get me to go to parties with them freshman year, when I was still (sort of) friends with them. I knew they only wanted to hang out with me because they thought I’d help them get closer to Jace and his crowd. I was relieved when Zoe befriended me and I became friends with people on the running team instead.
Ryan gestures to a log. “Want to sit?”
I sit on the ground and lean my back against the log. “Here, do you want to lean on me?” Ryan sits with his legs slightly parted and his knees up. I hesitate before leaning back against his shins.
We sit and watch the fire for a few minutes and I try a couple sips of beer. It doesn’t taste very good.
Lisa Delany is talking with Connor Locke, Jace’s
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