SEVEN #2
“His new what?” Tanner grunted before changing the subject to his favourite one. “So, what were you guys saying about me?” he added with his mouth half full of burger. My stomach growled as I cast a glance at the BBQ.
“You’re imagining things, Tan. Not everything’s about you,” I batted back dryly.
He snickered at that one and raised an eyebrow. “I know that. How can it be, when everything is usually about you?”
Dude had a point. “Cute.”
He then powered on. “So, the new girl’s name is Amelie.
She’s seventeen and due to start at our school on Monday.
How fortuitous is that?” Tanner explained, having found out the name of ‘the girl I had been eye-fucking’ as he’d called it earlier.
It’s amazing how much a person can find out in the time it takes to have a piss.
“On first impressions, I imagine she’s never…” Tanner’s voice trailed off as he grabbed his junk, but West cut him off.
“You might want to think about the next words that come out of your mouth?” he warned. Tan clearly didn’t know who Amelie was to me. He’d only seen her as a girl I had been ‘staring’ at. I preferred my own translation from his cruder version.
“Whatever, I saw you talking to her earlier, West. I just wanted to warn you that she’s already taken the eye of our boy here.” Tanner finished the last bite of burger before placing his arm around my shoulder and squeezing, but I shook him off.
“How about we play a game of fuck off,” I interjected before Weston could add anything. “And, you go first,” I suggested with a sarcastic smile. That child in me stomped his feet again.
“Who’s rattled your cage?” Tanner grunted, dropping his arm, splashing some of his beer onto the patio.
“You.”
Weston shifted from foot to foot before cracking his neck from side to side and filling in the blanks. “New girl is Kier’s new sister. Remember I told you about her at the store the other day?”
Tanner’s entire face bloomed with curiosity.
“She’s not my fucking sister, shit for brains. To hell with this, I need some air,” I snapped as I turned away and set off down the garden. My boys instantly flanked me, like good little soldiers.
Sister? Gross. If that were even slightly true, my thoughts would be downright disgusting and surely earn me a place in hell. Oh, hang on a sec, I already had a reservation.
“Why do you smell so good? You don’t usually wear aftershave?” Tanner suddenly put in, sniffing beside me. Both he and Weston traded a knowing look as we walked.
“It’s called hygiene, dickhead,” I muttered. Both my soon-to-be ex-best friends released a throaty laugh.
Idiots.
Unfortunately, they were not idiots. I hadn’t been able to hide shit from these two since we were in primary school.
When we were safely out of earshot of everyone else, the music and the laughter muted with distance, I turned to them both and spilt my guts about how I was feeling.
What else could I do? I needed to sort my head out and fast.
“Telling her she looked nice would have been a start,” Weston pointed out. He was responding to my confession of how I couldn’t talk to Amelie without being a dick.
“Just tone it down a tad. Boys are always horrible to the girl they like. It’s textbook stuff. You’re making it too obvious. Just act normal and don’t say mean shit. As you said, nothing can happen. She’s staying in your house.”
“Yeah, not for long though,” I pointed out, even though I didn’t know if that was the case. Thoughts of her parents flashed into my head, but I didn’t say anything to the boys. I stuck by the lie that they were out of the country.
Weston gave me a confused look. “What does that mean? When Amelie goes home, you’ll try your luck then?”
“Surely even then that wouldn’t be right. She’s related to your mom,” Tanner put in. He’d never been great with tact. It was like we were all talking at cross purposes.
“She’s not my mom, Tanner,” I pointed out without taking his head off.
“Alright, stepmother. She’s still family, and so doesn’t that mean Amelie is?”
And I had no comeback. I was losing it, and the girl responsible for that had no fucking clue what she was doing to me.
And what was that? In a short space of time, Amelie Thorn had started to stir something inside of me that had been dormant in my gut since my mother died.
Genuine, raw emotions.
I was screwed.
AMELIE
Okay, so it was the first party I had ever been to, and it wasn’t so bad, a little overcrowded perhaps.
I appreciated that my evaluation was on the generous side, bearing in mind I’d spent the last few years trapped in my house.
After almost choking on my drink at a couple of fart jokes one of the younger boys had told, I realised that I had clearly forgotten what it felt like to have fun.
The last time I remembered truly smiling at anything other than my sister was a distant memory.
The last time I remembered enjoying myself was summertime, and we were all outside in the backyard.
Being out in the open had been so freeing.
Adam, Sophie, and I shot hoops that day, and I had beaten them both hands down.
I’d even performed a few trick shots and had receive a round of applause from my thoroughly impressed siblings.
Seconds before she’d shut it down, I remember my mother saying, “at least you’re good at something. ”
My head was fuzzy, and I had zoned out from the university discussion Jessa and Jordan were having as it became more heated.
Jessica Rook didn’t appreciate Jordan’s comments about going away to Uni and how this would put ‘pressure’ on their relationship.
It appeared they had been dating and he had ended things for that reason, or so he said.
When Jessa’s voice hit the screeching stage, I decided it was time to find the bathroom.
Nudging her arm, I whispered in her ear and thankfully, got her attention. “Do you want me to come with you?” she asked. Her put-out expression gave me my answer.
Shaking my head, I replied, “No, it’s fine.”
Her shoulders stiffened as she glanced towards Jordan and then back. “We’ll be right here,” she added, pointing to the floor. “The closest bathroom is on the other side of the kitchen. Don’t go upstairs and don’t talk to anyone. OK?”
Her tone was much sharper than before, but I could tell she was stressed out. I felt like saluting, but just bobbed my head in agreement.
My head felt fuzzy. I wasn’t used to alcohol.
I didn’t like the thought of it after seeing what it did to my father, but Jessa had convinced me that a few beers wouldn’t hurt.
I was a teenager and desperate to do something normal.
Going to a party, getting to know people, dancing and getting shitfaced was my century's normal, so Jessa had explained. I’d agreed with her, minus the shitfaced thing. I did not intend to get drunk.
As I made my way through the kitchen and placed my empty red cup in an overflowing bin, I could feel people’s eyes following me. No doubt because I was the new girl.
Trying to kill some time, I explored the ground floor of Weston Cavendish’s house.
It was huge and just as luxurious as the Rook’s place.
Eventually, I found myself in the corridor that must have led to the bathroom and joined the back of a small queue.
The music wasn’t as loud there, and I could hear people enthusing about school.
A sense of doom exploded in my stomach again at the thought of Northridge Academy.
I was sure it would probably be nice, but I had nothing to compare it with. Well, apart from High School Musical, to which Kieran had so delightfully said, ‘the real deal is fuck all like that.’
My eyes raked over the girls standing in front of me. They looked so trendy and confident, grown up. I just didn’t fit in. I leaned my head against the wall as I checked out my polished nails, courtesy of Jessica Rook. Sophie would be impressed.
Glancing back down the hallway, I wondered where Kieran was.
“You look fine,” rudely interrupted my thoughts.
That’s it? Fine?
I felt like such a desperate idiot for asking that question in front of everyone.
I hadn’t intended on fishing for compliments.
It just popped out of my mouth, and I blamed the beer I’d had on an empty stomach.
Loads of people had commented on my outfit when we’d arrived, and that had made me feel good about myself.
The thought of hearing Kieran say something remotely nice must have made me impulsive.
What an absolute fool I was.
When I’d seen him earlier, sprawled out on his sun lounger by the side of the pool with that girl draped over him, my chest had tightened, almost like I had trapped wind in there or something. The emotion I’d experienced wasn’t pleasant at all.
I knew how it felt to be envious. I experienced that emotion each time I watched the rich, pretty people on YouTube. But why would I have felt that way about a boy I hardly knew?
Don’t let him ruin your first party. You are having fun. Keep smiling.
A couple of girls I met earlier left the bathroom, holding the door for someone up front. I couldn’t remember their names, but they smiled as they passed.
These people seemed to like me.
The warmth that feeling generated inside my gut soon fizzled away. That won’t be the case when they find out who you are related to.
I never used to be so negative, but my parents had done a good job in driving away any confidence I’d had. Maybe the details of who my father was and what he had done never needed to come out?
I hated that niggling concern that Kieran could have told everyone at the party who my father was and what he had done. Just because Vanessa and Cameron had told them to keep that stuff private didn’t mean that Kieran would toe the line (his words, not mine), even though he expected others to.
Eventually, I got to use the bathroom. I locked the door, splashed some water on my face and then stared at my reflection.
You do look nice. The shampoos and cosmetics Jessa gave you did their job.