I choose 'Romance' as the theme:
I was in love with Serena. I desperately hoped I could get her to notice me at Scarlett’s birthday party tonight. Her smile was gorgeous, full of light and sunshine; perhaps I could persuade her to smile at me.
Look, I’m no saint. Before the party I had been hanging around with a group other lads, including Pete, my best friend. Rod had turned up with a party pack of beer cans. None of us had more than pocket money, so it was probably stolen. I was careful not to ask. That way I wasn’t an ‘accessory after the crime’ was I? I chugged my can like it was lemonade. To tell the truth it made me feel a little sick but I didn’t want to let anyone else know that. They would have laughed, so I took a deep breath and sipped the rest more slowly.
‘Another one Jase?’ Rod asked as I tossed the empty can towards the canal.
I took it. Most of the others were on their third.
When I finished that, Rod offered me another. I looked at my watch and shook my head.
‘Come on Pete, Scarlett’s party is in an hour.’
The others jeered us as we left, Pete seemed reluctant but I pulled his jacket. He looped an arm round my neck so we could walk side-by-side on the narrow path. We were still hidden by bushes, so he kept drinking until we reached the ’rec, which was what we called the open sports field part of the park. It was February so there weren’t many people about, but we didn’t want to get caught. To my surprise Pete put his can in a litter bin rather than chuck it towards the fence around the tennis courts. He kept his arm in place. I wasn’t sure why. The two beers I had drunk made me feel a little wobbly and he had been drinking his fourth. I guess that is where the expression ‘legless’ comes from. I didn’t mind offering my support.
When we reached his back gate Pete leant on the wall as I helped him peel off his boots. His ma was stricter than mine. The front door was only for visitors. Family and lesser mortals (like me) came in the back and took their shoes off so as not to dirty her floors. Pete hung onto me for minute longer, making me wonder whether it was safe to let him walk in unaided. I handed him the boots with a sigh. I wished I could afford fancy boots like that. They were real biker boots, with studded straps all over them. His ma and pa had given them to him for his birthday.
‘Bye Jase, see you at the party.’
Luckily home was only a few doors down the street. Halfway there I began to wonder if Pete hadn’t been holding me up as much as I was holding him. If it hadn’t been for Serena I would have given the party a miss. But Serena ….
Mum was cooking as I walked through so I blew her a kiss as I walked past. Mum has some kind of sixth sense about things like drunkenness, I was pleased to get past her so easily. I went upstairs to my room to get ready for the party. I washed and slicked back my hair, trying to make it look like Danny from ‘Grease.’ Getting into my designer slit jeans was a problem. I was still a little unsteady on my feet, and they were too tight to pull up sitting down, but I wriggled them into place. I finished the Zuko look with a black tee shirt with a skull on it. Over that I put my best black studded jacket. I preened in front of my mirror, knowing I was looking good. Tonight Serena was going to notice me. I sneaked out knowing that mum wouldn’t approve of my choice of clothes for a party. The silly woman probably expected me to wear a bow-tie and shorts. She hadn’t cottoned on to the fact that I’m grown up now.
I was four doors away when I heard noise from Scarlett’s house. Pete was on the doorstep. He looked me up and down before giving a soft wolf whistle.
‘Looking good, man.’
I shrugged as if his praise didn’t matter. It’s what guys do.
‘I hope Serena appreciates it.’
‘Yeah, man.’
He sounded a little hurt but before I could ask him about it the door opened and Scarlett ushered us in. She pushed us through the crowds towards the kitchen.
‘Help yourselves. The old dears won’t be back until late, late, late so we got supplies in.’
‘Supplies’ was more beer. Through the open door I could see that most of the girls were in the other room dancing to the music. All the guys were in the kitchen.
I grabbed a tin and decided to straddle both worlds. I had watched ‘Grease’ so many times that I knew just how to stand. I leant on the doorway’s edge, beer in hand, sure I was looking cool. First time I missed the doorway and came close to falling on my backside, but caught myself. By the time Serena was looking at me I had it right.
‘Hey, Jason.’
She talked to me! Serena looked at me. I managed to remember that I was a cool dude before I spoke. I didn’t want to appear as eager as I felt.
‘Hey, Serena, how’s it going?’
‘D’ya want to dance?’
Yes! Yes! Hell yes!
I looked around the room as if I couldn’t care one way or the other.
‘May as well.’
She pouted exquisitely.
‘Well if you don’t want to ….’
I couldn’t hold back any longer.
‘Come on.’ I led her into a mass of moving sweaty bodies.
The music was Scarlett's choice; that was obvious. It was all boy bands and fluffy pop, not my scene at all, but I made the effort. At last the music toned down to a slow number so I could get close to Serena and stroke her hair. I was in Heaven. Over her head I saw Pete talking to Howie, but thought nothing of it. Howie was in charge of music. I wasn’t the only one who groaned as he changed to a fast beat track which was impossible to dance to. I steered Serena to the kitchen where I had left my drink. The music made it difficult to talk but we managed to yell a few platitudes at each other. She didn’t seem too impressed. At last she gave up and drifted off to help Scarlett sort out the food. It had been prepared by Scarlett’s oldies. Who eats sausages on sticks these days? And what the hell is a vol-au-vent? We tucked in, although most gave the vol-au-vents a miss.
I couldn’t see Serena in the crowd which was gathering in the kitchen for food. I peeled my boots from the sticky floor and worked my way over to stand next to Pete. He was stood at one end of the table sipping a beer and looking bored.
‘Not found anyone yet?’ I asked.
‘Nobody who’s interested’ he replied.
That meant there was somebody. I wondered who. I hadn’t caught him looking at any girl for more than two seconds. It took me a few minutes to work it out. The beer was definitely affecting me; I’m not usually that slow. He had watched Serena dance with me for quite a while. A nasty suspicion reared its head. Had the slow dance ended because he didn’t want me cuddling up to Serena. Was Pete after my Serena?
I lost my cool and threw my partly eaten bread roll at him.
‘What the?’ He stood up in surprise.
I felt like hitting him, but I knew he was stronger than me. I grinned, the food table was close.
A slice of tomato hit him in the face.
He gasped and retaliated with one of the many vol-au-vents left there.
Things went downhill from there.
‘Not my cake!’ Scarlett yelled but she was too late. I had thrown a slice.
The alcohol had taken its toll. I missed Pete completely. Like something from a comedy the cake flew over his shoulder and hit Serena. Nobody found it funny.
Of course we were thrown out of the party. We didn’t want to have to explain to our parents why we were back so early so Pete and I climbed over a fence into the park. It was a favourite spot of ours; we knew our way so well that darkness wasn’t a problem. We sat in the bushes, nursing our sorrows. He looked as miserable as I felt.
‘It was only a piece of cake.’ I lamented to Pete. Serena had made it quite clear that I had blown my chances with her. She never wanted to see me again. I can’t honestly say I blamed her.
‘Mm.’ There wasn’t much he could say.
‘That’s the end of my love life. I’m turning celibate. Do you have to believe in God to enter a monastery, away from girls?’
‘Yeah, it’s kind of vital.’
‘Thought so. That’s out then. Still, it leaves you with a chance.’
‘What?’ Pete was doing a good job of feigning innocence. I almost believed his act.
‘I noticed you watching Serena when we were dancing.’
Pete tood a deep breath. There was a long pause before he answered. His voice was almost a whisper.
‘I wasn’t watching her you doofus.’
‘Then who…?’
I didn’t finish the question.
The truth hit me as he hugged me against his warmth. I had kissed girls, but this was different. His chest against mine was hard, not soft and squishy. He didn’t hurry me, but his lips gently brushed from my cheek to the front, slowly seeking my lips in the darkness. I wasn’t gay. I had only thought of girls until that moment. His tongue brushed my lips, not demanding, more like a gentle enquiry. I opened up and his tongue was teasing me in ways no girl had managed.
With an abrupt start I realised that the way I felt had nothing to do with the alcohol. I put my hands inside his jacket, and rubbed my hands down his warm back. Friendship turned into love in a superfast heartbeat. I remembered him telling me he was watching somebody who wasn’t interested. Now I understood, and I was suddenly interested.
If it hadn’t been for that one bit of cake I may have led an unhappy life with Serena or another girl. In the dark bushes of the park I lost my virginity and found true love.
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