I was up and about in a week. Adam hadn't come over again and I was dying to see him. I still felt selfish and, somehow, guilty.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJvtZpK6Ti
Adam looked like he always did. He was smiling and socializing and nobody but me could tell, how much pain he was constantly in.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvfeMGOQ02
He didn't approach me, I didn't know what I had been hoping for. Now that I knew about his little secret, I had a tiny ray of hope that he would come to me, looking for comfort. I was stupid. I felt stupid. Somebody as selfish as me didn't even deserve Adam.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBct8mQpUx
Still, I couldn't resist occasionally looking; at those brown eyes that hid his sadness, at his lips that I dreamed, would someday brush mine, at his hands that I had held on that anything but perfect summer night.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hMdl92tmJ
"So has he called yet, Liz," Carmen was sitting in the lap of a guy named David. I think they were going out, but I wasn't sure. It was impossible to keep up with all of Carmen's boyfriends.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFFaGF87y9
"Who?" Had she somehow found out about Adam and wanted to hook us up now?811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkDD3ipUJv
"The guy in the mall, whatever his name was. Has he called you yet." Carmen repeated her question in more detail, while David who was about as bright as a stack of planks, kissed her neck.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUSWE6alag
"No,"811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5JCrfgosW
Well, then you need to step up your game. Send him a text," Carmen grabbed my phone. That had been lying on my desk. She rebooted it, "What's your password?"811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5AbyPbmzL
"I don't have Steven's number. He has mine, remember?"811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmGKKhyREq
Carmen threw the phone back at me and I barely caught it before it hit the wooden desk. “Careful,” I said. I got my phone about six months ago and mom said that if I broke it in less than two years, she wouldn’t buy me a new one. My mom was all like 'in my time we didn’t have phones and we managed just fine. You should be able to do it too'.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuH7O3LKVq
“Carmen, no making out on school grounds. You know that,” Mr Brown yelled, as raised his eyes from the papers he was grading, “That means you too, Davis Fords. I don’t want you harassing the young ladies in my class.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFRIt4cqfg
David stopped mid kiss to get his hands out from under Carmen's blouse and placed them on her hips instead. He did it unwillingly. I had heard David had got so many punishments from all the teachers, that another one meant risking getting expelled.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVrbmWrbsY
“I better go, babe. See you at six.” He pushed Carmen off his lap and kissed her lips passionately.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXysqEfVGL
“Your house?” Carmen asked, when their lips had parted.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7X2W5Hf2vH
“I'll be waiting,” he answered, in what must have been his flirty voice, and headed out of the door.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUUT1Y06gg
Carmen sat down again and popped a breath mint into her mouth, “We were discussing how to get Steven and you together.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyXLJ0hapA
“I don’t really like him, Carmen.” I tried explaining, even though I knew full well that fighting with Carmen was pointless, just like banging your head against a brick wall. It didn’t achieve anything, just gave you a headache.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1CCXV1eGA
“He's quite hot and you need a boyfriend. When was the last time you even went out on a date, Liz?”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7HasaDwEs
“That would acquire having a boyfriend.” Had she really forgot that I had never had a boyfriend before?811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeV7ILtVam6
“No. Dating only acquires a date. There's a difference.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvEndcJj6B
“Really. How?”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xf6d0wFn3
“Dates can be a onetime thing. Boyfriends you keep around at least a little while longer.” Carmen pointed out. 811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6cdBTYls7
I never knew that. Or was it just another one of Carmen's logics I hadn't heard about yet? Whatever the case was, I knew that, for me, getting a date would be just as hard as finding a boyfriend.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSsu2rhQ2y
My phone buzzed. I got occasional texts from Carmen, but right now, she was sitting besides me. I looked at the screen of my phone. The text was from an unknown number. I typed in the password, 2808, the date I had met Adam for the first time, and opened up the message.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokJzsdZYCc
2 you want to meet up @ 7pm in The Moorings? –Steven811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUCKOn0uBe
“Speak of the devil,” Carmen said, peeking over my shoulder. “Text him back and say you'll be there,”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgCbJy8PAU
“Carmen, I don’t really want to go,”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIYIBtCebt
She took the phone from me, in one swift movement and started texting him. Carmen held the phone out of my reach and my the time I had stood up and taken my phone back, she had already pressed the send button.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvVGlTJVIY
“I hate you,” I said pouting my lip slightly, even though that hadn’t worked on her since, like, the third grade.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpHBZmHdLL
“No you don’t. You love me.” Carmen answered cheerfully. I had said the words 'I hate you' before, but never before had I meant them more. I wished she would stop arranging my life for me.
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Carmen came over after school and helped me pick out my outfit. She exclaimed that even though my wardrobe was full of shirts and jeans, I didn’t have anything to wear.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XgF4S4ZI3
Then she decided that I would borrow her clothes. So we went downstairs and told my mom, who had known Carmen for a long time and learned to trust her, that I would be staying at Carmen's overnight. Mom reminded us at least a dozen times that it was a school night and we had to do our homework and go to bed at a reasonable time.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerBLwWauS7
I packed up my toothbrush and PJ and we went over to Carmen's house. The plan was that she would help me get ready and then at quarter past six, she would go to David's and I would go out with Steven. I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of going out with the boy I had met once and who had drunk and drove at the same time, while his drunk friends had made fun of me. I sincerely hoped that Ben and Penny weren’t coming tonight. Jackson had been alright. I hoped that worrying about being with Steven would take my mind of Adam. That, and Carmen's pushing, were the only reasons I was even thinking of going.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbf7sAA6nU
I left to go to the pub, dressed in black glittery jeans, a plain white v-neck and a black leather jacket. I also borrowed Carmen's little black boots, that had a small platform. I had on a bit of purple eye shadow and shiny lip gloss. Carmen told me to keep my hair down and smile a lot. I looked okay. A bit more black leather and makeup than I usually wore, but okay to go to a pub with a guy. (Hopefully just one guy.)
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I waited for Steven in front of the pub, too afraid to go in alone. I wasn’t exactly the partying type. Steven arrived shortly after words. He looked surprised when I carefully raised my hand and waved at him.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvIYb2kDxR
“Liz, what are you doing here?” He asked as he got closer to me.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDThVK15NpI
Cold fear and panic was razing in me. What was that supposed to mean? “You asked me to come tonight. Remember? You sent a text.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7aIDx9qso
“Wait. That was your phone number. I thought it was Carmen's.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZKNxEdZGw
“Oh,” He had invited Carmen, not me. He had never asked for my phone number, he had asked for Carmen's. I was so dumb. Of course he had asked for her number. Why would have he wanted mine. I was such a loser.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlxdsXR98R
“So... Carmen isn’t coming?” He asked. I wished the earth would rise up and swallow me whole, save me from that embarrassment. That didn’t happen. All I could do, was nod.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8JodSUkC3
“It's cool. You can still hang out with us.” I could tell the situation was at least a little bit awkward for him too.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcinne38Ly8
It would have been better for him to reject me right then and there. I wasn’t Carmen but he still wanted me to come with … Them? Oh no. Who was them?811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ446H4K2ZHV
As I was trying to answer that question, the answers literally walked up to us.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiB5JKDfk6
“Hey, Steven,” said Ben, walking up to us, his arms around the shoulders of his girlfriend Penny.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0h5hRh6I8u
“Ben, Penny,” Steven acknowledged them with a nod.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HtWVjQdob
“So tell us, Steven. Who else did you invite along?” Penny asked haughtily, her grey eyes, coated heavily with makeup, were pinned on me.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6mUdz5wrp
“We're all here now. Let's go inside.” He started walking towards the entrance, Ben and Penny following. I didn’t move. Maybe they wouldn’t notice and would leave me here. Then I could have gone home. Unfortunately or fortunately, I wasn’t sure, Steven turned back to me, took me by the arm and I had no choice but follow him inside. At least he hadn’t said anything about our misunderstanding to his friends. I was thankful to Steven for that.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpcQs7Hz8O
There was loud music playing in the pub. There were grown men and women sitting at the tables, drinking, chatting playing poker. Some were watching to the band playing. The few people, who weren’t very drunk enough to be unable to stand up, were dancing to the music. 811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4vE7Gty5k
After ordering food and drinks, we chose a table in the back. Steven bought me a cooler since I was underage and couldn’t do it myself. I took a tiny sip and realized it was quite edible. There was very little alcohol in it but it was still the first alcoholic drink I had tried and hadn’t spit out. Ben, Penny and Steven all ordered something stronger.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVQth0iil7
“Didn’t think we would see you again, Liz.” Ben said as our food arrived. The waitress placed the plates on our table and walked away. Penny caught Ben staring at the waitress' behind.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1uENvmVhb
“Ben, I expected better of you,” Her voice was accusing but still playful. It made Ben snap his attention back to her.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6awKDNXf8
“Aw, babe,” Ben pulled Penny closer, cupped her face with his hands and kissed her hard. She kissed him back and when they pulled away, after ten seconds of intense making out, she said, “I don’t forgive you, but if you ask me again, maybe after my third of fourth glass of beer, my answer will be different and you won't even hear it because you will be too busy making out with me.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmVDdGjKNw
“I better order another drink for you then,” Ben said flirtatiously, his grin wide. He got up and went to get that drink, or drinks I wasn’t sure, for Penny.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxmk6pBHwO
I was sitting across from Penny, next to Steven. I was trying to chew my food slowly, just so I would have something other to do than stare at Ben and Penny flirting or worse, making out.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DijzHZ9MR
“So, what is a good little girl like you doing hanging around us?” Penny asked me, because she was curious, which I highly doubted. She was annoyed I was around, which was likely, or she was just bored and wanted to have fun teasing me and making fun of me.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AKqFWXrOj
I didn’t want to seem inferior to her, which I actually was, so I gathered my courage and answered, my voice shaking just a tiny bit, “Steven invited me,”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQwslFnfmi
“He did, did he?” Penny put her hands on the table and rested her chin on them.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wLtLmVc07
Steven put up his hands and shock his head, “Leave me out of this catfight,”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5kANNZfS3
“I'm just making conversation,” She said innocently. I knew that the innocent in her tone was fake and I knew that Steven also knew that.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7IT9NhkrA
“And I'm just saying that you never just 'make conversation'.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGx4EcmWSH
She drank about half of the beer in her glass in one go, “Liz, take a sip. You will be much more fun that way.” She pushed the half filled glass in front of me.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVP06Guo7nv
“No thanks,” I pushed it back.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFcyN8fSRC
“We came here to drink,” she pushed her glass to me again. I showed her the bottle of cooler I had.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpj91ZEBAAd
“Cooler isn’t even alcohol,”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aHrJd2kpY
“Actually, coolers do contain alcohol,” Steven said on my behalf for which I was more than grateful.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfUlRRauKR
Penny gulped down the remaining beer in her glass and I was happy that I hadn’t had to do that. She showed me the empty glass, “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuz0sCctrl
“To you,” Steven mumbled.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RMl7caJ3U
“Like you have a problem drinking.” Penny pointed out, “We aren’t leaving here tonight before Liz drinks a beer.” As Penny was saying that Ben returned, holding four filled glasses in his hands. Penny immediately grabbed one and placed it in front of me. “We have all night, hon.” She took another one for herself and Ben placed the rest of the glasses in the center of the table.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXSv16ByjF
“Did I miss anything?” Ben asked, scooting next to Penny and putting his hand on her thigh.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktdg1TrRzH
“Yeah. Me,” Penny answered him. For the next half an hour they were too busy for talking.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmtX9P6zxT
That left me and Steven. Alone. Well, almost, I mean the pub was pretty full and Ben and Penny were sitting right across from us, but I still felt pressure to act normal. Now that Penny wasn’t teasing me, if I embarrassed myself, I wouldn’t have anyone to blame.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFg9NR7ZTHN
“So, Liz, you're not much of a drinker, huh,” Steven asked, uncertain what to talk about.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9Kg81Fmk1
“I don’t like the taste of alcohol,”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqRpHl8zRN
“I remember my first time. Me and Ben were eleven and Ben's brother gave us both a bottle of the strongest alcohol he had, because he thought it would be funny to see our reaction. I don’t remember the brand name, but it tasted like hell. I threw up, but Ben wanted to impress his brother, so he finished his share of the drink.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXVQQeYSPi
“You tried beer at the age of eleven?” I inquired, amazed. If I had started drinking that early I would still be grounded to this day.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSe0fWtHlQ7
“Sure did,” Steven took a sip of his drink, “I'm actually kind of glad I invited you. Well, I thought I was inviting Carmen, but the important thing is that somebody came. Ever since Ben started making out in random places with Penny, I have been kinda the third wheel.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh4xLFhqvM
I'm was glad at least somebody thought me coming tonight was a good idea, “To not being the third wheel,” I raised my bottle of cooler. We clinked and drank.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RGmzysmPe
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