The ABC's of Growing Up

“I’m sure you look gorgeous Teagan!” Sarah called through the bathroom door where I’d locked myself in.

For some reason I’d agreed to letting Sarah and Lyndsey dress me for the party we were going to tonight and they’d put me in a dress.

“My legs are out!”

“You were naked the other night in front of everyone,” Lyndsey pointed out.

I pouted and looked in the mirror. They had a point. I had stripped off in front of everyone when we went skinny dipping.

“I was drunk then.”

“Eh, you’ll be drunk later too,” Sarah laughed. “Come on ducky. I want to see what you look like!”

I bit my lip before sighing and opening the door, stepping out of the bathroom and immediately blushing as Sarah and Lyndsey both looked at me with their jaw’s dropped.

“Do I really look that bad?”

Lyndsey shook her head. “If I wasn’t happy with my sexface...and if I was a lesbian...I’d so jump you right now.”

I cocked an eyebrow at her before looking over at Sarah.

“Do I really look okay?”

Sarah nodded with a smile as she walked over to me and brushed some of my hair away from my face.

“You look hot ducky, just like I knew you would. Come on, let’s get ourselves to this party and make our men drool.”

“Our men?” I questioned as I followed them. “I don’t have a man.”

“No, but you have a Zacky,” Lyndsey quipped as she pulled at the skirt of her dress slightly.

Sarah chuckled and looked in the mirror one last time, adjusting the top of her dress before smiling to herself.

“Let’s go.”

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I looked up at the room in the hotel that the party was being held at. It was Brian’s mum’s birthday, or something along those lines, and she said that us lot could come too. Hence why we had to be dressed up. Brian’s dad had also shelled out for a few hotel rooms for us lot to stay in and Lyndsey, Sarah and I had gotten ready in one of them.

“This is going to be such an awesome night,” Lyndsey giggled before shrieking as she was suddenly swept into the air.

“Did you have to wear purple?” Brian whined as he looked down at his girlfriend.

Lyndsey smirked up at Brian before leaning up and pressing her lips to his.

“Don’t you like it?”

“I love it,” Brian growled and tugged at the skirt a bit. “But that would be the problem.”

Lyndsey giggled again before skipping away from him so she could say ‘hey’ to his mum. Brian watched after his girlfriend before turning his attention onto Sarah and me.

“Woah,” Brian muttered as he saw me.

I pouted and looked at Sarah. She chuckled and nudged me forward, patting Brian’s jaw up as we walked past him. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling very self conscious after the way Brian had reacted when he’d seen me.

“Ducky, you look gorgeous,” Sarah told me quietly as she led me to where Lyndsey was talking to who I presumed was Brian’s mum. “Deal with it.”

My brow furrowed and my pout increased as Sarah laughed at me.

“Oh Sarah. I haven’t seen you in ages, how have you been?”

Sarah smiled as the woman who Lyndsey had been talking to hugged her.

“I’ve been good thank you Mrs Haner. How about you? Been keeping well?”

Mrs Haner smiled and nodded. “Getting ever older but I’m hanging in.”

Sarah chuckled before bringing me forward a bit more. “This is Teagan.”

“Why hello there Teagan,” Mrs Haner welcomed me warmly, enveloping me into a hug something I was slightly startled by but I hugged back nonetheless.

She pulled away and looked at me. “My, my aren’t you a pretty thing.”

I felt my cheeks burn and Sarah and Lyndsey laughed quietly.

“Ma, stop embarrassing the girl,” Brian chuckled as he placed his hands on my shoulders.

“I wasn’t,” his mum protested.

Brian cocked an eyebrow before shaking his head and steering me away from his mum. I waved shyly ‘bye’ before looking to where Brian as leading me, hearing Sarah and Lyndsey walking with us. I smiled as I heard the rest of our group laughing, my eyes landing on Zacky and my breath almost catching in my throat as I took in what he looked like in his suit.

“Raychel, I love your dress!” Sarah exclaimed and I tore my eyes away from Zacky and to Raychel.

Her dress reached the floor and flared out slightly at the bottom of the skirt. It was black and strapless, but the top half of the dress was a corset style and was pink. She looked stunning.

“Thank you,” she smiled before looking over at me. “Looking good Tea.”

I felt myself blush as all the guys looked over at me and each of them complimented me in some way. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention at all and I was feeling a little uneasy by it. I swallowed and said my quiet ‘thank you’ before looking to my side as Zacky tugged my hand, having stood up and come over to me.

“You okay?” He chuckled.

I nodded before tugging at my skirt slightly. “Just not used to wearing skirts.”

Zacky nodded, flashing me a warm smile as he stepped back a bit and looked at me.

“You do look beautiful Tea,” he told me quietly.

I felt my blush from before intensify slightly and I bit my lip.

“Thank you,” I replied just as quietly.

Zacky smiled again before looking to the side as our group all decided to hit the dance floor en masse. It was quite amusing watching Jimmy dance like a maniac, his limbs just seeming to take on a life of their own. The couples had all split off, except Raychel who was dancing like a lunatic with Jimmy and Johnny who was sitting with Matt as Taylor was late.

“You want to dance?”

I looked at Zacky and nodded, letting him lead me to where our friends were.

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“Sorry I’m late!” Taylor rushed out as she stumbled over to us, only just missing falling over in her heels as Matt caught her. “I lost track of time and then my hair was just going all blah on me.”

I chuckled as she puffed out a breath before leaning back against Matt and looking up at him.

“Hey baby,” she breathed.

He smiled and ducked his head down, pressing their lips together for a moment. Somebody flopped down on the chair beside me and I turned my head to see Sarah smiling breathlessly before wincing slightly.

“Okay, these have to come off,” she whimpered as she kicked her heels off. “Ah, that feels good.”

I smiled and wriggled my own toes. My shoes had been off for a long time now.

“You having a good night?” Sarah asked and I nodded.

“Yeah. It’s a lot of fun. My family parties are never like this.”

Sarah chuckled and nodded. “I know what you mean. But the Haner’s aren’t quite like other families.”

I laughed, nodding once more in agreement before looking over to Lyndsey as she squealed happily.

“I love this song! Brian! Dance!”

He nodded and let her drag him onto the dance floor once more, his arms wrapping around her waist as hers looped around his neck. I listened to the song and recognised it as I’d Come For You by Nickelback. I smiled as the couples all split off, leaving me sitting by myself at the table as Jimmy had wandered over to prop the bar up a while back.

“You want to dance?”

I looked up and smiled as Zacky smiled down at me, his hand held out for me. I slipped my shoes back on before placing my hand in his and letting him bring me to my feet. He led me towards where our friends were before pulling my body to his and holding me close.