I'm Not Who You Think I Am

"Did you hear about the party?"
"There's a party this Friday."
"Biggest bash of the year!"
That's all that I hear. Eon's party this, Eon's party that. Apparently, every year Eon has a huge birthday party and invites everyone. From preps and jocks, to goths and emos, skaters, nerds, Black, white, Latino, Asian . . .
Everyone.
And surprisingly, there's usually only one fight a year.
"Does this match?" Gavin asks, walking into my bathroom holding up a pair of blue jeans and a black and blue "iRock Skinnies" t-shirt.
"Yup. Help me with my hair," I say, holding out the straightener. Laughing, he pulls on his pants and comes to help me.
"Hola!" I hear Melody say.
"Hey, Mel," I mumble. I've been avoiding her since I found out about Eon and Gavin.
"Hello, baby," Gavin says, his hands disappearing from my hair suddenly.
I turn to see Melody pinned to the wall. My brother's an amazing actor.
I hear something near the door and turn toward it. Eon is walking toward my bathroom door. Isn't he supposed to be party prepping?
"Oh, hey, EON!" I say excitedly, tipping my brother off. He detaches himself from Melody just before Eon enters the room. "Shouldn't you be prepping?"
"Oh, yeah. I finished, Melody helped me," Eon smiles at her sincerely. He's wearing drain pipe skinnies that are tighter than mine and a skin tight button up. It looks like Gavin picked out his outfit, but that's obviously not true. My brother stares at Eon with his eyes glazed and mouth open slightly. Eon smirks toward me.
"You okay, Muze?" Eon asked my brother. Gavin groaned.
"No, I'm not okay," he replied, walking out of the bathroom. "Come 'ere."
Eon smirked and followed my brother, leaving Melody and I alone.
"They've been acting so gay lately," Melody said to herself. I burst into a fit of laughter.
IF ONLY SHE KNEW!!!
"I thought you hated parties, especially after what happened last time," Melody said softly, after I was through laughing.
"I do, but it's Eon's birthday. I'd be the worst if I didn't go."
She nods. "What about Rocco? You and I haven't talked in awhile. How is he?" she asks me and I wish I had the answer.
"You know as well as I do," is my reply. She looks at me for a while, before raising an eyebrow.
"You haven't gone to visit him?"
"Once. I broke up with him. It'd be weird to go there and he wakes up and thinks we're still together."
"Haley Kadence Caewood, please tell me you did not break up with a boy in a coma," Melody says, stunned.
"I did," I sigh.
She shakes her head. "Haley . . ."
"I know. That was stupid and selfish, but I didn't want to cheat on him . . ."
"And you couldn't wait for him?" she asks incredulously.
"It's complicated, Melody. Everything is, my life is full of unnecessary complications."
She walks out of my bathroom. "At least your boyfriend's not cheating on you."

Dance, drink, dance, drink, dance, eat, dance, dance, sit.
That's what Eon's birthday party consisted of.
I got up from the corner I was chilling in and headed to the kitchen.
I grabbed a soda and began to sip at it as I leaned on the counter.
Now I remember why I hate parties. They're boring as hell and just as hot.
I finished my soda and was about to get a cupcake when Eon bursts in.
"Haley . . .," he whined. I raised and eyebrow at him. "Why are you hiding in here?"
"I'm not hiding. What? I'm not allowed to get thirsty?"
He rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Put something in here. We're playing seventeen minutes in heaven," he replied over-excitedly, as he pulled a bag out for my item.
"Ya know, sometimes I wonder if you're gay," I smirk as I slide a guitar pick out of my pocket and put it in the bag.
He rolled his eyes, then glared at me for a minute, before pretending to flip his hair and strutting out of the kitchen.
I held the counter for support as I laughed for at least five minutes.
Then, I got up and grabbed a cupcake.
I wonder who'll pick me. Maybe no one will and I can hide out in here for the rest of the party . . . or the rest of my life.
My dream was quickly shattered when Eon came in again.
He stared me down for a minute. "Someone picked you," he finally said.
"I don't want to play," I whined childishly. He smirked.
"That's why I brought reinforcements," he says, exiting the kitchen. I turn to get a soda, but suddenly there are arms around my waist. A hand is placed over my eyes.
"I'm insulted. Why didn't you want to play with me?" said a familiar seductive voice. Abs press against my back.
Now's one of those times I want to say,"I have a boyfriend."
"Not my scene," is my answer as I struggle against the stranger. He begins to walk me up stairs, most likely the stairs in the kitchen that lead to Eon's room.
He chuckles. "I think I can change your mind."
I'm suddenly afraid. I'm being led into Eon's closet by some familiar weirdo.
Once we're inside the closet, he removes his hand from my eyes, but I can't see a thing.
"Who are you?" I whisper.
"If only I could tell," he whispers near my neck. My breath catches.
Without my sight, I recognize the voice. It was sweet and innocent, but masked with sarcasm and passion. I loved that voice, even if it had deepened from the last time I'd heard it.
"Maurice," I say softly. He freezes.
"Maurice Colorado Carter . . ." The words fall from my mouth slowly.
"Haley Kadence Caewood . . ." And I know it's him.
"Maurice!" I shriek, jumping on him. He coughs when we hit the ground.
"Haley, I love you, but we are not twelve anymore," he groans under my weight. My arms don't unlock from him.
"Maurice! I just-I can't believe it's you! I missed you so much!" I speak into his chest.
"I missed you too," he says softly, stroking my hair.
I smirk suddenly.
He said he loves me.
"I love you too," I mumble, eyes adjusting quickly to my surroundings.
"Hm?" he looks down at me with soft blue and orange eyes.
I freeze.
Blue and orange eyes.
Eyes I've seen a lot.
Eyes that held endless secrets.
Reece's eyes.
First, I'm mad. Reece is messing with me and pretending to be my best friend.
But then I realize how stupid I've been.
The eyes, the sense of familiarity, the tattoo . . .
"I'm not who you think I am," he once said.
"You're Reece," I breath. He stares at me, before nodding slowly.
I punch him in the jaw.
As he falls to the floor, his mouth opens wide, in shock and to stretch.
"You were with me all those times and you didn't tell me!" I yell. His hand clamps over my mouth.
"Sh! I have to be careful. I'm wanted," he whispers. I give him a confused glare.
He moves his hand and pulls me back down.
"I thought maybe you wouldn't be that into me anymore. Or hate what I'd turned into. I have a secret that I can't tell even you or we're all in trouble."
I sigh. "I understand why you started getting into trouble. It made you stronger and able to take care of-" I gasp, realizing how many clues there truly were. "Mia."
"Yeah," he sighs, before wrapping his arms around me. I look up at him again.
His face is so close to mine.
I lean in.
"If we kiss, it'll only add to your list of admirers," he smirks at me. I blush a bit.
"I forgot that you have been through . . . everything with me," I say. He was there when we went to New York, when Rocco went into a coma, when I got drunk . . .
He smiles.
"Time's up!" I hear Eon's voice sing from the other side of the door.
I get up and pull "Reece" with me out the door. Eon looks us up and down, cocks his head to the side, and bounces away.
HOW did I not realize he was gay?
How did I not realize that the guy I've been spending the a lot of time with is my long lost best friend?
I'm off this year.
We walk through the party slowly and end up on the dance floor.
"Reece" smirks. "Wanna dance?" he asks.
I look for a sign that he's kidding, but come up empty.
"I suppose," I say with wide eyes.
I only know one way of dancing that doesn't include jumping up and down or giving myself a headache.
But it's sure to add to my "list of admirers".
He smiles and grabs my hand. A popular hip-hop song comes on and he starts to dance in a way that makes it obvious that he's not just white.
His brown hair with blond layers in the front waves and his light blue eyes are shining like stars as he dances in front of me.
And suddenly, he's not Reece anymore.
He's happy.
He's smiling.
He's carefree.
He's Maurice Carter.
He's my best friend.