My Mistakes Have Led Me Right to You

It had been six months since the car crash, and Karisa had not gotten trashed since then. Sure, she had drank some alcohol, smoke a few cigarettes, but nothing that would get her sent back home – if she could even call it that anymore.

Karisa sat on the porch steps of her grandparent’s house, beginning to light a cigarette. The bright blue screen of her cell phone showed her it was one thirty in the morning. She brought it to her lips, breathing in, and puffing it out. The only reason she was awake was because of the blaring music down the street – a party. Karisa considered going there for a few drinks but didn’t want to walk into some random’s house.

Fuck it, she thought. Karisa stood up from the steps and started walking towards the road. Once she was in the middle of the street, she dropped the cancer stick and brought the heel of her flats on it. She strutted down the street, the music becoming clearer and louder. She walked stopped just behind a white van that was parked in the driveway. The auburn door was wide open, revealing the wild teens that were probably past curfew and past sober. She walked up the driveway and into the house – no one seemed to notice the newcomer.

The first destination Karisa wanted to be was wherever the alcohol was. She shoved her way through the living room turned dance floor, not even bothering to go around. The kitchen was nearly empty, surprisingly. Karisa figured they were all either upstairs, on the dance floor, or outside where the sliding doors blocked.

She didn’t need to think when she made her drink; she could probably do this while half asleep. In no time, a dark brown mix slushed around in her red cup whilst she leaned against the countertop. She took a big gulp, becoming at ease, and satisfied.

“Hey,” a voice greeted. Karisa jumped from the scare, spilling half of her drink on the floor.

“Son of a…,” she sighed while grabbed a random hand towel from the sink and tossing it over the liquid that covering the white floors. She didn’t even bother to move the cloth around the cloth to soak up the drink, but she did look at the stranger.

The boy was tall, but Karisa had inherited her father’s height, leaving only two inches in their height difference. His light brown hair was carelessly tossed around, blonde streaks added into the mix. The brown in his eyes were different than any other brown eyes Karisa had ever seen; it was as if his eyes were glazed over with honey. The smirk on his lips made him even more attracting to Karisa.

He shifted a bit from her gaze, not uncomfortable, but not entirely ready to whip out sarcastic comments about he stare. Karisa noticed his skinny jeans; they were a faded black color, much alike the ones Karisa were wearing.

“Dressing alike, are we?” Karisa giggled while twitching her hand towards his jeans, then her own. He looked down, kicking his left leg upwards before looking at her and grinning.

“I guess we are.” The smile he was giving her could put a girl in bed with him but Karisa seemed unfazed.

“The name’s Alex,” he said while pulling his hand away from the red cup he was holding himself, and raised it towards Karisa. She raised her eyebrow at how formal he was being; they were at a teenaged party, after all. Karisa decided to play along though.

“Karisa,” she replied while gingerly gripping his hand. He was warm compared to the rest of the house. They both retracted their hands, Karisa placing her hand on her cup while Alex shoved his hand into the pocket of his skinny jeans.

“Enchanté,” he grinned. Karisa’s lips pulled into a smile, caused by how Alex was acting. She bobbed her head back at him in response.

“So what’re you doing here all alone?” he asked, following his question with a sip from his cup. She shrugged in response and took a sip herself before answering.

“Haven’t been to a party in weeks – thought it’d be fun,” she answered. He awkwardly nodded.

“What about you?” she questioned him. Alex looked up from his cup and made eye contact. His gaze was in a way, too strong for her, making her look down.

“My band got invited after our show tonight,” he responded. Secretly, he was trying to impress her with the fact that he was in a growing band, and it was secretly working. Karisa was intrigued by the fact he was a musician – she had never met a boy that took interest in music before. At least, not in the way Alex took it.

“Oh, nice,” she smiled back at him. His grin grew a bit wider, and he nodded back.

“So, why are you sober and here, when you can be out there dancing with some stud?” he joked. She chuckled, obviously amused by him. “You’re right.” Alex’s smile faltered when she placed her cup on the counter and walked past him towards the living room, but his smirk reached his lips when he felt her hand on his shoulder, turning him around.

“Coming?” she asked in a sickly sweet voice. Alex could hardly get a word out before she was guiding him by the hand towards the dance floor. He placed his drink on the coffee table that was pushed against the wall and sped up his pace so he was walking hand in hand beside Karisa.

As far in as they could get into the crowd, they stopped and began to move to the beat of the one hit wonder rap song. They started with space between them, but as time passed, Karisa had pressed herself to him. His hands were planted on her hips while her hands rested on his shoulders. She slid her hands around his past his shoulders, hooking her fingers together behind his neck. By now, they were grinding against each other, hip to hip.

The next seven songs went by before they both noticed how sweaty and tired they were. A lot of the teens were also clearing out, either to find a comfy place to pass out or to head home if they were sober or had a DD.

“Let’s go for a little break,” Alex whispered in her ear, leaving a small kiss just under it. He grabbed her hand and led them out towards the kitchen. Unlike before, people were actually stuffed into the room – all soaking wet.

“I think there’s a pool in the back,” Karisa winked at Alex. He grinned and began to shove past the drenched teens. Alex made it to the sliding door – which was wide open now – and stepped out with Karisa right behind him.

It looked like a typical pool; crystal blue water, a few lights illuminating it, lawn chairs decorating the areas around the pool. Three kids were passed out near the BBQ, which was luckily off.

“C’mon,” Alex nudged Karisa towards the pool. She playfully glared at him while taking a step back. He jutted his bottom lip out.

“You’re such a kid,” she laughed. He stopped his childish actions and laughed along too.

“You obviously haven’t met Jack,” he chuckled. She looked at him, confused.

“Who’s Jack?” she questioned. Alex realized he hadn’t exactly told her about his band mates, nor was he planning to.

“Guitarist of our band,” Alex answered.

“Guitarist? Nom, I’d love me some of that,” she teased. He rolled his eyes, stepping forward to catch her wrist while doing so. When he did, he pulled her hand up and planted a kiss on the back of her hand.

“I play guitar too, sweetheart,” he winked before stepping back. Karisa raised her hand to retort sarcastically about his guitar skills, but was interrupted by her cellphone blaring Basket Case by Green Day. Alex’s eyebrows rose, surprised by the choice of her ringtone.

She raised a finger up, telling him to be quiet. She retrieved her phone and flipped it open.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Savannah! Get home, now,” her grandpa’s voice boomed from the other end.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just down the street. I’ll be home in a few,” she answered, holding back the urge to roll her eyes. She didn’t get a reply, only a huff and the click of the phone.

“Looks like I need to head home,” she frowned.

“You’re still living with your parents? And here I was, thinking I actually charmed an older woman,” he joked. She laughed.

“I could be twenty for all you know,” she smirked.

“Are you?”

“Nope.”

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

“I’m still older than you.”

“Oh, so how old are you?” she asked.

“Sixteen,” he shrugged.

“Don’t be going around bragging about that, boy,” she grinned. Alex smiled, childishly nodding.

“So, I’m going to head out,” Karisa began. Alex’s face visibly dropped. “But, can I have your number?” she finished. Alex perked up again, rushing out a ‘yes’. Karisa giggled at how eager he was. She handed her cell over to him. He punched his number in and saved it under Alex Gaskank. Karisa didn’t seem to notice when she took the cell back and pocketed it.

“I’ll text you soon, I guess.” She began to walk away, but not before Alex could pull her by the wrist back into his chest and press his lips against hers. His tongue brushed against her lips and slid into her mouth when she parted her lips. The two twisted their lips together for a before Karisa pulled away for air. Her hand was wrapped around his neck while the other was placed on her chest. Once she had regained a normal breathing pattern, she turned back and caught him off guard by planting her lips on his’ once more. With a smack, she pulled away and smirked.

“I’ll see you around,” she said before turning around and walked away. Alex stood there, wondering about the girl he had just encountered that night. He ran his hand through his hair while walking back to the sliding, glass doors.

“Fuck,” he mumbled when he realized he didn’t haveher number.