The Summer Scene

We dropped the van off at John’s house; where it is kept because the O’Callaghan’s have a spare wooden garage in the back to keep it in. Everyone departed from the van, and made their way into their own cars for the ride to Max’s for the after party. I was one of the last ones out of the van, followed by Max and John, who were making sure everything was in its rightful place.

“Are you coming with us, or are you sleeping with Ross?” Max asked me with a great smile, locking and sliding the doors closed. He can get under my skin sometimes.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m coming with you.”

“Alrighty then. Who are you riding with?” he asked.

I looked around to check to see who was available, but and everyone else was already by their cars and on their way out.

“I’ll take her.” John spoke up, taking some boxes out of the trailer. “I just have to drop some stuff off inside.” He replied while fiddling with the mysterious items.

“Ok, see you later.” Max called, halfway to his mini cooper already.

“Can you?” John asked, nodding his head towards the four medium black and white boxes under his left arm.

“Yeah, sure.” I moved closer to him and tugged the boxes from under him.

“Thanks.” He replied while locking the trailer up.

“No problem.” This is going to be an awkward ride.

-----

“Sorry about the cutout.” He apologized once we were out of the driveway, and on the road.

“It’s okay, you didn’t do it.” I fidgeted with my hands, for something to do. We really aren’t that close anymore. Unless it just doesn’t feel that way.

“I know.” He sighed. “So what’s up with you and my brother?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. I can only imagine what he thinks is going on.

“Oh my god.” I sighed, throwing my head back into the headrest. He looked at me with one eyebrow raised and his enchanting green eyes, and I rolled mine, silently giving in. “Nothing, absolutely nothing.” I sighed in defeat.

“You want there to be something?” he eyed me suspiciously.

“No! We’re just friends.” I practically yelled.

“Ok no need to get testy.” He backed up.

“Sorry. Rach and Gabi asked me this before.” I tried to explain.

“And what’d you tell them?” he requested an answer.

“That we’re just friends. And then they went on a rant.” I informed.

“About what?” he inquired.

“About how it would be weird for me to date Ross.” He took his eyes off the road and looked at me again, questioning. “Because I’m always hanging out with you, the guys, and musicians in general when I’m here, and he doesn’t want anything to do with that career, so it really wouldn’t work if we ever tried.” I enlightened him.

“I see.” He nodded.

That conversation ended there.

“So how’s life with Melissa been?” I asked to try and rid us from this awkwardness. “I’m guessing good.” I predicted, looking out my window at the 11:30 pm darkness that grazed the town.

“Yeah it’s been alright. No bitch moves lately.” He answered back.

“That’s good.” We both were staring out the windshield now. We had nothing else to talk about, and the awkwardness was really setting in. I reached over and turned the radio on. A familiar song by Tom Petty came on but I couldn’t put my finger on the name of it.
“It looks like it’s going to rain.” John observed.

“Yeah.”

------

We got to Max’s not too long after, and everyone in our group dispersed in different directions. The guys followed Max towards the alcohol and to their “man area” in the backyard; getting their time alone in before the heavens opened up and they needed to come inside with the women. Leaving Gabi, Rach, and I together to fend for ourselves. I followed the two of them into the house, and towards the kitchen where there was a larger group of girls their age was gathered.

“Girls, this is our Natalie.” Rach introduced me to the group of ten girls.

“Hi.” A few of them replied.

“Natalie is the guys muse.” Gabi informed them, before making her way across the kitchen and into the closed dinning room.

“Really?” A girl in a pink tube top and straight, platinum blonde hair asked.

“Yeah she’s pretty amazing.” Rach said, dragging me over to the counter and pulled out an open stool for me to sit on. “We’ll be right back.” She whispered in my ear, then proceeded to follow Gabi into the dinning room.

“When did you meet them?” A petite brunette asked, curious.

“Last summer.” I replied, getting situated in my seat.

“How?” Another brunette, who was behind the counter making herself a drink asked.

“Kennedy used to be in my cousin’s band.” I replied shyly.

“Wait. Who’s your cousin?” A Cher look alike whipped around from the sink to face me.

“Jess Bowen.” This is like 20Q.

“Oh, is she the one who was with Kenny a while back?” A different brunette in jeans and a red tee, who was sitting on my right, asked lightly.

“Yeah I think so.” I confirmed.

“What is she, a drummer?” The Cher girl rhetorically asked with a snort.

“That’s so not feminine. Good thing he got rid of her then.” A curly blonde sitting two stools down from my left added.

“No offense.” Cher tried to be nice.

“None taken.” I shot back. Two can play the bitch game.

“So how are you in with the guys?” The petite brunette asked, intrigued.

“Kennedy wanted me to come hear his band, so I did. And they found out that John isn’t nervous around me, so they needed me to I guess you can say “train” him.”

“That’s priceless.” Cher laughed.

“How old are you, anyway?” The down-to-earth brunette next to me asked.

“Sixteen.” I replied.

“That’s not that young.” The blonde in the tube top noticed. My nerves started to settle a little, knowing that they are starting to think of me as on their “level.”

“Do you like any of the guys?” The petite girl asked.

“They’re all my friends.” I replied quickly.

“Do you want to be with any of them?” Cher eyed me. Why did this have to be brought up?

“No.” I tried to say with confidence.

“She’s with Ross anyway.” Melissa came out of nowhere. This may be the only time that I am glad to have her steal attention away from my conversations; she saved my ass.

“Really! He’s so cute.” The blonde next to me gushed, inching herself a little closer, queuing me for details.

“No. he’s the only friend my age that I have here.” I clarified our relationship.

“Where are you from?” The other brunette behind the counter asked. Melissa was standing next to her filling some cups. She was wearing a little black dress with red pattinleather pumps; her deep brown hair was completely straight and draped over her shoulders. Her eyes were also hidden behind loads of eyeliner and shadow.

“Long island.” I informed.

“Where’s that?” A girl coming from around the corner asked.

“New York.”

“Like NYC.” She asked.

“Yeah… I live a few hours away from there.” I nodded. I felt like I was talking to a two-year old.

“Do you go to the city all the time?” The blonde next to me curiously asked. Her light brown eyes were focused on me.

“I bet it’s so much fun.” The brunette behind the counter added.

“No, not really.” I burst their bubbles. I could see their faces frown.

“Have you ever been to a party like this before?” The girl on my right asked.

“No. I don’t really do party’s back at home.” I informed her.

“Why? Don’t you want to hook up with guys?” The girl on my left was shocked.

“All the guys there I’ve grown up with, and are a bunch of deadbeat pricks.” I honestly replied.

“She’s got a creative language.” Cher smirked. “She’ll fit in.” she added seconds later.

“So who’s you’re favorite out of The Maine bunch?” another random girl who was listening in asked.

I had to think, I love all the guys. “Um… I don’t know. John, maybe.”

“Why’s that?” She asked.

“Because last summer, and a little bit of this one, we’d always hang out and just play video games or chill in the backyard by the pool and just talk and joke around. I can tell him almost anything.” Well I was able to.

“Aww.” Most of them unanimously cooed.

“That’s so sweet.” The tube top blonde added. “Isn’t that sweet, Melissa?”

“Yeah, John is such a sweet heart. That’s why I love him.” She turned around from her cups. I could tell the smile on her face was not genuine. Everything about her is so fake, though.

“John and Melissa are so cute together.” That blonde whispered in my ear.

“They’ll be together forever.” Cher chimed in.

“Are you thirsty?” Melissa suddenly asked when the conversation started to die down. “You must be after selling that stuff all night.” She moved away from the far counter and up to the other side of the one I was sitting at.

“Yeah, I guess I am.” I agreed, not noticing how parched I was until now.

“Here, drink this.” She held a blue party cup in her hand for me to take. I looked at it skeptically. She had that ready way to fast. “Come on, it’s not going to bite. Its orange flavored.” She coaxed.

I gave in. One wasn’t going to hurt. I took the cup from Melissa’s hand and drank it. She was right, it was orangey.

“Here, have another.” She offered, filling my cup with the clear liquid from a glass bottle that was in front of her.

I took a small sip. The orange flavoring wasn’t as pronounced as it was in this drink.

“You can do better than that.” She encouraged with that smile of hers.
I looked back down at the cup, and brought it to my lips. Melissa smiled wider.

“And one more for good luck.” She handed me another, replacing my last cup with a fresh one.

“No, I’m fine.” I backed out. Two was pushing it, considering the only alcohol was the sip of beer I drank last summer.

“Oh, don’t be a party pooper, you’ll ruin all the fun.” She whined, getting all the other girls to whine with her.

The drink wasn’t bad. But having three cups of it in at least five minutes must not be good. But if this is how the big girls play, then I guess I need to play along if I want to keep hanging out with the guys.

“Yay!” The other girl squealed when I caved.

“You really are amazing.” The tube top blonde agreed, sideways hugging my shoulders.

I smiled, happy that they are starting to accept me.

A few minutes later, my stomach started to turn and I could feel the bile building up in my throat. I needed to get up the stairs and to the bathroom. Fast. I pushed and plowed through all the bodies that where in my pathway, ignoring the calls from the girls in the kitchen. I ran up the stairs and luckily the lavatory was open. I dropped to my knees in front of the toilet bowel and started to throw up whatever it was Melissa was giving me to drink. As I was hurling the remains up, I felt two large hands pull my hair back. In one hand the person held my hair, and in the other they rubbed my back to calm me down. Once I was able to take a break, I turned my head slightly and saw that John was the one assisting me. Our eyes met, and he smiled his dazzling smile; either silently laughing at me, or feeling sorry for me. The moment was short lived. My body needed to rid itself of whatever vile waste I had let it consume. This went on for maybe, about twenty more minutes. The whole time John was at my side. I am so grateful to have a friend like him, even if this was his rotten girlfriend’s doing. Feeling semi-better and having an empty stomach, I turned my body and slumped down in front of the bathtub. John still sat right at my side. I was feeling tired, because lobbing your insides out, does that to a person. I rested my head on John’s shoulder, hoping he wouldn’t mind my use of him as a pillow, let alone my disgusting self being that close. He then proceeded to wrap his arm around me and caress up and down my arm in a soothing motion. I was almost asleep when I felt John get up, taking my comfy pillow away from me. I was too tired to open my eyes to see where he was going, but I heard him walk into the hallway and shut the bathroom door a small amount.

“John I’m so sorry! I didn’t think Melissa would do that. It’s all my fault.” I heard Rachael apologize. “I should have kept an eye on her. I feel so guilty!”

“No, Rach, it’s fine. It’s a party, shit happens.” He tried to blow it off.

“Is she okay?” she asked, utterly concerned.

“She’s really tired.” He discussed.

Hearing him describe my sleepiness put me into that state where the darkness took over and I was dead to the world.