The Party Scene

What a waste, where did the time go?
Where did our minds go? I don't know.
What's this place? Where did our home go?
We won't know, I don't know. - Too Much

“You’re never going to catch me!” I shouted over my shoulder as he ran to keep up with me. I pushed through the tall grass; it came up all the way to my shoulders. I could hear him complaining behind me.

“Alice!” he whined in his high voice. I giggled to myself, even raising my hand to my mouth to cover it. Then I heard a thud and a cry behind me. I skidded to a halt, my fingers brushing through the tall grass, I caught a few blades in my small fist. I turned around to look for the six year old. I’d made a trail through the maze of grass. He was lying on the ground a few years away. He was splattered with mud, his eyes filled with tears and his bottom lip jutted out miserably.

“Alex,” I sighed and retraced my steps. My bright pink wellies squished on the mud and splashed the already stained hem of my white dress. “You’re mother’s going to kill you.”

“So yours!” he sniffled and I helped up get to his feet. His muddy hand dirtied mine; I just wiped it on my dress not caring. He looked down glumly at his mucky hands and rubbed them together.

“Are you okay?” I asked him and reached out for his hand.

“Yeah,” he replied and wiped his face on his sleeve. The sky overhead groaned. The heavily cast sky glared down on us ready to release the full extent of its storm. Stupid British weather.

“We should go back,” I sighed and pulled on his hands as we made our way back through the maze. It took what seemed like forever to find my house again! I skipped happily up the steps of the farm house and pulled off my wellies before walking inside.

“Mummy!” I cried as I danced into the kitchen. She stopped mid-conversation with the familiar face of Alex’s mum to turn and look at me. My mother looked very upset, as did Alex’s mum.

“Hello Mrs Gaskarth,” I said awkwardly.

“What is- Oh my God, what have you been up to?!” My mother demanded angrily as her eyes ran over my ruined dress.

“Alex is dirty.” I pointed to the glass door where Alex was standing, covered in mud and looking up at the sky with fear.

“Oh gosh!” Isobel Gaskarth cried and jumped up from her seat.

An hour later, Alex and I sat in front of the log fire wrapped up in matching towels and very, very clean. Our hair was still damp and was drying in funny directions.

“You’re my best friend,” I told him honestly in the silence – something that was rare for us.
“Bestest friends,” he answered childishly.

“Forever,” I agreed, a frown emphasising my seriousness. He nodded and ruffled his drying hair. It stuck up all over the place. I giggled and pointed at the mess on his head. He joined in with my laughter.

“You look like one of those stupid rock star people.”

To highlight my point, Alex got to his feet and pretended to play air guitar causing me to erupt into a fresh wave of giggles. I got up and joined him; together we rocked our way around the living room. I jumped up onto the sofa as Alex fell to his knees.

“Alice!” my mother scolded and I instantly jumped back onto the carpet. We both burst into fits of hysterical giggles and collapsed onto the floor clutching our sides. We played childishly like normal seven year olds for the rest of the evening – we were ripped apart two hours later as our mothers parted ways. Something about Mrs. Gaskarth’s face worried both me and Alex; I saw his expression of concern mirroring mine as he was pulled away.

I found out three days later why there was such anxiety in the family. I wasn’t told by anyone, I had to see for myself, my own mother couldn’t even tell me. We pulled up outside the Gaskarth household to find a million boxes dotted around on the soggy front garden. There were no curtains on the windows, the door was wide open and there was a large truck parked in our usual spot. I frowned at the house as I jumped out of the car door. Confusion filled my young naive mind as I skipped up the driveway and through the open door.

The hall was completely bare, all the pictures were taken from the walls, there were no shoes along the front door, it was like a new house. Alex and his brother Daniel were sitting on the bottom step of the stairs looking miserable.

“Where’s all your stuff?” I asked curiously as I spun full circle to absorb the empty room.

“In the boxes,” Alex grumbled and nudged the carpet with the tip of his shoe.

“Why?” I pressed on. Daniel looked up at me to respond but I could hear my mother enter the house.

“Mum.” I whirled around to question her. “Where’s all the Gaskarth’s stuff?”

“In the truck sweetie,” she soothed gently, as if she was about to tell me something terrible. I was too young to put two and two together (not literally), I just looked up at her blankly and turned back to Alex.

“We’re moving,” he told me glumly.

“Oh cool! To where?”

“America,” Daniel grumbled and put his little face in his palms. Excitement shot through me. I really wanted to go to America, it looked so cool and all the beautiful people lived there. It was always sunny! It had to be better than the stupid weather Essex got.

“That’s awesome! We’ll come and visit you all the time, won’t we mummy?” I turned back to her with a beaming smile that I could tell broke her heart. She looked at my sympathetically and knelt down to my height.

“No sweetie, it’s too far.”

I struggled to understand.

“But I won’t see Alex then! Or Daniel!” I protested. “And you won’t see Mrs Gaskarth!”
My mother’s put a hand on my shoulder and my heart froze as the realisation clicked into place.

“No! No! I’m going with them!” I cried and I sat firmly down next to Alex, my arms and legs folded.

“You can’t sweethear-”

“No!” I shouted loudly and tears escaped as the tantrum hit home. I wasn’t about to let my bestest friend in the whole wide world leave me! I wrapped my arm through Alex’s and pouted up at my mother. “I’m going with them!”

Three hours, five tantrums, several protests and a proud display of unhelpful packing later Alex was ripped from my hug and strapped into the backseat of his mother’s car. My mother held me back as the last box was packed. She tried to comfort me, she tried to soothe me but nothing would heal the pain of having my only best friend being ripped from me – it was like I was missing a part of me. He hadn’t even left but the thought of his absence left an aching pain in my tummy. Alex shot me one last tearful goodbye before the door was slammed shut and I could no longer see him. I wasn’t the only one to exchange emotional goodbyes; my mother was losing her best friend too. They broke apart and Mrs Gaskarth smiled weakly at me.

“Goodbye Alice,” she whispered and clambered into her car with her husband and child strapped in. The car drove away and the truck followed, I tore away from my mother and ran after it. My little legs were no match for the powerful engine of the vehicles and then they were gone. I’d lost my best friend, Alexander William Gaskarth – and I was just six years old.

I rolled down the windows of my mothers large new four wheel drive – it was too big for my liking, I preferred the classic British cars, something I was defiantly demanding when I hit 17, not wait… 16 here. As the thought crossed my mind, a smile flashed across my face at the idea of being able to drive younger. I kicked my bare feet up onto the dashboard on the passenger’s side and leant back into the comfy leather seat. I pulled on my Essex fashionable shades and looked out the window – the sun was so blinding here. It was too hot – so typical for the British to complain. Another smile flashed across my face but it soon vanished as I remember the destination.

‘Dulaney High School’ sign grew nearer and nearer. A new school, and I was arriving when towards the end of the term or semester. I groaned and sank further down into the seat of the car burying my face in my hands. Kids were walking along the pavements towards the school in shorts and t-shirts basking the glorious sunshine. Those who could drive were pulling into the car park, loud music of various genres blasting through the open windows. Giggles and snippets of conversations in the growing familiar American twang floated through my open window. I ignored my mother when she opened my door for me.

“Mum, please,” I groaned. I never wanted to move to America. I liked Essex, stupid rainy Essex with all my friends and family.

“Alice, you’re fifteen years old, show some maturity please and no tantrums.”

I hadn’t thrown a tantrum in eight years. I glowered at her behind my sunglasses, slipped on my shoes and clambered out of the car. I swung my handbag over my shoulder and shut the door behind me.

I glanced around at the kids there; I received multiple stares. I stuck out like a bloody sore thumb. I was completely pale due to lack of sunlight back home; I was classic English shade that contrasted greatly against the tans of the Americans. It’d only take me a few months to catch them up. Not only was I a noticeable pale shade but my fashion was completely different to theirs. I’d only managed to bring my stuff from home and I hadn’t been shopping yet. I was wearing my old uniform black skirt and a smart white top and navy cardigan that I’d rolled up at the sleeves. My mother told me I had to make a “good, smart and respectable” first impression. I patted my skirt down and looked down at my black ballet shoes that had been big back home. I hitched my large purple up on my shoulder and consciously fiddled with the strap as I noticed everyone else was wearing backpacks. Great. I took a deep breath, ignored the stares and followed my mum to the reception.

Dulaney High seemed like a nice enough school, the site was clean and I noticed a number of respectable trophies in the cupboard as we past. Pupils couldn’t seem to keep their eyes off me and my mum as we past. I was torn between taking my sunglasses off, I didn’t want to seem like a stuck up rich girl but it was easier to walk without them knowing I was looking back at them.

I pulled them off as we entered reception. My mother filled in some paperwork and I was given multiple pieces of paper that included my new timetable, a map of the school, after school activities and my rooms. Seven periods?! It was just five back home. The small receptionist with her misapplied lipstick stared at me as everyone else had. It was going to be an interesting day. I flashed her half a smile as my mother finished up.
I wanted to glare at but then I’d seem like a stroppy child so I put on my poker face and looked up at her expressionless.

“Have a nice day,” she encouraged as we turned for the exit. “You’ll be fine. I’ll pick you up at three thirty.”

And then she left, leaving me standing alone outside reception just as the bell went.

Fuck.

I rifled through my many pieces of paper until I found the one with my list of rooms. I had homeroom in… room seven. I then found my map and tried to locate the room. I managed it quite easily but I was still late. I knocked and entered the buzzing form room which fell silent at my entrance. Again, all eyes were on me, except a group of boys at the back who were too lost in their loud conversation to notice me. I shifted uncomfortably under the rest of the stares and turned to the teacher. Mr Howells.

“You must be Alice Heyler,” he greeted me with a warm profound English accent. I smiled nervously.

“Yeah.” My accent sounded as rich as his.

“Well take a seat,” he indicated to an open one on a table full of girls. I avoided their gazes as I dropped my bag to the floor and sat down in the empty seat. Was I shaking? I placed my hands in my lap to stop this showing.

“I’ve just taken the register, I’ll just add you in,” Mr Howells told me. I nodded and took a very deep calming breath. The girl to my right twisted in her seat to talk to me.

“Hi.” She had a high girly voice that matched her Barbie blonde hair and tan. She flashed a stunning white toothed smile at me. “I’m Haley, Haley Cooper.”

“Alice,” I responded meekly with half a smile.

“You’re British right?” the girl asked next to me. She was very small with luscious long brown hair. “I’m Lisa Ruocco by the way.”

“Hi. Yeah, I’m from Essex,” I admitted to the two interested girls either side of me.

“Why’re you here?” Haley asked the obvious question I wanted to avoid.

“Ummm, mum got a new job.” It was much more than that, but I wasn’t about to pour my heart out to some girls I just met.

“Here in Lutherville?” Lisa asked. I nodded.

“It’s nice here, much nicer weather. It’s utter shit back home.”

Both of the girls laughed at my complaint

“But the schooling system confuses me,” I admitted with a frown as I glanced down at my timetable. All of my years of work in England had gone to waste and I was more or less starting a fresh.

“We’ll help,” Lisa said gently with a warm smile. She seemed like a really, really nice girl. “What classes have you got?”

Haley and Lisa poured over my paperwork comparing lessons and times. I let them and smiled at their helpfulness – I was so lucky. I thought today was going to go to pieces and I’d be the most hated person in the school. I’d watched too many movies about American high schools. TV had also introduced me to devised cliques, but the school seemed to lack them.

“You’re in all my classes bar period four,” Lisa said as she pointed out English.

“And I’m in that one anyways, you’re set.” Haley flashed another dazzling smile which I responded a bit more heartily this time.

“Thanks girls,” I told them and put the papers in my bag. It seemed I didn’t need the map when I had a walking guide in the brunette. I got talking with the girls, I told them about my old school and how the British system worked and they explained a few things to me. We were interrupted by an outburst of laughter at the back of the class. A group of boys were laughing raucously at one boy who looked very smug – the teller of the joke. He had messy light brown hair with a fringe that fell just over his eyes but was swept to the side of his head to avoid irritation. His smile was heart melting. The boy next to him, who had a much thinner face and flatter hair that was streaked with blonde, punched his arm. The brunette turned to his friend in mock outrage and returned the punch to the arm. As the laughing died down the boy turned his head and caught my gaze by accident. My heart pounded erratically for some strange reason, any normal person would have looked away as a reflex, but something about his face held me there. I knew the face, the features, the smile. He looked away first but then looked at me again with a frown – his expression mirroring mine of confusion.

“Urg,” Lisa groaned and snapped my attention back to her. “Boys.”

“Whatever,” Haley giggled. “You can’t deny he’s hot.”

Lisa blushed and glared at her best friend.

“I do not like A-”

I never got to hear the name because the bell rang at that moment. We gathered our stuff and headed out the door. Lisa walked with me to what I would call ‘Maths’. The conversation and thought of the boy vanished as the day passed.

I had an almost enjoyable day as I got settled into my new schedule. Lisa and Haley stuck with me as much as the day as possible, making sure they sat next to me in each lesson. I explained my day happily to my mother that night as we unpacked a few of the many hundreds of boxes that filled our house. She was smiling smugly as she loaded the cutlery into the kitchen draws.

“What?” I asked her. I loaded the plates into cupboard over the dishwasher.

“Nothing.” She was lying, I knew her too well. “I’m just happy you had a nice day.”

I let it go, too tired to make a fuss over something ridiculous right now. I’d argued with my mum a lot over the past months, a lot of unnecessary fights that I could have avoided if I wasn’t such a moody and troublesome child. I’d been unhappy about the move, I’d been unhappy about the divorce. Guilt sank into the pit of my stomach as I thought about the trouble I’d caused my mum during that time. Lashing out, arguing, disobeying her… I’d been a brat. I must have broken her heart when I threatened to stay with dad.

“I’m sorry mum,” I announced to the kitchen.

“For what sweetheart?” She folded up the empty box and stashed it with the others.

“Being a bitch,” I said miserably. She paused mid movement and frowned at me. Her expression was the question. “For… being a difficult child for-”

“Alice, it’s fine,” she stopped me mid apology and dropped her folded box. She crossed the kitchen and put an arm on my shoulder. I looked up at my mother. She was so much prettier than me, tall, slim with long blonde hair. “I put a lot of change on you. I’m the one who should be apologising.”

It was the motherly thing for her to be the one to take the blame even when she shouldn’t. Even though my eyes filled up they didn’t overflow and I didn’t break down into my mothers arms. I felt completely grown up when I managed to make peace with my mother. We accepted each other’s apology and sealed it with a hug. My mother was brilliant in situations like this, she pushed past things and the evening wasn’t awkward at all when carried on unloading stuff for the kitchen.

*

I settled into the new school as easy as I had when I started primary school. I’d ran straight into the class and made buddies over the Barbie dolls. It was the same here; minus the Barbies. Lisa and Haley had kind of adopted me and the three of us were soon to becoming good friends. I could name most of the people in my regular classes by the end of the week - thanks to Lisa and Haley pointing them out. It was bizarre having the same lessons day in and day out but I was growing accustom to it like the rest of the American differences.

One I was growing to like was the weather. It was really warm every day, even when it rained, I was starting to like Lutherville. I was in shorts and skirts every single day. On the weekend after my first week, my mother took me shopping to the nearest mall and I adapted my style to fit in with the school fashion. It wasn’t like I wanted to follow the crowd; I just didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb anymore.

The next week ran just as smoothly. Everyone was so nice to me. It wasn’t until Thursday afternoon did I finally meet them.

“Shit! I left my book in Spanish,” I cursed into the corridor.

“Cussing isn’t the best idea,” Haley told me quietly as a number of heads turned. “It means a detention here.”

“Cussing?” I asked blankly.

“Swearing.” Lisa used air quotes to match her simplistic tone.

“Oh. I did it back home,” I added thoughtfully. “Look, I’ll meet you there. I’ll be two secs.”

The girls exchanged a glance before nodding and turning to the cafeteria. I doubled back and retraced my steps down the almost empty corridor. I glanced through the doors of the music room, the high tech equipment inside way more advanced than those in English schools – American schools were lucky. I retrieved my book from Spanish and as I stepped back into the corridor I was welcomed to the sounds of… Blink 182?

I let my feet lead me to the sounds. The guitar covers were good, rather flawless actually. The drumming was incredible, tight and reproduced perfectly. The singer needed to be louder. I walked up to the door where it was coming from and peeked through the window. Inside were the two boys from homeroom and another with slightly longer brown hair. They were both playing the guitar, the light brown haired boy was singing into a microphone. The drummer was going wild, his hair bouncing with each shake of his head as he lost himself in the song. I raised my eyebrows at how good they actually were. The boy’s voice was deeper and less whiney than Blink’s lead, but he was good. I stood there watching them transfixed until they finished their song. They high fived each other at the end and the taller, skinnier one cracked a joke. That’s when the singer turned his head, again and looked right at me. This time my reflexes kicked in and I shot out of sight. Two seconds later the door opened.

“Spying is rude,” he told me in a boyish American twang. His voice was smooth and playful. I turned my head from my pressed stance against the wall, to stare at him in shock. My heart was racing from the high of getting caught. My eyes traced over his features and I found myself frowning again. I relaxed from my bizarre position and face him properly.

“I know you,” I blurted without thinking. A slightly crooked smile tugged at his lips and I bit my lip before anything else could rush out. A blush flooded my cheeks and I took a step back under my embarrassment.

“The feeling’s mutual,” he told me quietly through a smirk. His eyes held my gaze with his deep chocolate brown eyes.

“You should, we’re famous around here,” the guitarist called from the room.

“She’s new dickhead,” the singer shouted at his band mate.

“Are you a real band?” Even I knew how stupid the question was. All three of them laughed.

“What Jack means is that we play locally from time to time,” the drummer called out of the room. He had quite a round face and the longest hair of the three which was a shade darker than the singer’s.

“Oh, no I’ve never seen you,” I said lamely.

“Yeah, cause you’re new,” the singer emphasised with a grin and instantly I felt stupid. My cheeks flooded once again. “From England?”

“Yeah,” I repeated for the millionth time. “It’s not like my accent gives me away or anything.”
He laughed and shrugged.

“I used to li-“

“Hey! There you are.” It was Lisa and Haley. Both of our head snapped around to look at the new comers. I noticed Lisa’s cheeks turn a delicate shade of pink when the singer looked at her. Haley looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow at me. I shook my head.

“Got your book?” she asked which broke the strange silence between us. I nodded and hurried over to her side.

“After the new girl already are we boys?” She flashed a stunning smile at the band in the room and turned me around. The three of us left, the one boy hanging out the door and the rest in laughter. Haley knew how to work it.

*

The next day, we walked into a loud homeroom but no one turned to look at me today. Things were getting better. Although, the two boys, Jack and the other, were grinning at me as we entered. We sat down and they come over to join us instantly. The singer leant forwards on the desk, resting on his elbows.

“I didn’t catch your name yesterday,” he said simply.

“Alice, Alice Heyler.”

“You should listen better Alex,” Haley said smugly. “Mr Howells announced that to the homeroom yesterday.”

“We never listen.” Jack grinned at his seeming best friend.

“So you’re Jack and you’re Alex.” I pointed to each of them and remembered the name. I glanced around the group of boys towards the back; a few were looking over at us since the two boys had decided to join our table for a chat. The other boy was missing from the cluster of guys. “Right. And who’s your other mate? The drummer?”

“That’s Rian, well… he’s called Robert but prefers Rian,” Alex told me with a smile. I nodded in response as I processed the new name. I had a friend back home who liked the use of their middle name over their forename.

“I know him. Dawson right?” Lisa looked to Alex and Jack for confirmation.

“Yeah that’s our man.” Jack grinned. “He’s in a different homeroom.”

“He’s a good guy,” Lisa informed me.

“Yeah, sure.” Jack laughed.

“Just because you aren’t Jack,” Haley teased and the boy’s eyes narrowed under the strike. Haley lifted a perfectly plucked blond eyebrow in response as if to challenge him. Jack’s expression dropped along with his shoulders in a shrug.

“Ehh, you’re right.” He dropped back into his seat with a joking expression. “I’m a dick.”
Alex laughed at his mate and then looked to Lisa.

“You’re Ruocco right?” he asked the brunette to my right with a smile he seemed to reserve only for girls. His leaning stance was inferring intimacy and he didn’t drop his gaze from her. I understood instantly. We were dealing with the wanna-be-womanizer of the school, whether he was, I didn’t know. Lisa flushed under his stare and dropped her gaze to the table.

“Yeah, Lisa.”

I glanced at Haley who was watching the pair with interest.

“Have you heard these guys play?” I asked the girls curiously. Alex sank back towards Jack who was leaning back on two legs of his chair. Lisa turned her head but her eyes were the last to leave his face, her gaze snapped to mine but it was Haley who answered.

“Yeah, a few times, they’re always ripping up the music rooms with that terrible crap they call music,” she teased with a laugh.

“You don’t appreciate the good stuff Cooper.” Jack leant further back on his chair and rested the back of his head on his hands.

“What Blink 182?” She looked doubtful. “Oh yeah they’re musical geniuses.”

“Don’t jip Tom, Mark and Travis!” Jack’s chair slammed down onto the floor and he pointed a finger at Haley. His tone was childish but it was easy to pick up that he wasn’t serious. We all laughed.

“I’ll convert you Cooper,” Jack said with a smug smile. “I converted this one.” He jabbed his thumb in the direction of his best friend. Alex sank down in his seat and brushed his fringe out of his eyes.

“Yeah alright,” he said intending to push the conversation onwards, like he was hoping to get it over and done with.

“Before he met me, he was like ‘Incubus is God!’ ‘I want to fuck Bob Marley!’” Jack used his hands expressively to suit his mock impression of Alex’s deeper voice. Again, the boy had us in stitches, when I recovered I looked to Alex for confirmation. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms the boy way – gripping the elbows.

“Yeah whatever man.”

“Are you serious?” My eyes raked over the boy’s style - it just didn’t fit. Alex was wearing a dark t shirt and Jack a hoody both of which were baring band names, both were in dark faded jeans and both were supporting Vans shoes. “Ha!”

Haley and Lisa giggled at my involuntarily reaction and I clapped my hand over my mouth; this only caused them to laugh harder.

“This place is like a different planet,” I sighed and slumped onto the table. They burst into further laughter - I seemed to be entertainment for the four of them.

*
Friendship blossomed between the six of us as the weeks passed. I seemed to have united two mismatched groups. Haley, a complete Barbie, was the total and absolute opposite to Jack, the lanky rocker, but they seemed to get along as if there was no social division line. It made me happy that I was braking down the walls of the social scene. Haley and Lisa’s other friends often filtered in and out of our table at lunch and at homeroom mixing with the boy’s distinctive separate group.

I was more comfortable at Dulaney High School than I had back home at Burnt Mill Comprehensive. Things just seemed to flow here with little need to worry about much despite arriving in the middle of a semester. The teachers kept telling me I was bright enough to catch up in time for exams. Everything was running so smoothly, I was so absorbed in my new found life, I didn’t anticipate the revelation hiding around the corner…