I'm Not Perfect

“You’re sooooo lucky, that you’re an only child,” Luvy flopped onto Natalie’s bed and grabbed a stuffed animal and hugged it tightly to her chest, “and your parents are so cool. My mom’s an overbearing freak.”

“Well,” Natalie said, going to her dresser and pulling out a small baggie of weed, “that’s what happens when your parents spend a good deal of their lives high off their asses.”

Luvy watched as Natalie expertly rolled her joint and pulled out her lighter. Typically on a Friday afternoon, Luvy would be hanging with Von, Flare, Spence, and September, especially after the first week of school, but she had decided to skip out on that pow-wow and hang out with Natalie instead. She spent too much time with them anyway.

“So,” Natalie said leaning back against her headboard and blowing a cloud of smoke similar to that of the centipede on Alice in Wonderland , “what are the plans for you and the girls tonight?”

Luvy shrugged and played with a strand of hair that was splayed across her shoulders, “I don’t know if I’m really hanging with them tonight.”

“I don’t think September likes me.”

Luvy shrugged again, “Don’t take it personal, September doesn’t really like anybody.”

“Yeah well she makes it a point to not include me, want some?” Natalie offered the glowing stick to Luvy, who turned down her offer.

“Yeah…” Luvy drifted off wanting to be free from the topic.

The pair remained quite and let the silence pass between them.

“How about this?” Natalie suggested, stubbing out her joint and going to the window to let some cool air in, “we go out by ourselves tonight. I know a club in the next town over that doesn’t card people.”

Luvy nodded, “Sure, I can go home now and get my stuff.”

“Cool, come back when you’re down. You can spend the night here.”

Luvy felt a bit guilty as she let herself out of her friend’s one story house. Ever since she had become a part of a “group”, the girls had spent nearly every moment together. Luvy did love hanging with her friends, but recently she had felt a drift between them and she was tired of being the butt to Flare and September’s excessive jokes.

As Luvy let herself into the house, Luvy could see her mother’s head popping out of the kitchen,

“Luvy, you did not call me.”

“I know, sorry, I was driving.”

Her mother stepped out of the kitchen into the foyer glaring up at her seventeen year old. Mee and Luvy were not that different in height. Luvy was only taller than Mee by a couple of inches. However, in her wedges, Luvy towered over the small five foot woman.

“Don’t lie to me.”

Luvy sighed and brushed past her mother and made her way to the stairwell, “I’m not lying. I drove to a friend’s house and then I drove home.”

“Young lady, don’t walk away from me. Are you going out tonight? You never at home. Your father barely recognize you.”

“God mom I can’t stay here forever and be locked up! I need to be able to see my friends!” Luvy quickly stormed away and slammed her bedroom door. Almost instantly, she felt guilty. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so harsh with her mom.

She sighed and headed to her closet. She would apologize later. Her cell phone buzzed from her purse indicating she had a message. Pulling her phone out, she saw that she had several missed calls and texts from her four friends. Ignoring the messages, she tossed her phone back into the bottom of the bag and proceeded to head to her closet.

“I can not believe the one time I wanna get into to this stupid ass club they decide to card people.” Natalie slammed her car door shut. Huffing, she pulled out a cigarette and fumbled in her purse for a lighter.

Luvy sighed kicking off her heels that were already starting to hurt her feet, “What now?”

Natalie rolled down her window and blew out a puff of smoke, “One of my friend’s from my old school told me about some house party a couple of miles from here. You wanna go?”

“Might as well.”

As the girls pulled up to the house, Luvy felt her stomach clench into tight knots. Teens spilled from all places and there was loud rock music blaring from the speakers.

“Are you sure about this place?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I mean if you’re not feeling it we can leave….”

“No!” Luvy slipped back on her heels and shut the car door, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Good, don’t sweat it. If you get too bored just drink a lot.”

Luvy didn’t even have a chance to grab Natalie before she disappeared within the sea of people. Luvy instantly felt nervous being in a crowd of people she didn’t know. Deciding to take Natalie’s advice, she made her way to the kitchen where, lo and behold, the kegs were waiting.

Luvy really didn’t have a taste for beer, but she took one of the infamous red cups anyway.

“Hey,” a burly, visibly drunk boy slurred in her direction, “are Asian girls as freaky as people say?”

A couple people laughed at the crude question. Luvy felt her face heat up and quickly turned to leave the area.

“Christ Doug, maybe you could actually get laid if you weren’t such a dick all the time.”

Luvy turned back to look at her savior as he chewed out the burly Doug boy. He was blonde with blue eyes and held a clear role of seniority over the room. He was tall and broad shouldered, clearly he played defense on the football team.

Luvy smiled at the boy in thanks and turned to exit. She made it about halfway across the backyard when she felt a tug on her arm,

“Hey, I’m sorry about Doug. He turns into a real shit when he gets an once of liquor in him. I’m Jason, by the way.”

Grinning, Luvy shook his awaiting hand, “Thank you for that. I’m Luvy.”

“Let me fill up your cup,” Jason guided Luvy by the small of her back toward the house.

Luvy laughed, “But my cup isn’t empty.”

Jason shrugged and gave her a deadly white smile, “Well damn, that was my only pick up line.”

Luvy smiled and thought to herself, Tim who? .

Several drinks later, Luvy was lying on her back in a dark room with Jason. The whole room was spinning and Luvy couldn’t focus on one thing. Her frilly pink dress was tossed someone and she was fairly certain she was only wearing one shoe.

“Jason,” she slurred, trying to sit up, “I need to find my friend… Natasha… no... Natalie.”

“Shh,” he silenced her with his lips, easing her back down onto the mattress, “I’ll help you find her, just give me a minute.”

“No, I need… what time is it?”

Her head was spinning and she needed to leave. Was that laughter in the background? Why were there bright lights flashing?
“Jas-Jason, help me.”

“I will…just give me a second.”