Tell Me What to Do, I Messed up on You

I suppose it started simply enough; just a boy and a girl by the pool, exchanging niceties.

"I'm John," he introduced himself, holding out his hand for me to shake. I remember I liked how open and friendly he seemed, yet there was something so reserved and mysterious about him at the same time.

"Rosie," I replied, shaking his hand.

"That's a pretty name," he commented, but in such a way that it didn't seem like some corny way to butter me up.

"Thanks, it's Rosabel, but most people just call me Rosie."

"So, er- how do you know Kennedy?" he asked, as some half-drunk party crasher cannon-balled into the pool behind us, splashing us both.

I laughed and shook my thin cover-up as I answered, "Oh, we're neighbors, I just moved in to the neighborhood. I think his mom might've asked him to ask me around, to be polite or what have you..."

"Well, I'm glad he did," John smiled.

Before I could respond, Kennedy came over, clapping John on the back and smiling at me. "Is he boring the hell outta ya, yet?" he joked.

I laughed, "No, not at all."

"Well, you cats have fun," Kennedy replied, walking away to yell at the obnoxious cannon-baller who was now throwing up in the bushes.

For a few moments we stood and watched the spectacle as Kennedy tried to reason with the gate-crasher by telling him to leave before he had to call the cops.

To break the silence, I said, "People know how to party in Arizona..."

John chuckled, "Where'd you move from?"

"Virginia."

"I've never been, but I hear it's beautiful...they have...um," he groveled in his mind for something positive to say about my home state.

I smiled, "Well, Dave Grohl is from Virginia, and we have a lot of historical monuments, like the Battle of Bull Run and whatnot."

"So, you're the chick that sits upfront and actually pays attention in class, I'm guessing?"

I shrugged, "I don't mind school, I like learning. I'm pretty sure we're going to the same school, I talked to Kennedy about it."

"Woah, really? That's awesome. Maybe we'll have some classes together."

"Mhmm," I replied, as my phone began to buzz in the left pocket of my denim jean shorts. It was my sister, Anna. I excused myself because I knew I had to take the call.

John nodded and walked away, going over to a group of boys playing beer pong and joining in. I sighed and picked up the call.

"Hey, Anna."

"Rosie...Rosie...I-I love you, so...much," she slurred back to me.

"Yeah, I know. Where are you?" I asked, frustrated that I would probably have to leave the party to go play "super sister" for Anna's sake.

"I don't really, there's like...lights," she replied, moronically. I could hear giggles and the faint thud of music in the background, but it wasn't enough of a tip-off.

"Lights are a pretty common phenomenon, Annie, you have to tell me more. Who are you with? I'm gonna come get yo-"

"No, no, you're at you-that par...party," she mumbled, she was beginning to black out, I could tell. I knew I had to get her location out of her in the next ten seconds or shit would hit the ceiling.

"Anna, focus. Tell me where you are: are you at someone's house? Or at a club? Who are you with?!" I yelled.

"Lu-Luke's house, in his attic...so w-wasted, Posie," she whispered.

My eyes began to well up as she called me by the nickname she used to call me by when were younger. I took a long, deep breath and reached into my pocket, grabbing my car keys.

"Okay, stay right there, honey, I'm coming to get you," I said, hastily wiping my cheeks as a few tears fell despite my hardest efforts to contain them.

I turned back so I was facing the party again, stealthily making towards the lawn chair on which I had dropped my towel and tote bag. I grabbed them and wanted to pull a disappearing act. I sneaked in from the glass doors leading into the house, I made it past the living room, kitchen and hallway, but as soon as I opened the front door, I ran smack into John.

"Woah," he giggled, clearly buzzed from his session of beer pong. Then his face turned into a slight frown, "Are you leaving, already?"

I nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I have to go do something. It's a family thing, so I can't really get out of it..."

"Yeah, I understand," he said, stepping aside to give me room to leave. "I guess I'll see you in school then?"

"That you will," I promised.

I walked to my car and got inside, turning on the engine. I backed out of the Brock's driveway, tears streaming down my face all the while. John seemed like a really nice guy, so did Kennedy, as well as all the other people I met at the party. I think they really like me, too. Too bad it doesn't take much for me to lower people's expectations of me, through no fault of my own.