I Spun the Bottle

I Spun the Bottle: Chapter One

Song for this chapter: “Brick by Boring Brick” by Paramore

My heart skidded to a sudden halt as soon as it landed on him. He was the only person I didn’t want the bottle to land on. It seemed like everyone in the entire party turned their attention to both of us. I bit my lip in utter frustration; this wouldn’t have happened if I just told her no. I would still be at home working on homework at this moment if I just said that one simple word. No.

“Carolyn, honey, wake up,” my mom told me, peeking through my bedroom door.

Instead of listening to her like I usually would, I rolled over so that my back was faced toward her. I didn’t want to go to school today. I had stayed up all night working on my Chemistry project, and didn’t even get to bed till it was three in the morning.

“Lyn, wake up.” My mother commanded in that motherly tone of hers.

I finally listened to her this time and sat upright, turning my head towards her. Half of her body was in my room, while the other half was in the hallway. She was already ready for work, and that meant she would be leaving any minute.

“Mmm, are you going to work early?” I asked, trying to rub the sleepiness away from my eyes.

She simply nodded, and said. “Yes, now enough stalling, get ready because your brother is going to take you to school today. He seems a little grumpy, so be nice.”

“Yes, mom,” I mumbled, already standing up from my warm, cozy bed.

I heard my door shut, and I knew she had left. There was another reason why I hated going to school. They were the popular students. For the most part they were fine, just as long as I stayed on my side of the school, and they stayed on their side, but apparently they have something against me now.

They hadn’t told me what it was that they had against me, but I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’d be figuring out that soon. I walked over to my closet and looked for something to wear. I didn’t look long because as if clothes matched, I’d wear it.

With fresh clothes in hand, I walked out of my bedroom, across the hall, and into the bathroom. I placed my clean set of clothes on the counter and took off my clothes. I turned on the shower for a few minutes before I actually got in. I tested the water, making sure it wasn’t too hot or too cold, just right. Then, I slipped one foot in and then the other.

I took a brief shower, making sure it wasn’t too long or else my brother would complain that I was going slowly on purpose. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me. I got another towel, a shorter one, to wrap around my long chocolate brown hair.

Once my body was dry enough, I started to put on my clothes. I walked out of the bathroom, down the hall, through the living room, and into the kitchen. My older brother, Landon, was pouring some orange juice into his cup when he looked up and saw me. My mom was right he did look a little grumpy today. Normally, he would say hi, but instead he just walked past me into the living room.

I frowned as I tried to think about what was wrong with him.

I turned on my heels and entered the living room to find him watching television. It was on some type of commercial, and Landon seemed way too intrigued by it.

“Hey,” I said, sitting on the couch. I felt as my whole body sink into the cool leather.

“What?” He muttered, not bothering to look up from the telivision screen. He seriously was in a terrible mood.

“What’s wrong? You seem…grumpy.”

“I’m not grumpy. I’m just annoyed, now can you finish getting ready? I don’t want you complaining that I’m the one making you late,” he ordered, still in that grumpy tone.

I rolled my eye, but did as he asked. He didn’t want to tell me what it was, but I’d get it out of him sooner or later. My brother and I always had a good relationship. Sure we’d have our arguments, but what kind of siblings got along all the time?

I went back into my bathroom, and brushed my teeth. The whole time I kept thinking of a way to get whatever Landon was thinking about out of him. Normally, I would blow-dry my hair, but I was too lazy to do it. So, I’d let it air-dry today.

Sighing, I walked back downstairs and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned his head towards me and frowned. “Are you done?”

“Mhmm, let’s go?”

“Alright,” he said, getting up from the couch.

Landon was two years older than me, and he just graduated high school last year. He said he doesn’t want to go to college yet because he wants to take the year off. My parents doesn’t seem to mind, as long as he goes next year.

“Hey, Landon?”

“Yeah,” he answered, grabbing his car keys off the rack and twirling it around it finger.

“Are you having girl problems?” I inquired, the only possibility popping into my head.

He stopped twirling his keys around his finger for a split second before continuing towards the front door. That action to me signaled, yes.

“No, what makes you think that?”

Because you’re acting grumpier than Grumpy from Snow White.

“Oh, no reason, you just seem to be quieter today.” I lied, not really wanting to tell him the truth.

I closed the front door behind me as we exited our house. I trailed behind Landon until we got to his beat-up Chevy truck. His truck was old, rusted, and paint seemed to chip off every time you touched it, but even when mom offered to buy him a new car, Landon said he liked his car just the way it is.

Once I got into the torn-up leather seat I pulled hard on the old, creaky door, trying to make it shut properly on the first time, but it didn’t work, so I had to re-do it. This time the door clicked, meaning that I shut it correctly.

“Okay,” Landon sighed. “I am having girl problems. Why do they have to be so—so complicated?”

I laughed at his reaction. I didn’t realize girls were the hard ones to figure out. Guys were the ones who always sent mixed signals, not that I would know much about them. I’ve never had a boyfriend in my enitire life.

“Who is it? And why didn’t you tell me there’s a girl? Hmm?”

“Her name is Chelsea, and I didn’t tell you because you’d keep asking me questions,” he replied, starting the engine of his truck. The sound when the truck turned on didn’t sound promising. It came to life for a few seconds, and then it died.

I frowned in disappointment. Seriously, of all the days this piece of junk could’ve died, it dies today?

Landon grimaced too. He twisted the key in the ignition again, and this time it didn’t even start. It just made this sound like a horse neighing. I sighed and thought, maybe this is a sign? Maybe I’m supposed to take the day off?

“Dammit,” he cursed, kicking the pedals of his truck angrily. “Stupid piece of crap.”

He tried to start the truck a few more times before he finally gave up. He was cussing every word he could think of before he finally calmed down.

“Well, it looks like you aren’t going to school today,” Landon sighed, kicking his truck once more.

“Don’t get so beat-up about it. I didn’t want to go to school anyway.” I said honestly. I really didn’t want to go. I was more than a couple hours short of sleep, and the dark bags under my eyes proved it.

“You sure?”

“Yup, why don’t we just take a wa—“

“Hey, Carolyn, do you need a ride to school?”

I looked up to see whose voice that belonged to. Nobody popped into my mind when I first heard it, but when I saw her face I knew who it was. Taylor Sparks, the cheerleader squad captain of our school, so when I saw her, I was a little more than surprised. She smiled her plastic smile at me that everyone at school knew too well.

“Uhm…” I mumbled, not sure if I really wanted to be in the car with her.

Landon spoke up for me, and I knew he was going to save me. “Would you really do that? My truck broke down, and she has nobody else to take her.”

Or not. Thanks Landon…

“Oh of course I wouldn’t mind. We’re good friends aren’t we, Lyn?” Taylor smiled, but it wasn’t friendly. It was the kind of smile that meant if you don’t say yes, you’ll regret it.

“Uh—yeah, of course we are.” I said, shooting a look at Landon, hoping he’ll realize that I didn’t want to go.

“Alright, well then we’ll talk about our conversation later?” Landon, smiled, and I forced one back.

Man, was he bad at saving me. How could he not tell when I needed help?!

“Sure,” I muttered, grimly, opening the door of his stupid truck.

I then walked to his side, and sat in the passenger seat of Taylor’s silver Porsche. She smiled another plastic smile to my brother, and then we took off. I’d be surprised now if we made it to school on time. It would take a miracle, or a maybe crazy driver to be on time.

I twiddled with my fingers nervously. Why would Taylor want to give me a ride to school? Sure, we’d been next door neighbors for as long as we were alive, but still we’ve always been on opposite ends. She was the popular one and I was the not-even-close to an ounce of popularity one.

Not to mention she was one of the people that had that thing against me, whatever that thing was. Just as I was getting adjusted to the thick atmosphere in the car, Taylor said something.

“So, did you know there’s a party tonight at the beach?” She chirped, in her unusually high voice.

“No,” I answered, not even having to think about it. Why would I know if there was going to be a party at the beach? I’m so out of the loop, I’m like the line.

“Oh,” she paused, trying to pretend she was sympathizing with me. “Well, there’s a party at the beach today, and I was just wondering if you wanted to come, you know?”

Was she seriously inviting me? Carolyn Summers, one of the most least-known girls in the entire school to go a high school beach party? For a moment, I felt a little giddy. I was being invited to a party. The party would probably have alcohol, and probably people doing things that shouldn’t be legal and the party would probably be past the California curfew. I shook my head immediately as I started to think about all the things that could go wrong at a party with immature students.

“Uhm, I don’t think it’s a good idea. There’s going to be alcohol.” I said, starting on the list that I had made in my mind.

“Of course there’s going to be alcohol. What kind of party would it be without one?” Taylor rolled her eyes at me before looking back at the road.

It would be a party, I’d go to.

“I can’t get out of the house anyway. I have a lot of homework to do.” I said, trying to sound firm with my answer.

I could tell I was making this difficult for her. Her lips formed a thin, straight line. She then glanced at me, planting her fake smile on her face.“Look nerd. I need a ride home from the party tonight. And you’re going to drive me home. Got it?”

So her true intentions finally showed. She even called me a nerd, which surprisingly didn’t feel strange. I guess I was a nerd since I actually did all of my homework and got good grades. However, even after what she said, I knew I wasn’t going to that party tonight. She also wanted me to drive her home, but I don’t even have a car to drive. My brother’s piece of crap car just died on us, and my mother would never let me drive either her or dad’s car, even if I begged on my knees.

“I can’t do it.” I said, just as she pulled into the parking lot of our school. “I don’t have a ride. I have a lot of homework to do. My parents will never allow it. And we could be in big trouble if we get caught! I don’t want to go to jail just because you told me I had to be your ride. Why don’t you find someone else?”

I knew when I said that, I was saying it way to fast, and she probably didn’t understand a single sentence that came out of my mouth. But, I felt so accomplished that I had just told the most popular girl in school that I said no.

Once the car was parked, she shuffled through her bag. I took that as my signal to leave, so I started to open the door.

“Uh-uhm, I didn’t say you could go yet,” she said, just as my foot touched the asphalt.

I sighed, but turned around and looked at her. “We’re going to be late for class.”

She smiled. “What’s another minute going to do? Besides, I have something very interesting to show you.”

“What?”

Taylor flipped her long, golden blonde hair behind her shoulders, almost as if she was telling me; don’t tell me what to do. She then pulled out her phone from her purse and clicked a button on the side, bringing her the library of pictures.

I tapped my foot impatiently, I was already late, I didn’t want to waste time watching little miss popular shuffle through her pictures.

“Ah-hah, here it is.” She muttered, tapping on a single photo.

I eyed her curiously, trying to figure out what the picture was. This must be what she has against me. Will this single image really make me sneak out of my house, go to this party somehow, and drive the most popular girl at school home?

I doubted it, but I did want to know what it was.