Just Believe
Party
It was my sophomore year of high school. I was excited - thrilled really - for that year. I had made the cheerleading squad, yearbook, class treasure, and the advice columnist in our school newspaper. Everything was going to be perfect.
Being part of the newspaper was going to be the most fulfilling for me. Most of my friends were part of the newspaper team, and it seemed fitting, being the advice columnist and all. I’d like to think that I would do well giving advice, given the fact that I would tell it as it was. Being part of the newspaper in general seemed like a great idea. Having the knack for telling the truth and all.
The Trojan Times was going be the best part of my year, I just knew it.
It seemed like my sophomore year was going to be complete bliss. Especially with Austin in the picture.
I officially met Austin the second week of school. He was funny, tall, and just overall beautiful. He was our varsity quarterback and class president. Everyone seemed to love him.
It was hard not to, really. He had this way about him that automatically made you want to be his best friend. It seemed like he was friends with everyone, like he could relate to everybody.
We all hung onto every word he said.
Just the sound of his voice was like a slice of heaven. Low, with a slight husk to it.
I was quite taken with him, if you couldn’t already tell. But then again, who wasn’t taken with him?
We began to spend all our free time together. My brothers, the immature lot that they are, would tease me. Austin was my first true crush. Someone that it seemed I had a real chance with.
He wasn’t spending all his time with other girls. He was spending it with me. That alone would make anyone feel good. Plus he was a senior, an older boy. If I was dating him it would mean that I’d get to go to senior prom and who knew what else.
Parker didn’t like Austin much. With Austin around it meant he was second best. He would warn me to stay away from Austin. That is until he realized that if Austin was already spoken for then that would leave everyone else for him. Suddenly, Parker started to give me advice on the matters of the heart because apparently he was the expert in the family.
It was silly and ridiculous, but I did appreciate his help. If anything else it showed me that he cared.
It started off small, Austin and I. We went to the movies or out to dinner with friends. Go to the beach or the ice cream shop. Then it slowly progressed to him coming over all the time, or me going to his house. To dinners and movies alone.
But spending so much time with him made me like him more as a friend. Sure, I still thought that he was amazingly good looking. With his blond hair, blue eyes and that perfect smile. I’d still blush whenever he complimented me. But I found that any feelings I had towards him - the romantic kind, that is - were fading away.
He still made me laugh, and I enjoyed hanging around him. But found that I didn’t want to be in a relationship with him.
I owed him so much though. He gave me a voice at the school. Kids started to notice me. They would talk to me like I was the coolest person around. Like I mattered. It felt incredible - it was incredible.
He gave me a life at school that I could have only dreamed of. Sure, I had been climbing my way up on the social ladder on my own. But it seemed like overnight I had gotten to where everyone wanted to be. I had become the most desirable girl at school.
So I continued to spend all my time with Austin. Like I said, I enjoyed spending time with him and I owed him so much. It only seemed right. And it wasn’t like he exactly made a move on me or anything. We weren’t dating.
That all changed on a chilly Friday night.
It was my first real party. It was the first night I was going to be a bad girl.
I had told my parents that I was going to hang out with Austin, which was not a lie may I add, and wouldn’t home too late.
The party was loud and crowded. I knew as soon as we pulled up that I shouldn’t be there. I had a bad feeling about all of it. But I pushed my paranoia aside, assuming that I was feeling guilty for not telling my parents that I was going to a party with Austin, not to the movies or to dinner or something completely innocent.
Everything was going fine in the beginning. Austin staid by my side the whole night, in which I was totally grateful for. I had my first sip of alcohol which quickly turned into a couple of cups.
I danced, I laughed, I had fun.
And somehow, someway Austin and I ended up in a bedroom. Alone.
Before I know it we’re kissing and he’s leading me to the bed. Everything was just moving so quickly.
“Stop,” I had said and pushed away from him. Austin stood there, his mouth open with a confused look on his face.
“Why?” He asked and then stepped closer so that he could wrap his arms around me again. He started kissing my cheek, forehead, neck. “Aren’t we together?”
I pushed away again. “Are we? I don’t remember you asking.”
Austin smirked then rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. Do you want to go out?” he laughed and shook his head before going in.
“No,” I said and side-stepped him so that he was kissing air. “I don’t want to make out with you and no I don’t want to be your girlfriend.”
“What?” He raised a brow. He was starting to look annoyed. “You can’t be serious, can you?”
“I am.” I told him. I shook my head and let out a long sigh. “You’re great and everything, but I just want to be friends.”
He looked angry and embarrassed. He was also drunk which was not a good combination.
He stepped forward, his arms open. I’ll be honest, I thought he wanted a hug. But instead he swooped me up and threw me on the bed. He laid down beside me and the kissing started again. Slow and patient, waiting for the kill. That’s what it felt like he was doing.
“We don’t have to do anything,” he said between kisses. I kept pushing him away but he held on tightly to me. “Just a few kisses.”
I thought I was going to die in shame and embarrassment. I didn’t wan to kiss him anymore. I didn’t want to be at the party either. I wanted to be home. I wanted my brothers.
“Get off,” I said a bit louder this time. I kept trying to shove him away but he wouldn’t stop. I was contemplating to just make out with him just so he could be satisfied and I could leave, when the bedroom door opened.
“What’s going on here?”
Austin pulled away from me, but not so far as to let his grip on me go. He narrowed his eyes at the intruder. “Can’t you see we’re a little busy?”
“Can’t you hear her telling you to stop?” The stranger ask. He stood there, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face. “Or are you just stupid?”
Austin jumped off the bed, his fists clenched. “Get out!”
Stranger stood up straight and walked into the room, eying Austin with a look of disbelief. “I will, in a minute.”
I watched with disbelief as he came over to me and held out his hand. I grabbed it and he helped pull me up from the bed.
“Thanks,” I remember murmuring.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here.” Stranger told me. And as if he could sense I was scared he offered me a warm smile. “By the way, I’m Aaron.”
I gave him a weak smile, not really in the mood to make pleasantries. I just wanted to go home, pull on some sweatpants and an old shirt and go to bed.
“Cassie,” I told him.
“Wait!” Austin shook his head. “Aaron? You wouldn’t happen to be Mark’s brother would you?”
Aaron took a defensive stance and eyed Austin with complete distrust. “Yeah, so?”
Austin then scoffed and rolled his eyes. A bitter chuckle escaped his mouth as he turned his angry glare on me. “You really going to leave with him? He’s from West Ellway. You know, he’s a Spartan.”
“I don’t care what he is right now.” I ended up snapping at him. I know, I know, I was starting to become angry myself. For the millionth time, I just wanted to leave.
“I’m sure your brothers would care.” Austin said, and sat down on the bed. “You know how serious they take the rivalry. They hate when anyone even makes eye contact with one, much less speaks to one.”
I shook my head, so disgusted with Austin. “Grow up.”
It was true though. My brothers took it seriously. East Ellway hated West Ellway, it was stupid but it always seemed to pump up the kids at school for the football games, so I never protested much. And that I night I certainly didn’t care.
As Aaron and I left I could hear Austin throwing a fit in the room. The last thing I heard him shout should have scared me. But it didn’t.
“I will ruin you!”
Being part of the newspaper was going to be the most fulfilling for me. Most of my friends were part of the newspaper team, and it seemed fitting, being the advice columnist and all. I’d like to think that I would do well giving advice, given the fact that I would tell it as it was. Being part of the newspaper in general seemed like a great idea. Having the knack for telling the truth and all.
The Trojan Times was going be the best part of my year, I just knew it.
It seemed like my sophomore year was going to be complete bliss. Especially with Austin in the picture.
I officially met Austin the second week of school. He was funny, tall, and just overall beautiful. He was our varsity quarterback and class president. Everyone seemed to love him.
It was hard not to, really. He had this way about him that automatically made you want to be his best friend. It seemed like he was friends with everyone, like he could relate to everybody.
We all hung onto every word he said.
Just the sound of his voice was like a slice of heaven. Low, with a slight husk to it.
I was quite taken with him, if you couldn’t already tell. But then again, who wasn’t taken with him?
We began to spend all our free time together. My brothers, the immature lot that they are, would tease me. Austin was my first true crush. Someone that it seemed I had a real chance with.
He wasn’t spending all his time with other girls. He was spending it with me. That alone would make anyone feel good. Plus he was a senior, an older boy. If I was dating him it would mean that I’d get to go to senior prom and who knew what else.
Parker didn’t like Austin much. With Austin around it meant he was second best. He would warn me to stay away from Austin. That is until he realized that if Austin was already spoken for then that would leave everyone else for him. Suddenly, Parker started to give me advice on the matters of the heart because apparently he was the expert in the family.
It was silly and ridiculous, but I did appreciate his help. If anything else it showed me that he cared.
It started off small, Austin and I. We went to the movies or out to dinner with friends. Go to the beach or the ice cream shop. Then it slowly progressed to him coming over all the time, or me going to his house. To dinners and movies alone.
But spending so much time with him made me like him more as a friend. Sure, I still thought that he was amazingly good looking. With his blond hair, blue eyes and that perfect smile. I’d still blush whenever he complimented me. But I found that any feelings I had towards him - the romantic kind, that is - were fading away.
He still made me laugh, and I enjoyed hanging around him. But found that I didn’t want to be in a relationship with him.
I owed him so much though. He gave me a voice at the school. Kids started to notice me. They would talk to me like I was the coolest person around. Like I mattered. It felt incredible - it was incredible.
He gave me a life at school that I could have only dreamed of. Sure, I had been climbing my way up on the social ladder on my own. But it seemed like overnight I had gotten to where everyone wanted to be. I had become the most desirable girl at school.
So I continued to spend all my time with Austin. Like I said, I enjoyed spending time with him and I owed him so much. It only seemed right. And it wasn’t like he exactly made a move on me or anything. We weren’t dating.
That all changed on a chilly Friday night.
It was my first real party. It was the first night I was going to be a bad girl.
I had told my parents that I was going to hang out with Austin, which was not a lie may I add, and wouldn’t home too late.
The party was loud and crowded. I knew as soon as we pulled up that I shouldn’t be there. I had a bad feeling about all of it. But I pushed my paranoia aside, assuming that I was feeling guilty for not telling my parents that I was going to a party with Austin, not to the movies or to dinner or something completely innocent.
Everything was going fine in the beginning. Austin staid by my side the whole night, in which I was totally grateful for. I had my first sip of alcohol which quickly turned into a couple of cups.
I danced, I laughed, I had fun.
And somehow, someway Austin and I ended up in a bedroom. Alone.
Before I know it we’re kissing and he’s leading me to the bed. Everything was just moving so quickly.
“Stop,” I had said and pushed away from him. Austin stood there, his mouth open with a confused look on his face.
“Why?” He asked and then stepped closer so that he could wrap his arms around me again. He started kissing my cheek, forehead, neck. “Aren’t we together?”
I pushed away again. “Are we? I don’t remember you asking.”
Austin smirked then rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. Do you want to go out?” he laughed and shook his head before going in.
“No,” I said and side-stepped him so that he was kissing air. “I don’t want to make out with you and no I don’t want to be your girlfriend.”
“What?” He raised a brow. He was starting to look annoyed. “You can’t be serious, can you?”
“I am.” I told him. I shook my head and let out a long sigh. “You’re great and everything, but I just want to be friends.”
He looked angry and embarrassed. He was also drunk which was not a good combination.
He stepped forward, his arms open. I’ll be honest, I thought he wanted a hug. But instead he swooped me up and threw me on the bed. He laid down beside me and the kissing started again. Slow and patient, waiting for the kill. That’s what it felt like he was doing.
“We don’t have to do anything,” he said between kisses. I kept pushing him away but he held on tightly to me. “Just a few kisses.”
I thought I was going to die in shame and embarrassment. I didn’t wan to kiss him anymore. I didn’t want to be at the party either. I wanted to be home. I wanted my brothers.
“Get off,” I said a bit louder this time. I kept trying to shove him away but he wouldn’t stop. I was contemplating to just make out with him just so he could be satisfied and I could leave, when the bedroom door opened.
“What’s going on here?”
Austin pulled away from me, but not so far as to let his grip on me go. He narrowed his eyes at the intruder. “Can’t you see we’re a little busy?”
“Can’t you hear her telling you to stop?” The stranger ask. He stood there, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face. “Or are you just stupid?”
Austin jumped off the bed, his fists clenched. “Get out!”
Stranger stood up straight and walked into the room, eying Austin with a look of disbelief. “I will, in a minute.”
I watched with disbelief as he came over to me and held out his hand. I grabbed it and he helped pull me up from the bed.
“Thanks,” I remember murmuring.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here.” Stranger told me. And as if he could sense I was scared he offered me a warm smile. “By the way, I’m Aaron.”
I gave him a weak smile, not really in the mood to make pleasantries. I just wanted to go home, pull on some sweatpants and an old shirt and go to bed.
“Cassie,” I told him.
“Wait!” Austin shook his head. “Aaron? You wouldn’t happen to be Mark’s brother would you?”
Aaron took a defensive stance and eyed Austin with complete distrust. “Yeah, so?”
Austin then scoffed and rolled his eyes. A bitter chuckle escaped his mouth as he turned his angry glare on me. “You really going to leave with him? He’s from West Ellway. You know, he’s a Spartan.”
“I don’t care what he is right now.” I ended up snapping at him. I know, I know, I was starting to become angry myself. For the millionth time, I just wanted to leave.
“I’m sure your brothers would care.” Austin said, and sat down on the bed. “You know how serious they take the rivalry. They hate when anyone even makes eye contact with one, much less speaks to one.”
I shook my head, so disgusted with Austin. “Grow up.”
It was true though. My brothers took it seriously. East Ellway hated West Ellway, it was stupid but it always seemed to pump up the kids at school for the football games, so I never protested much. And that I night I certainly didn’t care.
As Aaron and I left I could hear Austin throwing a fit in the room. The last thing I heard him shout should have scared me. But it didn’t.
“I will ruin you!”