A Better Reality

It’d been a couple weeks since Alex and I went on our date and we haven’t really had time to hang out since, with the holidays being present. We’ve been texting one another for a little bit of the break but I haven’t heard from him in a couple of days. I didn’t put much thought into it; I figured he was just busy spending time with his family that was in town from England. Cathy’s family came in town for a few days but left two days after Christmas to go visit other family members so now it was just my dad, Cathy, Rian and I that was left of the family. I didn’t go see my mother because she didn’t ask for me to come down and even if she did I wouldn’t go because I’m never going back. I was currently sitting in my room reading one of the Nancy Drew books when Rian and Jack came barging in.

“Hey, baby momma!” Jack yelled as he threw himself across the bottom of my bed and Rian laid down next to me.

“Jack, for the millionth time I’m not your—“

“—I know you aren’t my baby momma. A boy can dream though can’t he?” Jack said and I couldn’t help but laugh at him. I was growing used to his random outbursts of weird things and I was starting to enjoy his company.

“As long as your dreams about me are kept G-rated then, yes you may,” I told him while I put my feet in his lap.

“You’re still reading that series?” Rian asked when he looked at the book I was reading. “I thought you finished it years ago?”

“I did finish it, but they keep making more books.”

“You’re such a cute nerd,” Jack said to my response and I playfully glared at him.

“So, why are you two bothering me and not your other friends?” I asked them as I turned the corner of the page, I was on, down and closed the book.

“They’re all busy so we thought we’d hang out with our favorite person ever,” Jack mentioned as he started to dog-ear every page in the book I was reading. I rolled my eyes at him and kicked him to get him to stop. “Ow! That really hurt.”

“Then stop trying to make me lose my spot,” I barked at him and he rolled his eyes.

“What are you doing tonight, Eleanor?” Rian asked, taking my attention away from Jack being an idiot.

“Nothing, just staying in and watching the New Year’s special on TV, why?” I asked him.

“Alex’s parents and family went to New York for the holiday and he’s throwing a party. Didn’t you know? You two talk all the time now,” Rian mentioned and I scrunched my eyebrows together at this information. Alex never told me his family was going out of town and he never told me about a party.

“No, I didn’t know.”

“Oh, well do you wanna come with us?”

“I don’t think I will. I wasn’t invited and I wouldn’t want to intrude,” I told him and I felt Jack slap my leg.

“Don’t be a dumb dick! You’re coming! It’s a party, three fourths of the people that will be there will not have received an invitation,” Jack said as he sat up and crossed his legs as he faced us.

“Really, it’s okay. I don’t mind staying home, I’ll even pick you both up if you need me to,” I told them as I bit my lower lip. Something I tend to do when I feel uncomfortable.

“Elea—“

“—you are going! That is that, I won’t take no for an answer,” Jack said as he cut Rian off and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Jacccckkk,” I whined from my spot.

“No whining. You are going, and that is final, young lady!” Jack yelled while he wagged his finger at me in a fatherly manner.

“Fine,” I told him and kicked him in the chest and watched him fall backwards off the bed. Rian and I fell over laughing as Jack flailed around on the floor.

“You have an hour to get ready, and then we’re leaving. So you better change because you are NOT wearing what you have on,” Jack said as he walked out of my room with Rian behind him. I looked down at my outfit and saw Jack was right. I don’t think yoga pants and an old sweater would be acceptable for the party. I got off my bed and walked over to my closet where I began to put together an outfit. I finally decided to wear a yellow and crème striped sweater accompanied by a pair of dark washed skinny jeans and crème metal toed flats. I set the outfit on my bed before going into the bathroom to, loosely, curl my hair and place a headband in my hair. I brushed my teeth and applied my perfume and deodorant before going back into my room where I sat at my vanity and applied my makeup. I dug through my jewelry box for a pair of earrings that would match my outfit and put them in. I threw everything I would need for the night into my purse and walked downstairs where Rian and Jack were waiting in the living room.

“Am I acceptable now?” I asked as I held my arms out so they could get a better look at my outfit.

“Beautiful!” Jack said as he stood up and dragged me out of the door. We agreed that I would drive since I was the only one that had enough gas to get there, irresponsible idiots. We piled in my car and, on the drive over, tried to find a radio station to listen to but by the time we finally found a decent one we pulled up outside of Alex’s house.

“It’s packed,” I announced and both Rian and Jack made noises of agreement as we got out of the car and walked down the crowded street to Alex’s house. We opened the front door and when I looked in there were millions of people dancing and going crazy in the living room. Jack looped his arm with mine and dragged me through the crowd all the way to the kitchen. Jack made us both drinks, I’ve developed a liking for Malibu rum mixed with Gatorade, he handed me my drink and I took a gulp of it.

“Can we do some shots so I can loosen up a bit?” I yelled into Jack’s ear so he could hear me. He nodded his head and poured us each two shots of vodka. We knocked glasses and tossed back both shots one after the other.

“Feel better?” Jack asked and I nodded my head. “It’s a bit overwhelming sometimes.”

“Yeah,” I told him and he smiled at me.

“Let’s go see if we can find Zack and Alex!” Jack yelled and took my arm and led me around the house until we came across one of the previously mentioned boys. We eventually found Zack sitting with a blonde girl outback and we walked up to him to say hi.

“Zack!” Jack said as he did his little bro hug thing and then greeted the girl next to him.

“Hey Zack,” I said as he pulled me into a hug.

“Eleanor this is my friend from school, Samantha but we all call her Sam,” Zack said as he pointed to the girl next to him.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” I said while sticking my hand out for her to shake which she did.

“Ah! I’ve heard a lot about you from these three; it’s nice to finally meet you!” Sam exclaimed with a smile on her face. I took the only open seat there was which was between Sam and Jack.

“So, how do you like Towson, so far?” Sam asked, politely making conversation.

“I like it; it’s not too big or small. And everyone at Delaney has sort of been nice to me,” I told her while taking a drink.

“Yeah, well be happy you don’t go to Towson High, everyone there are assholes,” she grumbled. Zack went to a different high school than all of us and so that’s how he knows Sam.

“Yeah, a lot of the girls at Delaney don’t really like me, I don’t know why though.”

“Because you’re insanely pretty!” Jack butted in and I elbowed him in the stomach with a smile on my face.

“He’s right, you are really pretty, and from what I’ve heard you’re really nice,” Sam assured me and I smiled at her.

“Thanks,” I told her. I took my purse off my arm and set it in my lap, but quickly got annoyed and set it on the ground.

“Jack, where can I stash my purse? I don’t want to carry it around all night,” I asked while turning my body to face him more.

“You can go put it in Alex’s room! It’s upstairs and the second door on the right! You’ll smell it,” Jack said and I laughed at him while standing up with my purse.

“I’ll come with you! I need another drink anyways,” Sam said as she stood up and we made our way to the house again. We stopped in the kitchen so Sam could get another Malibu and Gatorade before heading for the stairs. We talked along the way and when we got upstairs I softly knocked on what is supposed to be Alex’s room. I didn’t want to barge in on anyway because that would be awkward. I didn’t hear anyone protest us entering so I opened the door; as soon as I stepped in I regretted it though. A couple was making out on Alex’s bed.

“Alex? Lisa?” Sam said when she stepped around me to see what was going on. As soon as she spoke the couple pulled apart and proved to be the people she said they were.

“Hey Sam and Eleanor. I see you two met,” Alex awkwardly said as he scratched his neck. “This is my friend, Lisa.” Alex said pointing to Lisa next to him. My eyes got really big and I immediately walked out of the room. I walked downstairs and back outside to the yard where we left our friends before we went upstairs.

“Jack, Rian I’m ready to go home,” I told them as I stood in front of them.

“What? Why?” Jack asked.

“I just, I want to go home. I’m tired.”

“Can we at least stay til midnight? That’s 30 minutes,” Jack whined and put on his stupid, puppy dog pout. “I’ll be your New Year’s kiss…on the cheek or lips, whichever you prefer.”

“Jack, ugh. Fine,” I said to him as I sat down next to him.

“Fine to what? Kiss on the lips or you’re saying I’m fine?” He teased and I couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“If I wanted to kiss you I would have by now. Sorry bud. And I was saying fine to staying,” I said with the roll of my eyes.

“Crush my dreams, Lewis!” He yelled and I could tell (and smell) that he was drunk. I sat around with my friends for five minutes, just listening to their conversations, when Alex walked outside by himself. I saw him looking at me with a look of guilt and I immediately turned my attention away from him and to the ground in front of me.

“Can we talk?” Alex asked and when I looked up he was standing directly in front of me.

“No.”

“Please, Elle?” Alex said low enough for only me to hear.

“I said no. Go talk to Lisa.”

“You’re being stubborn,” Alex protested.

“And you’re getting on my nerves.”

“Elle, stop acting like a child and act like the woman I know you are. Come talk with me, please?” He pleaded.

“Fine.” I stood up and Alex took hold of my hand but I quickly pulled it out of his grasp. He looked back at me and grabbed my hand again so he could pull me over to the side of his house so we could talk.

“What do you want?” I asked him, yanking my hand from his grasp and crossing my arms over my chest.

“About what you walked in on…it wasn’t what it looked like.”

“You were kissing a girl after telling me you like me a lot, it’s exactly what it looked like,” I told him, slightly glaring at him.

“Lisa’s an ex-girlfriend of mine. We’ve been off and on since freshmen year.”

“Okay? Go on,” I said to him.

“I’ve been having a ton of fun with you these past few weeks and one day Lisa text me saying she needed to talk to me so I went over to her house and she told me she wanted to get back together.”

“So she’s not your friend? She’s your girlfriend?” I asked him, growing angry.

“No, not yet. I just—I don’t know what I want Elle. I like you a ton, but we’re both broken records and that’s just a chemistry experiment waiting to go bad.” My mouth fell open when he called us both broken records, I’m not broken.

“Just because of what happened to me when I was living with my mother doesn’t mean I’m broken, Alex. You try getting molested and raped by your step-father and tell me it’s not life-changing. Yeah, I don’t open up and yeah, I’m not as involved with my boyfriends like I probably should be but I’m not broken. I guess I just need a man to change that for me. So if you know any men, send them my way,” I seethed and tried walking away, but Alex grabbed my arm and pulled me into him.

“Just because we’d be toxic together doesn’t mean I don’t want to try and be with you,” He whispered and I could feel his breath on my lips. “Because even when I was with Lisa in the past, we were toxic, so clearly I have a thing for girls that are bad for me.” I didn’t look up at him I just stared at his shirt-clad chest.

“Well I suggest you figure out what you want because I don’t talk to guys who want to talk to more than one girl,” I said while trying to pull away from Alex.

“Don’t go,” Alex said into my ear and I let out a sigh.

“Why? I’m sure Lisa is looking for you,” I told him, finally looking up to gaze into his chocolate colored orbs.
“I don’t care. I hurt your feelings and I want to make it up to you,” Alex stated and I just look on at him in confusion.

“And how are you going to do that?” I asked him, not breaking eye contact with him.

“You’ll see in…” Alex started to say before looking down at his watch, “five minutes!”

“You aren’t kissing me at midnight,” I told him. “You’ve been kissing Lisa all night.” Alex quickly brought the back of his hand to his mouth and roughly wiped his lips. I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “That won’t help any, she’s still on there.” Alex rolled his eyes before taking my drink out of my hands and taking a big gulp. He quickly swished the liquid around his mouth and spit it out, away from us.

“Better?” He asked and I pulled my lips up in a sly smile.

“8….7….6….5!” We heard everyone in Alex’s house yelling.

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” I told him.

“3….2…..1 Happy New Year’s!” Everyone screamed and I looked up into Alex’s eyes. There was a sparkle shining in his eyes as he looked down at me with a smirk on his face. He brought his face closer to mine and right as he closed his eyes I turned my face to left where his lips connected with my cheek. He opened his eyes and gave me a confusing look.

“Figure out what you want, Alex,” I said and then walked away to go find Rian and Jack so we could go home.