Game

'What's it taste like?'

Cringing, I tried to busy myself with Keira's nails but I couldn't block out Bonnie's description of last night activities with her boyfriend Rylan Grey.
She'd officially popped her cherry with him and decided nothing would be more perfect than to arrange a sleepover with us to tell us all about it. Keira and Gabe seemed more than excited over her conquest but I was far from impressed.

'Salty.' Bonnie clutched her pillow to her chest and laughed into it as Gabe sat on the floor below the bed and laughed along with. Keira was trying to keep still but I could tell she wanted to throw her arms up into the air and join the others in being all girly.

'Keep still.' I almost snapped and I felt eyes on me. I could tell what was coming.

'What about you, Tobe? Buttered your muffin?' Bonnie laughed at her own Mean Girls quote and Keira's body shook with a chuckle too. I finished painting the last of her nails disappointed there was nothing I could do to distract myself and avoid this inevitable conversation.

I sat back tucking my legs underneath me as I brushed my hair from my face. Keira stood and went over to the mirror to fluff about with her long blonde hair.

'I don't want... it... y'know, buttered.'

Laughter echoed around the room and the early hours of the morning was obviously no obstable to a girls' sleepover.
'Oh come on, every girl wants it.' Gabe started and bit her lip, 'Perrie was my favourite.'

'Oh he was gorgeous.' Keira joined in, 'amazing with his tongue.'
Gabe playfully threw a cushion at the blonde and I briefly remembered that awkward conversation with Keira admitted to sleeping with Perrie before Gabe.

As the two continued to playfully smack eachother, Bonnie turned serious and faced me. Her black hair was cropped but her grey eyes were sparkling with mischief.
I sank away from her gaze and felt my cheeks heat up. 'Don't look at me like that, Bon. I'm only eighteen, I don't want to sleep with any old guy to get it out of the way.'

Hey eyes flashed and I thought over what I'd said. Bonnie was tempermental and hated being wrong or argued with. She was the leader of our little friendship gang and out of all of us, I disliked her the most. Gabe was my best friend, she was there when I needed her.
'Rylan wasn't any old guy.'

'You know I didn't mean that.'

She smiled a little too widely at me and reached out to cup my boob. I instantly sank away and laughed incredulously, 'what the fuck are you doing?'
'You're too immature for it.' She revealed. Gabe and Keira went quiet, suddenly interested in our conversation.

I rubbed the spot on my chest she'd harshly grabbed and shook my head. 'Then leave it as it is.'
Bonnie clicked her tongue before she checked the time on her phone. 'I'm bored.'

Keira and Gabe agreed with her. I was useless at sleepovers, as soon as it got past midnight I wanted nothing else but to climb into bed. Apparently that was too innocent for a group of eighteen year olds though as Bonnie stood and began getting dressed.
'And where are you going you little slut?' Gabe laughed.

Bonnie threw on a mini demin skirt and a tight top before putting her shoes on, 'there's a party in Milwood. One of Jenna's. It's only 1AM so it should be in full swing. Wanna go?'
Keira immediately began borrowing clothes from Bonnie's wardrobe over the moon about the possibility of another one night stand and looking pretty.

Gabe just like me looked skeptical and we exchanged awkward glances. Her red hair shook as she cocked her head, 'are you sure? It's late. I promised my mum I wouldn't come home drunk again.'
'Then crash at the party, you bitch.' Bonnie joked and stood at the mirror plastering her face with make-up.

I should have expected something like this to happen. The first night after Bonnie's virginity death, she was restless, excited and bitchy. She wanted to party, not gossip with her friends. Keira, the sheep that she was just followed Bonnie's every idea. At least Gabe shared my concern on this.
'Are you two coming or not?' The black haired girl asked impatiently.

Gabe shrugged and shot me a sympathetic look. Of course her better judgement would last a nano second before she joined the others as per usual. I sighed grabbing my bag and digging out my car keys.

I was dressed in black leggings, a tank under a hoodie which was presentable enough to play taxi. 'I'm out.'
The mutters around the room made me shoot them a dirty look but I spoke again, 'but I'll drop you guys there, text me when you want picking up.'
'You gonna stay here?' Bonnie asked not unkindly obviously pleased over the idea of a chauffer.
'Naah,' I said grabbing my overnight bag, 'I'll hang out in the 24 hour Starbucks across the road until you need me.'

***

The party was in full swing when I pulled up dropping the others off. It was an exact example of why I don't meddle in house parties. Unconcious bodies littered the lawn, toilet paper over the trees and plastic cups filled the driveway. Music pounded and I could see the lights on in the neighbouring houses - they weren't going to last long before the police showed up.

Crowds of people were stumbling out and stumbling in and amongst them were my friends as they didn't even bother to say goodbye.

The sad thing was the coffee barista needn't even bother ask for my order. She knew exactly what I ordered on the number of occassions I was here around the same time for an hour or so before I got a text to pick the drunken slags up.

The place was quiet, only a few people present and it smelled delicious.I must've looked a state in my pjama's but nobody here seemed to notice or if they did they didn't care.
'Excuse me?'

I was too engrossed with my phone that I hadn't realized there was someone stood beside me, he looked awkward now as I had ignored him.
'Oh sorry.' I gushed and reached out too quickly to put my phone down only to knock my mug across the table spilling to contents on the floor. The china rolled but I reached out to catch it before it joined the coffee on the floor. 'Shit!'

I stood up to ensure none of the liquid landed on me and shook the coffee off my hand. Deep chuckling beside me made me narrow my eyes and turn to face the person I blamed for this mishap.
Only as soon as my eyes landed on him, I swallowed whatever sarcastic remark I wanted to say and instead kept quiet.

Eli Cadby.

He'd stepped back a bit to avoid any spillage on his white converse and I had to look up to see him clearly. His deep green eyes looked curious and now immensely amused.
The amusement in his eyes made me come back to Earth and I was no longer distracted by his gorgeous face. 'This is funny to you?'

I scramble behind to usher someone to bring over some napkins and I scoffed when he nodded.
'I didn't realize my presence had such an effect on you.'

Snatching some napkins from the bored barista, I got to work throwing them hastely onto the table, my back turned to him. I never imagined my meeting with the popular Eli Cadby would be me turning my back on him as I struggled to clean up coffee.

Eli and I had went to the same school since Year 7. I knew exactly who he was. In fact, everyone did even if you didn't go to Northing Secondary School. With the small town we lived in, the endless house parties, the gossip and his infamous reputation, everyone knew exactly who Eli was along with his wild and irresponsible friends.

'Do you want help?' He asked eventually and I turned around to face him with an incredulous expression.

'Yes because as you can see I have no arms.' I went to roll my eyes before his eyes flashed with something that made my head spin and my heart fall into my stomach.

His brown hair was pushed to the side but it looked tousled as always where it looked as if he'd put his hands through it too many times but really, I just suspected he made it look like that deliberately.
'I wanted to ask you if you were someone I knew...' he trailed off and I watched him inspect me curiously. I was now regretting my atire and wished the ground would swallow me up.
'Erm,' I shifted awkwardly, 'I'm Tobe.'

He smiled broadly showing his perfect teeth and nodded, 'thought you were. I'm-'

'Eli.' I said and turned back around to finish cleaning the mess just hoping he'd leave me alone to die in embarassment now.

Just as I threw the last of the napkins on the table which was now clean my phone went off. I could hear the distinct sound of sirens and I knew I had to pick up the girls now before they got arrested.
'I have to go.' I said to him because he was still stood here as if he was waiting for me to perform a magic trick.

He chuckled and his eyes glanced at the window behind, 'gotta run from the cops?'
'I'm a getaway driver.' I deadpanned before bypassing him leaving him probably speechless. I'd left Eli Cadby speechless.

Wait until Bonnie hears that...