What I Like About You
12
"C'mon, Ken, let's go!"
I quickly threw my stuff in my bag and ran down the stairs to meet an impatient Jasmine at the bottom.
"Alright let's go." I said.
"Okay, girls, be careful." My grandma said sternly, kissing our cheeks. "Are you walking there?"
We both nodded.
"Okay. Be home early and be safe."
I saluted her and we walked out the door, making the short walk down the block to Nick's house.
The party was in full swing as we opened the door, but that didn't stop Nick from noticing our arrival.
"Ken! Jazzy!" He yelled dramatically, running over and draping his arms over both our shoulders. "It's been too long. How are you?"
He was already slightly drunk, and had a sloppy grin on his face.
"We're great Nicky. Lead us to the alcohol." Jasmine said. Nick laughed and led us through the house to the kitchen, where people were taking shots. Nick grabbed two and handed them to us before grabbing one for himself.
"Cheers, babes!" He said, before we all downed the clear liquid.
Nick promptly handed each of us another shot.
"Alright, now really, what's been up with my college educated best friends?" He asked.
"Nothing really, Nicky. Just living life." Jasmine said.
"Got any boyfriends?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.
"Do you?" I countered.
"Yeah!" He grinned. Then he turned toward the living room, searching for someone. "Jamesy!" He called loudly.
Soon, a tall, blonde boy entered the room and raised an eyebrow at Nick, looking remarkably sober.
"What's up, babe?" He asked.
"These are my best friendssss! Jazzy and Kenney, his is Jamsey!" He giggled, hiccuping.
"Okay, babe, I think you've had enough to drink." James said, chuckling at is boyfriend.
"They were just about to tell me about their boyfriends!" Nick informed him as we each took another shot.
"I don't kiss and tell." I giggled, already feeling the effects of the alcohol in my system.
"Well, I do!" Jasmine said, grinning. "His name is Luke and he-"
She kept talking, but it became background noise as I took more shots and looked around the house. I wasn't sure how long we had been standing in the kitchen when I noticed who entered the house.
Jasmine stopped talking and followed my gaze.
"What is he doing here?!" She practically shrieked at Nick.
Immediately, I grabbed two more shots and downed them both.
"Ken." Nick started. "I'm so s-sorry I didn't know he was gonna come."
"It's fine." I mumbled, watching my ex-boyfriend strut around the party.
"Kennedy." Jasmine said, suddenly sounding more sober, just as he kissed another girl, winding an around her waist.
"No. I know what he did to you and I-" Nick was still talking, uttering out a long, drunk apology.
"It's fine." I said again through gritted teeth.
It wasn't fine. My skin crawled at being in the same room as him after what he did to me. I was picturing his hands and-
"Do you want to leave?" Jasmine cut off my thoughts.
I nodded once and she grabbed my hand.
"Ken, c'mon, don't-"
"Babe, let them go." James cut his distraught, drunk boyfriend off.
I nodded in thanks and walked my slightly shaking, drunk legs towards the door, Jasmine holding my hand the whole way.
"I can't believe him just showing up there." Jasmine ranted as we walked home in a zigzag path, trying to walk as straight as we could. I hiccuped.
"Doesn't matter." I mumbled.
I just wanted my bed and to talk to Calum. Calum who cared about me and was my future, not my past. I was so caught up in my thoughts of him that I didn't notice the oncoming headlights and the scream of my best friend before everything went black.
I quickly threw my stuff in my bag and ran down the stairs to meet an impatient Jasmine at the bottom.
"Alright let's go." I said.
"Okay, girls, be careful." My grandma said sternly, kissing our cheeks. "Are you walking there?"
We both nodded.
"Okay. Be home early and be safe."
I saluted her and we walked out the door, making the short walk down the block to Nick's house.
The party was in full swing as we opened the door, but that didn't stop Nick from noticing our arrival.
"Ken! Jazzy!" He yelled dramatically, running over and draping his arms over both our shoulders. "It's been too long. How are you?"
He was already slightly drunk, and had a sloppy grin on his face.
"We're great Nicky. Lead us to the alcohol." Jasmine said. Nick laughed and led us through the house to the kitchen, where people were taking shots. Nick grabbed two and handed them to us before grabbing one for himself.
"Cheers, babes!" He said, before we all downed the clear liquid.
Nick promptly handed each of us another shot.
"Alright, now really, what's been up with my college educated best friends?" He asked.
"Nothing really, Nicky. Just living life." Jasmine said.
"Got any boyfriends?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.
"Do you?" I countered.
"Yeah!" He grinned. Then he turned toward the living room, searching for someone. "Jamesy!" He called loudly.
Soon, a tall, blonde boy entered the room and raised an eyebrow at Nick, looking remarkably sober.
"What's up, babe?" He asked.
"These are my best friendssss! Jazzy and Kenney, his is Jamsey!" He giggled, hiccuping.
"Okay, babe, I think you've had enough to drink." James said, chuckling at is boyfriend.
"They were just about to tell me about their boyfriends!" Nick informed him as we each took another shot.
"I don't kiss and tell." I giggled, already feeling the effects of the alcohol in my system.
"Well, I do!" Jasmine said, grinning. "His name is Luke and he-"
She kept talking, but it became background noise as I took more shots and looked around the house. I wasn't sure how long we had been standing in the kitchen when I noticed who entered the house.
Jasmine stopped talking and followed my gaze.
"What is he doing here?!" She practically shrieked at Nick.
Immediately, I grabbed two more shots and downed them both.
"Ken." Nick started. "I'm so s-sorry I didn't know he was gonna come."
"It's fine." I mumbled, watching my ex-boyfriend strut around the party.
"Kennedy." Jasmine said, suddenly sounding more sober, just as he kissed another girl, winding an around her waist.
"No. I know what he did to you and I-" Nick was still talking, uttering out a long, drunk apology.
"It's fine." I said again through gritted teeth.
It wasn't fine. My skin crawled at being in the same room as him after what he did to me. I was picturing his hands and-
"Do you want to leave?" Jasmine cut off my thoughts.
I nodded once and she grabbed my hand.
"Ken, c'mon, don't-"
"Babe, let them go." James cut his distraught, drunk boyfriend off.
I nodded in thanks and walked my slightly shaking, drunk legs towards the door, Jasmine holding my hand the whole way.
"I can't believe him just showing up there." Jasmine ranted as we walked home in a zigzag path, trying to walk as straight as we could. I hiccuped.
"Doesn't matter." I mumbled.
I just wanted my bed and to talk to Calum. Calum who cared about me and was my future, not my past. I was so caught up in my thoughts of him that I didn't notice the oncoming headlights and the scream of my best friend before everything went black.