My Life Is a Cliché
Party
Saturday around four I took a shower. I didn’t normally start so early, but I was insanely nervous. I had no idea what to wear. Thaddeus just said casual but how casual is casual with ranchers? Finally I swallowed my pride and called Katie into my room.
“Are you finally going to tell me where you’re going?” she asked and I nodded.
“But don’t laugh,” I said and she crossed her heart. “Thaddeus Hatch’s parents are having a party at their house for fundraising and he asked me to come.” She grinned. “Shut up. He said it’s casual but I have no idea what that means with horse people.”
She put the bag of popcorn she was eating from down and went to my closet. While she did that, I put my underwear on and blow dried my hair. It took her a long time to find something.
“This is perfect,” she said finally and I came out.
She had picked a pair of jeans, a black tank top, a red and black flannel button up, and a pair of black Sketchers.
“Leave the buttons open,” she instructed when I got dressed. “I’m going to do your makeup again.”
“I’m not trying to reel him in for a date,” I said quickly and she rolled her eyes.
“I know, I know. But you want to look nice, don’t you?”
I nodded and allowed her to do what she wanted. When she was done, she handed me the small hand mirror. She did a simple smoky eye shadow and used clear lip gloss.
“Are you going to give them money?” she asked and I nodded.
“They have a beautiful ranch,” I told her. “You’ll have to come by and see it. You’d love it.” I glanced at the time. It was almost 7:30. “Well, I guess I better leave if I want to get there on time.”
“Have fun!”
-Thaddeus’s POV-
Most of the guests were already here. There were thirty people and I was feeling a little suffocated. I went around and opened all the windows. I was glad I had decided on a white wife beater and blue jeans.
“Can we get some more beer from the fridge?” my dad asked and I nodded. “Where’s Morana?”
I checked the time. “She should be here soon,” I answered.
I hope.
When I got the case of beer out of the fridge, the doorbell rang. I put the case down and opened the door. Morana was standing there looking a little embarrassed. I smiled.
“You look nice,” I said and she smiled.
“Thanks. You, too,” she breathed and I led her inside.
“Are you thirsty? We have beer, Coke, Dr. Pepper, and Sprite.”
“Sprite would be great.”
I hurried into the kitchen, catching my dad’s attention.
“She’s here,” I said and he nodded.
“Business or friendly?” he asked.
“How about a mix of both?” I muttered and he nodded again.
He followed me out. “Oh my, she’s beautiful,” he whispered and I clenched my jaw. “You must be Morana,” he said with a grin when we got up to her.
She shook his hand and accepted the Sprite. I could tell she was nervous.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hatch,” she said.
“Psh. Please, call me Carl,” he insisted and she smiled kindly. “My wife should be around here somewhere….” He looked around before seeing my mother and he flagged her over. “Isabelle, this is Morana, Thaddeus’s friend.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, shaking my mom’s hand.
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine, dear!” my mother said. “Have you seen our little ranch?”
“Little hardly covers it,” Morana laughed. “But yes, Hatch showed me around the other day.”
“Hatch?” my dad repeated and Morana blushed a little.
“She has a thing about calling me by my last name,” I said quickly, rolling my eyes.
“Well, enjoy yourselves,” my father said and disappeared once more into the crowd of people.
-Morana’s POV-
Thaddeus and I were left in a slightly awkward silence. I popped the tab on my Sprite can and took a gulp, looking around. The house was large but still crowded.
“Are you hungry?” he asked and I nodded a little. “Come on; we have party trays.”
I followed him, taking the chance to watch the muscles in his back flex as his arms swung while he walked. A couple people called out to him and he waved. When we finally got to the table with the food, most of it was gone.
“Oh jeez,” he muttered and I laughed.
“It’s okay,” I said. “It’ll just be nervous eating.”
“Oh really?” he said, his eyes glinting. “Are you nervous?”
“Shut up,” I murmured, painfully aware of how red my face was.
“Thaddeus!” someone yelled and two young men came over, holding up their hands for the weird man-hug men did. “Hey, man! It’s been a long time.”
“Yeah, it has,” Thaddeus laughed. “It’s good to see you two. I didn’t know if you’d be here or not.”
“Of course,” the second guy said. “Anything for your mom and dad.” That’s when he noticed me and he cleared his throat.
“Oh, this is Morana,” he said, putting a hand on my back and pushing me gently forward. “Morana, this is Hector and Frank. They played football with me in high school.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said politely, shaking their hands.
“It’s about time you got yourself a girl,” Frank laughed and I turned a deeper shade of red if that were possible.
To my surprise, and slight displeasure, Thaddeus put his arm around my shoulders.
“Well, you know the ladies can’t resist me.”
“No kidding,” Hector laughed. “The number of girlfriends you had was ridiculous.”
Thaddeus winked at me and I frowned. “What can I say? It’s the body. Chicks dig the body.”
“Hell yeah they do!”
I was starting to get annoyed. Fast.
“Everyone knows the only reason a footballer dates a girl is for her body, too,” Hector laughed.
“I’m leaving,” I said and put my Sprite can on the table. “See you, Hatch.”
-Thaddeus’s POV-
Shit.
Hector and Frank laughed at my rejection and I felt my stomach twist with shame and annoyance. Every time I was around these two they brought out the worst in me. The image I had built; just like Katie bringing out Morana’s.
“Morana!” I called, following her. “Morana, wait!”
She was getting in her car but, thankfully, stopped.
“Give this to your parents,” she said, handing me an envelope.
“About my friends,” I began.
“I get it,” she snapped. “Trust me. I got plenty of that in high school. Have a good evening and make sure that gets to your parents.”
She drove off and I kicked at the gravel.
Damn it. I looked at the envelope to see something that made me feel worse. She had donated money.
“Are you finally going to tell me where you’re going?” she asked and I nodded.
“But don’t laugh,” I said and she crossed her heart. “Thaddeus Hatch’s parents are having a party at their house for fundraising and he asked me to come.” She grinned. “Shut up. He said it’s casual but I have no idea what that means with horse people.”
She put the bag of popcorn she was eating from down and went to my closet. While she did that, I put my underwear on and blow dried my hair. It took her a long time to find something.
“This is perfect,” she said finally and I came out.
She had picked a pair of jeans, a black tank top, a red and black flannel button up, and a pair of black Sketchers.
“Leave the buttons open,” she instructed when I got dressed. “I’m going to do your makeup again.”
“I’m not trying to reel him in for a date,” I said quickly and she rolled her eyes.
“I know, I know. But you want to look nice, don’t you?”
I nodded and allowed her to do what she wanted. When she was done, she handed me the small hand mirror. She did a simple smoky eye shadow and used clear lip gloss.
“Are you going to give them money?” she asked and I nodded.
“They have a beautiful ranch,” I told her. “You’ll have to come by and see it. You’d love it.” I glanced at the time. It was almost 7:30. “Well, I guess I better leave if I want to get there on time.”
“Have fun!”
-Thaddeus’s POV-
Most of the guests were already here. There were thirty people and I was feeling a little suffocated. I went around and opened all the windows. I was glad I had decided on a white wife beater and blue jeans.
“Can we get some more beer from the fridge?” my dad asked and I nodded. “Where’s Morana?”
I checked the time. “She should be here soon,” I answered.
I hope.
When I got the case of beer out of the fridge, the doorbell rang. I put the case down and opened the door. Morana was standing there looking a little embarrassed. I smiled.
“You look nice,” I said and she smiled.
“Thanks. You, too,” she breathed and I led her inside.
“Are you thirsty? We have beer, Coke, Dr. Pepper, and Sprite.”
“Sprite would be great.”
I hurried into the kitchen, catching my dad’s attention.
“She’s here,” I said and he nodded.
“Business or friendly?” he asked.
“How about a mix of both?” I muttered and he nodded again.
He followed me out. “Oh my, she’s beautiful,” he whispered and I clenched my jaw. “You must be Morana,” he said with a grin when we got up to her.
She shook his hand and accepted the Sprite. I could tell she was nervous.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hatch,” she said.
“Psh. Please, call me Carl,” he insisted and she smiled kindly. “My wife should be around here somewhere….” He looked around before seeing my mother and he flagged her over. “Isabelle, this is Morana, Thaddeus’s friend.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, shaking my mom’s hand.
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine, dear!” my mother said. “Have you seen our little ranch?”
“Little hardly covers it,” Morana laughed. “But yes, Hatch showed me around the other day.”
“Hatch?” my dad repeated and Morana blushed a little.
“She has a thing about calling me by my last name,” I said quickly, rolling my eyes.
“Well, enjoy yourselves,” my father said and disappeared once more into the crowd of people.
-Morana’s POV-
Thaddeus and I were left in a slightly awkward silence. I popped the tab on my Sprite can and took a gulp, looking around. The house was large but still crowded.
“Are you hungry?” he asked and I nodded a little. “Come on; we have party trays.”
I followed him, taking the chance to watch the muscles in his back flex as his arms swung while he walked. A couple people called out to him and he waved. When we finally got to the table with the food, most of it was gone.
“Oh jeez,” he muttered and I laughed.
“It’s okay,” I said. “It’ll just be nervous eating.”
“Oh really?” he said, his eyes glinting. “Are you nervous?”
“Shut up,” I murmured, painfully aware of how red my face was.
“Thaddeus!” someone yelled and two young men came over, holding up their hands for the weird man-hug men did. “Hey, man! It’s been a long time.”
“Yeah, it has,” Thaddeus laughed. “It’s good to see you two. I didn’t know if you’d be here or not.”
“Of course,” the second guy said. “Anything for your mom and dad.” That’s when he noticed me and he cleared his throat.
“Oh, this is Morana,” he said, putting a hand on my back and pushing me gently forward. “Morana, this is Hector and Frank. They played football with me in high school.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said politely, shaking their hands.
“It’s about time you got yourself a girl,” Frank laughed and I turned a deeper shade of red if that were possible.
To my surprise, and slight displeasure, Thaddeus put his arm around my shoulders.
“Well, you know the ladies can’t resist me.”
“No kidding,” Hector laughed. “The number of girlfriends you had was ridiculous.”
Thaddeus winked at me and I frowned. “What can I say? It’s the body. Chicks dig the body.”
“Hell yeah they do!”
I was starting to get annoyed. Fast.
“Everyone knows the only reason a footballer dates a girl is for her body, too,” Hector laughed.
“I’m leaving,” I said and put my Sprite can on the table. “See you, Hatch.”
-Thaddeus’s POV-
Shit.
Hector and Frank laughed at my rejection and I felt my stomach twist with shame and annoyance. Every time I was around these two they brought out the worst in me. The image I had built; just like Katie bringing out Morana’s.
“Morana!” I called, following her. “Morana, wait!”
She was getting in her car but, thankfully, stopped.
“Give this to your parents,” she said, handing me an envelope.
“About my friends,” I began.
“I get it,” she snapped. “Trust me. I got plenty of that in high school. Have a good evening and make sure that gets to your parents.”
She drove off and I kicked at the gravel.
Damn it. I looked at the envelope to see something that made me feel worse. She had donated money.