The First Boy

After my mom came to pick me up from school, she would not stop harassing me about what was wrong. I loved my mom and I was always honest with her, but this is something I didn’t want to know. One thing I know about my mom is that once she knows something, she’ll tell everyone and anyone about it. My mom would love to gossip to my Aunt Maria and Liz Beth that her youngest daughter was ‘dating’ Noah Carlo.

My mom never meant any harm, but any information she knew was her favorite weapon. I kept telling her that my ankle was really bothering me, and I just wanted to go home and rest; which was somewhat true. I was too afraid to tell anyone that my ankle hasn’t been feeling the best. I didn’t want anyone to worry about me, and I also didn’t want my parents to take me to a doctor to get it checked.

Once we got home, I went into the kitchen with my mom as she made me pasta with butter. I loved a lot of food but whenever I was sad or not feeling well, I would ask for pasta with butter. It was a delicious and simple meal that it made me forget about all my troubles. After I ate, I grabbed a brownie and escaped from my mom so she couldn’t get a chance to ask me any more questions about the day.

I got to my room and laid flat on my face. I let the tears escape my brown eyes and started to cry. This time, I let out a hard cry that I couldn’t hold in anymore. I wasn’t sure if it was from what had happened, or being overwhelmed with everything, but I know I needed to cry.

As I was in hysterical sobs, I must’ve drifted off into a deep sleep. My phone was buzzing in my backpack that was located on the opposite side of the room. The famous iPhone ringtone kept on playing until I found the phone in the side pocket. Cassie’s name came across the screen and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to answer it or not. I wasn’t sure if I was mad, upset, or confused as to why my best friend and cousin weren’t reaching out sooner.

“Hello?” I say as I pick up the phone.

I was not in the mood to talk, but I knew I had to eventually talk to Cassie.

“Hey,” she says worried “what happened today?”

“Cass, I don’t want to talk about it. I’m tired and I am going to go back to sleep.”

“Wait!” She says as I am about to hang up on her “what time should I pick you up tonight?”

“Cassie, I am not going to Noah Carlo’s party, and if you were there in the cafeteria today you would know why.” I say as I angrily press the end button on my phone.

I throw my phone across the floor and let out a yell that I’ve been hold in since I got home. I look at the alarm clock on my night stand that reads exactly 7PM. I have been knocked out for five hours and could still sleep five more. I realize that I need to get up and shower after the day I’ve had.

I wrap my ankle in plastic wrap, so it doesn’t get wet in the shower. I turn on my Alexa and play my shower playlist. The music starts blasting and I finally start to feel a little like myself again. I turn on the shower and hop in. I wash my long, curly hair and exfoliate my skin. I feel so fresh and clean once I am all done. I stare in the mirror, I have a smile on my face. I dry myself off and grab my crutches. I have finally mastered the towel and crutches and it’s going to be very weird when I don’t have to use them anymore.

I open the door and scream when I see Stella and Cassie on my bed with two bottles of champagne. Go figure. If there was ever a time that Stella and Cassie did not have champagne, I would be shocked. My smile fades a little and so does theirs. I don’t like to be upset with Cassie and Stella, but it really hurt me that they weren’t there for me today, and I know they knew what Noah was up too.

“Can you guys get out?” I say annoyed that they are there.

I walk towards my walk-in closet and pull out my favorite comfy robe. I put it on and feel comfortable again. I walk out and they are still there. I can see Stella not liking my attitude, but I can’t say I am a fan of her either.

“Look Belly,” Stella says getting off my bed and walking closer to me “I’m sorry okay?”

“For what, Stella?” I say with my nasty attitude.

I have to say; I wasn’t really a nasty person. I didn’t like to be mean, especially to Stella and Cassie, but ever since Labor Day, things have changed. Stella has been pushing me to do new things, and Cassie agrees with her. I wish they understood that I was fine being invisible. I wanted them to know I was fine being me.

“For not being in the cafeteria today. I knew I should’ve told Noah it wasn’t a good idea,” she starts saying “but I thought you deserved someone to do that for you Belly. You deserve a guy who is going to do grand gestures for you.”

“Stella, you know I don’t like that stuff. So why would you do that to me? Why wouldn’t you be there for me?” I say feeling the blush rush to my face.

The one thing about Stella and I is that we were the two cousins who never, ever fought. Jamie and Marco were best friends, but those two always fought. They are so similar that they always bump heads. Stella and I were polar opposites so if we ever fought, it was serious. I didn’t like to start fights with Stella, and they always ended with me saying sorry. I was not sorry today. I did nothing wrong, and I would never do what Stella did to me. Abandon me.

“Belly, you can’t just blame Stella. Noah was the one who did it. Not her.” Cassie chimes in.

“Are you fucking kidding me Cassie? You think that I am talking to him after today? You are out of your damn mind.” I say really starting to lose it.

“Chill out Belly!” Stella says reaching my noise level.

Unfortunately, Stella was right. I needed to chill out before I fell over and twisted my other ankle. I didn’t want to yell at Stella and Cassie anymore, and I didn’t want to be mad. I wanted to have a stress-free Friday. I wanted to do my homework and read my book. Stella and Cassie never understood why I like to do these things on the weekend, but I do. I wish they would just stop trying to change me.

“I am sorry for today. I was wrong,” Stella apologizes. I am shocked. Stella never apologizes.

“Me too,” Cassie says as well.

“I’m sorry for freaking out.” I say letting out a little laugh.

Cassie and Stella both come closer and we give each other a big hug. I needed this, and as much as they drove me crazy, I needed them too. Stella and Cassie were my best friend soulmates and I wouldn’t know what I would do without them. They are my rock, and I need to remember that they always want the best for me, even if I don’t think it is the best thing for myself.

After we hug out our differences, Cassie goes into my closet while Stella is plugging in my blow dryer and taking out my round brush. I know what they are trying to do, and even though we are all kosher again, I am not going to Noah Carlo’s party.

Cassie comes out with my favorite white, off the shoulder top, and cream skirt with lace on the sides. Cassie knew she sold me because this was my favorite outfit and she knew it. I smiled at the fact of how well my friends knew me. One outfit changed everything, and Cassie did it.

“You sure you don’t want to come with us?” Cassie says waving my two favorite pieces of clothing in front of me.

“Guys,” I say looking at the clock again “it’s 8:20, I will never be ready by 9PM.”

“That’s why you got us,” Stella says starting the blow dryer.

We all laugh and start singing along to the melodies playing from Alexa. Stella, Cassie, and I start drinking the champagne that they brought, and we start getting ready. Stella is blowing out my long auburn hair and placing curls at the end. Cassie does my make-up for me. I personally like doing my own hair and make-up, but if we wanted to get to the party anytime soon Stella and Cassie would have to help me.

I like doing hair and make-up, but I also like to take my time getting it done. Stella is fast with the blow dryer, and Cassie makes my dark, brown eyes look beautiful for once. When Stella and Cassie are done, I hop on over to the closet to change into my outfit. I have to say, this outfit makes me look the prettiest, especially when I have a tan. I put on my one gold sandal since I can’t put on my wedges and I walk out of the closet.

Stella and Cassie start hooting and hollering at my outfit. I look in the full body mirror and smile my biggest Isabelle smile. I finally feel like her again, but a better version. My hair is longer with it blown out, and my make-up looks like it it’s been done by a professional. I turn back around, and Marco is in the room trying to see what all the racket is about.

“Belly, you look beautiful,” he says.

“Thank you, Marco” I say giving him a warm smile.

“Do you girls need a ride?” He asks.

“Can you PLEASE!” Stella says a little too drunk for my liking.

We all laugh. Stella was definitely drunk, and JP was not going to be very happy about it. Cassie was tipsy and I have to say I was too. Marco shakes his head at us, and we all start to laugh. I grab my going out purse and put all the things I need in there. Stella and Cassie are ready to go, and so am I. I have to say that I am a little nervous, but I am also excited.
This is my first Carlo party, and Lina was going to be there. I knew Stella would have my back, but I wanted to defend myself in front of Lina. I wanted her to know that she didn’t scare me anymore, and I wanted her to know that Noah and I were more than friends. Lina was the enemy tonight, and she was going to get it from me.

We get into Marco’s Mercedes and he drives us across town to the Carlo’s house. Cassie lived close to the Carlo’s, so Marco knew exactly where to go. He put on the radio for us and we all started to jam out to the music that was coming through the speaker. I knew tonight was going to be a night to remember, I just needed to convince my brain the same thing.

We pull up to Noah’s house and my heart starts beating a little bit faster. Stella and Cassie get out of the car and I just sit there. I could see Marco looking at me with a smile. I start to sigh and let out a long breath that had felt that it could not escape. I look at Noah’s large house and start to sink in my seat.

Noah lived in a mansion. Yes, a legit mansion in New York. The front yard was long, and they had a beautiful circle driveway. His front door was bigger than doors should be. The bay window showed the million-dollar chandelier, and the pillars were breathtaking. Noah and his family owned a beautiful home just like Cassie’s family. I’ve been to the Carlo’s house once, and it was a visit I could never forget.

“Are you going to get out?” Marco asks me with a smile.

“I’m scared, and I don’t know why,” I say facing my oldest brother for the first time since we got here.

“I am a phone call away, go and live your senior year, Belly. I promise, you will have fun. Plus, I can’t leave Stell here without you.”

We both laugh. Marco was so good with his words that I actually forgot that I was in front of my crushes house. I give him a kiss on the cheek and grab my crutches from the side. I make my way up the long walkway where Stella and Cassie are talking JP and waiting for me. JP’s jaw drops when he sees me walking closer to them, and then his shock turns into a smile. I smile back and my stomach starts to settle a little bit more.

“Isabelle, you look beautiful!” He says picking me up and swinging me around.

My crutches drop to the floor and start to laugh. Stella picks them up for me and we all laugh. JP and I have always been pretty close, even before him and Stella were an item. He has always been a good friend to me. I loved that Stella picked him because they were truly perfect for each other.

JP opens the door for us, and you are embarked in Noah’s beautiful foyer. You look up and see my favorite part of the house, the chandelier. I have always loved it, and always will. I have talked to Noah before about how much I liked it, and he would laugh at me. I don’t think he understood the beauty that came with that chandelier.

It was already 9:30 and a ton of people were here. Stella, Cassie, and I were pretty late, but that was the way Stella rolled, and I was not even close to ready so I can’t blame her this time. As we get deeper and deeper into the party, I see Noah at the beer pong table with his football friends. It’s his turn with the tiny ball, and of course, he makes the last cup. The whole table starts screaming and Noah’s face beams that he and his partner won pong.

I catch the sight of his beautiful light brown eyes and he catches my dark ones. As if his smile couldn’t get bigger, I think it just did. He comes over to Stella, Cassie, and I and with no warning, Noah grabs my face with both of his hands and kisses me.

I close my eyes and start to kiss him back. I put my left arm around his neck and pull him closer with my other hand. I am supporting myself from Noah’s strong neck and my left foot. We both to start to smile in the kiss, and I have never felt happiness like this before. When we finish, we look at each other and smile even brighter than before. His beautiful white teeth glisten in the bright, white lights.

“I can’t believe you came,” he says as people are hooting and hollering in the background. I start to blush and hide my face in his strong chest.

“I can’t stay away from you Noah Carlo,” I say as he grabs my crutches that fell on the floor.

They have been doing that a lot lately.

“You are beautiful, Belly,” he whispers in my ear.

My heart starts to race. The pounding in my ears gets louder and louder. Noah has the effect on me like no other man.

Noah Carlo is the first boy I have kissed at a high school party, and hopefully this could be the first of many.