My Summer of Firsts

Chapter 27 - Pizza Party

Returning downstairs, we found everyone gathered around the kitchen island, snacking on slices of pizza. Derek had his favorite Hawaiian style. Shelly gobbled down the veggie lovers. The other girls both ate pepperoni.

Derek removed a box from the stack and slid it across the counter toward me. I opened it to find a supreme pizza inside. I grinned at him. It was dumb, but it warmed my heart that he remembered.

Derek shifted his gaze to Elian. "Sorry, dude. I didn't know what kind to get you. But there's plenty of each to choose from."

"I'm not picky." Elian looked at me and gestured to the pizza in front of me. "Do you mind, babe?"

I pushed it toward him, my mouth stuffed with half a piece already.

Shelly snickered at something. "You really worked up an appetite, huh, bitch face?"

I swallowed my food before I'd properly chewed it, nearly choking in the process. Elian patted my back. I gulped down some water. My voice was a hoarse croak when I asked, "What are you talking about?"

They all shared conspiratorial glances.

"We heard everything." Brittany said, plucking a pepperoni off her next slice. She popped it in her mouth and grinned.

Heat rose from my chest to consume my neck and face. And there was no hiding it. I wished I had put on a shirt before coming back downstairs.

I looked at Elian, who seemed unbothered, just chewing away on his pizza.

"You have some impressive lungs, Steve." Derek said. "I didn't even know sound could carry like that in my house."

I dropped the other half of my pizza in the box and folded my arms on the counter, laying my head on them. "Kill me now."

I felt a hand rubbing circles on my back. I assumed it was Elian. I knew for sure when he kissed my shoulder.

"We're just fucking with you, Steve." Derek said.

I straightened up and shook my head. "Why does spontaneity always come back to bite me in the ass?" It was like that damn rave all over again.

Everyone laughed.

Shelly locked eyes with me. "As long as you had a good time, forget what we say."

"Worrying about other people's opinions is the fastest way to make yourself miserable." Nathalie added. That was the most I'd heard her speak since she arrived. She seemed more relaxed than the last time I saw her. I suppose she'd warmed up to everyone.

"I thought it was hot." Brittany said, shaking a packet of Parmesan cheese onto her pizza.

"Seriously?" Derek asked. He glanced quickly at me before turning his attention back to her.

"Sure." Brittany said. She waved her hand toward us. "I mean, they're both hot individually. Them together is obviously hot. Am I the only one who got turned on watching them make out earlier?"

Shelly laughed. "I guess you need to go find a guy to fool around with, D. You can let Brittany watch."

Brittany nodded and rubbed her hand up Derek's bicep. "I'd be up for that."

Derek's face had gone slack. He stared directly at me. It didn't take long for everyone to notice.

"What's going on?" Brittany asked.

"I can't believe you told her!" Derek narrowed his eyes to spiteful slits. "You promised."

I shook my head fiercely. "I didn't tell anyone. I swear to God."

"Tell anyone what?" Shelly asked, looking back and forth from me to Derek.

Nathalie laid a hand on Shelly's arm. She seemed to understand. Shelly didn't. "What are you guys talking about?"

Derek gripped the edge of the counter, leaning over, his head hanging low. After a few deep breaths, he repeated a bare-bones version of the story he told me earlier.

"Why did you think you needed to hide that from me?" Shelly asked, her face drawn up with sorrow.

Derek shrugged. "I didn't want too much input to sway me into thinking I'm bi or pan, or whatever, before I even know how I feel about it. I just need time."

Shelly wiped her hands on a cloth napkin that was certainly not meant for pizza. She got up and circled the island to Derek. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you, dickhead."

I felt compelled to join in, so I did. I circled my arms around my two best friends. "I love you, too."

Derek groaned. "I guess I love you assholes, too."

We all three laughed and broke apart. Derek clapped me on the back as I went to rejoin Elian, who was polishing off his third slice of pizza.

Talk of Derek's dalliance shifted to more lighthearted topics. Soon it was forgotten altogether, and Derek seemed in high spirits again.

Until a shrill voice shouted, "What the hell is going on in here?" Mrs. Hill stood in the doorway, an armful of groceries balanced on her hip.

"I had some friends over." Derek said, not at all concerned.

Mrs. Hill walked over to the counter and placed her bundle down. She grabbed something and spun to face Derek. It was the empty tequila bottle. "This wasn't even open when I left this morning."

Derek shrugged. He grabbed a slice of his Hawaiian pizza and took a bite.

She slammed the bottle down on the island next to Elian, who jumped back, bumping into me. I was surprised the bottle didn't break from the force of the blow. It wasn't even cracked.

"This is two hundred dollars a bottle, Derek."

"So hock my PlayStation to replace it."

Mrs. Hill huffed. Her eyes darted around to each of us. "I think you all need to leave now."

"We've still got pizza left." Derek waved a hand over all the boxes.

"They can take it with them." She closed the lid on the box in front of me and Elian and shoved it into my hands. "Leave!"

Shelly took Nathalie's hand and hurried from the room. Brittany followed. I looked at Derek. He gave a slight nod.

"Come on," I mumbled to Elian, still holding onto the pizza. I didn't dare put it down.

As we headed for the door, Elian whispered, "I left my shirt and sunglasses outside."

"I'll get them later." I said. I left my entire outfit upstairs in Derek's bathroom, including my shoes. But there was no way I was taking the time to fetch them.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Mrs. Hill yelled, loud enough to be heard all the way to the front door.

I shut the door behind us, missing out on Derek's explanation.