Love Me Like a Love Song

Party For Two

Ace
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Two months flew by quickly, and it was now fall. Kira was leaving for Stanford tomorrow, River left for The University of California in three days, Luke and Sarah both chose to attend Olds in Alberta before they got together, so it was a nice surprise for them. Lexi was going to an art school in Saskatchewan, and Josh, Steele, and I were attending the community colleges here, and a couple towns over. As for today, its Steele's birthday; he's turning 18, his parents are handing the title of their farm over to him, and he starts his John Deere Tech courses next week. The boys were taking him out for a day of mudding while the girls and I helped his mother set up his party-although he had requested only a small get together of friends and family. We were having the bigger party earlier, consisting of a poolside barbeque and cake. Later, after everyone left, we were lighting up the bonfire, making s'mores and drinking to each of our little hearts content
"I can't reach that god damn hook!" Gladys hissed, waving a banner around about an inch from the small gold hook
"Maybe I can reach it." Lexi suggested. Out if the five women working, she was the tallest, standing at about 5'8"
"Here you go dear." Gladys smiled, holding the corner of the banner out towards her; she hooked it on easily
"Show off!" I called jokingly as I mixed the pink lemonade punch into a large bowl
"Ace, honey, how's it going?" Gladys asked, coming over to the counter where I was standing
"Good." I grinned as the door opened and my mother walked in
"Hello Gladys, need any help?" She asked, setting her bag down and discarding her light jacket and scarf
"Oh Kelly you're a life saver! The steaks need to be marinated, the burgers need to be made, salads need to be put together, and we've still got some decorations to do. Guests are due in half an hour, the boys in about forty five minutes. Luke just texted Sarah saying they were loading up to go back to Josh's to get showered and changed." She informed. Suddenly we were in over drive, my mother took the burgers, Gladys started marinading steaks, I started tossing salads and the other girls finished up the living room
"Oh. My. God." Kira groaned as she sat down on couch beside me
"Holy shit..." I trailed off, exhausted as I laid my head on her shoulder
"Guests are pulling up." My mom told us as she and Gladys walked back onto the living room
"Nooo!" Lexi whined as Sarah pulled her to her feet
"Yeeess!" Sarah grinned, tugging the taller girl to her feet
"If we hadn't accepted you as a best friend you'd be dead to me." Lexi informed her as Gladys opened the door
"Hello!" She cheered as people walked through, smiling and greeting as they did. About 10 minutes after everyone had arrived, we heard loud trucks pulling into the empty yard. As requested, guests had parked in the small field behind the house, their cars blocked from sight by the stand of bush between the yard and the field
"Dude, I reeeally want some food." Luke groaned as they walked into the house, Steele leading them
"Why don't you quit bi-"
"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled as Steele flicked on the light
"HOLY SHIT!" he yelled, jumping backwards, tripping and taking both he and River to the floor
"I always knew you'd fall for me." River joked, pushing Steele off of him
"Ha ha, very funny." Steele joked as Luke and Josh pulled them to their feet
"Happy birthday!" Gladys cooed, hugging her son
"Thanks mom." He laughed, picking her up off the ground for a second before setting her on her feet
"I thought I said something small." He chuckled quietly as he pulled me into his arms
"That's coming later." I laughed as he squeezed my sides
"Oh? How  many are going to be involved in this get together?" He asked, raising a suggestive brow
"Part 2 is about 12 people, part three is two." I grinned, kissing his collar bone before stepping back "say hi to your guests birthday boy!" I called as I wandered over to where Kira, Lexi and Sarah sat, waiting for the boys to quit trying to talk Gladys into letting them go pick up a piñata
"No! And that's final. If there's a piñata brought into this house it'd better be on of you on a string, because you can bet who I'm gonna use that stick on!" She concluded before walking away, Luke, River, and Josh making their way over to where we stood
"Well this party's gonna be a bust." Luke poutedx crossing his arms
"Awe, go pick one up. I dare you." Kira smiled sweetly as she sipped the punch I'd made earlier
"So what had Steele all bothered when you came over here?" Sarah asked, ignoring the banter between Luke and Kira
"I informed him that part three of his party was, as Shania Twayn worded ever so perfectly, a party for two." I winked as her eyes went wide
"He's gonna be pushing people out the door soon if that's what you promised." She laughed as Steele came over to us
"If one more old lady pinches mh cheeks, we're going outside, barring the doors, and setting this place on fire." He groaned as he wrapped his arm around my waist
"Your cheeks are looking kind of red..." I trailed, brushing my fingers across his slightly bruised cheek
"Red? Try purple!" He whined, grabbing my hand a way from his face
"So, you anxious for your 'party for two'?" Sarah questioned, handing me a Dixie cup filled with the sparkly pink liquid
"Oh yeah, I can't wait for you people to leave." He joked, brushing his fingers across the skin above my waist
"Oh, so we've been demoted to 'you people'? What the hell happened to losers forever?!" Josh teased as he and Lexi joined the conversation
"I decided I wanted new losers. You old ones currently bore me." He laughed, throwing his nose in the air
"Well of I bore you, I guess you don't want that party for two then..." I trailed "Maybe Sarah would join me." I teased, letting go of Steele and making my way across our small circle to where Sarah stood
"Oh yeah baby! Sorry Luke, but I'm in love with this babe here." She sighed, playing along
"Like hell yo-" Steele was cut off when Brad came over and pulled Steele away
"He'll be back, I don't really want him but his mother does." He teased as he tugged Steele away
"Oh well, more for me." Sarah joked, her arm around my shoulders as I wrapped mine around her waist
"Wow, Ace. My best friend, my girlfriend, who next? My mom? My sister? When will you stop?!" Luke cried before stomping away a few feet "joking, love you Ace." He grinned as he made his way back over to us
"You're such a freak..." Rover trailed off, staring at his friend like he'd tasted something bad
"That's why I'm here. I'm the quiet one who turns into that psychotic friend you'll eventually have yo bail out of jail." He confessed, moving in between Sarah and I, wrapping an arm around our shoulders as the seven of us continued to talk.
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About four and half hours later, around 4:30, everyone started leaving
"Mom, next time can you not invite Granny Hannah? That lady is completely insane about pinching cheeks." Steele whined as he drew me towards him, his chest pressed against my shoulder blades
"Sorry honey, but you know I'm not going to do that." Gladys smiled as she picked up the last of the paper plates and threw them in the garbage bag Brad was holding
"George and I'ill go light the fire up, you boys grab the lawn chairs
"Alright." Steele nodded, kissing my neck before jogging off with Luke, Josh, and River to grab the chairs from the shed
"I can't believe I leave tomorrow...." Kira muttered as the four of us walked down the small path in the Grahms backyard
"Rivers leaving shortly after." Lexi nodded
"Then you." Sarah frowned
"Then you and Luke." I muttered, hugging Sarah's arm as we walked
"The only ones staying here are you, Steele, and Josh." Kira muttered sadly "we'll hardly see each other." Lexi frowned
"No more movie marathons." I mumbled
"No more sleep over's." Kira added
"Or food nights." Sarah sighed, lacing her fingers with Kiras
"Or mudding with the boys." Lexi sniffed
"I don't like growing up." Kira choked, wiping her eyes
"You guys'll visit though! We can all be freaks then." I tried, but even I was being hit by the realization I was losing all but two of my best friends. Wiping our eyes, we walked slowly down the path to the fire, all the boys standing around with a Dixie cup in their hand
"Ahh, we were ready to send out a search party!" River laughed, holding a cup out Kira
"Hey babe - wait, Ace were you crying?" Steele asked, setting his cup down and leading me away from the fire before gently grabbing my face in his hands
"Tonights the last night we'll all be together for a long time." I muttered, trying to look away
"First breaks only a couple months away...everyone will be back then." He soothed, resting his for head against mine
"I know...but its those two months that scare me." I choked, wrapping my arms around his waist and tucking my face into his chest
"Its okay, the only things that are gonna change is the fact we'll all be smarter. Except Luke. Luke's always gonna be dumb." He muttered quietly, trying to cheer me up. He succeeded. When he heard my quiet giggle, he tightened his grip before pulling back "And as for us, the only thing changing is the fact I'll love you way more than I do today." He smiled, kissing my for head softly before leading me back to the fire
"Hey, everything okay?" Luke asked, his arm around Sarah's shoulders
"Yeah, we're good." Steele grinned, pouring me a cup as he picked up his own
"You kids be safe, we're going into town to catch a movie and have a late supper, we'll be home in a few hours." My dad called from where the four adults stood near the back deck
"Alright, have fun!" Steele yelled back
"Are you okay?" Sarah asked quietly, her worried eyes flitting across my face
"Yeah, Steele calmed me down." I explained, glancing over to where Steele was wrestling with River
"Such children." She sighed, sipping her drink
"Hard to believe we're all nearly adults. In the legal sence,  not the whole responsibility thing." I cleared, twisting my lips to the side
"I know. Steele's 18, and all pur birthdays are coming up within the next few months." She sighed, glancing at the ground "You don't think college will make us all drift apart...do you?" She asked quietly, looking at me
"No, I don't. I'll love you losers forever." I smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist. About three hours later, everyone had to go home; Luke, River, Josh, and Lexi still having chores to do
"Bye guys. We'll see you tomorrow at the airport." I smiled, hugging them all
"Yeah, remember werew meeting there at 4:30. So you've got about seven hours; try to get some sleep, I want you both there to hug me goodbye." Kira muttered hugging me tightly before hugging Steele and following River to his truck
"Now...." Steele trailed as he shut the door behind our friends
"I do believe I was promised a party for two." He smirked, grabbing my thighs and jerking my legs up around his hips
"That you were." I winked, moving my lips to his neck as walked up the stairs to his room.