degenerate - bja

06

September 22, 1989

"BUT COOPER!" I slammed my locker in Rose's face. "You have to go!"

I sighed. "I am not going to Ryan Baltimore's party! I don't even know him."

We walked along the halls, heading to third period. "Yes, you do! Remember he accidentally tripped you in 9th grade?"

"Pfft, yeah accidentally. I'm not gonna change my mind, rose." I started walking faster, she followed my steps.

"You know I hate it when you say my name. I can't believe I have to sit next to you for the next hour." She pushed through the doors to our class.

I sat down next to her, "look, I'm sorry. But I'm not going."

"Whatever."

∅

6th period

"You going to that party tonight?" Billie asked me, looking up from his painting.

"I dunno, I don't think so. Are you?" I was painting some dumb nature scene. It was required that we paint something that didn't include any people.

"Yeah. you should go. Mike and Tre are goin' too. It'll be fun, I swear." He flashed that smile at me, and something in my gut changed. Maybe I would go to that party.

When I got home, I told my mom the same lie I've been using since I first started going out.

"Hey, mom. I'm going to the library tonight for a study group, and I might get some dinner down there, so I might be out a little late, is that ok?"

She wrinkled her nose. "The library? On a Friday night? You aren't gonna be with Angelina or rose or anything?"

I forgot to think of that. "Well, no. They have plans of their own, y'know?"

In my room, I immediately called Rose.

"Coop! I'm sorry I got mad at you-"

"I'm going to the party." I cut her off.

She was quiet, "well what are you gonna wear? You gotta get ready. Should I come over?"

"No, no, no. I told my mom I was going to the library," I muttered through clenched teeth, afraid my mom would hear me.

She sighed through the phone. "Alright. Well, wear something sexy! Oh, and do your makeup. Love you!"

"Love you too."

∅

"I can't believe I'm going to this stupid fucking party." I muttered to myself, throwing on a flannel over my skimpy black top. I had arranged to meet Rose down by the library, so half of my lie wasn't actually a lie. I would be at the library, just not in it.

I pulled the sleeves of the flannel over my hands, hoping that rose would be here soon. A loud sputtering noise, which I knew to be Rose's prized possession, her car, came rolling down the road. Classic beat-up-piece-of-shit-rusty-barely-runs type of car. "Get in biatch!" she called, pulling up in front of me. I climbed into the passenger seat, the roof of the vehicle just barely missing my head. She sped down the road towards Ryan's house.

When we got there, there was music blasting and people scattered all over the place. A bit over the top for a high school party, in my opinion. The cold night air contrasted against the muggy air and stench of weed. Rose held me by the arm and navigated us through the place, probably looking to find someone we knew. Coincidentally, in the kitchen, we found Angelina flirting heavily with the man himself, Ryan Baltimore, and Tre sipping something from a plastic cup. Rose and I waved at Angelina, but silently agreed to leave her alone, as this could be her time to 'get lucky.'