Everything Changes

Chapter Twenty-Nine: When Worlds Collide

"Everyone is going to stare and talk about me when I walk in."

Jake turned to Hazel with furrowed eyebrows, confused about where her sudden anxiousness was coming from. Earlier that day, she seemed so sure that she wanted to attend the Rivera's fundraiser. Now, as they exited Jake's Volkswagen Beetle, she was beginning to have second thoughts. She knew it wasn't convenient to be feeling that way in the parking lot of the country club, just steps away from where the party was being hosted, but she couldn't help it.

"That's totally going to happen," he chuckled as he wrapped around the car. He watched as her eyes widened, her facial expression telling him she was growing even more worried, "because they'll all be gossiping about my sick tie," he said, looking down at his tie designed with palm trees and footballs.

She lightly shoved him as she couldn't help but laugh. He was always cracking jokes to lighten the mood. "Jake, stop," she said as she let out a heavy sigh. Her eye caught a group of people walking past them, all sporting long dresses and suits. "No one knows me. That's why I'm so nervous they're all going to stop and stare."

"First of all," Jake began in an attempt to calm her nerves. "These people have seen worse." He watched as she raised an eyebrow, not fully believing him. What was worse than a random girl showing up to a party full of country club members who had been attending the same fundraiser for years and years? "Like... four years ago, Jordan, my best friend, walked in with all these cuts and bruises on his face. He told everyone it was from football... but really it was from fighting another one of our friends over a girl... and that girl is Brittany Rivera, whose family hosts the fundraiser every year," he started to explain as Hazel stood there in silence, having a feeling he wasn't quite finished with his examples to make her feel better. "That next year, a good friend of my ex-girlfriend... well, at the time... dropped a positive pregnancy test on the ground," he continued as Hazel's eyes widened, truly not expecting that one. "Yeah... but turns out she wasn't actually pregnant!" She let out a sigh of relief, nodding her head. "And then last year, Jordan, who had ghosted everyone for over a year after he moved to L.A., randomly showed up with his new girlfriend. So, yeah... these people have seen worse."

Hazel was speechless. The only memories she had from her hometown were eating pizza in bed every Friday night with her best friend and exploring the city with her film club. Maybe it was growing up in a big city that made her past so different as opposed to Jake, who grew up in a small beach town just north of Fort Lauderdale. Whether that was the case or not, it was definitely safe to say she did not encounter anything close to that kind of excitement.

"Well, I guess if everyone stares at me, I'll be able to handle it," she said before laughing, realizing her worries were far smaller than anything Jake had just explained. However, that didn't mean she would no longer remain on the down-low. She definitely didn't want to add to Jake's list of dramatic and crazy things that happened at the fundraiser each year. "And, plus, I have to at least wear my cute new dress somewhere."

"That's right," he said with a smile on his face, looking down at her long pink satin dress. It looked amazing on her petite figure. "Hypothetically speaking, if everyone did stare at you, it would be because of how beautiful you are."

A wide smile formed on her face, displaying her straight white teeth. "Aw."

"Now, let's go," he said as he extended his arm out for her to take. "It's time for me to walk into the party with my beautiful girlfriend by my side."

"I love the sound of that," she said before they gave each other a quick peck on the lips. "And I guess I'm just a little nervous that no one knows we're together yet... you know... since we just made it official. I don't want people to make any weird assumptions about me. Or us."