Empathy

7- The Party

Chapter 7

Once we were all dressed up, I followed Alexis and Vanessa outside, teetering dangerously on a pair of borrowed heels. Apparently Vanessa and I were the same shoe size and “my shoes didn't match my outfit” so she forced me into a pair of boots she owned. Why the soles couldn’t be flat, I had no idea.

We reached Alexis' driveway as Aiden came out of their house. He looked great in a semi-tight tee-shirt and jeans. I realized I'd been checking him out and my gaze fell to the ground as I did my best not to blush. He came over to us. "Hey, is Samara coming to the party?"

"Of course she is, why else would she be so dressed up?" Alexis snorted. "For an honor roll student, you sure are stupid."

"I'm not stupid, I just didn't know," he snapped back at her.

Vanessa sighed. "Guys cool it. Who's in what car?"

"I'm driving you and we can pick up Caleb and Dylan on the way there," Alexis informed her, pulling her over to her jeep. I blinked at them, shocked. They were ditching me after they'd gotten me all dressed up? Aiden turned to me and I finally gained the courage to look back up at him. I was instantly drawn in by his eyes that looked almost silver in the moonlight.

I forced myself to look away, towards my supposed friends. "You guys are leaving me?" They were both already in the front seats of Alexis' jeep, buckled in and ready to go.

"You can ride with Aiden," Alexis replied, winking. I felt the blood drain from my face; she was trying to set me up with her brother? Sure, he was okay with being friends with the weird girl, but anything more? He would probably be freaked out and not even want to be my friend. However, before I could protest, they'd pulled out and left.

Aiden cleared his throat and shuffled his feet awkwardly while I stared down at my boots, thoroughly embarrassed. Finally, he spoke, "I guess we should be leaving- unless, you don't really want to go to the party? I can understand if they kind of forced you into it."

"No, I agreed. And I've never been to a party before." I slapped my hand over my mouth before I could sputter out anything else. Why had I even said that? Was I trying to look stupid?

"Alright, I don't know if you'll like it, but we can give it a try," he replied, opening my door. I smiled a small, grateful smile and avoided eye contact that could only make the situation worse. If I looked into his amazing eyes, my thoughts would become jumbled again and I would say something else that was weird and unintended.

"What kind of music do you like?" Aiden asked me as he shut his own door and buckled his seat belt. His hand fluttered over the radio dials, waiting for my reply.

I shrugged. "I don't care; I don't listen to music very much."

"Do you not like music?" His hand fell on the steering wheel as he started the car, leaving the radio dials alone. He had a small frown on his face and there was a crease between his eyebrows.

"No, I do, I just prefer drawing," I responded, fiddling with my hands for something to do.

"Okay well tell me if you like this band," he said, playing the CD that was in. I waited, leaning my head on the seat as I listened to the lyrics; my favorite part of any music.

I nodded appreciatively when the song came to an end. "They're good, who are they?" A new song started; the tune softer and the voice a female's rather than a male's.

"It's a mix of my favorite music; you have to listen to the whole CD before you decide if you like it," he stated, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.