Eighteen Candles (you will remember me)

8.

Billie

If I look at one more way to translate a German text into English, I will vomit right onto the books in front of me. I check the time on my phone. 22:40 p.m.

I groan. The fact that I've been studying for the past six hours is messing up my brain even more. Maybe a break wouldn't be that bad after all. I unlock my phone and text Flynn.

B: the party still ongoing?

F: Yup! You finally coming????

B: on my way

I put my phone away and walk to my closet. Since it's already pretty late, I will just wear a low waisted pair of pants and a crop top. I put my hair into a ponytail, leaving out the front peaces and put on some mascara, lipgloss and blush as well. I take a small black shoulder bag and throw my lipgloss, my phone and perfume in it.

I swing my bag around my shoulder and walk downstairs. My father has already fallen asleep on the couch, that's why is take a small sticky note from the kitchen counter and write down a message on it. Went to Julien's party. Will be back in the morning. Love you.

I stick it onto the table in front of him and walk to the door. A friend of Julien promised me to give me a ride and I guess I'm pretty frustrated since I'm just trusting a stranger to drive me to a friend's party and not just kidnap me.

I step outside, closing the door behind me, and watch a black BMW stop right in front of our driveway. The side window goes down slowly and a shiny smile greets me.

I walk towards the car, smiling at the handsome stranger in front of me. "Hey," I greet him, walking around the car to the other side. I open the door and sit down on the passenger seat.

"Hey," the handsome boy greets me back. I have never seen him in my school before or anywhere else. I'm not sure how Julien knows him but I already know, I owe Julien a big fat thank you later. The guy reaches out his hand and says, "Chris."

I take his hand and shake it, still admiring the sight in front of me. Chris's skin is smooth and glowy, his eyes the lightest and clearest color of blue I've ever seen and his hair just perfect. "Billie," I tell him my name, smiling again.

Chris takes his hand back and starts the car. "Billie, mh? Unique name for a girl, isn't it?" I don't even think my brain is able to think through whatever he says. The only thing I can concentrate about right now is how deep and clean his voice sounds and how good his hands felt.

What is wrong with you, Billie?!

I shrug my shoulders, fully aware that Chris is driving a car and obviously looking at the street in front of him and not at me. "I guess. I don't care though, Billie Eilish has the same name, so it has to be cool," I answer him, earning a slight chuckle. The sound sounds rough and direct, unusual to my ears, making it even hotter.

"Is it short for anything?" Chris turns the steering wheel and I think I stopped breathing. How comes that this simple thing can be this attractive?

I shake my head. He can't see you, Stupid. "No, just Billie. What about you? Is Chris a nickname?" I ask him the same thing.

"I wish it wouldn't be, but yes. Chris is short for Christopher," he says. "At least your name is kind of special. Every second guy is named Christopher, that's boring and I don't even think it's a good sounding name." He stops the car and I recognize Julien's house. The music is blasting through the house, I can even hear it inside of the car.

I unlock my seatbelt and turn my head to Chris. "I don't think you're name is boring and it sounds pretty good to my ears," I say, immediately opening the door after. I may look confident to everyone else but inside of my head I'm shitting my pants.

Chris also leaves the car and locks it. We both walk to the door and I greet some already drunk people outside. "How do you know Julien anyway? I've never seen you before," I speak out my thoughts.

Chris tucks his hands into the pockets of his pair of jeans and smiles slightly. "Julien is an old friend. My parents are on vacation for some time and Julien suggested to rent me a room," he answers my question. Before I am able to ask another question or to open the door, a very enthusiastic Julien rushes out of the house, right into Chris's arms.

"My brother!" he greets him, throwing his arms around him. "Shit, Man, since when do you have this pair of man boobs?" Chris laughed and throws his arms around Julien, embracing him as well. "Good to see you too, Buddy."

Julien lets go off Chris and turns to me. "How rude of me, not greeting the lady first!" Now he throws his arms around me and kisses my cheek. "I hope my old friend here learned how to drive a car and got you here safely?"

I nod, patting Julien's cheek. I hate when he's drunk and gets so touchy. He always hugs and kisses everyone. Julien doesn't let go of me and I roll my eyes. "Billie Adams! Don't act like you don't love me! That's rude."

I push him off me and walk inside the house, the sound of Julien's echoing voice behind me "I know you're smiling right now!" And I am. Oddball.

Inside I get greeted by couples, that are making out everywhere, a ball, that is flying through the hallway, and some cups, that a held right in front of my face. In the back of the room, I spot Flynn and wave in her direction. She smiles at me and rushes towards me.

"Hey, I'd hoped you stay with me for some time, so I don't feel like a total idiot around these strangers," a very clear and now familiar voice says. I turn around and look into those beautiful pair of blue eyes again.

"I thought Julien is with you?"

"We'll be left me for someone with blonde hair, that I can not offer."

"Who is that and why don't I know him," the pitch drunk voice of Flynn asks. I turn my head again and look at her confused expression that turn into a smirk, her eyes bouncing from me to Chris and back.

"Yeah, who is that and why don't we know him?" another familiar voice ask. One I'd rather not hear right now. One that brings you over the edge any time you're already angry. One that pisses you off by the first word they say.

Blake.

He's standing right next to Chris now, his arms folded in front of his chest. The black long sleeve his wearing stretches around his arms, his muscles clearly visible through it. He looks Chris up and down, a big frown on his forehead. Now his eyes switch from obeying Chris to looking at me.

"Chris," Chris introduces himself. "I'm an old friend of Julien," he adds and smiles, his hand tucked in the pockets again. Flynn nudges me with her elbow, Blake following the movement with his eyes closely.

Julien joins us, throwing one arm around Blake's shoulder and one around Chris's shoulder, and smiles. "I see you all already met our new group member," he says, grinning from one ear to another.

Flynn nods. "And I hope he's ready to get to know some of us closer, cause my friend Billie here-"

Now I'm the one nudging  her with my elbow, more like pushing my elbow into her stomach to stop her from blurting out stuff that might not me true. Blake pushes off Julien's arm, looking all grumpy.

He's probably just mad about not being the center of attention for one time, cause all the girls at the party seem to draw their attention to Chris now and not to him anymore. I don't blame them. Different than Blake, Chris is also nice and not that arrogant. I'd also choose him over Blake.

Blake just turns around and leaves without saying a word.