you belong with me - Olivia Rodrigo

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

Isa and I arrive outside of Alex's house at 9:30pm. Fashionably late.

Music blasting can be heard from across the street. A few boys from the basketball team are outside chugging beers. We walk inside, and I am immediately impressed. His house was huge, slightly bigger than Olivia's. Must be nice to be a rich kid.

I quickly scan my surroundings, and it's only been like 30 minutes, but this party is already very lively. There's beer pong in one corner, kids mixing all sorts of drinks in the kitchen, and a bunch of others dancing along to the music. Couples are all over the place, making out on couches and in dark corners. It's like a scene straight out of a teen movie.

I guess Isa was right, Alex's parties do look pretty fun.

Isa grabs my arm and pulls me into the kitchen, her eyes scanning the selection of different bottles of alcohol. She mixes up a drink for herself and me before handing me a cup. Holding it in front of her, she says, "Cheers."

I return her smile and clink my cup against hers. "What are we cheers-ing for?"

"To you coming back to Westview," she says with a grin, taking a sip from her drink. She adds more quietly, glancing at Jenna who's in the living room "And cheers to you moving on from a certain girly"

I raise my eyebrow at her "What? I am over her. It's been years. I don't see her that way anymore. She won't even talk to me."

Isa smirks, her face slightly unconvinced. "Yes, that's the enthusiasm!"

I roll my eyes and laugh, "I am over her, I swear."

No. It's not like I think about her every day and sneak glances at her in the halls when she's with her boyfriend. I am totally over her.

As I settle into the party, I spot Jenna across the room, cheering for Alex as he engages in a game of beer pong against some other boys. He throws the ball, and it lands in the opposing team's cup. The room erupts in cheers, Jenna and Alex throw their arms up.

My attention is fixed on Alex as he turns around and plants an obnoxious, showy kiss on Jenna. He spins her around, and they're showing off full PDA thats hard to ignore.

Suddenly it gets too much and I start to get that feeling that I was about to cry - You know the one where it feels like needles are pressing around your throat and your lips start to twitch.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

It's like she's rubbing it in my face, and the jealousy and heartache start to bubble up. That should be me spinning her around and showing her off.

Okay, maybe I'm not as over her as I thought.

I find a spot on the couch in the living room, my cup filled to the brim this time. Isa is off socialising with her other friends, and I decide to let her enjoy the party while I take a moment to calm down.

After about 20 minutes, I'm feeling much better. The alcohol has started to work its magic. I'm aware of everything around me, but a pleasant buzz has settled in. I'm less sad than before, and I can actually start to appreciate the party atmosphere.

I'm bopping my head to the music and fully feeling in the moment when I notice a pair of boots settling in front of me. I look up, and there she is, my pretty neighbour, staring down at me.

Her expression is neutral, but she appears to be in a better mood than she was this morning. She's dressed in an all-black party dress, and while it doesn't reveal much skin, it accentuates her curves.

I'm a bit surprised that she came up to me but I'm secretly happy that she did. I expected her to ignore me like usual. Is this because I gave up the seat for her earlier?

Feeling a bit daring, I decide to say something risky, something that could either make her laugh or totally piss her off.

"Hey, neighbour. Looking sexy" I tease with a sly grin.

Her expression remains neutral, but her gaze is intense as she looks down at me. "You don't need to do that."

"Do what?" I ask, confused.

"Pity me. I know what you're doing," she replies firmly. "You gave up the seat because you saw me crying."

I'm taken aback. "So...you wanted me to take the seat?"

Her tone is stern as she responds, "I want you to forget whatever you saw because it's none of your business. You should've looked away as soon as you saw me through the window."

I lower my gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed. She's right; I shouldn't have been watching her have a private conversation on the phone. But giving up the seat was just my way of trying to be nice.

"I'm sorry I invaded your privacy. I don't know why, but I was just trying to cheer you up a little with the whole seat thing."

She frowns slightly and her demeanour softens. "I know..." she says quietly.

I look at her, fully expecting her to turn around and head back to her friends. I'm not sure what else there is to say, but to my surprise, she just stands there, not moving.

She gazes down at her hands for a moment before speaking hesitantly, "Do you...My mom wants to know...if you and your mom want to come over for dinner on Sunday."

My mouth drops open in shock. Did this conversation just go from her scolding me to her mom inviting me over for dinner? It's a really weird exchange, but I can't help the smile that starts creeping up on my face.

I try to act subtle, but inside, I'm practically screaming with excitement. Of course, I want to eat her mom's cooking. I'd want to come over for dinner every night if I could.

"Is it lasagna?" I ask with a cheeky grin.

She chuckles lightly, leaving me in suspense. "I guess you'll have to wait and see. Sunday, 7 pm," she says before walking back to her friends. I watch her go, still wearing a grin. I can't wait to tell mom about this.

Isa walks up to me her eyebrow raised, "Did I just see Olivia smiling at you?"

I fill Isa in on the entire exchange, watching her eyebrows shoot up as she listens. She has a look on her face that's a bit hard to decipher.

After a quick glance at Olivia from across the room and then back at me, she comments, "Interesting."

What does she mean by that?

She pulls me away from the couch, "Anyways, some people are playing games in the other room. Come on, lets join them"