Patience

Invitation

"So, have you heard about the party?" Brandi heard from someone behind her locker door.

"Oh, hey." she greeted after closing the door of her locker holding her English book.

"So, have you?"

"Have I what?" she asked him, and resumed walking to her first class of the day.

"Have you heard about the party? It's all over school."

"I haven't noticed." Brandi indeed had not noticed anything about a party.

"Well, there's a party this Saturday. You may not be used to it, but here in Orange County, it's pretty common to throw parties for just about everything, and this is gonna be the first party of the school year."

"Ok. What about it?" she asked, not really caring about the party.

"Well, I thought we could go together." what Seth said made Brandi stop walking.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Are you seriously asking me to go to a party with you?"

"Well, I thought... like... you don't know a lot of people here in Newport and I thought you could join me and we could hang out and have a nice time bashing people..."

"Oh, yeah? And where would Summer be?" Brandi knew they were not together, but she was mad at Seth for lying to her, so she had to bring Summer into the conversation somehow.

"Oh... Summer? Oh, Summer will be fine. She... She actually..." Seth didn't know what to say.

"Yes?"

"She won't be able to come. That's it. She has this family thing..."

"Right." Brandi looked down. She was more than upset. She thought that Seth could be honest with her at least once, but that was not happening.

"So, are you coming?"

"I don't know. I have to think about it."

"Don't think about it. Just come! Come on! Just say yes and we'll go together!" Seth shook her by the shoulders.

"I really don't know. For now I can only promise to think about it."

"Ok, that's good enough. But you'll get back to me, right?"

"Ok, whatever."

"Awesome! Here's my cell phone number." Seth took a pen out of his pocket and wrote his number down on her notebook "Call me when you have the answer. Alright?"

"Ok. Sure. Bye." She waved him goodbye and left for class, not happy to know Seth was lying to her about Summer. Again.

.

"Penny for your thoughts." He said as he joined her on the cafeteria couch.

"Oh, hey!" she greeted happier this time.

"So... what's up?" Ryan asked Brandi.

"Nothing really."

"Oh, come on. Something is up. You were all thoughtful sitting there."

"Just thinking about this party that Seth was talking about."

"Oh, the first party of the year?"

"Yeah..."

"So, you're coming?"

"I don't know... he asked me to come, but..."

"But what? Shouldn't you be happy about it?"

"He lied again."

"About what?" Ryan frowned.

"What else? About Summer, of course. When he asked me to come, I asked where Summer would be, and he hesitated for a second, but then said Summer wouldn't come."

"Oh, that's most definitely a lie. She's always at these parties."

"I figured. She's probably throwing it, too. She seems to be just the type."

"Actually, Marissa is. She's part of the committee that throws these parties."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry." Ryan smiled gently "Carry on."

"So... he just lied. Again. And I really don't get why. He just... amazes me like that."

"I told you it's because he likes you."

"I really can't believe that's the reason."

"Come to the party then and you'll see."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure he'll say something at the party. Especially if he gets drunk."

"You think he'll say something to me at the party?"

"Oh, he always gets more loosened up at parties. So he might tell you something about it then."

"Hm..." Brandi stopped to think about it "Will you be there?"

"I'm forced to be there. For Seth and for Marissa."

"I see." Brandi thought again "Ok, it's settled then. I'll come."

"Great." Ryan smiled big.

"Can you do me a favor, then? Tell Seth that I've decided to go to this stupid party. It's formal, isn't it?" Brandi asked with a horrified look on her face.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so."

"Oh, I hate those."

"Oh, me too. But you get used to it."

"I'm afraid I don't. I don't even own a dress. No idea what to buy. I'm gonna have to recruit my brother to help me out with this one."

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks."

"I have to go meet Marissa now. But we'll meet later, or tomorrow at the party, ok?"

"Ok. Bye, Ryan."

"Bye."