Our Little Lie (Complete)

THIRTEEN

That's pretty much how the rest of summer goes. Sleepovers with Lena, dates with Damien, dates with Stephen, doing Mystery Man's dirty work. Actually Mystery Man told me I could call them "D" so that's what it is now.

D has had me prank around twenty people all summer. It's actually gotten kind of fun. But only because I never get caught. I don't anywhere except home and dance everyday so my summer is quite relaxed.

I wish to be at the beach. With this weather, it would be perfect. But the beach wouldn't be the same without Tyler and Mirren. Being around them that week made me wonder how I ever went to the beach without them. They took my rushed and messed up life and turned it into a carefree and beautiful adventure. I miss them so much. I can't explain it. It's like thinking of a glass of water while you stand in the desert.

Is it even possible to miss people you were with for only a week? Maybe I'm crazy. And why do they never text back? I text them all of the time, but there's never a response. Just some reassurance is all I need. Reassurance that they still want to see me like I want to see them.

But there's no reason to dwell on it. I have to go to Lena's birthday party in an hour. It's a pool party so I slip on a plain black bikini and a white cover up dress. I walk straight to Lena's from my house.

A ton of people fill her yard and pool. I see Stephen immediately. He's in the hot tub with too many other people and a glass of who knows what. I look for Damien but I can't spot his curly brown hair. Finally I see him throwing a ball to his friend Landen.

Lena and I start a game of volleyball that everyone eventually joins. I'm not that aggressive so I don't get the ball a lot. But when I do it's fun.

After that, Lena brings out pizza and we eat it on the giant porch of wood chairs. Stephen drinks from an unlabeled bottle and rocks back and forth on awhile rocking chair while I lean against the rail.

"What should we do now?" Samantha asks when she sees that everyone is done.

Landen eyes the bottle Stephen clinks around. "Spin the bottle?"

A chorus of agreement erupts in the crowd. But the look on Lena's face reads no. "I don't think we should," Lena says.

"Oh come on, Lena!" Someone says.

She looks around at the hopeful faces and I know she won't let them down. "Fine." Everyone cheers at her approval.

Chad spins the bottle and it lands on Landen. Then he spins it again and it lands on Jill, a really fun girl that I dance with. They look at each other looking for approval. Apparently they get it because they simultaneously stand up and give each other a meaningless kiss. Jill laughs when they let go, but Landen doesn't he almost looks shocked as he inches towards his spot.

The game goes on like this and nobody backs down. So we've decided to keep the streak going until everyone had gone. It's round seven when I watch the bottle slow down to a stop pointing at me. Chad laughs and spins the battle again. It stops on a pair of Chacos. I slowly lift my line of sight until I'm eye-to-eye with my partner, Stephen. Of course it's Stephen.

He looks at Lena for approval and I do the same with Damien, he shakes his head. "Oh come on Damien!" Max says,"it's just a game! It's not like she's leaving you for him. It's just a kiss."

"Yeah, and we have to keep the streak!" Jill says to Lena. Lena and Damien exchange glances and shrug. They finally give up and Stephen and I walk towards each other like it's our first time.

Then we kiss, and it's short and awkward in hopes no one will be able to tell we've done this before. I can tell by the look on his face he does, and I hate to admit it but I kind of do too.
The people applaud and whisper like a mixture of amusement and shame.

We keep it going all night, Lena eventually kisses Ethan and Damien kisses Samantha. Damien and I walk home together when the party is over.

"Hey, sorry about the kiss with Stephen," I start,"you know I didn't like that situation any more than you did."

"Yeah it's okay, it's not like you chose to kiss him," he says. But have many times before. And somehow I feel like am apologizing for everything, but he doesn't know. I m apologizing for every kiss and Avery glance I've ever exchanged with Stephen that should've been for him.