Paper Flowers (Pretty Plastic People) ★

014. Taylor

014. Taylor

At Aquino High, there's always a scandal.

I arrive at Liam's house in ten minutes, surprised that I'm at my second party in less than a week. It's late, and the party is already in full swing; it's much crazier than Taylor's was. A group of girls is up on the dining room table laughing and dancing, dangling their stilettos from their hands. I squeeze past the crowd of teenagers surrounding them and into the kitchen.

This is what Aquino High students choose to do on their Monday nights?

Since I can't find anybody I know, I pop open the fridge and grab a bottle of water. Against my will, I yawn. It's so late that I'm surprised everyone is still standing on their feet and dancing. In fact, it's so wild here that I wouldn't have imagined it was a school night and these people had homework and sports to balance in their spare time.

Someone brushes past me to reach the fridge and I scoot back, pinning myself against the counter. There's a giant cooler sitting on the granite so I lean against that, fingering the hem of my dress.

"Erika?"

I whirl around and see Taylor standing in front of me. He's wearing a blue button-down that has a giant drink stain on the chest, but his eyes are what captivate me as always. Slowly, he lets his gaze travel down me, memorizing me. I let him stare for a few seconds before I say, "This party is crazy."

"You must have just gotten here." He doesn't sound like he's been drinking and his eyes are still clear. "Why so late?"

"I wasn't planning on coming at all," I admit, taking another sip of water. He wraps an arm around my waist and leads me out into the living room. My mind flashes back to the scrap of paper, the hastily-written note I found in Allison's drawer.

I'm in love with your sister.

He's in love with me.

I don't know how I should act around him anymore, but I figure it won't hurt to keep things the same as they have been the last few weeks, so I sit down next to him on Liam's sectional. The cushions are plush and I sink lower on them than I expected.

We sit in silence for a few seconds, and I observe everyone around me. Liam's sitting on the settee on the other side of the living room, his arm curled around a girl I don't recognize. I squint so I can see her face more clearly but my vision is obscured by someone who steps in front of me.

"Did you want to talk to me?" I finally ask Taylor, shouting so he can hear me over the music. He has his arm draped over the touch of the couch so that his fingers just barely brush my bare shoulders, and the contact is putting all of my senses on overload.

He shrugs. "I wanted to spend time with you more than anything." He's yelling too, and I'm have to lean closer as he adds something that I'm unable to discern.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" I holler. "Somewhere quieter?"

"Good idea." He stands and extends an arm to pull me off the couch. I sway a little in my heels but manage to stay upright, and he keeps his hand wrapped around my wrist as he guides me through the crowd.

I pass a few people I know, but most everyone is obscured in darkness with only a few overhead lights to provide guidance. The bass is so loud that I can feel my temples pounding by the time Taylor leads me into a room and shuts the door. Instantly, I'm gratified by the way the noise is now partially sealed out.

"I regret ever coming to this," I say as I take a few steps on the carpet. My feet are killing me so I kick off my shoes and focus on the softness against my toes.