First and Last

Buzzing

"It's hot, and I'm tired. Can we please just go back to the house?" I said exhausted. My mom, two brothers and three cousins had been working the town carnival for the past four hours. My brothers ,Terrence and Todd, we're sharing the same tiredness. Although my cousins, Amy, Carson, and Conrad, were enjoying themselves in this blazing sun's heat.
"Emma, would you please just stay one more hour? Then you can go and do whatever you want," My mom said in distress. She gets so into everything she does. She seems to have forgotten it's just a carnival with sweaty second and third graders and that they didn't care how the flowers were set up on the counters. The main reason I was rushing , other than the heat of course, was to get a shower, do my hair and makeup so I could look half decent, and meet up with with my friends, Emily and Candace. We had made plans to go to a local "teen club" near the college we had all three been scoping out and dreaming to go to since the fifth grade.
" C'mon let's sneak outta here, mom is so into the bouncy houses she won't notice", Todd said in a low voice to me. Todd is tall, dark skinned, dark hair, "bad boy without a cause", you know the type. He constantly gets into trouble and doesn't seem to care. Since I was little I wanted to have the consience he has. In other words, hardly one at all.
"Trust me she would notice" I said with a smirk. Across the swamped parking lot I could see Terrence. I could see he was talking to someone, but I couldn't see who.
Todd and Terrence are twins. But couldn't be more different. Terrence is the smart, caring funny one. They both had the looks and are constantly swamped by girls but different types. Terrence was already in college when he was supposed to be in his junior year, while Todd was repeating almost every grade he went into.
"Looks like he's snagged another one, man that boy has some moves" Conrad said walking up to Todd and I. "He learned em' from me" Todd says with a half grin. "Speaking of", he says pointing to a beautiful brunette girl standing by the stage. Within 5 minutes they were already leaving the carnival hanging all over each other.
" so how's Carter?", Conrad asks with the sun beaming in his eyes trying to squint it away. Immediately my heart jumps and my eyes start to sting. Avoiding the question I say "how's Meredith?" "She's great, she's got the guy she wanted, just wish she hadn't wanted him while we were still together." "Love sucks huh?" He says looking down at the ground. I could see he was getting upset. " it sure does" I respond looking out at my mom frantically pacing around the water balloon fighting section.
Just the thought of Carter made me panic. I met Carter in the tenth grade, we broke up about a month ago. A month before my eighteenth birthday and our anniversary. Meredith was Conrad's girlfriend since the seventh grade. He's in his freshman year of college now. I know right.

****

"Okay, orange tank top, or purple dress shirt?" Candace asked on video chat holding each blouse up. "Purple" I replied. "I don't know about this. Maybe we shouldn't go" I said hesitantly. I hadn't really been out since Carter and I broke up, and Im kind've nervous about it. "Em, you're going. Look I know Carter broke your heart. But he's a jerk, you can't let him keep you away from everybody and everything" she said brushing her freshly straightened auburn hair.
I admired Candace. She had been there for all those nights of me crying and being angry. The least I could do was go with her since Emily had backed out. She had a date with Alex, her boyfriend. "I guess you have a point" I said. "Of course I do," she said with a giggle "now get up, and meet me at the club in five so we can stalk out the Nashville hotties!" I shut down my computer and left. Nobody was home. I hop into my Mercedes car my dad had gotten for me two years ago in hopes it would make up for the twelve years of my life he'd missed out on. It didn't but I was getting a free, nice car. I wasn't complaining.

As I walk into the dark club I see guys and girls drooped all over one another. I search the crowed and smoke filled room for Candace. I see her standing against the wall with two beers. Walking up to her and leaning against the wall I ask,"alcohol? How did you get it?" "They don't ID here. We're good on all of it" she says sluggish. I could tell she had already had a few. Snatching the freezing cold drink from her hand I down almost half. "Damn girl" Candace says laughing and pulling me out to the dance floor.
Twenty minutes into 6 bottles of beer and loud music I realized Candace was against the wall with some guy. I decided to wait a little while and sober up a little before going home. I moved over to a bench by the entrance. As soon as I sit down a gorgeous guy walks in. He's tall but not super tall. He's got blue eyes and blonde hair. You could smell his cologn for miles, and it smelt amazing.
He stands in the doorway for a few minutes searching the room. Eventually, he sits down next to me. As if he's waiting on someone. It felt like forever, but I finally got the courage to say "waiting for someone?" " really Emma? You couldn't have just said hello?" I was thinking. I could feel my cheeks turning cherry red. And it wasn't a sitefect of the now fading buzz.
"I was" he said in a deep voice. Another five minutes passed before he asked " what about you?"
"I got ditched, girlfriend found a guy"
"Ahh I know that feeling" he said sort've flustered. He was still searching the room but I wasn't sure what for.
" was it a girl?" I asked immediately regretting the question. It really was none of my business but I couldn't help it. Something about him made me want to blurt out a million things.
He looks over and raises his brow. As I start to stand up to leave in absolute embarrassment, he reaches out and grabs my hand.
" you shouldn't be driving"
"I'll be fine"
"Let me drive you" he says pulling his keys out of his pocket. Part of me wants to run. But part of me wants to talk and stare at him all night.
"I thought riding with a stranger was dangerous"
"Well then, I'm John." He says assisting me out of the entrance.
He walks me to an old ford truck. It was , at the latest, from the seventies. He slowly opens the passenger side door as it squeaks.
"Country boy?" I turn to him and ask in a mocking tone.
He closes the door and grins through the windowless door. "Nope, broke boy"
He walks around the back of the truck to the driver side. When he gets in he turns to me and says "phone" while holding his hand out.
I reach into my blue jean shorts pocket and drag out my phone.
When he hands it back the contact says "John Stonelli"
I thought " what a lovely name for a lovely guy"