Simple, Unexpected Crush ~Book 1 of Life Matters~

Chapter 14 ~ Overnight Party

About two weeks later I believe, Erix threw a party at our place when our parents went off to Oregon with Lias, Tyson's dad, for a business trip. Xavier's parents went off as well. At the day of the party, Angie came over to help me pack my mother's crystal collection, took down any important pictures, covered the book shelves with plastic bags and so on.  I was locking the basement door when I saw Angie walk up to me with a frame in her hands with a smile I knew. She liked what she was looking at.

She handed me the picture and I instantly turned red. It was the fifth grade graduation picture that was given to us. I had many with Gabe and Angie, Josh, Erix even Bob and Ray. I also had a class photo too.

But this picture that Angie showed me was the one Xavier's parents gave me. I was wearing a blue dress holding a bouquet of roses standing next to Xavier. Who not surprisingly had one of his arms around my neck.

'No! I'm sick of pictures!' I had said. 

'Bunny say cheese!' My mother said.

'Ah! There's the lucky girl!' Sally walked over to us. 'I really loved your speech!'

'Indeed. For a eleven year old to memorize all of that is truly marvelous.' Xavier's dad said as he was followed with the devil Xavier was back then at his side. He handed me a bouquet with the evil grin spread across his face. I would of stomp them on the ground but Sally started to talk.

'Aren't they lovely? Keep them dear.'

'Picture!' My mom clapped. Erix pushed me next to Xavier. 

'Smile Leah.' My father ordered. And I did.

I took the picture away from Angie's grip and stuffed it inside of my shirt since I already locked the basement door and I was too lazy to go back and open it. 

"How come I never saw this?" Angie laughed. "Clearly you were hiding it."

"My parents hanged it in the living room some time ago but I forgot about it. Until someone decided to get from where ever it was." I sneered at her. 

"Hey!" Angie held up her hands. "I came across it."

"Eh." I looked at my phone. "It's almost five. We should head upstairs." 

"Where are the beers!" Erix's voice echoed through the hall. I ran to the kitchen and found him messing around with the refrigerator.

"In the cooler in the backyard idiot."

"I told you to leave it in the kitchen!"

"Why? If you want it here go bring it back in. This isn't my party. I already took care of the important shit here."

"Ray is bringing the pizza." He said blankly. 

"If Kaya is coming tell her I went to heaven." I frowned.

"God. What's up with you and her? Are you still with that childish game?" I felt like slapping him but Josh came in with Brandon with three bags filled with hot wings.

"No. It's war." I said. Erix looked at me confused but I left along with one box of hot wings for Angie and me. 

About two hours or so we started to hear music coming from down stairs. It was okay music. But it was the music I wouldn't download to my iPod. I heard a knock on my door and I opened it. Gabe walked into my room and ran to the computer. He opened YouTube and typed in a music video from Aliaune. He was a kid from our school who slowly was becoming a thing in our neighborhood. He’s a good kid, he goes by Akon.