Broken Girls And Broken Boys

Chapter Five: I try to keep my swooning to a minimum.

I feel like Cinderella the moment the clock strikes twelve. I'm supposed to be home by now but my carriage has turned into a pumpkin. Well, it's parked on a curb somewhere but I have no way of getting home in it because Maria dropped me off and is now hidden in this giant house, getting off with someone.

She's developing a really serious case of Bad Friend Syndrome.

Must've caught it off me.

I think about grabbing my phone before realising I've lost it somewhere in the party. The music is still blaring and it's beginning to hurt my head despite the woozy feeling bubbling in my stomach. Cold air wraps around me and I curse myself for forgetting a coat at this time of the year. My eyes wander over to Maria's beat up Mini Cooper and I swear loudly, kicking the curb almost falling into a gutter in the process.

My foot has this weird obsession of falling into drains and no matter how many times I try to stop it, the condition just gets worse.

Nightmare.

Cursing once more into the night, I pull my foot out and begin to walk away from the house. "Kendall!" someone in the distance shouts my name and I squint to see who it is. Through the darkness, a very familiar blonde appears, holding a pack of beers in one hand and his phone in the other. Kent smiles at me- I swear he doesn't leave home without it.

"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you didn't know anyone?" I question, trying not to let accusation creep into my voice. My head is still pounding and I can feel myself getting dizzy on my feet.

"Are you drunk?" he asks, changing the subject. I roll my eyes as he sets down the beers.

"Does it matter? Anyway I asked you what you were doing here?" I shiver, wrapping my arms around my body in a ridiculous attempt of keeping warm in the cold. Kent shifts from foot to foot, watching me for a while before he takes off his grey hoodie and wraps it around me.

"I'll tell you in the car. I'm just gonna assume you have no ride." He takes my hand and leads me away from the party, leaving the Fosters on the pavement outside the party. My face heats up as his thumb draw circles on my skin.

I guess that's one way to stay warm in the winter folks.

Kent opens the car door for me and helps me buckle up. I let him, though I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. His hands skim over my waist and I try to ignore the thrill running through my veins. He gets in next to me and starts the engine, not speaking until we're cruising along the silent roads.

He takes a deep breath. "My cousins live down here. She was sorting out the alcohol for the party tonight but left some at her house. She asked me to go get it for her; that's why I was there. I should've told you, it's just I didn't realise you'd be there," his voice is soft, melodic. It makes me forget my panic about being late home.

"So you lied to me," my words are slightly slurred, though I didn't have much to drink at the party.  Alcohol and fatigue don't mix well.

I wring my hands out in front of me and slump into his jacket. It's warm and smells like peppermint. Kent shakes his head, his eyes still on the road. "The thing is, I knew that if I said I didn't know anyone here that you'd actually want to talk to me. I wasn't trying to lie. Plus the only people I know are my cousins who I've seen about 3 times since I was born."

"I would've spoken to you dummy. Even if it was just at the bins outside our houses."

A smile lights up his gorgeous face and I smile too. Kent moves his eyes away from the road for a second to cast his gaze in my direction.