THE ROSE AND THE THORN

Chapter 24

Event: India's 18th

Description: Hey guys, so I'm turning 18 and wanna celebrate with all you fuckers. Alcohol is provided because I love you all and I wanna make sure we all get good and fucked up. Don't ruin my house or vomit in my pool and we'll be sweet. It's Friday the 13th themed so come dressed up, idc what as though. Surprise me 👍🏼 Message me for plus 1's. See ya there fuckers ♥️♥️♥️

Date: Friday 13th March 2018

Time: 7:30pm

Location: 17 Highfield Court, Varsity Lakes

I invited pretty much my entire grade. I showed Aimee the event, knowing she would want to give it the 'ok' before I posted it.

"Should you put an RSVP date?" she suggested, but I shook my head.

"Nah, can't be fucked. Honestly I don't really care who shows up. The house is big enough..." I said casually, and she nodded her head.

"Then yeah, it's perfect!" she smiled, and I posted the event.

Aimee and I were lying on my bed in my room, discussing the party and how we thought it would turn out. I had told Aimee that Miss Rose was staying at my house, only because I kind of forgot to mention to Ruby that Aimee was coming over and they ran into each other in my kitchen. It was a bit awkward, but in all honesty I truly was letting Ruby stay because she didn't have anywhere else to go at the moment. They both got along like friends and Aimee had promised not to say anything. I knew I could trust her.

"Well, since the party is only two weeks away we need to start shopping as soon as possible!" Aimee said, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Well, let's go then!" I said, jumping off the bed and dragging Aimee with me.

"Oh my god, now? Yes! Okay, let's go!" she squealed.

We both walked downstairs and into the lounge room where Ruby was watching tv.

"Aimz and I are going to the shops to get some stuff for my party," I told her.

"What party?" she asked me.

"My eighteenth..." I said.

"And you were planning on telling me about this when?" she asked me incredulously.

"Um...now?" I responded.

"I'll have to find somewhere else to stay that night then," she sighed.

"Fuck, yeah. I forgot about that. Sorry... I can cancel if you want..." I said awkwardly, hearing Aimee gasp behind me.

"No, don't be silly. I'll figure something out. Have fun shopping," she smiled, and I waved to her as Aimee and I walked out of the house.

"Oh my god, you are in love with her!" Aimee immediately said. What?

"Uh, where'd you get that from?" I asked her.

"You were so willing to cancel the party for her!" she exclaimed as if the answer was obvious.

"Aimee, I think you care about this party a lot more than I do..." I laughed.

"Be that as it may, you definitely want her!" she said.

"Whatever, Aimee. Lets go shopping," I sighed, climbing into her car with her.

༻✧༺

"So we have three hundred red solo cups, twenty bottles of soft drink, ten cases of water, we've ordered the six bottles of vodka, four bottles of whiskey, five bottles of rum, thirty bottles of wine. Now we just need to order the beer!" Aimee said, scrolling through the list on her phone.

"We are so lucky Connor's brother works at the liquor store otherwise we would've had to wait until next Friday to buy all of this when you are officially eighteen!" she continued.

Connor's older brother works at the liquor land in the Varsity Lakes shopping strip and he's been selling us alcohol for years. We walked back up to the counter and placed an order of seven cases of assorted beer to be delivered along with the rest of the alcohol.

"Sounds like it's gonna be a sick party!" Connor's brother Adam said.

"Yeah, feel free to come!" I told him, giving him my credit card and not bothering to look at the total.

"Yeah, I might drop in, when is it?" He asked, handing me back my card.

"Next Friday, come dressed up as anything you want!" I said, thanking him before walking out with Aimee and our two trolleys full of soft drink and water.

"Okay, decorations..." Aimee said.

"Aimee, I'm not decorating my house. We just need lights, that's it!" I sighed.

"Fine, we'll go to the party store and get lights..." she said sadly, walking off towards Howard's Party World and letting me follow behind her.

By the time we had finished shopping it was time for the shops to close. I had certainly spent thousands of dollars, but that was nothing mummy couldn't afford with all of her 'pity money transfers'. Once we arrived back at my house, Aimee and I began to haul the soft drink and water into the house.

"Are you planning on inviting the entire town?" Ruby asked me as we made a seventh trip to the car.

"Yeah, pretty much..." I said sarcastically.

"Okay, that's the last of it!" Aimee puffed, four bags full of soft drink thudding loudly to the floor.

"Thanks for helping me, Aimz" I said, giving her a one armed hug. I was never one to show affection and my friends all knew that.

"Thank you for letting me takeover your birthday party!" she hugged me back.

"Oh, by the way, Miss Rose...the party is on a Friday and the entire team is invited so can we possibly cancel soccer training?"  Aimee begged.

"I'll talk to Mr Linder," she sighed, and Aimee squealed excitedly.

"Thank you!" she said, then giving me one last hug before leaving the house.

"I'm really sorry, I just forgot that people don't know you live here!" I said, walking over and sitting down on the lounge next to her.

"Don't be sorry, it's your house. My best friend lives about fifteen minutes away so I can stay there for the night," she replied.

I nodded and walked over to the bags full of water and soft drink, placing them in the corner of the dining room where they wouldn't be in the way. If Ruby had a friend who lived so close, why did she choose to stay with me.