Young Lust

8 - Boys and their Bets

Steven explained to me about the brownies. To be honest, I felt a bit silly.

"Don't listen to Joe," he said.

"And why should I listen to you?" I asked him.

"Seeing as you've never been to a party, I'd say that you don't really have a choice,"

"I don't mean just the party. I don't even know why I agreed to come," I said, and I stood up.

It was hard to find my way to the front door through all the people. After a few steps through the next room, I felt a hand lightly grab my wrist.

"I want to leave," I said and turned around. I was a little surprised to see Johnny instead of Steven standing there with his hand on my wrist.

"Leaving? So soon? Why?" Johnny asked.

"I don't know why I'm even here. I'm out of place here," I answered, and removed my hand from his.

"Come on, the more you're here the more you'll fit in. Where's Steven?"

"Back there with Joe and everyone." I replied. "I don't think he cares whether I stay or not,"

"So you only came for him?" he asked me seriously.

"I-... I guess so," I looked over his shoulder towards Steven, but I couldn't see him.

"Hang out with us," Johnny said, and took my arm again. He lead me through the crowd in a different direction.

We reached another group of people and Johnny introduced me.

"Guys, this is Jade. She was with Steven before,"

"I saw you guys come in," said a girl with bleached white hair.

After Johnny properly introduced all of them to me, he lead me away again.

"Let's go outside," he said.

"I still wanna go home, you know." I replied as we went through the sliding door.

"First parties should be actually attended, don't cha think?"

Johnny leaned against the porch railing and lit up a cigarette.

He moved lazily to the side as an empty can came flying towards us.

"Yeah, I guess, but I don-"

"Oh, you've said that already." Johnny interrupted me.

I frowned at him and turned to go back inside. But his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist for a second time.

"Johnny, let me go," I tugged my arm away.

"But it's fun here," he looked at me with pretend puppy-dog eyes.

"For you, maybe..." I tried to tug away again but Johnny pulled me by the arm down the porch to the steps leading into the back yard.

I admitted my defeat and accepted the fact that I wasn't going to be leaving this party.

I followed Johnny around the back yard with an unamused expression until another hand grabbed my other arm.

"What's up, guys?" Steven asked.

"Nothing much, Stevie, what happened to your little group?" Johnny replied.

"Oh, they're chillin' inside. Joe's brownies are quite the hit,"

"I can imagine," Johnny said. His voice sounded a little annoyed.

I looked back and forth between the guys who were both holding either of my arms.

"Wanna let go any time soon?" I asked them.

"Johnny does," Steven said, and his eyes looked like they wanted to shoot knives at Johnny.

Without a word, Johnny let go of my arm, leaving slight red finger marks. He crossed his own arms and kept walking, leaving Steven and I.

"He's a nice guy until there's a new chick involved," Steven said, and without letting go of my arm, he tuned back towards the house.

"What do you mean?" I asked him as we walked past people.

"Remember the philanderer comment earlier?"

"Yeah? Oh," I replied, "he actually is one?"

"Congratulations," he said sarcastically and I narrowed my eyes at him.

We got back inside only to push through some more people and get out through the front door of the house.

"Are we finally leaving?" I asked him hopefully.

"Yes." Steven answered and almost power-walked down the street. His hand slipped from my upper arm to my actual hand.

Only when we turned the corner to go to Steven's kombi did he finally let go of me.

As we were speed-walking I remembered the others.

"What about Joey and Tom?" I puffed, trying to keep up with Steven's strides.

"They'll probably bang some chick and find their own way home," he answered.

We walked a little further before I had another realisation.

"Why-?" I began.

"Every time he sees a hot girl he's never seen before he moves in on her," Steven interrupted, answering my unasked question. "He's got some bet about who can bed the most girls before the end of this year,"

"A bet?"

"Yeah, you know, when you-"

"I know what a bet is. Who's he going against?"

"Joe." he said after a couple of seconds. Well, that explains the Courtney chick.

We turned another corner and I was able to see Steven's orange kombi.

We both got in and buckled our seat belts. As Steven drove off, I had yet another realisation.

"You called me hot. Before." I said slowly, looking straight out the front of the van.

"What? No, I... I guess I did," he replied.

I didn't know how to respond to that. No guy has ever thought that about me before. We drove most of the way in silence.

"You going straight home?" Steven asked quietly.

"Of course I am, why?" I said.

"Well, I mean,"

"What?"

"You could just crash at my place," I saw Steven's knuckles go white from gripping the steering wheel.
I didn't know how to respond to that either.

"Why?" I asked awkwardly.

"Nah, forget it, I'll take you home." he sighed.

"Thank you," I replied.