The Long Way Back

Chapter 9.

"So Mellie, you comin to the party this weekend ?" Lukas asked. We were all sitting in our usual place in the Cafeteria, a place I was quickly becoming well accustomed to,

"Um...party? Whose party is it?"

My hands were clenched so tightly below the table I was sure circulation was being cut off.

"It's Kyle's birthday so he's throwing one at his house, it's just an excuse to party with a bunch of girls and get drunk but it should be fun." He said, shrugging.

"Oh yeah, sure sounds like great fun." I said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm sure it won't be, but please come Mels, I need a girlfriend to come with me ." Emma interjected."pleeease?"

She looked over to me with her best puppy dog eyes, doing nothing much to convince me. I hated parties, too much bad music and even worse people.

"Emma I hate parties, like actually with a passion."
"Oh you party pooper, come on please?' She said.

"Yeah pleeeease Mellie?" Lukas butted in.

I'm sure I could just leave early if it was that terrible, right? I didn't want my new friends to think I was boring already.

"Okay fine." I said giving in.

"But fair warning if it's terrible I'm leaving early." I warn them.

"Sure, sure."
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Several days later and many outfits later here I am wearing a tight white dress that reached mid thigh and still managed to make me extremely uncomfortable because of how short it felt, along with a black jacket and Doc Martin boots ready to face one of my many fears. People.

I'd been mentally preparing myself for days now, completely obsessing over the party, more like everything that could go wrong at said party.

I actually think i've come up with like 150 bad things that could happen.

With a final check in the mirror and one last mental pep talk I headed out with Blake to the party.

When we arrived to say my expectations were on point would be an understatement, this party was exactly like the many American movie ones I'd seen or pictured in books.

It was a ginormous beach house standing proudly by the water with millions of cars out the front driveway.

People were flocking in the door in herds. I think Kyle must know every single person our age in the entire south of England. No joke.

With my hands buried in the pockets of my jacket I reluctantly headed to the place I most desperately wanted to walk away from.

I had to make a good impression, that's what I was doing here. I can't come off as a loser from like the very first week. Don't you think that's weird?

Society says be different, unique, do what makes you happy and not what others want you to do. Yet the very second you do so you're an outsider and anomaly. Unfair...huh?

"Mellie you made it!" Carson shouted, pulling me from my cloud of thoughts.

"Oh yeah, I'm here." I replied stupidly. Honestly Mellie, I'm here!? Of course you are, you're right in front of him.