His Mission

The party before my birthday.

My mouth falls open with shock when the Uber stops off outside of Ivory's house. There's no mistaking which one is hers. Crowds of people hang around in the front garden, and the music can be heard blaring from inside the house. I stare up at the large detached house with awe. "What do Ivory's parents do for a living? This place is fancy," I say before stepping out of the car. Trish links her arm through mine before guiding me up the stairs toward the entrance.

"Are you ready for this?" She asks me with a sparkle of excitement in her eyes. I inhale a deep breath before nodding my head in response. "Yeah, I'm ready. Bring it on."

We enter the front door to the sight of the entire school crammed into Ivory's house. The furniture is pushed aside in the living room to make a makeshift dance floor. An amateur bar area is set up in the living room and the kitchen. The music is the loudest in the living room, but the rest of the house is safe from causing damage to someone's hearing. A group of older boys are playing beer pong in the kitchen, and their belly laughter echoes off the walls.

"Trish! Emily! You made it," Ivory smiles while bouncing toward us. She looks incredible in a crop top and high waisted flare trousers. Trish holds up the bottle of alcohol she stole from her Mom's stash. "We wouldn't miss a legendary Ivory party. Where do you want this?" Ivory directs us over to the kitchen. We make our way through the bodies of our classmates, and I notice several people turning to look in our direction. I gently prod Trish in the ribs to catch her attention — "Why are people staring at us?" I ask her, feeling the nerves bubbling away inside me.

"They're staring because we look hot," Trish says confidently while holding her head up high. I bite down on my bottom lip before inhaling a deep breath. If I have any chance of relaxing, I need a drink and I need it fast. Trish pours us both a raspberry gin with lemonade. I take a sample sip before nodding in pleasant surprise. "Wow, it's good," I tell her. Trish grins before topping up my cup.

"Now you've got your drink, go mingle! Don't go too far though," she winks at me. I slowly pull myself away from her with hesitancy. Trish resembles my safety blanket, but I can't remain glued to her the entire night. I know she's encouraging me to mingle for my own benefit. I lift the drink up before taking a large gulp of it. There's numerous friendly faces in the crowd, so I take a deep breath before diving in to make conversation.

*

I'm three drinks down when I feel the anxiety completely leaving my body. It's replaced with confidence, and a strong desire to have fun. I've been dancing with a group of girls from school for the last hour. One of them bounces toward me with a mischievous smile on her lips. "A total hottie wants to dance with you," she tells me before pushing me toward a face I don't recognise. He looks older than me, and his dark brown eyes sparkle with intention when we make eye contact. I release an awkward laugh when he takes a step closer to me so I can hear him over the music.

"I've never seen you at one of these parties before," the boy says down my ear while shuffling closer. He smells like strong cologne mixed with beer. I take a sip of my drink before smiling up at him. "It's actually my first time. Is it obvious?"

"Not at all, you're a natural." He grins before offering me his hand. "I'm Jared," he introduces himself. I slide my hand into his before giving it a small shake. "I'm Emily," I tell him confidently. The alcohol is definitely working in providing me with the confidence I need to speak to total strangers. His dark eyes drift down my body before flashing with approval. "You look good tonight, Emily."

"Thanks! I like your shirt," I tell him, pointing at the graphic on the front of his shirt. It's a graphic from one of my favourite shows, Stranger Things. "That's a cool demogorgon," I tell him. His gaze settles on my lips, and he struggles to hear me over the music. "What did you say?"