Tonight's party is at Kyle Drayton's house. Kyle is on the football team and pretty cute with his blond hair and green eyes. He's going with Pam and is an okay guy I guess. The party is in his basement and overflowing out onto the patio and into the pool. There are two kegs and we grab our red Solo cups and then Patrick runs off to find Jason. Kim and Ryan are arguing and not wanting to watch the latest train wreck, I find myself a quiet corner to nurse my beer.
The music is loud and not to my style, I'm more of a Katy Perry/Taylor Swift girl and this stuff is all club music and techno crap. I watch Kim and Ryan fight and then she storms off and he wanders over to me, looking glum.
Ryan flops down on the loveseat beside me and runs both hands through his wavy hair.
"You guys keep fighting." I sip my beer and watch him. He's totally pissed.
"I know." Ryan's voice is tight and he cracks his knuckles one by one and starts snapping his fingers. I think the guy has ADHD or something. He can't ever seem to sit still.
"Do you really like Kim?" The beer is making me brave.
Ryan turns to look at me, his blue eyes serious. "I do. I love her. But she can't stay away from Jason. I don't understand why!"
"Maybe you should just find someone else, Ryan." I give him what I hope is a flirty smile but he just scowls at me.
"I don't want anyone else, I want Kim!" He jumps up and storms off.
Patrick reappears suddenly with his stupid phone out, filming me.
"Babe, Babe." He sticks the thing in my face. "Get up and dance and I'll film you. You know, like a sexy thing."
I drain my beer and flip him and his camera off. "Go away with that thing!" I get up and go outside for some fresh air.
A bunch of people are in the pool, others are making out on the lawn furniture. I look for a place to just get away and see a familiar face across the lawn. Manny is sitting on a bench, holding a beer.
"Hey," I go over to him and sit down. "I didn't know you'd be here."
He looks at me with hard eyes. "Why? Because you didn't think I'd be invited?"
I ignore the snark in his tone. "I didn't know you and Kyle hung out."
"I'm on the football team. And the wrestling team." He says. "You apparently didn't know that?"
"No." But then I remember seeing Manny on the sidelines during football season and smile. "Oh yeah, you're like the backup quarter back, right? Mostly on the bench."
He glares at me and takes a long drink. "Yeah, not someone you and your friends would even notice, right?"
I get how snotty that sounded and wince. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that."
"What did you mean it to sound like then?"
Open mouth, insert foot. "Just, I don't know. Just talking I guess."
Manny stands up, crushing his empty beer can against his thigh. "Well don't. Not to me anyway. I wouldn't want you to lower yourself to speak to a peasant like me!"
"Manny!"
He storms away and I just sit there. Jeez, is this why he's always so pissy to me? He thinks I act better than him?
"AARGGGGGGHHHHH!"
I nearly jump out of my skin as someone screams and grabs me in the dark.
Patrick has me in his arms and is laughing his ass off while Jason comes from behind a nearby tree with that fucking cell phone again.
"Oh my God, that was awesome!" Jason falls to his knees cracking up and a bunch of people come running to see who's been murdered.
"What the fuck is wrong with you two?!" I jerk myself from Patrick's arms and start slapping him but he easily dodges me, still laughing.
"Come on babe, lighten up!" Patrick tries to touch me but I slap him again.
"This is gonna go viral, man!" Jason keeps filming me and I push my way through the laughing crowd and run around the house to the street. I'll walk home if I have to. I am so fucking done with this.
"Taryn!" Ryan pulls his Beamer up beside me and looks at me with concern. "You okay? I'm heading home if you want a ride."
Without answering I jump in the passenger seat and he peels off down the street. Kim will be mad as hell but I don't care.
"What happened?"
I can feel Ryan's eyes on me in the dark but I stare out the window. "Patrick and Jason filmed me looking stupid. It's going to be all over the internet. I fucking hate them!" I wipe a stray tear from my eye.
"Jeez, that sucks." Ryan lays a hand on mine and squeezes. "Maybe your parents can stop it?"
"I can't bring them into this, it will be even more embarrassing!"
Ryan removes his hand and stares at the road. "I think Kim's going to dump me."
"I'm sorry, Ryan." I glance at him in the dark. I can see the angular profile of his face. I pull my eyes away because I really want to kiss him right now, and I hate that I can't have him. That I can't even try to get him. Or can I?
I take a deep breath. "Ryan..."
"Hmmm?" He puts the radio on low and some wordless music comes on. I don't know what it is but it has a nice tune, soft and relaxing, kind of mystic like.
"Kim is going to break up with you." Fuck.
