“Just leave me alone, Riley!”
7
HOUSE PARTY?
“What a bitch,” I said to myself as I grabbed Frankie from the sofa and carried him to my room, slamming the door behind me. Why would my sister do this to me? Why wouldn’t she just ask me about it? She and I usually had each other’s back. I felt betrayed by my sister, the only person in this family who had never tried getting in my way. We had an unspoken pact. A code. We got along. I stayed out of her way and kept the secrets she didn’t want people to know, and she respected my space and privacy.
And what have I done to you, Dana?I thought bitterly.Really though, what had I done to her to warrant such a warning and sour response?
Frankie curled up to my leg after I threw myself on the floor. I was leaning on the side of my bed, my eyes closed, trying to push away the unsavory thoughts that flooded my mind. I sat there for several minutes, ignoring the sounds of my twin brothers and my mom returning from my grandma’s house. I then felt a tap on my thigh. Frankie had turned over onto his back, his left paw reaching over to me, begging to give him a belly rub.
“Mister Frankie want some rubs,” I blurted as he turned toward me, forcing the skin on his head to tighten, revealing the whites of his eyes. I reached down to scratch the outsides of his hind legs, and he elongated his already long and stout body.You always know just what I need, little man.
I leaned down to give him a peck on the nose, triggering him to gently lick his left nostril. It’s funny how dogs always lick their noses after a kiss. I grabbed my iPod from the bedside drawer, but a sudden vibration from my pocket stopped me.
Sorry to hear that. You okay?he texted.
I gasped, forgetting that I had texted him before returning home from Cedar Point.
Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for asking. Nothing some time with my dog won’t fix.But really, was I fine?
The time spent with Frankie made me feel better. It was relaxing. But thoughts of Dana still swirled around in the back of my mind. On one hand I wanted to distance myself from her after the comments in the car and the warning she gave me about Thad. On the other, I couldn’t imagine a life without my childhood best friend.
Haha.My phone vibrated again before he added,You up for anything tonight?
“Am I up for anything tonight?”I whispered.I’m a seventeen-year-old gay kid with barely any friends and no car, I thought.Why wouldn’t I be?
Nothing planned. You?I replied. He was asking, so maybe he wanted something to happen.
Going to my cousin’s house party across town, want to come?He responded so quickly I could only infer that hedidwant me to come.
“A house party,”I read out loud as Frankie nudged my leg again for more attention. I’d never been to a house party before. Not once. I didn’t think people saw me as the house party type of person. Dana and even some of our other friends had thrown house parties throughout sophomore and junior year, but they never invited me. I always had to learn about it Monday mornings as they gossiped about who puked where and who slept with who. I usually pretended it didn’t bother me, but it did. Why hadn’t they ever invited me?Maybe I should go.Wouldn’t you?
Yeah. I’d like that, I typed out, grinning.
He immediately texted back.Cool. Be there in 15.
I jumped up, scaring Frankie half to death, causing him to roll over. “Sorry, little man.”
I threw on my favorite dark navy jeans and my nicer shoes, then grabbed a charcoal gray polo from my top drawer before sneaking out of my room and heading to the bathroom. Luckily no one heard me, and after a few minutes of fidgeting with my clothes and my hair, I snuck back into my room to grab my phone, wallet, and keys. “Should I bring my iPod?” I asked myself.Yes. You never know.
My pockets were stuffed with all of my important belongings: wallet in the back-left pocket and phone in the right; keys in the front left pocket and iPod in the right. I glanced in the mirror before leaving my room to make sure I didn’t look like a clown with pudgy pockets, then grabbed a cardigan before discreetly closing my door. You never know when it’s going to be cold in Michigan. Always be prepared for our bipolar weather.
I texted Thad to meet me in front of the stop sign a few houses down. I didn’t want to chance Riley catching me again and causing more unrest.
“What?” I looked a few houses down, wondering why he was outside of his car, leaning against the stop sign.
“Why are you dressed up? It’s not that kind of a party.” He giggled.
You didn’t have to get out of your car.
I looked down at what I was wearing. “This isn’t dressed up. It’s comfortable.”
“Comfortable?” He raised his brow, looking down at my shoes, then up at my neck.
“Huh.” I took a deep breath when he lifted his hand toward my chest, then loosened my polo by undoing the top button. My stomach jumped and my fists clenched.
How bold,I thought as his eyes met mine. Who gave him permission to cross over my personal space like that? Normally I try to avoid unwarranted physical touch, especially when people want to touch my face or hair. Even now people try to touch my hair.“Who does your hair?”they ask as I lean back to avoid their contact. I know my hair looks nice, but please don’t touch it. It takes time and effort for me to style it. The funny thing is, I didn’t squirm or move away when he neared me.