… a party

I find myself in the late afternoon drawing, the drawing is rather dark drawing since I don't know how to draw any other drawings that don't have that feel to them. As my pencil traces along the paper my phone goes off, I look over at it and Melody is calling. I let out a sigh.

"Hello?" I answer,

"We're gonna pick you up at five." She dictates.

"Five?" I panic, why so early? Parties never start this early… besides I was rather enjoying my afternoon— I wonder if I could just skip it. But then I think about when the school year is going to start and I won't know anyone. The last thing that I would want is to get bullied for being 'awkward' and 'shy.'

"Yes, my stupid brother agreed to help set up the party so we have to be there like at six or something." She replies.

Damn, "Okay see you!" I hang up and then jump up in a small panic.

I try to pinpoint my suitcase, I rush over to it and quickly shake all the clothes out of it. I was supposed to pack a long time ago but I didn't have it in me to force myself.

I take out my purple top and my white pants and then lay them out on the other side of the bed.

I quickly take off my baggy shirt and pants and slip on my clothes.

Then my blood runs cold as I realize that my curtains are wide open.

I then turn quickly around as I then heave a sigh of relief as I see that his shades are down. Thank goodness!

My head pops up as I hear a knock on my door, "Who is it?" I ask.

"Honey your friends are here." My stepmother says.

Already? "Okay I'll be down there in a second, thank you." I yelp as I slip on my open-toe black leather boots and fix my fringe while looking in the mirror.

I storm out of my room and head downstairs, exactly as I suspected my father is giving Andrew a stern talk while my three brothers are folding their arms and backing him up.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" My father asks in a serious mellow dramatic tone.

"Yes, tell us your intentions are Andrew Hunters," Todd says still probably holding a grudge from the last meeting.

"Well Sir, I'm taking your daughter?" He nervously says as he looks at my father and then turns to my brother, "And your sister."

"To a little get-together." He says meekly, "I'll take good care of her." He says with a light smile.

But my dad and my brothers aren't budging.

He then turns back to my father, "Sir I promise I only have good intentions—" He pronounces earnestly.

"Okay, that's enough!" I interrupt as I make my way downstairs, I then see Melody snickering at her brother from behind him.

Andrew looks at me, his eyes light up and his facial expression is stunned. I will admit it did make my heart flutter.

"Are we going?" I ask in a rush— an absolute hurry to leave my father and nosey brothers.

"Wait are you not wearing makeup?" Melody interjects.

"I don't really wear makeup," I tell her.

"You don't need makeup," Andrew says eyes still fixed on me.

"Hey, buddy do you want me to beat you up, stop hitting on my sister!" Todd scolds.

"I'm sorry." He says apologetically, "I'm sorry sir." He apologizes to my father as well.

Which makes my father smirk and nod his head in approval.

"It's okay just have her here by twelve." He orders.

Andrew nods and shakes my father's hand and Melody waves him goodbye.

My dad exchanged a look between Melody and myself, "Do you know what kid I trust you, just don't do anything reckless." He says in a calm voice and I nod and give him a tight hug.

Andrew had his hands tight on the steering wheel as he drives to Jemma's house as if he has something on his mind.

"Twelve?! What are you a grandma?!" Melody burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

"My dad trusts me so I can leave at any time." I fold my arms in protest. But Melody still laughs at me, which allows the vein in the middle of my forehead to show, I can feel it throbbing with rage, I want to give her a tight smack.

"Okay how about the radio," Andrew mentions calmly trying to diffuse the situation.

Then he looks at me, "She's a little nut isn't she." He smiles at me as he teases his sister. And for a moment our eyes meet leaving us to stare hopelessly at one another.

When we arrive at Jemma's house I start to become a bit more anxious. Andrew parks in front of this huge glass house. I steadily get out of Andrews's Jeep but I somehow still managed to fumble, I blame the boots. I gather myself before walking off, thank goodness Melody didn't see, I wouldn't have heard the end of it.

"Next time wait for me." He says softly. I guess he saw, I turn sheepishly away before he could say anything further.

We walk up Jemma's driveway,

"I like to come a bit early to Jemma's parties because you know parking is always a problem when it starts to become full," Andrew says to no one in particular.

"You sound like you're in your late forties." Melody mocks but Andrew ignores her with a light facial expression on his face.

"Andrew!" Says a girl with blonde hair as she runs up to him and hugs him, he returns it—they finally break free and she looks at Melody, "I wish I could say it's good to see you." The girl insults.

"Same." Melody answers with a bitter facial expression while her arms are folded.

Then she looks over to me, "Who is this, your cousin?" She queries.

"No." Andrew jumps to answer, "I mean no." He responds as he gathers his calm exterior back and opens his mouth to speak more, "Jemma this is Lucy, Lucy this is Jemma." He smiles. He has a beautiful smile, wide and white. He has a deep dimple that rests on his right cheek.

"Isn't Lucy like an old person's name or something?" Jemma laughs.

"I think Lucy is I pretty name," Andrew mentions.

"Yes far better than Jemma!" Melody hops on that insult-Jemma-wagon.

Andrew quickly turns to Melody, "Mel, be nice!" He bites at his sister then he turns back to Jemma. "Sorry, Jemma." Andrew apologizes on behalf of his sister.

"Why are you saying sorry?! She started first!" Melody exclaims and Andrew shakes his head.

"You sound like a five-year-old— just let it go." He frowns at his sister.

"It's okay Andrew." Jemma says as she takes his arm, "Can you help carry the keg?" She asks as she walks off with him, "And then we can go for a beer run— because there's still not enough." She tells him.

"Okay, guys I'm coming back." Andrew shrugs and gives me an apologetic look, and then disappears with Jemma.

"Ugh, I hate that girl!" Melody barks.

"Why she's not that bad." I tease.

"Oh hah ha very funny Lucy." She says as we walk off to the lounge area and sit down on the sofa.

"Woah, who's the babe?!" Says a guy who looks like he could be a frat boy in his early twenties, he walks over to us and plants himself right next to me, "I don't suppose you have a boyfriend?" He whispers roughly already smelling of alcohol.

I quickly jump up, "I— I'm not interested." I stammer as I grow anxious.

"Well, I'm interested in you." He smiles lazily. Trying his utmost hardest to flirt with me.

"Hey Ryan, she said she isn't interested." Melody stands up and pushes her body in between him and me. Creating a barrier.

"Jeez, I'm just trying to have a little fun you buzz kill, by the way, Melody no guy like tall girls and that's a fact." With that being said he gets up and then walks off.

"I'm not that tall I'm only five-eight, you idiot!" She shouts after him.

She huffs, "Boys make me so angry!" She grunts as she shakes her fists in anger. Then she looks me up and down and frowns. "By the way how tall are you— I mean you're still short and you're wearing high heels."

"It's not that high— it's a little stub." I protest, "I mean I'm five-three, but it's not that short." I chuckle nervously.

"Five thee, what I'm a whole five inches taller than you!" She exclaims, "that's insane, you're tiny." She teases.

"That's not funny." I frown.

She smiles, "It kinda is." She says as she takes my arms, "Come let's go where there are a few people because I think that the guys here have an eye for you."

"I— really?" I frown.

She shakes her head, "don't fish for compliments, Lucy."

We then get up and grab ourselves a drink. We play a little pool, we talk about boys and what's our type and what are red flags in a guy.

"I like a guy who's kind to me," I say sheepishly.

"So boring… I like danger!" She exclaims and I burst out into laughter. Melody is funny and blunt. I smirk at the fact that she is growing on me.

I then turn to the door and in comes Andrew, my heart contracts. He looks handsome, his hair is messy probably from the labor of grabbing drinks. He doesn't have his jacket on anymore, showing his lean muscles which takes me by surprise, then the vague image of him in a towel appears in my head. My throat becomes dry as I become flustered, I turn away, gripping the pool stick a bit too tight.

"Hey sorry I took so long— what did I miss?" Andrew asks.

Melody opens her mouth to speak but I beat her to it, "Nothing!" I exclaim. "Just playing some pool." I smile.

"Oh good, the guys didn't bother you?" He smiles at me. "To be honest I was a bit worried about that, that's why I came back so quickly." He admits.

I look over to Melody and she is shaking her head in disapproval at me. But I only shrug meekly.

A few hours passed and the house is flooded with people, Andrews's friends dragged him to play beer pong which he refused because he was driving home. So they practically begged him to watch.

So that leaves me watching his friends play beer pong, and I am bored out of my mind. Wondering where Melody disappeared to.

"I'm going to the bathroom." I lie, as I try to escape.

"Oh okay, do you want me to come with you?" He asks.

I shake my head and gesture for him to stay here, "Please don't." I say awkwardly.

"I don't trust the people here." He says desperately.

"I'll be fine, promise," I reassure him.

"Okay fine." He smiles in an unsure manner as he watches me leave.

I find my way outside to the pool area where some people are swimming in their underwear. I pull a face and direct my gaze elsewhere.

I just needed a breather, it was so crowded in there… and awkward.

"So we meet again." Says a jock voice coming towards me, I step back.

"You know I was just heading back in," I tell him as I quickly brush past him but then he grabs a hold of my wrist violently.

"Ow!" I cry out.

I look to the pool area for help but everyone is just watching the scene with wide eyes. I frown.

"Please let go." I politely ask.

"Do you know you have got to be the prettiest girl I have ever seen?" He says and I can smell the stench of alcohol coming from him. Even stronger than before.

"You're drunk!" I tell him and try to break free but he takes a hold of my other wrist.

"You're hurting me!" I cry.

"Hey!" Shouts a voice from behind him as the guy yanks him away from me then he punches him square in the jaw, and the jock immediately falls flat on the ground.

The saying the bigger they are the harder they fall comes to mind, I shake my head as to how accurate it is.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" He says in a strained voice with a light English accent.

I turn to the voice only to find that it is my neighbor.