Chapter Twenty Two

I step over the threshold, lazily. Sleep still has its control over me. I'm surprised I even made it to the apartment in one piece. I throw the keys into the dish and rub my neck.
    
Before I left Hayes' house, I asked him if he could look at Teri's car. He did and said there was nothing wrong with it. I crank the car and it roared to life. Why didn't it last night? I'm too exhausted to make up an explanation. It started and that's all that matter, right?
   
I didn't even make it six steps before Teri bombs me with questions. I couldn't even force myself to listen to her. I heard her last question.
       
"Why are you wearing Hayes' shirt?"
     
I forgot I still had on his shirt. It feels so natural to wear it.
     
"It rained and I got wet. He let me borrow it." I explain, in a short and quick summary.
       
Her eyes widen. "You stayed the night with Hayes? Alone?"
     
"Yeah. It's not a big problem. The car wouldn't start."
         
She smiles. "I used that excuse a bunch of time to stay with Shawn." She tells me. She wiggles her eyebrows. "So tell me how was he?"
     
I don't have the energy to comprehend what she meant. "He was alright. Worried about me."
   
"Just alright?" She repeats. "And why was he worried about you? The guy has mind blowing experiences. He could of  taught you some things."
     
I stare at her. I should've known Teri was talking about something else. I stop her before she can explain what Hayes can do.

"We didn't have sex."
     
Her eyebrows shoots up in surprise or maybe shock or possibly both. "What?"
  
I knew Teri wasn't a virgin anymore and Hayes taught her things but it wasn't anything serious. She doesn't like Hayes like that. As slutty as that might sound, Teri wanted her 'first time' to be special. I couldn't really be mad at Hayes because it was months before I met him and Teri moved on with Shawn. The only one I really had to worry about is Daire but Hayes swears up and down, he has no interests in her. It was just an honest fling. Apparently, Daire didn't believe that.
     
"I'm still a virgin" I tell her, plopping down on the couch.
   
"What?" She repeats. "We're talking about Hayes, right?"
      
"Teri, it's been a week." I point out. "Not enough time for me to give up my ticket yet."
      
She sighs. "I forgot it just been a week. The way you guys move together makes me think you guys been dating for months."
        
"Yeah well, we haven't." I say, leaning my head on the couch behind me. "Anything else you want to accuse me of?"
      
She shakes her head. "No. You look like you're gonna fall asleep any second and I want you to be fully energized for tonight."
      
"What's tonight?" I ask.
       
"We're going to a party to celebrate the end of July."
       
I forgot today is the last day of July. Wow. Summer is pasting right by me. If I haven't moved to California, I would probably be bored out of my mind. I'll take a busy, exciting summer over a boring, lazy one any time.
   
 "Okay well I still have hours before that" I remind her. It's barely noon. I fell asleep around four am this morning and Hayes woke me up at 11:45.
    
I don't know why I'm still tired. I got about seven hours of sleep. I shouldn't be this exhausted.
      
"Um, actually you have about three hours to sleep." Teri informs me.
        
"What?" I exclaim. "Why?"
        
"We have to pick up a few things and help Daire decorate."
        
  "Why?" I repeat, still not seeing the point.
       
"The party is at her house this year." Teri tells me. "Her parents are away on a business trip and won't be home until tomorrow morning."
      
I groan. "Why can't you just come and pick me up?"
       
"Have you not seen Daire's house. It's huge. We need every pair of hands we can get."
       
I don't say anything, I just get up and go to my room, falling onto my bed. I needed all the sleep I can get. Especially if I'm going to be dealing with Daire for the next uncountable hours.
                                ***
"I still don't get why I have to help her" I tell Teri, grabbing the decorations we needed.
    
"Because she's your friend."
    
  I roll my eyes. "Enemy" I suggest, throwing the carton in the basket.
       
We've been shopping for two hours now and my feet are killing me. The stuff Daire needed weren't hard to find they were just all in different stores. The music, drinks and food, cups and plates, and the decorations. I don't know why she needed them.
    
"We need balloons." Teri says, pushing the shopping cart. "Then we can leave."
      
"Why does she need balloons?" I ask. "We're celebrated the end of July not New Year's."
      
Teri ignores me and walks to the aisle the balloons were in. She grabs two packets then heads to the check out aisle.
     
Once we get the bags into the Teri's car, we made our way to Daire's house to start decorating. And let me tell you, Teri isn't lying when she said Daire's house was huge. She lives on the rich side of LA.
     
"Are you sure we can throw a party here?" I question, looking around the peaceful neighborhood.
     
"Yeah. It better be." Teri says, pulling into the drive way. "Or the cops will be here."
      
"Daire isn't that stupid to throw a loud party in a quiet area, is she?" I ask, stepping out the car.
     
"Well she isn't the brightest in our groups" Teri jokes, grabbing bags. "But she knows what she's doing."
     
"Are you sure about that?" I say, closing the car door and heading to the front door.
     
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." Teri opens the door and steps inside. Daire glances up from her phone and smiles.
     
"Thanks for getting the decorations and stuff. I would've went to get them but I've been busy cleaning the house and moving things that are expensive to the shed." She explains.
     
"No problem" Teri says. "We should get started."
    
  I help Teri sit up the tables and place a covering on top of it. Teri stacks the cups and plates on them.
   
Daire begins moving the furniture around so we can set up the music. We hang the disco ball on the ceiling and we begin blowing up balloons.
     
"Where's Gina" I asks, after blowing up my thirty something balloon.
      
"She's getting the rest of the food." Daire tells me. "I think that's enough balloons."
    
  "Oh thank God" I didn't have it in me to blow another one.
         
"What else do we need to do?" Teri asks.
      
Daire looks around the room. "Nothing I think we're good to go."
    
We better be good to go. We spend nearly two hours helping her set up for her party.
    
"Do you think you can be here a little before eight to help me set up the food and drink?"
   
 Teri glances at the clock. 5:55. That gives us roughly, an hour and a half, give or take some, to get ready.
    
"Yeah" Teri agrees. "We'll been here around 7:45."
    
We leave Daire's house and head to the apartment to get ready. Teri takes a quick shower and so do I.
     
I'm brushing my hair when Teri walks into my room.
    
"Do I look alright to you" She asks.
     
She's wearing a red, strapless shirt that clings to her body, showing off her curves and dark skinny jeans that's tight around her butt. Her blond her is curled in loose curls and her make up brings out her soft brown eyes.
     
"You look hot" I inform her.
      
She sighs in relief. "Okay good. What are you wearing?" She asks, sitting down on my bed.
    
I point to my outfit, hanging onto the door handle. She eyes it for a second.
      
"Didn't think you had in you, Collins"
     
I shrug. "It's a party."
    
"You gave me hell when I made you dress up for Skyline."
    
"Things changes"
       
"Does this have something to do with Hayes?" She challenges.
       
"No." I put my brush down. "I actually happen to like that outfit."
   
Truth was it had all to do with Hayes. I know they're going to be other girls there and they're going to want his attention. To say the least, I get jealous easily.
     
I grab the outfit and put it on. It's a short dress. The bottom is black with ruffles and the top is tan and hangs to my every curves. I finish it off with black heeled boots that reaches my mid calves.
      
"You're showing cleavage" Teri points out.
     
"That's how the dress is." I apply a little make up on and swap lip gloss across my lips before I was finished.
     
"You sure you can make it through the night with those heels?"
     
No. Is what I wanted to say.

"We'll see." I tell her, walking out the door.
                                   ***
Hayes doesn't arrive until an hour after the party started. He found me talking to Jake and he wraps his arms around my shoulder, drawing me closer to him.
     
Jake looks at Hayes then at me. "Is he the boyfriend you were talking about?"
     
I bumped into Jake about two times and he started a conversation about how it must be destiny we keep running into each other. I told him it wasn't likely because I already have boyfriend. He jokes about how a girl like me could do better. I told him to wait until he meets Hayes. There was no competition.
     
I smile at Hayes. "Yep. The one and only"
   
"I see what you meant about no competition." Jake says, nodding his head. "You really are a heart breaker."
    
I shrug. "Only sometimes. I couldn't break his heart." I pat on Hayes' chest.
      
A pretty blond headed girl calls Jake's name and he turns his head.
    
 "Alright, Audrey" Jake says "I'll see ya later"
      
As soon as Jake is out of sight, Hayes faces me, with narrow eyes.
      
"What?" I ask.
       
"You know what" He says. "Why were you talking to him?"
       
"It's a party, Hayes" I tell him. "People talk to each other. Stop worrying."
      
"It's kinda hard not to when you're dressed like this"
         
I cross my arms. "You have nothing to worry about"
         
"Oh but you do"
          
"Exactly." I say. "I see the way girls look at you. It's kinda hard not to miss."
     
He grins. "Are you jealous, Boo?"
        
I shift my eyes away from his. "Maybe."
        
"You don't have to worry because I only have my eyes on you."
     
He places his fingers under my chin and turns it so I'm facing him. He gives me a quick kiss and just like that my worries disappears.
       
"I'm going have to do something about you" He tells me.
        
"Why?"
       
"You're too sexy for own good." He grabs my hand.
         
"Oh really?"
         
"You have to know the affects you have on me. It's powerful."
           
"Is that so?" I tease. "Do you want me to do something about it?"
         
He licks his lower lips. "I want you to do a lot of things." He admits.
          
"Then what are you waiting for?"
           
He press me up against the wall and kisses me with a rush of passion and heated feelings. My arms snakes around his neck. He suddenly pulls away and smirks at my pouting face.
       
"Why'd you pull away?"
        
"Did you forget we're at a party?"
          
I shrug. "And?" Bunch of teenagers makes out in the open. They didn't seem to care. Neither did I.
            
"I can't do what I want to do here"
       
"We can leave." I say. I don't want to be here anyway.
        
"You really want me, don't you?"
     
I nod my head. "Yeah. I do."
      
"Sorry to disappoint, Boo, but even I'm not ready to take your virginity."
       
  He takes my hand and leads to the dancefloor. Teri and Shawn are already dancing. Chris is talking to Gina and I don't know where Daire is.
       
Hayes grabs my hips and we dance to the beat of the music.