“Well, I don’t know. What did you have in mind?” I asked. By now Nicole had joined us near the table and was sitting on a chair. Penny just shrugged and Nicole was looking at her feet swinging them back and forth playfully. After a while of silence Penny moved over to the couch and started texting with her cell phone. I just sat down at the table and tapped my fingers steadily. As if on cue the doorbell rang. I jumped up from my seat and practically sprinted over to the entryway. Ian’s friendly face was waiting for me behind the door.



“Hey Ian! Why are you over here already?” He frowned faintly at my question and I quickly continued on, “Not that I’m not glad to see you or anything.” His frown then returned back to a smile and he handed me a clear CD case that he had been holding.



“I forgot to give you this yesterday.” Inside was a silver CD. Ian’s song. I smiled joyfully before taking it from his hands.



“Thanks!” Ian just kind of stood there while I admired the gift. I hadn’t realized he was still there when I went to turn to go inside. The thought then crossed my mind to invite Ian in. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Hanging out with Ian was the perfect thing to kill time and put me in a good mood for the party, Ian always had that kind of effect on people. “Do you want to come in?” Ian nodded and grinned at the same time while he hurriedly made his way into my living room. I shut the door behind him, still admiring the CD. Ian sat down on the couch next to Penny and started talking to her while I went into my room to put the present away. I sat it on my nightstand so I would know exactly where it was when it came time to look for it. I rushed out into the living room when I heard Penny’s screaming and Ian’s teasing laughs. Ian had taken Penny’s cell phone and was dangling it out of her reach.



“Ian! Stop it!” Penny yelled as she now began chasing him around the sofa, Ian was quicker though and leaped over the couch then hid behind me who was now standing dumb founded in the middle of the living room. Penny, stuck on the other side of the couch out of desperation hurled a cushion at him. But Ian ducked and the padding hit me in the face. Ian then bolted from behind me when Penny charged toward him yelling at him constantly. “That’s my brand new phone! Give it back!” Ian did nothing but laugh at her attempts to retrieve the device until I had finally had enough.



“Stop! Both of you!” I shouted, but they ignored me as if I were just mere air. I cleared my throat so I could yell even louder this time. “I said stop!” Instantly they both turned to look at me and Ian stuck his hands up dropping the phone at the same time. Penny scrambled over and snatched the phone hastily putting it in her pocket. “Thank you.” I walked over calmly and sat down on the couch and began flipping through the channels on the television. Ian and Penny came to join me still arguing with each other before each taking a seat beside me.



Eventually Penny and Ian forgot there little disagreement and we watched television, Ian cracked jokes and we all talked as if nothing had happened. That’s what I loved about my friends, they always knew how to forgive and forget. We watched TV for hours and Nicole came to join us a short while after Penny and Ian’s quarrel. She brought along with her a bag of potato chips and four cans of grape soda. By the time we finished watching TV the bag of chips were empty and all four cans lay crushed on the floor. When I got up to start picking up the trash and turn off the television Penny looked at me with pleading eyes. I looked towards the clock and nodded at her. She jumped up eagerly and ran towards the bedroom.



“What’s her problem?” Ian belched after asking.



“She’s been waiting all day to get ready for Kate’s party.” I threw away the trash then went back to the living room where Ian had his feet hanging over the arm of the sofa and his arms behind his head like a pillow.



“Oh yeah.” He looked at his watch wearily. “I guess that means I better get going then.” I just tilted my head and smiled at him. He then got up and let himself out. “See you later. I’ll stop by a half an hour before the party so we can go catch a bus.” He then shut the door and started walking home. Good, I had remembered to tell Ian my mom couldn’t drive us. I drug me feet along the floor as I entered my bedroom. Here goes nothing, I told myself.



Penny had already laid out my clothes across the bed and was now rummaging through her suitcase to find a suitable outfit.



“I thought you already had an outfit picked out?” I groaned as I entered the room and sat down on the bed lazily.



“I did. But I don’t like it anymore.” She then pulled out a purple floral blouse and some ripped shorts. “This one is a million times better!” I just shook my head and turned my gaze to the clothes laid out on my bed and sighed. “Well don’t just sit there!” Penny said, already beginning to change into her outfit. I groaned dramatically but Penny didn’t take notice. Once I had the clothes on I stared at myself in the mirror. Penny appeared behind me with a huge grin on her face. “So, do you like it?” I was silent for a second but then answered her.



“Sure, I look nice, I guess.” I felt very uncomfortable, I never dressed like this. And it felt weird to look, good.



“Nice? You look great!”



I shrugged “Thanks.” I then turned away from the mirror to go to the bathroom so I could do my hair and make-up. I simply brushed my hair and put some stuff in it to keep it from frizzing. My make-up only took me about ten minutes and when I returned to the bedroom Penny was curling her hair.



“You’re finished already?” She asked focused on her hair.



“Yep, we have about an hour until the party starts so if you want to get there on time you’re going to have to hurry so we can catch the next bus.”



“All right. I’m almost finished anyway. But you on the other hand…” I sighed as Penny took the curling iron out of her hair and came towards me with it. It didn’t take her long to do my hair and soon after we finished I heard Ian ring the doorbell. When I opened the door Ian’s mouth dropped when he saw me. I rolled my eyes at him and playfully closed his mouth with my index finger. “Wow,” He said, “You look…”



“Whatever Ian, I don’t look that different.” I interrupted. Penny looked slightly annoyed that Ian hadn’t even made the smallest comment about her ensemble, but it’s not like Penny didn’t look gorgeous, but I think she just looks like that everyday therefore Ian didn’t take any notice.



We decided to walk downtown to the nearest bus stop. I was finding it painful to walk in the shoes penny had given me and before we were even half way there I had changed into the flip flops I had brought along just in case something like this happened. When we arrived at the bus stop no one was there but an elderly man with a fedora feeding peanuts to squirrels. We all sat down on the bench and I bounced my knees up and down nervously. Why was I doing this? There was still time to back out; all I would have to do was make a run for it. By the time Ian figures out what’s happening he won’t be able to catch me. Just when I was about to make my move the bus halted to a stop in front of us and I backed out on my plan. The bus ride made me even more nervous and I crossed my hands across my chest. Ian who was sitting next to me comfortingly put his arm around me.



“Calm down, I’m sure you’ll end up having a blast at the party.” I turned my head away from him to look out the window.



“Yeah, I’m sure it will be a night to remember.” I said playfully. He laughed at my sarcastic tone and I looked at Penny who was sitting in the seat beside us talking on her cell phone, giggling wildly. She was probably talking to that guy again. I felt a wave of jealousy hit me but then quickly shook it off. Unfortunately for me the bus ride flew by and before I knew it we were standing outside of Kate’s house. I looked down to stare at my trembling hands and I took a huge gulp. Kate’s house was huge and already kids were swarming around the grounds. A few kids were playing with a Frisbee in the front yard and I reluctantly took a step forward up the front path. Ian grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently to reassure me. Penny rang the doorbell and I trembled. I sighed in relief when the person who answered the door wasn’t Kate. The older girl greeted us with a smile and winked at Ian, but he seemed to take no notice. I looked around once we were inside and noticed all of the people crammed together. People were breaking things left and right, sliding down the staircase and god knows what else. The music was blaring so loud I could hardly hear myself think, and the bright flashes of color from all of the lights left me dazed and confused. There must have been at least two hundred people there. I looked to my right but Penny had already disappeared into the crowd. Ian, who still had my hand, led me over to the living room where the music was even louder and then I spotted Kate standing by the punch table talking to a group of people. Her bright cherry lips stuck out with her long black hair but were the same shade as her short red mini dress. I froze terrified but Ian dragged me over to the other side of the living room out of Kate’s view.