“Come on, it’s one night. You're going into your junior year, it’s time to start living a little.” Maggie nudges my arm as we walk home together after the first day of school. I was not the party type so when the capitán of the varsity football team announced he was throwing a party for all the upper class man it was a no brained that I would be staying home that night. Or at least it would have been if I didn’t have a friend like Maggie who would likely blackmail me into going if it came down to it. I sigh and give her a look that she knows all too well. It was the same one I gave her back in freshman  year when she tried to convince me to join the track team. Or when she tried to get me to sneak out last month to go get pizza with her in the middle of the night. She knew damn well that I had no interest in going but she also knew me. And knowing me she knew that I would eventually cave. Even if it was ten minutes before the party started and she had to rush to pick me up. She knew I wouldn’t say no to her. And she used that against me…all the damn time. “Fine.” I mumble under my breath causing a grin to crepa onto her face. “Great! I’ll pick you up at six on Friday.” After those words leave her mouth I instantly regret agreeing but the damage is done and Friday creeps around faster than I would have liked.

I stood in front of my mirror pulling up my hair when I hear a car horn outside my window. I grab my purse and make my way downstairs where I find Maggie waiting at the door. “Hurry up or we are going to be late.” She says, turning on her heel and walking back to the car. “Bye mom and dad, love you!” I call out before closing and locking the front door. I hop in Maggie’s car and she pulls out of my driveway. “You excited?” She glances over at me and I give her an unamused look. “Very.” I say sarcastically, causing her to chuckle. “I can tell, you look just thrilled.” 

I roll my eyes and glance down at my phone. “You asked me to go, you didn’t ask me to pretend to be happy about it.” The phone is suddenly snatched out of my hand. “Not tonight.” Maggie slips the phone in her pocket and I glare at her. “Why the hell not?” I ask.

“Girl if you have your phone then you are going to use it as an excuse to avoid socializing.” She says, turning onto the street that the robotic voice of the maps woman instructs her to. “And besides, it’s only a few hours. If you really need it then I’ll give it back to you.” I let out a small huff at her words and lean back in my seat as she pulls into the driveway of a contemporary farm house. “Damn.” Maggie let’s put a low whistle as she pulls the keys out of the ignition before turning to me. “Ready for this mate?” I sigh and nod before climbing out of the car. We walk over to the front door and ring the doorbell. It is almost instantly opened by one of the other juniors I recognize from my chemistry class. His dark skin is a bit sun flushed from constant exposure over the summer and his black hair is a bit messy as if a hand has been running through it. He welcomes us and stands to the side to let us in. “Looks like he’s been having a hell of a time.” Maggie whispers in my ear as we enter the house and I hum in response, looking around at what is at least two dozen other teens present. “Ooh i’mma get us some drinks, stay put!” Before I can let out a word of protest Maggie is already off. “Hey, your on the track team aren’t you?” A voice behind me causes me to turn my head. “Football practice is around the same time, I see all the runners leaving about the same time we finish up.” The guy continues and I furrow my brows. “I’m sorry, who are you?” I ask. He looked familiar but couldn’t match a name to a face if my life depended on it. Apparently what I said was funny because he chuckles. “Well you're in my house so I’d hope you have some idea of who I am.” 

“Oh you’re…Jason, right?” I say after a moment's thought and he nods with a friendly smile before holding out a red solo cup. “It was originally for a friend but he looks a little occupied at the moment.” Jason nods towards the boy who had opened the door for me and Maggie. He was now against the wall with one of the cheerleaders making out. “He might just beat my body count one of these days.” Jason chuckles, quirking a brow before drinking some of the liquid in his own cup. He holds out the extra one again, handing it over to me. “So what’s your name?” He asks after I take the cup. I look down, inspecting the brownish liquid that looks to be Coke or Pepsi inside my cup. “Lizzy.” I respond, not looking up at him quite yet. “Lizzy, is that short for something?” He smirks slightly at me before adding. “It’s coke. I’m not an asshole, don’t worry.” 

I shift my eyes upward to his face. “Elizabeth, it’s short for Elizabeth.” He hums in response. “Well Lizzy. My friends call me Jay.” I raise a brow at his words and tilt my head slightly. “And when did we become friends?” My response may not have been exactly nice but it wasn’t intended to be rude either. “Just now, when we were introducing ourselves. You know that’s typically how friendships start if I’m not mistaken.” I open my mouth to respond but am cut off by Maggie popping up behind me. “You're not.” She says before turning and nudging me. “Come on Liz, I want you to meet someone.” She grabs my wrist without waiting for a response and drags me over to the couch where two people sit talking. “Guys I want you to meet Lizzy.” Maggie says to the couple. The girl stands up and pulls me into a hug. I hesitantly pay her shoulder not knowing how to respond to the unexpected gesture. “I’m Chris and this is Alex.” She nods to the blonde guy who gives a small wave. “You're a junior right?” Chris asks me as she sits back down on the couch and I nod. “Cool, we are both seniors.” She gestures between her and the guy next to her. “Yeah they both are in our Lit class.” Maggie comments. Chris nods before Alex calls out to someone behind us. “Yo, bro who was that chic?” He asks as the dude who had opened the door for me and Maggie approaches the four of us. “I think her name was Lisa.” The guy says before plowing down on an empty armchair nearby. “Aren’t you gay though?” Chris asks him as he leans back in his seat. “I’m bi when it’s convenient.” He then turns to me ignoring the eye rolls he received from both Chris and Alex. “I’m Theodore, or Theo.” He lifts his hand for me to shake. “Lizzy.” I reply, taking his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, I saw you and Jason talking a bit ago.” He says as an arm is placed around his shoulders. “I’d think you were too caught up to notice.” Jason joins the conversation, taking a sip from his drink.” He then turns and nods towards me. “Sup.” I give a slight smile in recognition and he smirks. “Y’all, we should play a game!” Chris suddenly tunes into the conversation before leaning down and shuffling through the games stored on a small shelf under the coffee table. After a few seconds she sits up holding a board game. “What’s this?” She asks Jason, handing over the box. He takes the box in his free hand and turns it over reading the description. “Horrified.” He reads the title aloud. “Must be something my dad bought. Do y’all want to play it?” He looks around before setting his cup down on the coffee table and opening the box. He places the board in the center of the table and pulls out the various pieces. Maggie grabs my wrist and pulls me to sit beside her on the floor. “I call the yellow dude!” Theodore calls out the second the pieces are on the table. Jason tosses him the character and then gives the rest of us each a character to play as before placing the extra one back in the box. I glance down at one I got. Jason had given me the scientist. “Alright so how do we play this thing?” Alex asks, placing an arm around the back of the couch vision behind Chris as he looks down, inspecting his character. Jason sits down in the other empty chair and leans forward as he starts to explain.