Find a Penny, Pick Her Up

Chapter 4

"I'm gonna go look for Justin," I said, stepping up into Eric's house. The end-of-year party sounded in full swing, but Annie promised us all that it wasn't a party until we got there. 

"Wow, slow down," Annie said by my side, accepting a drink from Eric himself. He grinned at Annie, like everyone did, and shut the door behind us. "We just got here." 

I looked around. "I told him I'd find him once I got here." 

"At least take a shot with me first," she said, pulling my arm toward the kitchen. "Be the Party-Penny we all know you are."

I laughed, not resisting her force and letting her lead me into the kitchen. I had to lean into her ear so she could hear me over the music. "Party-Penny is not making an appearance tonight." Party-Penny had become a household name by that point. 

The two of us entered the wide kitchen, the wooden floors gleaming and matching the cabinets. Students I recognized milled about, but my friends were already gathered around the selection of alcohol. 

Annie grabbed a bottle of cheap vodka and carton of orange juice, handing them both to me. "We'll see about that." 

I took them from her with a sigh. One or two wouldn't hurt, right?  Jess, my second favorite, and the rest of our band of five members squealed our names. I looked around me, noticing a bunch of boys had gathered in a room around the corner. They yelled something that resembled a frat battle-cry. I felt Annie grab my chin with her fingers, bringing to her. 

"Drink up," she smiled her dazzling smile, and it was moments like these I wanted to be her number one fan. Like she was mine. The losers of Royal high tip-toed around Annie, though I didn't know why. She was nice - enough, anyway. Put yourself in my shoes. Who wouldn't want the be best friends with the coolest girl in high school? I knew I had reached her status already, but being in Annie's world was different than just walking with her to class or walking into parties together. I eyed the vodka in my hand, then the room of gathered boys.

"Oh, come on." Annie rolled her eyes, sipping her drink. "Remember what we talked about?" I did. 

The plastic bottle touched my lips, burning them instantly and sliding down my throat - 

I woke instantly, almost tasting the dream. My room was dark and cozy, but the reoccurring dream stirred any ounce of drowsiness from me. I checked my phone, flinching once the artificial light hit my eyes. It was five thirty. I buried my face in my pillow. School wasn't for two and a half hours, but I figured I may as well get an early start to the day. Plus, I didn't want to run into my mom. Shirley was waiting. I stopped, remembering. The thought of Shirley led one thing to another, and I almost slapped myself. 

Hamptom. 

Today was the day I was his tour guide. I rolled over, planting my feet on the shaggy carpet beside my bed. Today was the day I would get more glances than usual. I stood, heading to my bathroom. Today was the day that another person would be told about Eric's party. 

~ 

I was out the door without seeing either of my parents, so a relief for me. I pedaled out of the driveway and onto the street, heading en route to Royal high. The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon, but it was still dark. If my parents saw me riding Shirley in the near-dark, they would kill me. But I didn't mind. I liked any time of the day where the town wasn't alive yet, where the only thing to see me are the early-rising seagulls. 

I pedaled up a slight incline, turning down a road. I may have been an hour and a half earlier than the majority of the school, but who says I couldn't get some extra study time done? Time alone on my bike was soothing, especially in Port Royal. After getting through the foliage of neighborhood trees and ordinary greenery, I got to pass the docks. The smell of salt and fish immediately set in the air around me; the fishermen were up and about, loading or unloading their boats. The docks were always one of my favorite places - people didn't come down there often because it wasn't the nicest attraction, but I liked it because of that. That wasn't what life was about. Sure, the biggest beauties were always important. But it was the small, even the least-important, things that ended up mattering the most.