I had this feeling that it wouldn't go well that night at the party. I dismissed it everytime my concious tried to convince me not to go. I wanted to go to that party, for the thrill, for the team, for the company and for myself. To get used to a lot of people.
I just had to go but I needed Jenny incase things got out of hand.
I headed over to Jenny's house in the evening, a little too early than the real time I had to go there.
The party was going to be at Sundown palace, a club mostly visited by students or school going kids. I later found out that it is owned by the coach's brother, that day he'd reserved the whole of it for the celebration. Usually you pay to enter but that night it was free. That wasn't the first time though most such celebration were held there, the team was used to them not many kids from school knew about it anyway not even the school for that matter. It wasn't an official school party. Just for the school team and whoever they invited.
I had put together the whole journey, I would go to Jenny's house at 7 sharp.
An hour is enough to get there when were are moving a bit faster, by 8 the usual time for the party to start we are already there.
I knocked on her door for quite sometime and no one answered. I got a little embarrassed and I stepped away from her house and stood at a distance.
After a few minutes I went back and knocked twice and she opened up and looked at me confused.
" What are you doing here ? " her eyes were sore and her voice was a bit off it seemed like she'd been crying.
" The party " I said excited.
" It's still early " she said dismissively.
" Starts in an hour " I said. She knew I wouldn't go away.
" Let me change " she said and locked the door.
She could've invited me in.
I waited there for about thirty painful minutes.
' It better be worth it ' I kept thinking to myself while I waited.
She came out and locked the door behind her .
" Let's go " I was mesmerized by what stood before my eyes.
" What ? " she said after noticing me looking at her blankly.
She looked better than ever, I couldn't help but stare she had put on light make up, red lip stick making those lips look juicy red, eye shadow making her eyes pop although they popped natural. It helped to cover her previous sore eyes. Her hair looked a little messy and I remember thinking she'd forgotten to fix it but she looked best like that her body was wraped up by a red flower sleeveless dress with a red purse and simple red closed slippers. She likes red. I figured.
She looked sexy but not slutty.
She looked amazing and all but I couldn't help but notice the not-so-good expression on her face.
Behind all the make up was a sad Jenny.
I nodded my head sideways.
" Let's go " she led the way.
Ten minutes in the walk to the club and she hadn't said anything. We had already wasted fifty minutes, the party was starting in ten.
" Are you alright ? " I asked her.
" I'm fine " she sniffed.
She definitely wasn't.
" If you are not. . . " she cut me off.
" I said I'm fine okay " she barked at me, now that was the usual Jenny, maybe she was fine.
" Oh, sorry "
" We should walk faster " I suggested.
" I'm not walking all the way up there " she stopped at once.
" Why ? "
" It's way too far and I'm tired " she folded her arms at her chest to stage protest.
I checked my pocket for some loose change. I had enough.
" Fine " I said.
" It has already started " I said getting impatient.
" You're being excited for no reason, you know that " she said as matter of factory.
" Nothing you haven't seen there before " she added.
" I'm not so sure about that " I said and avoided looking straight at her.
" It always ends bad, you don't want to go there " she was definitely plotting against me she didn't want to go.
" Why are you going now ? I bet you also want to see what's there " I fired back.
" I didn't and don't want to go there, you are forcing me " it back fired. Was I forcing her though ? Maybe I was.
I had to apologise, I still needed her.
" Sorry " I said. I was being selfish. I was using Jenny. I admit it. But I needed to fit in so bad.
I needed guys I could call friends. I admired whoever sat in a group surrounded by people talking freely, laughing not looking at him with pity and disgust in there eyes, without judging him, like they always did to me. I was always the bad kid, bad influence on other kids They judged me before even knowing me. Just rumors would make me repulsive and friendless.
And that party, it would help me get friends. To fit in with all the guys at the team was my best choice.
" Why can't you go alone anyway ? " she mattered under her breath.
" I like being around you " that was a half truth.
She looked at me as if fetching any deceit in me.
" Let's go " she said.
We reached the place in around fifteen minutes.
At the entrance it gave an impression of a shitty club, metallic door with a neon word claiming Sundown palace.
The muscled man at the entrance asked for our school IDs and when he confirmed the school he flashed us a smile and let us in, like I said it was reserved by the coach.
It looked better than I'd imagined inside or was it outside.
It wasn't much of a club like I'd thought. It looked like one at the entrance, but then it stretched inside and after you went through the hall it came from the outside creating something more like a pub. A huge confusing one. Coach's Bro made a lot of money from this club, pub like resort.
The cold air and flashing lights were the first thing I noticed. The smell of fried foods, fish, chicken and meat entered my nostrils and I wanted to stay. Jenny looked uncomfortable nevertheless
*****to be continued....