Hey guys. It's been a long long time. But I finally remembered the password to my account so yay!! And yes rest assured Ellie Ch.04 is also coming. Thanks love you guys.
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"Mom. I feel as if we've bought enough outfits for me to attend a hundred parties. Can we please go home now?"
Rejoyla looked at her daughter surprised "Are you okay honey? I've never known you to want to voluntarily quit shopping."
"Yeah but that was when I still had free will."
"You know I just don't understand you at all. I used to have to beg my mother to go to parties, and here you are with the best mom in the world, who might I add doesn't mind if you go to parties and you're complaining about it. You're eighteen years old a month from graduation and two more before you leave for college. Come on go have fun."
Blessed tried hard not to roll her eyes "Mom...I'm not much of a party person is that so wrong?"
"No but sweetheart don't you want to hang out with kids your age?"
"No." she answered bluntly. At least not these kids. They were spoiled, over privileged and awful. But if she told her mother that she knew Rejoyla would march to the school and cause more problems. She could deal with the teasing and the bullying for a couple more months. Then she would be out of this town and on to something better.
"I just don't understand. Like how can you be okay with not having any friends? I want you to have a fun high school life. Friends, parties and boyfriend all the stuff normal girls do. I mean you worked hard and you should enjoy the rest of your high school life."
Inwardly Blessed groaned. She wasn't going to let this go was she? Maybe if she only showed her face at the party for a minute her mother would be happy. Then she would get off her back. "I'm sorry mom. You're right I need to enjoy myself more. I guess I'm just nervous." She was more than nervous. How did she let this happen? Her attending a party at Raphel's house? Ugh this was sure to be another disaster. Just like the time in seventh grade.
Five years ago
Blessed tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she walked through the crowd of teens dancing to pop music being played on the speakers. She was not a fan of The Black Eyed Peas and she had absolutely no desire to dance. Raphel's thirteenth birthday had turned out to be a huge deal. Almost every child in their grade was here in the courtyard of the Redrigez's house. Red streamers traveled across the lawn and came to a whirlwind shaped center above the table filled with gifts. Adults stood by the pool laughing and chatting. Some of the dads were standing by the row of barbeque grills. As she walked through the throng of people she was embarrassed of her new white dress. It was spaghetti strapped with little pink flowers dusted across the bodice. Blessed hated white, and flowers and pink. According to her mother a Panic At the Disco tee shirt and worn blue jeans were not part attire.
When the invitation to this party had been placed on her desk she had looked up confused at her fellow classmate and tormentor Raphel. He shrugged at her look, "My parents told me to invite everyone and their parents so I guess you can come too Cardboard."
Cardboard was the mean nickname Raphel and his friends had given Blessed three years ago. When she had first moved to Grainesville everyone had been nice. Blessed had made friends with one of Raphel's buddies Brendon Wickmore. As they sat on the swings talking Raphel had walked over to them and said "Brendon who gave you permission to talk to such an ugly girl?" When they only looked at him puzzled Raphel had decided to up the ante.
"She's so ugly she should wear a Cardboard box over her face so we don't have to see it." When Raphel had burst into laughter at his own joke naturally the other kids joined in on the humiliation. After that her name became Cardboard and Brendon had stopped talking to her. This was why she was shocked at being invited to Raphel's party. Despite her objections her mother had forced her to go to the party claiming it was nice to get to know the other children.
So now Blessed was walking around a party in which she had no friends. She was daydreaming about leaving when she heard someone calling her name. She turned to see Brendon walking towards her. He was wearing black and red swimming trunks and his blonde hair was wet. Puzzled Blessed walked towards her former friend "Uh...Yes?"
He gave her a big smile. "Raphel sent me to come get you a few of us are going to go play some games in the rec room and we wanted you to come."
They did? Maybe he had made a mistake and called out the wrong person. "Um are you sure he meant me? I'm pretty sure Raphel hates me and everything that has ever come into contact with me."
"No. He loves you. In fact I heard him tell Jay that he thought you were the coolest."
For the first time since she and her mother had moved to Grainesville Blessed felt excited. Maybe Raphel was starting to warm up to her. Maybe he had realized that she just wanted to get along with everyone and now she would finally have friends. She would finally have someone to see movies with and go shopping. "Really?" she asked Brendon excitedly.
'Really." He responded. "Come on. Everyone is waiting for you."
As they started to walk towards the white patio that lead to the inside of the huge house Blessed decided this was the best time to talk to Brendon. Maybe they could be friends again too. "So it's kind of weird to hear you call me by my name. I was afraid people had forgotten my name wasn't Cardboard."
He turned towards her but for some reason wouldn't meet her eyes. "Yeah. Well even though we haven't talked in awhile I hope you...still know we're still friends."
"Two years."
"Huh?"
"It's been two years since you talked to me. Well since anyone has talked to me. You know without the whole taunting thing."
He swallowed really loudly "Yeah. Well we're over that now."
They walked into the house. The white kitchen tile was smoothly waxed as they walked past the cherry wood winding staircase and to the white door that lead to the basement that was also the rec room. He opened the door "you first" She walked down the stairs into a large room with dark green carpet. There were two round wood tables that looked like they were used for poker. In the back on the left was a pool table and mounted on the back wall was a television that was tuned into MTV. Music blared in the room as kids sat on the two black leather couches and sat crossed legged on the floor. Raphel sat on the ottoman with Ginger, a snooty red hair girl on his lap. When he noticed Brendon and Blessed he had Rob his best friend turn the TV down. Ginger slid off his lap and Raphel rose off the ottoman.
"Yay Car- I mean Blessed is here now we can really start the games." For his birthday Raphel was dressed impeccably he wore a black polo shirt with dark grey shorts that had a thick silver chain hooked on his waist. His black hair was cut in a skater boy look. Ginger smiled nastily at Blessed. "Oh yay. We're so happy you're here."
The hair on Blessed's neck stood up. Something wasn't right. Why were they all staring at her like that? Maybe coming here was a mistake. "Um yeah my mom made me attend. I'm supposed to thank you for the invitation."
He smiled at "No problem." The other kids began to shuffle around rising from the sofas and moving the thick wooden coffee table that was in between the two. Raphel clapped his hands together. "So let's do this. Jay go get the bottle."
Blessed was confused. What did they need a bottle for? Then it hit her, she was in seventh grade now. She had heard a lot of kids played spin the bottle now. As she realized what was about be one of those kids. As the kids all settled themselves into a circle on the floor she stood there dazed.
Raphel looked up at her from his spot on the floor, "Are you not going to play Blessed?"
She snapped out of her confusion, "Uh...yeah I am." She scurried over to the other kids she didn't know where to sit.
Brendon smiled at her "You can sit next to me." Grateful for the invitation Blessed arranged herself next to him. She smiled tentatively at Aiko the Asian girl on the other side of her. She turned her attention to the middle of the circle. A clear bottle on its side lay on the carpet.
"Okay guys you know the rules whoever the bottle lands on you have to be blindfolded. Then we are going to spin the bottle again and that person has to kiss you. Afterwards you have to guess who kissed you if you're right you get a prize!" As Ginger explained the rules Blessed felt a bit anxious. This wasn't spin the bottle.
"However...if you guess wrong you get a penalty." the kids giggled and ahhed.
"Rules are boring. Let's do this!" Raphel crawled to the circle and spun the bottle. The room quieted as they watched the bottle land on a dark haired boy she had never seen before.
Laughter filled the room "Blindfold time Vince!" Raphel cried out excitedly. Ginger and another girl tied the black fabric around his eyes. "Next his kisser." he spun the bottle again.
Brendon nudged her "Don't worry it probably won't land on you." his reassuring smile made the butterflies in her stomach recede a bit. She watched in silence as the bottle began to slow. When the bottle stopped she looked up in absolute horror as she realized the bottle was pointing towards her.
