Page 28 of The Other Half

Everything about this is wrong. I’m sitting on my boyfriend’s bed, watching his friends get drunk, we all just smoked pot together, the girl he used to hookup with is here asking me why I won’t drink, while she calls him a pet-name.

I suddenly feel like such an idiot. I knew all along I could never fit in with his friends. And really, I don’t fit in with him either. This is where he belongs, this is what he enjoys doing.

“Well?” Amber pushes.

“I just…don’t really like the taste, I guess.” It’s true enough, I had a sip of wine a few Christmases ago because my parents offered me a glass. It was nasty.

She shrugs, “Fair. More for me, then.” She says, sticking her tongue out playfully. She’s been nicer than usual tonight, at least.

“So when are you gonna have us over to your house, miss Oakley?” Rodney asks, pulling the bottle out of Amber’s hand.

“Yeah, for real. I’ve always wanted to party in one of those big ass houses in there.” Amber agrees. “Ooh, do you have a pool?!” She asks, her eyes lighting up at the prospect.

“Yeah, we do,” I reply.

“Oh my God. We have to have a pool party.”

“Her parents aren’t really cool with parties,” Oliver butts in. I can tell by his tone that he doesn’t like her idea.

Amber sticks out her tongue again, but not in such a friendly way this time. “Just because her parents don’t like you doesn’t mean they won’t like me, Ollie,” she says, flipping her long, shiny hair behind her shoulder.

“I’ll ask my parents. They might be cool with it,” I lie. I know they’d be cool with it. They’d be the ones throwing the party, offering us all alcohol and serving hors d’oeuvres. Especially my mom, she loves parties.

“Cool.” Amber nods, sipping from the bottle again.

Someone knocks on the door twice and then immediately opens it, “Hey, bro.” The guy standing in the doorway looks a lot like Oliver, but slightly taller, and with darker, straighter hair.

“Naaate!” Amber jumps up off the floor and throws her arms around his neck in a more-than-friendly way.

“Hey, girl,” Nate replies, hugging her back half-heartedly.

“I’ve missed you, where have you been lately?”

“Workin’. I work 60 hour weeks now, at least,” he says as he gently creates some distance between the two of them.

“That fucking blows, man. Hey, you want some?” Rodney asks, offering him the bottle of liquor.

Nate accepts it and takes a sip, making a face as he swallows.

“Stay and chill with us,” Amber pleads in a slurred voice, she must be pretty drunk already.

“I would, but I gotta hit the hay, I work again in 8 hours. It was good seein’ you though,” he drawls, his Appalchian accent is deeper than Oliver’s.

His gaze snags on me. “And who is this young lady, Oliver?”

“This is my girlfriend, Oakley,” he says as he slings his arm around my back.

“Well gotdamn, brother! She’s too pretty for you.” He laughs. I notice Amber’s scowl growing as he says this. “It’s nice to meet you, Oakley.”

“Nice to meet you too,” I say, blushing.

Another hour passes, and eventually Rodney and Amber make their way back to their houses. Amber has a car, so she drove both of them home. I hate when people drive after drinking, but I know it isn’t my place to say anything about it so I didn’t.

It’s been such a weird night, but I have to admit I did have fun, for the most part. I feel like I’ve been somewhat accepted into their little group. The last thing I’d want is for his friends to dislike me. I’m still wary of Amber, but at the very least she doesn’t seem to be interested in Oliver anymore. If anything, she seemed more interested in his brother.

I’m not ready to go back home, but I never am.

“Will I get to see you tomorrow night?” Oliver asks, pulling me towards him.

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