Here We Go Again

Game night

1 week later:

"Jo, there's a party after you aren't just gonna wear leggings and a sweatshirt" Austin and Stella tell me. We were going to the basketball game tonight. Dylan and I are officially boyfriend and girlfriend.

"What? It's a nice sweatshirt tho" I state. It was my Thrasher sweatshirt.

"Change" Austin gives me a look I roll my eyes.

"Fine, then I'm gonna wear these jeans with this tank top tucked in" I mutter grabbing my jeans and putting on that outfit. I wear my platform black vans.

"Yeah that's good" Austin nods along with Stella.

"You guys are irritating" I mutter shaking my head then laughing. I grab my sweatshirt just in case it gets chilly. "Let's go."

"Isn't Sam picking us up?" Stella asks.

"Yeah, he just texted me he's here," I tell them they nod and we all head out. I sit up front.

"Hey," I said. "Did you get Bec a car wash?" I asked.

"I did. Thanks for noticing" he grins.

"I was noticing Bec so don't be so flattered."

He laughs.

"Ugh, we get it guys. Can you just drive" Austin smirks I roll my eyes laughing.

"Get What? That Jo is obviously obsessed with me and my car?" Sam drives.

"You completely wish" I mutter.

"No one cares about your guys' banter!" Austin sing songs.

"Austin suck me off," I say he laughs.

"Would LOVE to!"

We got to the school 15 minutes later and people everywhere going into the school for the game.

"Why is basketball such a thing?" I asked.

"Because it's hot, full of sweaty guys and great," Austin says I laugh. "This has to be regular for you now. Your boyfriend is like a star player!"

"Yeah, yeah" I wave him off. We make our way to the gym of the school that was already pretty packed and the game starts in about 30 minutes.

"Do you not like basketball?" Sam asks.

"No I do, I don't get why high school basketball is such a thing" I explain.

"Jo!" I heard a few voices yell over the noise. I turn Dylan's there. He smiles I smile back.

"Hey!" I said. "You guys can find seats, save me one," I tell them they nod and go to the bleachers finding seats. Dylan jogs over through the small crowd.

"Hey," He says leaning down and kissing me.

"Hey," I say again. "You excited?"

"And a little nervous. If we win this it'll be coaches 500th win and then we'll be 2 games closer to finals" he says.

"You'll do great," I said.

"Glad you came," he says with a smirk.

"Why wouldn't I?" I laugh.

"You haven't really before" he shrugs. "But! I wanted a good luck kiss" I laugh.

"When doesn't the game start?" I asked.

"In 30 minutes" he replied. He was already dressed in his basketball uniform.

"Ok, well go get hype with your friends," I tell him he laughs.

"Kiss first!" He grins again. I lean up and he meets halfway and we kiss. If I'm completely honest. He was a good kisser. It wasn't anything special though. It was just simply a good kiss. We pull away. "You're coming to the party right?"

  "Yeah" I nod.

  "Good, So I'll see you there," he says I nod again.

  "Yeah, now go get ready" I shoo him away he nods and goes I turn towards the crowded bleachers and actually find them pretty quickly. Aka within 10 anxious minutes. I am really not into crowded places honestly.

Especially after the accident. I remember when I was in the hospital room and it was full of family and friends it just gave me a lot of anxiety especially when all I wanted was to be alone. I take a deep breath and finally sit down.

  "You okay?" Sam asks.

  "Yeah, it's just really crowded" I mutter he nods.

  "Yeah, it's a basketball game," he says and I laugh.

  "Shut up" I roll my eyes laughing.

  "Sorry, you actually okay?" He asks.

  "I'll survive."

Sam knew me almost too well. Almost better than Austin and Stella. I guess he kinda related to it. We literally spend every night driving together. And to be honest I now can pretty much only trust him in a car besides Stella or my dad. But I don't know. I still haven't driven with Dylan.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He asks.

"No, thanks though," I say he nods.

Soon everyone sits and settles down and the teams come out to play.

"What if we lost? Why would they still have a party?" I asked.

"Because it's a Friday night and it doesn't matter" Sam shrugs. "Don't be negative though."

"Well I mean it's a 50/50 chance we win or lose, so might as well be realistic here" I shrug.

"Think positive JO!" Austin and Sam tell me.

"Geez Chill Guys," I tell them.

Dylan was dribbling the ball getting closer to the hoop.

"That's your man right?" A girl beside me says. I didn't know her name but I've seen her around.

"Yeah" I laugh.

"He's so hot. You're lucky" she grins.

"He's lucky," I say she laughs.

"Yes obviously! You're hot too!" She tells me.

"Thanks" I smile. That was nice. I wasn't always a b***h for no reason. Unless they're trash.

  "I think you guys are cute together," she goes on.

  "Hopefully" I laugh a bit.

  "I'm Penelope by the way, I know your name!" She says she has a big smile on her face.

  "Nice meeting you" I state.

I look back at the game. We were already up by 1 point. I look around.

  "How long is this?" I asked Sam in a lower voice.

  "I don't know" he shrugs. "Why? Already bored?" He laughs.

  "No, it's just... kinda," I say laughing.

  "You'll live," he tells me I shake my head.

  "I don't know."

  "Pretty sure" he nods.

"We'll see," I remark he shakes his head with a chuckle.

~

The game was done and we won! So that's good. And people were all heading to the party that was happening. I see Dylan. I go up to him.

"Good job!" I said he turns and smiles.

"Thanks!" He says pulling me closer and kissing me. "It was all because of that good luck kiss."

"Yeah I'm sure" I nod he chuckles.

"Wanna drive with me to the party?" He asks.

"I was gonna go with Sam and Austin and Stella," I tell him. When in actuality I just didn't really feel like getting into a car with him.

"Ok, I'll see you there then?" He asks I nod.

"Yeah see you," I say turning and going back to Austin, Sam and Stella.

"Had to praise your man for his good work?" Austin smirks I roll my eyes pushing him he laughs Sam laughs along.

"Where's Stella?" I ask when I notice she's not there.

"To talk to a guy" Austin answers. Stella and Dylan's friends didn't click well. So that didn't go anywhere.

"Oh, are we waiting for her?" I question.

"No," they both say.

"Coo,l" I l,augh.

I sit up front in Sam's car obviously.

"Time to party!" Austin says I shake my head and laugh. I play with my sweatshirt that was still with me. I look out the window thinking about how I'm gonna have to tell Dylan sometime about my anxiety and accident if we last long. And so he knows that I'm hesitant about getting into his car. It gives me anxiety thinking about it. It weird to even go to parties. Everyone has issues Jo, you'll be fine for now.

"Earth to Jo! Are you alright?" Sam asks. I look at him as he drove.

"Yeah what's up?" Austin asks.

"Huh? Nothing, I was just in thought" I shrug. I see Sam look at me from my peripheral. This guy can read me like a book and I don't like it. But I guess he relates. I look straight at the road as we near the house the party's at.

We get there moments later Sam parks on the street because it was already packed. Austin hops out the car immediately. I unbuckle my seat belt.

"You sure you're okay?" Sam asks. I put my sweatshirt on actually.

"Yeah I'm doing great" I nod lying. I bite my lip. "We gonna go in?" I asked moving my hand to the handle.

"What's wrong?" He asks. Well kind of demands.

"Nothing I told you this" I let out a laugh to make it look like nothing.

"Jo, by now you should know that I know you good enough to know you aren't ok right now" he mutters giving me a look.

"Look I'm just anxious about the whole party thing. You saw how I was at the game with all the people, I'll get over it though" I kinda lie. I mean yeah I get anxious in the place but it quickly moves on.

"You're a horrible liar" he rolls his eyes. He runs a hand through his hair.

"I beg to differ. Also I'm not lying and I'm going in" I go to open the door he locks it. "i***t, I can easily unlock it" I said as I do an She tour he groans I shut the door. He comes out catching up to me.

"I thought we were close!" He says.

"We are" I nod.

"But you aren't telling me the truth."

"I am" I sigh. The music gets louder the closer we get.

"Is it Dylan?" He questions.

"It's nothing" I groan we get into the house the music blasting.

"Fine I won't push!" He yells over the music. I look around erratically.

"Thanks!" I reply.

"JO!" I heard a video ice I look around Dylan shows up.

"Hey!" I say.

"You arrived" he grins.

"Mmhmm" I nod.

"Want a drink?" He asks.

"Sure" I nod. He grabs my hand. I turn to Sam.

"You coming?" I asked.

"No, I gotta go to the washroom actually" he tells me.

"Okay, then come after?" I say he nods and Dylan pulls me along with him to the kitchen. He makes me some concoction. "Thanks."

  "Yeah" he nods.

  "Whose house is this?" I ask he laughs.

  "Jonathan's" He replies.

  "Oh" I laugh. "It's fricken huge."

  "Yeah, he's got this giant pool" he tells me I sip my strong ass drink.

  "Cool! I want a pool" I mutter he laughs again.

  "I have one at my house" he tells me.

  "Well I'm gonna have to use it cause it's getting closer to summer each day" I tell him.

  "Anytime," he smiles.

  "Great!" I smile back. "I'm so taking that offer up."

  "I also have a hot tub" he adds I laugh.

  "You're really trying to get me in one of your pools" I joke he laughs.

  "Definitely am" he nods. "That's exactly why I brought up the hot tub, because it's not exactly the time to swim in a pool. You have to take me up on that offer" he says.

  "We'll see" I laugh. "I don't like it too eager Dylan."

He laughs.

  "Okay, wanna go have fun?" He asks.

  "I do" I nod. "Let's go!" I down the rest of my drink grabbing another before we go.

~

I wasn't really drunk. I was you could say tipsy. But I only had 3 drinks. But ya definitely not drunk. But the party was getting boring. I talked to people was with Dylan. Was with Austin and Stella. But I can't seem to find Sam anywhere. I pull out my phone to text him.

Me: dude!? Where are you. I'd been looking for you the whole time I've been here pretty much. YOU LEFT ME!!

Sam: I left

Me: what!?

Me: so not cool dude. Now I'm alone, have no ride home, I can't trust anybody. And b***h! You know how I get!

Sam: calm down. I can pick you up

Me: you better I need to her out of this s**t hole. I'm so mad you left me asshole.

Sam: you were with your boyfriend, I didn't think you needed me

Sam: I'm on my way anyways so bye.

I stare at the text. It almost looked angry. But it could also be because I'm tipsy. I squint at my phone and shake my head. I put it in my pocket. I turn around looking for the door but it just felt like I was going in a continuous loop. My breath hitches. Whoa Jo calm down. You're just a little tipsy and paranoid. I take a breath and calm down for a minute and push my way past the crowd to get out of the house.

When I do I take a great big puff of the fresh... Well not so fresh New York air. I feel my anxiety slowly fade away. I sit down on a step I pull out my phone. I send Austin and Stella texts telling them I'm leaving. Tonight was weird. I don't know. I didn't have a great time, and it seems like Dylan likes to do this with his friends on the weekends. My phone buzzes it was Sam saying he's here. I look up and see his car. I get up going to it. I get in.

"I officially hate you" I mutter crossing my arms after putting seatbelt on.

"I wasn't having a good time. You can't get mad at me for that" he tells me driving off.

"Excuse me! You left me! I had to deal with drunk assholes. And I was looking for you, so you telling me you're gonna go to the washroom and then come after was trash cause you lied" I rant. I was honestly annoyed that he left me all anxious and all.

"You had Dylan!" He exclaims.

"Dylan likes to actually party with annoying people."

"If you don't like that then tell him!" He says. "And I didn't just go to the washroom then leave, I left after 20 minutes" he says.

"Why didn't you tell me at least so I didn't worry!? Or why didn't you ask me to come with, those parties are overwhelming" I reply.

"Because you have a boyfriend Jo! And you were hanging out with him, I'm not gonna take that away from you. Why does it matter you didn't even notice until now" he tells me.

"I did, but I couldn't find your stupid ass" I tell him. He stops at a red light.

"Why didn't you text me then if you cared about all that so much" he shrugs staring at the road even though we're stopped.

"Why are we fighting right now!?" I asked. He was being an annoying asshole.

"Because you're getting mad at me for leaving a party I didn't want to attend! Do you see how that sounds?" He asks driving again.

"I don't think you get what I'm trying to say" I sigh.

"I get what you're trying to say Jo, you're just being difficult."

"Whatever," I don't know why I was this mad. Maybe because I didn't have a great time, and I feel closest to Sam to actually bring up everything. I don't know.

"Can you just... talk to me!? Why are you being this way?" He asks.

"I don't know!? Because I'm difficult" and then the pettiness comes out.

"Really Jo?" He says in a dry tone. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. "What I don't get, is why you're this mad at me leaving a party?"

"Honestly I don't know, it was dumb. Just forget about it" I tell him. I hate that I'm feeling like he needed to be there because I had anxiety and didn't have a good time, and he's the only person who understands.

"No, I'm not forgetting it. Tell me what's wrong with you, what did I do?" He asks. Where was he driving b***h my house isn't that far.

"You didn't do anything" I state.

"Then What is wrong with me that you're this mad to the smallest thing?" He asks confusion written all over his face.

"Oh my god Sam, can we forget it? Please you know I suck at talking about this s**t" I say.

"No, you better tell me Jo. I'm not kidding" he says.

"Where are we even going?" I asked.

"I'm literally not buying you coffee or taking you home until you tell me what's going on" he says I gape.

"Okay, that's straight up rude and kidnaping and abuse!" I state.

"f*****g tell me!" He says and you can very well hear the annoyance in his tone.

"I don't like talking Sam. You know this" I fiddle with the bottom of my sweatshirt.

"I don't care. You're telling me, because you have to let down some walls sometimes" he replied. I sigh.

"I really don't like this."

"Why? We talk all the time, about everything" he says. I felt my cheeks heat at just the thought of this embarrassing conversation. "You don't have to feel embarrassed to tell me Jo."

Of course he read my mind yet again.

"Dude! You know I'm not an open person" I mutter.

"This fight or whatever we had was about me, and so you are telling me what's wrong if you're acting like this. Because this is definitely not you Jo" he says. I take a deep breathe. "Is it about me leaving still?"

"Yeah actually" I nod.

  "Then tell me!" He urges.

  "Fine, don't judge me" I give him a look. I realized he parked the car in an empty parking lot.

  "Why would I" He gives me a look right back.

  "Ok..." I take another deep breath. "You obviously know I have anxiety" I say he nods. "And so, Austin and Stella obviously know I have it because of the accident and s**t, but I guess you're the only one that understands and gets it. And you're kind of the only person who I can talk to about it, don't know why I guess you're just that annoying ass person" I start off. "And I don't know, I didn't have the best night tonight. And I've been scared about having to tell Dylan because I don't like to go to crowded parties and he's that person and I guess tonight wasn't my night and I just felt I didn't have anyone to talk to, and like I said you're literally the only one who understands, but obviously I'm being a little b***h that needs to her over it. I mean I would've left also" I shrug. "And if doesn't even matter now, why did we stop driving?"

  "Jo" he says.

  "Can we go now?" I asked.

  "Jo?" He says again.

  "I'm not talking about it more" I go on with my rant.

  "Jo! Shut up" he says I give him a look. "It's fine geez, you keep rambling."

  "Yeah because I don't want it to be weird, or awkward or anything" I state honestly.

  "It won't be, I'm sorry I left the party without telling you, or anything" he says.

  "You don't have to say sorry for that, it's dumb of me" I reply.

  "No, I do. It makes sense why you were annoyed" he says.

  "Can we please change the topic?" I ask he chuckles.

  "Wanna get coffee?" He asks with a grin.

  "Obviously" I nod.