SPIN THE BOTTLE

3: LOVE’S A GAME OF … SPIN THE BOTTLE?

"Are we there yet?" I asked Noah, more annoyed than ever as we drove down a long street.

"Will you stop being so impatient?" He asked, with a slight scowl on his face. "We're almost there!" He yelled, not once taking his eyes off the road. I groaned and folded my arms over my chest, sitting back in my seat.

"I just really want to get there." I mumbled, sounding like a sulking child.

"It's funny, seeing as how you didn't want to go in the first place." He stated with slight amusement, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Yeah, well, the sooner we get there the sooner we can leave." I emphasized the word 'leave' and he laughed. I wasn't laughing with him because I was being really serious.

"You know, it's just a party, it's not going to kill you." He said matter-of-factly.

"And staying home wasn't going to kill you at, ALL! All we had to do was stay at your place and watch movies or play video games but noooooo, you just had to be cool, popular, football playin' Noah..."

At this point he was doubling over with laughter and shaking his head. "Who drags his innocent, book reading, socially deprived, dork, best friend wherever he goes -- Why are we stopping?" I stomped my foot on the floor of the car, mid rant, and whining, and looked at Noah who was looking at me with an amusing gleam in his eye.

"Because we're here, Em. So stop complaining, and get out." I blinked and looked around to where we parked. On the side of Ashlyn's mansion -- actually mansion would be an understatement. Her house was a castle! I see why everyone comes to her parties!

I looked around and saw people scattered out in the front yard and coming in and out of the house. Apparently her parents were out of town for the weekend for some sort of business related trip and she decided to party. How she was going to clean this all up by Monday was BEYOND me, but, oh well. That’s her problem.

"Come on, Rina," Noah said, pulling me from my mind. "Are you going to stare or are you going to enjoy?" I looked back at him and smiled at the nickname he gave me a long time ago.

It was actually formed from the song 'Glycerin' seeing as that's my favorite song and so he started calling me Rina. I really love it when he calls me that, because it makes me feel special.

I shook my head so that he wouldn't think I was a weirdo staring at him smiling like that, then pouted, coming back to the now.

"Can't I just stay in the car?" I asked in all seriousness, and he sighed heavily.

"No, you cannot just stay in the car." He sighed impatiently, and I continued to pout. He opened his car door, and then came around to open mine.

"I'm coming, okay?" I got out and he shook his head at me, with a small smile on his face. Closing the door behind me, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I think my heart skipped a beat.

But, oh my god. I do not want to be here! I hate this so very much! I would rather be home burying myself in a book! Ugh! The things I do for love.

We walked through the doors and the music was so loud, I couldn't think. I couldn't hear anything but that god awful song and I'm pretty sure I had to check if I was still breathing!

I had a horrified look on my face, and Noah had a small smile plastered on his.

Why is this happening? People were actually dancing and laughing and having a good time! I feel so out of place.

Pretty soon Noah was bobbing his head to the music and I turned my head away from him and mouthed "oh my god" to myself. He let me go and I immediately sighed. Where he left was now cold and missing his arm dearly.

"O. M. G!" A girl said loudly. She didn't even say the words, she abbreviated it. I rolled my eyes at whoever it was in annoyance. That is like 2000 levels of snobby white girl.

A shrieking voice comes into ear range, though I can barely tell who it is over the music. "You guys came! I have to be honest I thought that you weren't going to!" I turned to see Ashlyn talking to Noah and me. She had to yell over the music.

"Yeah, um..." Noah glanced nervously down at me, and I raised a questioning brow at him. "Emma really wanted to come so, here we are!" Noah smiled at her sweetly, and I gaped, elbowing him in the stomach.

"Okay, okay." I said, nursing his belly. "Maybe I wanted to come too." He laughed; emphasizing 'maybe' and I just rolled my eyes, letting it go.

"Well, you guys are just in time 'cause we're about to play spin the bottle." She smiled and grabbed Noah's wrist, pulling him towards her living room.

I, of course, had to just follow behind them like a third wheel, but it was okay, I guess.

We went to her living room which was much more quiet, thank heavens, and I stood in a corner quietly.

There was like a few people that I recognized from school, and I sighed while they drunk their probably illegal drink.

Noah ran into Ian on the way, and I guess they started talking about guy stuff. I looked over at the table filled with drinks, and finger foods, then realized how hungry I was.

"So, Emma," I looked back to the front of me, startled by Ashlyn's accusing tone. "You actually came. I have to be honest I thought you were going to chicken out." Ashlyn smiled and I scoffed. Little does she know?

"Ashlyn please, it is just a party." I said matter-of-factly, mimicking Noah's earlier tone, and she narrowed her eyes a little.

"And you actually told Noah, which surprised me even more." She continued, trying to accomplish something that I didn't quite pick up on.

"Okay," I breathed, getting a little annoyed with her. "Listen, I'm not some kind of jealous, insecure, unpolished, up in the air, Delphic wench." False. "Of course I told him, what's the worst that could happen?" I raised a challenging brow, and she smiled smugly at me.

"He could hook up with me, and you could die alone." She finished with a shrug, and I glared at her.

Why did she even invite me? She could've just invited Noah herself, since she wants him here so badly. That's all she cares about anyway.

God I hate her so much! Suddenly, a pang of jealousy shot through me as I realized, she's right. He could hook up with her, and I could die alone. I don't see why he wouldn't. He's a hoe. She's a ho. Perfect combination.

She stared at me expectantly, waiting for a comeback, but I had none. She's right. She's always right. She actually kind of made me want to cry. The thought of her getting someone that I wanted, hurt me to my very core.

And then, for some reason that I'll never understand, the envy took over, and I folded my arms across my chest, and hatched up a selfish plan.

"And can I just ask you why my boyfriend would hook up with you?" That wiped the smirk right off of her perfect little face.

"Your boyfriend?" She asked, letting the words roll of her lips, as it to test them.

"Yes. Boyfriend." I smiled. Who's the smug one now Ashlyn? She looked at Noah longingly, and then brought her gaze back to me.

"I don't believe you," she said, but I could hear the doubt in her voice. It's always nice to keep hope, I thought to myself.

"I don't care." I laughed conceitedly.

"You're lying. Who in their right mind would want to date you?" She asked with an amused look, and I shrugged.

"You could ask him yourself," I said apathetically. And the award for best lie goes to me! I should really think about an acting career someday.

She narrowed her eyes at me stubbornly, accepting the challenge. "Fine I will." With that, she stomped off and I shook my head and smiled to myself.

I have to admit, this is fun! I looked over at the table that stood beside me and grabbed a cup and put some punch in it.

I drunk it, and it had a weird strong taste to it. Just like I thought: Illegal. I scrunched my face up in disgust and put it down.

I waved my hands frantically, trying to get that horrible tasting drink down my throat without puking. Within a second she was back beside me.

"What'd he say?" I asked when I finally hocked it down; she folded her arms with a slight pout.

"I didn't have to ask! All I did was mention your name." She complained.

"See. I told you." She rolled her eyes and grabbed a drink -- the same one I just put down.

"I need to be released." She said and shook her head, chugging her drink. I looked at her, weirded out.

"How could you drink something so horrid?" She looked at me while drinking, not once taking her eyes from mine, and then at the end of it, slammed it on the table.

"Alright everybody let's play spin the bottle!" She yelled, and I sighed while everyone started forming a circle on the floor.

This game is so 7th grade! Why are we playing this? I sighed, just giving up on everything, and sat in between Ian and a girl I recognized from my Math class.

Wait, why am I playing this again? I could be anywhere! I bet if I get up now, Noah will never even know I got back in the car.

Geez, couldn't we play five minutes in heaven, or whatever that game is called? At least I wouldn't get picked. That's it, I'll be waiting for him in the car. I started to get up, when Ashlyn stopped me with her mouth.

"Okay," she started, and I sat, knowing full well if I left she'd call me out on it. "Since its my party I'm going first." She turned the bottle and it landed on Ian.

He wiggled his brows and she smirked. They leant in and went into a full blown make out session. If I'm not mistaken, Ian has a girlfriend. So this is pretty wrong.

I raised a brow and looked over at Noah who was looking just as confused as I felt. Then finally they stopped and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

She sat back in her place beside Noah and he smiled at her. Why is he smiling at her? If there was ever a time where I so SUPER didn't want to be somewhere, it's now.

"Okay. Your turn, Emma." Ashlyn smiled at me with a wicked gleam in her eyes, like she knew something I didn't. I looked around in hopes that she was talking to someone else, but with my luck...

"Wh- Huh? Are you talking to me?" I asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"You know any other Emma's?" She said dryly, and I scowled at her.

"I can name a few," I spat at her, causing her to snort. Ugh! I want to murder her! I knew this would happen!

"No. I'm talking about you." I looked from her, to Noah. He was nodding his head and mouthing 'do it' to me, and I wanted to die. It was the prime example of peer pressure.

I just decided to go for it. I licked my lips and then put my hand on the bottle. This is going to be weird because A: I've never been kissed by anyone besides Noah, and B: I don't know any guy here besides Noah!

I sighed and then spent it. After three whole seconds it stopped. And then landed on... Noah. I opened my mouth but nothing would come out.

I looked at Noah who was staring at the bottle wide eyed and looked up at me, his expression unreadable. Then all of a sudden he laughed nervously.

"You know what? Let's just skip Emma's turn. She doesn't want to play anyways. My go." I don't know if I felt happy or disappointed, but I obviously had no time to think seeing as his bottle went around once and then stopped... On me. And that's when I decided this wasn't funny.

"Hey!" He shouted optimistically, and I c****d a brow. "How 'bout I just kiss someone else?" With that, I was sure I felt disappointed. My own best friend didn't want to kiss me. How demoralizing was that?

Ashlyn nodded in agreement. "Okay... Who do you want to kiss?" She shrugged, looking around at all the girls in the circle.

"You?" He asked her and I was sitting there bug eyed. BUG. EYED! She smiled and then shrugged.

"O-okay." With that they started to go for it. But it wasn't fast like her and Ian it was slow and first kiss-like.

With every inch their faces got closer I died. This was happening right in front of me. I was watching the girl I strongly dislike; kiss the boy I really love.

I felt like crying. He was about to kiss her, and not me. Finally their lips touched and my heart completely stopped. And that's when I knew; deep inside. It was over.