Convincing Amy (Amy, #1)

Chapter 09: Already Taken

Chapter Nine 
ALREADY TAKEN

Matthew checked his watch. Again. Amy had said she'd be here at seven o'clock. It was twelve minutes past.

"Calm down, Matt. She'll get here. It's Hallowe'en - the traffic'll be pretty busy," said Matthew's friend, Sebastian Lucas, who, coincidentally, was the host of the Hallowe'en party. One of the many parties, that is.

Matthew took another sip of his punch drink, unsure what words to say back to Sebastian.

Suddenly, laughter broke out. Hysterics, was a more accurate verb. The two causes for the laughter sounded like hyenas. Kolton Mars and Ostyn Wentworth had always been the class clowns and had stuck together like glue over the many years of their friendship with Sebastian and Matthew also.

"Man, how long have you known this girl?" Ostyn asked through his hysterics, shouting over the loud music coming from the speakers mixed with the rushed chatter of the others around.

"A couple of weeks, I guess," Matthew answered, looking at his watch again. Why wasn't she here already?

Kolton, the youngest of the four, scoffed. "And you're already whipped." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact... In Kolton's eyes, at least. Ostyn high-fived him and continued laughing with him.

Matthew ignored them and finished his punch. "I'll see you later," he told them before retreating to the front yard of Sebastian's house.

"Whipped!" Ostyn and Kolton cooed as Matthew walked away, his reply a display of his middle finger, though he didn't know why he was denying their accusation.

Matthew passed many people - some he knew, some he didn't - each dressed in come kind of Hallowe'en-related costume. Every individual was having an enjoyable time - no one looked glum like their costumes would have suggested. There were many vampires, witches and wizards, ghosts, zombies, demons, angels and Frankensteins, and it got Matthew curious as to what Amy's costume would be.

A witch? Vampire? Or maybe something less mythical, like an angel? The curiousity had Matthew hanging out for her arrival, more so than before.

The atmosphere outside the house was much more calm than what it was inside. The music could still be heard, but it sounded much softer from the outside, and there weren't many people - only a small group of people smoking a cigarette. The yard had been filled with traditional decorations - hollowed pumpkins, cobwebs, multi-coloured lights, black cats, witches' hats, and many more. The sky was dazzled with the many sparkling stars of the night, shrouded by only a few thin, grey clouds. It suited the atmosphere for Hallowe'en perfectly.

Matthew walked down the few steps from Sebastian's porch and into the front yard before walking the short length to the front gate. He waited there, leaning against the brick fence, waiting for his special guest to arrive.

But while he waited, he began to panick. Had he told Amy the correct time? The right address? The right date? Was she even going to show? The past two weeks, he'd spoken to her almost every afternoon in the library, hoping to somewhat make her feel more comfortable around him. Had that all been in vain?

A yellow cab pulled up infront of Matthew, pulling him away from his thoughts. His hopes rose.

Two girls - their appearance misty through the dark sky - giggled their way out of the cab and continued to do so after the cab had driven away. Maybe this was Amy. She'd said that she wanted to bring a friend, right? This had to be her. It was already seven-thirty.

"Carmen, you're so stupid! As if that would ever happen!" one of the girls giggled. It was too difficult to determine which of the two had just spoken.