summer

fourteen

"Sue Leoné!" Exclaims Sawyer, giving the girl who walks in a hug. Two other girls follow her inside, all three of them wearing skimpy dresses. "It's been too long!"

"Oh, Sawyer, I missed you!" She says with a smile. She flips her long blonde hair over her shoulder and wraps her leg around his. Her arms seem to tighten around him- too tight. Sawyer stares at Dylan, absolutely terrified.

"Hey, Sue!" Says Dylan, taking a hint at Sawyer's expression. Sue's smirk disappears and she pulls down her dress slightly, unraveling herself from Sawyer.

"Oh, hi!" She says with a grin. Sawyer nods to Dylan, looking more relieved than he'd ever seen him. "You're... Derek? Right?"

"Dylan. Derek's my cousin- Derek Hanson, right?"

"Yeah. Him and his little boyfriend- ew," she laughs, turning back to Sawyer.

"Uhm- how about you guys chill in the living room while we wait for more guests?" Asks Sawyer, gesturing towards the couch through the open door. Sue nods and her minions follow her in.

"Geez," Dylan sighs with a laugh, collapsing into a stool. "She's a handful."

"Yeah, she is. Definitely not how I remember her," he says with a laugh, looking a bit shaken.

A few other guests come in and say hello, meeting up with Sue in the living room eventually. About 20 people enter the house before Sawyer's friend Damon arrives.

"Damon," he says with a smile, sticking out his hand. "I'm guessing you're Dylan?" Dylan nods, shaking his hand with a nod.

"It's good to see you, man!" Says Sawyer excitedly. It's adorable to see him so happy, he resembles a golden retriever puppy.

"It's been too long," he laughs, being lead by Sawyer to the living room. Dylan sits at the counter and sighs, alone again. He'd gotten up and sat back down at this counter at least ten times in the last half hour. To be honest, he was expecting for Sawyer to leave him at some point tonight for his friends, just not this soon. The doorbell rings and he goes to get it.

"Hi!" Says a girl with a bright smile and short red hair. Her green eyes crinkle as she grins. "I'm Lily! Lily Moore!"

"Hey," says Dylan, guiding her inside and towards the living room. "I'm Dylan."

"Oh... you're Sawyer's friend! The one he was talking about! Well, it's good to finally meet you!" She says with an even brighter, toothier smile. We've been at the same school for five years.

"Yeah, you too." Lily joins Sue, Damon and Sawyer on the couch. How did she know who I was? Is Sawyer talking about me behind my back??

>><<

By seven, the party was in full swing. Sammy and Lily's brother had shown up, with alcohol of course. Half the people there were either drunk or high already. Dylan? He just sat at the counter and drank a cup of water, checking the clock every ten minutes or so. Every once in a while Sawyer would come over and ask if he was okay, luckily remaining sober. Dylan would reply the same way every time, 'fine'.

     "Hi there, you," drawled a girl, sliding onto a stool next to him. He turns his to face her, her breath reeking of alcohol.

     "Hi," squeaks Dylan, scuttling slightly away from her. She grabs his hand, placing it on her thigh.

     "Wanna go upstairs, big boy?" Dylan's eyes widen, pushing himself away from the girl.

      "I- I- no! No, I don't- no!" The girl laughs, sitting herself on his lap.

     "Are you sure?" She groans, laughing slightly.

    "Yes!" Exclaims Dylan, shoving the girl off of him. Her face turns, quicker than the fluff on dandelions in the wind, from joy to absolute fury.

     "Asshole! Piece of shit! You're lucky I took pity on your ugly ass, ungrateful shit-head!" Dylan feels the tears coming as he backs away from the girl in horror. A few people stand around, staring at him in shock. He spots Lily Moore in the crowd.

    "Did he just turn down Bella?" Whispers one of them to another. Dylan shakes his head, holding it tightly with his hands and races up the stairs. He throws open the door to his room, luckily no one had inhabited it yet. He slams it shut, tossing himself onto his bed.

Alone.

As he should be.