Date with Disaster

Flashback: Halloween - early-mid 00s

"Are you ready yet Cassia?" April yells from my bathroom down the hall. I was just pulling a long ugly witch costume I found for a few dollars at the thrift store over my real costume so my parents wouldn't question where we were really going tonight. This was going to be my first big high school party, and it was Halloween. We had told our parents we were staying at each other's houses tonight after trick-or-treating so we could stay out late. April had been my best friend since 6th grade. She moved to our neighbourhood that year from the other side of town, and we've practically been inseparable since. I took one last look at my hair and makeup in my mirror, and grabbed a tube of pink lipstick and a small hand mirror, tucking them into my backpack for after we left.
"Girls, are you almost ready? Your father wants to get a picture before you leave," my mother calls from upstairs. April pokes her head out of the bathroom and gives me a look, to which I nod. She moves out of view again to clean up her things, and reappears. She's dressed as Billy Madison, she pulls up her homemade 'Madison Hotels' shirt to show where it says 'FRANK' written on the inside. We both laugh and I throw on the silly witch hat for the photo.
"Okay Dad, we have to get going soon or all the candy will be gone," I yell downstairs as we put on some shoes. I grab my pink high top converse and begin lacing them up, and I can hear my dad coming up the stairs. My dad snapped a few too many photos of us while my mom watched, and then they sent us on our way. My mom had told us she was excited to hand out candy and see all the costumes, and she'd let us know her favourite tomorrow.
"Where is this party anyways?" I asked, as I swung my backpack around to open it. We started walking from my house towards the path through the forest.
"Some older guy's house, it's on Autumn Street?" April says, almost as if she's trying to remember. "I know how to get there. It's right by Henry's house and the pizza place."
"Alright, once we get down on the path near the pond I have to get this stupid costume off." I say, shouldering my backpack again so we can hustle to the pond and the party. April may be fine with a funny costume, but I wanted to look good. I take the witch hat off my head with one hand, replacing it with a light pink satin pair of bunny ears on a matching pink band. The corset below the thrifted witch dress, that I made with my own two hands and my sewing machine, was the same light pink - complete with white puff tail hot glued on. While we couldn't find pink fishnet tights, we managed to stain a white pair enough that you would never be able to tell. Add in my signature pink chucks and my natural blonde hair - and it may appear to some that I was your regular old playboy bunny, hell no. Not that there was anything wrong with the Playboy girls - they're hot, but I was my idol, Elle Woods. I wasn't sure if Canada had a 'Harvard', but I wanted to go there and be a lawyer too.

We finally arrived at the party, there was a black Pontiac Sunfire parked in the driveway. We walked up the wooden porch steps, and April opened the screen door to our first high school party. We entered into a split level house, into a little entryway near the kitchen where people seemed to be gathering. April made a beeline for her new boyfriend, Henry. His friend was the host of this party, and Henry was why we got an invite. There appeared to be a bedroom or two on this level, and then there was a lower level, I could see the stairs to it once we entered the kitchen.
"Cass," I heard April's voice, and that's when I bumped into something. Great, distracted again and now I'm going to have bruises. Except…this was way softer than a wall.
"Someone lost their bunny?" A deep male voice muses. I looked up and immediately felt my face flush. I was staring into deep brown eyes that flickered with mischief. He was already sporting a short, but teenage appropriate beard and I felt something looking at him I'd never felt before. His shoulder length brown hair is tousled up and back combed to the sky with a bandanna wrapped around his head. He's wearing a black t-shirt and worn light wash denim vest, covered in patches of what I can only assume are bands I'm not cool enough to have heard of. His black jeans are ripped and he's wearing a leather belt, black converse on his feet.
"Yeah, that would be Cass," Henry mumbled, between unenthusiastic sips from a red solo cup. April smiled from underneath his arm, and winked at me. Henry was dressed as the Penguin from Billy Madison…sort of. He ripped apart a kid's penguin onesie and I helped him add Velcro and straps to keep it on.
"I'm Cassia," I managed to sputter out, taking a step back and being sure to look up at him with my blue doe eyes, flashing my cute smile.
"Kinda figured that - drink?" He motions to the counter behind him, filled with red solo cups, a few shot glasses, some bottles of pop and a a number of alcohol bottles.
"Uh…I brought my own. Thanks," I mumble out and remember the flask in my backpack filled with tequila silver and Dr. Pepper. I swing it around carefully and grab it from my bag. Setting the flask on the counter I zipper my backpack and put it back on my shoulders. He takes this opportunity to open my flask, pick it up and take a sip.
"Uhhh…you don't even know what that was - what if it was arsenic?" I sneered at him, annoyed that he would put his beautiful mouth on my….actually never mind. I grab the flask from his hand in time to see him laugh.
"I have tequila, I'm a good host. Plus if you were planning to drink it here, I'd hope it wasn't arsenic. This is my parents' place, bunny girl."
"What kind of host doesn't introduce themselves?" I snapped back, which got him laughing again. I take a swig of my drink and stare at him, waiting for a response.
"Sterling, but it's not usually a good idea to bully the host, even if you're dressed as a bunny." I stick my tongue out at him and turn around to try and find someone else to talk to at this party. There must be all kinds of people from our school here, I even see a few people I know from other schools in town. I begin to wander, normally I'm not into being on my own in a social setting but I figured out over the summer if I have a little alcohol in me I can do anything. Another swig of the flask, before I slip it into the little inner pocket I made on the side of the corset.

Eventually I made my way out to a back porch, mostly just smokers out here. I made my way past them, and wrapped my arms around myself in the cool of the October evening. I'd seen my girlfriend Courtney earlier, and told her about my encounter with Sterling. She didn't know him, but some of her girlfriends had heard he's a bit of a player. I decided to stay away, I wasn't interested in being played. I'd told Courtney I'd let her know if I didn't feel like staying at Henry's with April tonight and I could go with them. I probably wouldn't since Henry has all kinds of cool stuff at his house. I'd spent all my time admiring his father's book collection when I went there a few weeks ago with April.

I sat down in one of the lawn chairs on the corner of the deck, and stared up at the night sky. It was a clear night and the stars seemed especially bright. Something about a star filled sky always calmed me down and made me feel okay. I don't know how long I sat out there like that before I felt denim sliding around my shoulders and I realized I was shivering. I looked to my left and Sterling was smirking at me, the rest of the deck behind him empty.
"April wanted me to let you know they're leaving." He says, I sigh in reply and start to stand up. I lean down to grab my backpack that's been sat on the floor next to me and the jacket starts slipping from my shoulders. Between trying to keep that on my shoulders and reaching down to grab my bag, Sterling's hands made their way to my arms and sat me back down in the chair. He held his index finger up, indicating to give him a minute, he turned around, and walked back inside the house. I sat there, embarrassed. He probably thought I was drunk and went to get Henry thinking they'd need to walk me out. I snatched up my backpack and was standing up again, ready to throw off the jacket and stomp inside.
"Calm down," Sterling calls as he wraps a warm blanket around me. "I told Henry and Ape to go…you can stay here tonight if you want." I must look as embarrassed as I feel because he immediately stammers out, "not like that, I can sleep on the couch."

His hand flies to his forehead, and I'm left even more confused than when he went inside. He doesn't want to sleep with me, but he wants me to stay the night? This must be how he works, at least I know I won't fall for him.
"That's not what I meant either," he continues talking, he almost sounds embarrassed himself now.
"So are you trying to get me to sleep with you or not? Cause if you are I need to find my other friend." I say frankly.
"Everyone's gone…but I…I'm not trying to sleep with you but like, you're lucky someone didn't try to grab you with how drunk you are. My friends are good, but I don't know everyone at these things. I can't be worried about some girl in a bunny costume all night."
"Well don't worry I'm not drunk, just cold and uncoordinated." I say, rolling my eyes and turning my face back to the sky. "I can handle myself. Guys that will throw themselves at my feet just because of how I look aren't worth my time anyways. They're boring."
"I guess for a wannabe lawyer, that makes sense. How do you even know what you want to do this young?"
"Elle Woods," I say matter of factly, and he laughs the loudest I've heard all night.
"Now it all makes sense." He says between laughs.
"Thanks for the blanket," I say, embarrassed again. He smiles at me and nods. I look back up at the sky and take a deep breath. We stay silent for a few moments.

"So you've been hiding out here all night huh?" He questioned.
"Yeah, I just like to look at the stars. It's calming in all the chaos." I reply, not taking my eyes from the sky.
"You're a stargazer. That's cool. Maybe do it on warmer nights though or with a blanket first. If you freeze to death, how will you ever see the stars again?" He starts to mimic my tone from when he stole my flask earlier in the night and I feel the spark between us again. I laugh, and he joins me until we're quiet again. His hand is suddenly on my chin, guiding it to look at him. His brown eyes that I'd seen mischief in earlier, now seem softer. He leans in and presses his lips against mine beneath the beautiful October sky. His soft kiss and warm breath against my lips, and just as I begin to part my lips he's picked me up at the waist and thrown me over his shoulder.
"Sterling!" I yell, and slap his back. He just laughs and carries me inside, and down the stairs to a door before setting me down. I unwrap myself from the blanket and denim jacket, letting them fall to the floor.
"You're in here tonight stargazer, I'll be on the couch if you need me." He points behind him and I look to see a small living area that leads to another couple of rooms below the main floor. He kisses my forehead and turns towards the living room.
~
"Wakey wakey," a voice sing-yells as they push me gently. I open my eyes to a room I don't recognize and sit up, startled.
"Chill, April and Henry are in the kitchen already. I made eggs and bacon. Hope you're not a vegetarian. I think I have a carrot in the fridge you could have."
"Please stop," I groan and fall backward. "What time is it?"
"8:30, not a morning person I take it. We have coffee too." He pats my thigh and heads out the door, closing it behind him with a wink.