Page 23 of The Death of Kisses

Anna sang along to the radio like she didn’t have a care in the world. I spent the entire drive pretending not to look at her. The last time I was at a party was with Lilly and Lee. I don’t remember much from that night—just a vague feeling, really—except that Mike drove me home in the early hours of the morning. It’s as if I almost forgot, but then I instinctively reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, my fingers fumbling to open the text thread with Mike.

Me:Don’t need a babysitter tonight, with a friend.

Mike: Does this friend happen to be 5 '6 blonde and screams “let’s go raven’s?”

Me: Fuck you.

Mike: I’ll see you at the party.

I let out a loud, frustrated groan as I shoved the phone back into my pants, feeling the weight of the moment crushing me. Anna gently turned the radio down and shot me a sideways glance, her eyes filled with concern. “What’s wrong?” she asked softly, but I couldn't hold back the surge of emotion.

“Oh, just the lovely surprise of the watchdog coming to babysit,” I said bitterly, my voice tinged with sarcasm and a hint of despair. I rolled my eyes, feeling trapped in this unfair situation.

“Watchdog?” she repeated, tilting her head, her tone curious but unsure.

“My brother has stuck me with the babysitter, because apparently I need someone watching over me,” I muttered, the frustration bubbling up inside me. It felt like a slap — like they thought I couldn’t handle anything on my own.

Anna’s laugh was gentle but honest. “Oh, I’m sure he’s not so bad — unless he hates to drink. Then you’ll be sober the whole night, and honestly, that’s kind of a shame,” she teased, and I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of warmth from her words, a spark that made my face glow.

I smirked, a mix of defiance and hope in my eyes. “Mike wouldn’t mind — he hasn’t had fun in a long time,” I said quietly, but there was a hunger in my voice for a little freedom, a little escape from the mundane.

“Don't worry," Anna said softly, her eyes flickering with a mischievous spark. Then she looked at me again, her voice lowering with a fierce protectiveness. "I'll sneak you a beer if he's a complete uptight asshole.

A laugh I hadn’t felt in so long burst from my lips, pure and wild with joy. When she winked at me, my heart began to pound wildly, as if it was trying to leap out of my chest, overflowing with excitement and something electric that I couldn’t quite put into words.

For a moment, neither of us dared to speak.

The headlights sliced through the darkness, illuminating a row of parked cars as Anna turned onto a gravel road. Music poured out into the night, swelling in our ears long before the house came into view.

Jessica’s place shimmered like a lighthouse at the end of the driveway, a flicker of warmth and anticipation in the cold shadows.

“So,” Anna said softly, killing the engine, “Ready?”

I stared at the house, at the crowd gathered inside, at the flashing lights dancing through the windows—each detail pulling at something inside me. Then I turned to her.

No.

Not even a little.

But for the first time in months, something inside me burned with the desperate, aching desire to be.

“If this turns out to be a disaster, I’m blaming you,” I admitted.

Anna chuckled, “Noted.”

We stepped out of the car, our hearts pounding, and moved toward the chaos, toward whatever awaited inside.

The second we stepped through the front door, the noise hit me like a brick wall. Music rattled the windows, bodies crowded every available inch of space, and the sharp scent of cheap beer lingered in the air. Someone yelled from the kitchen. Someone else was already throwing up in a potted plant. Typical high school party.

Anna laughed beside me and suddenly none of it seemed quite so unbearable.

There was a familiar voice shouting across the room, “Holy shit you actually brought the blonde!”

I closed my eyes.

Mike.

Of course Mike found us.