Chapter 32 - Maguires

It was Saturday when I got the text. It was a simple "Maguires at 7, if you and Brinson still want to go."

I called Brinson right away to inform her.

"Hey!" She practically screamed. I knew it wasn't from excitement, well not yet anyways.

I pulled the phone farther away from my ear, "Brinson you don't have to shout while you're on speaker phone I've told you that a million times."
"Sorry!" she shouted, "I'm trying to paint my nails!"

"What's the special occasion?" I asked. I knew there wasn't a special occasion - she ALWAYS had he nails done, not matter what.

"Aren't you going to tell me that right now?" She knew the reason I called.

"Yep," I replied. "Make sure they're dry before 7, that's when we're leaving".

I heard a shriek, and I ended the call.

~~

 We walked up to Maguires right at 7:15.  Remus and Raven went to  a friend's house previously so they were going to me meet us there. This meant me and Brinson could talk excitedly about what was going to happen to us

Right when I opened the door to Maguires, I spotted Brenton near the far tables with the whole crew. We made immediate eye contact and I  could feel the heat rushing to my face.

He waved us over to sit down, gesturing to the empty tables. That's when I noticed my Raven, looking ever so annoyed.

The walk over to their table seemed to take forever. Thank God they were already immersed in full conversation - I wouldn't be able to take any stare downs right now as I was pretty sure my face was beat red and sweating from how nervous I was.

 "Glad you came," Brenton said, walking over to me.

"Yeah me t-too" I managed to say. I was so happy that I was stuttering, I bet THAT made me look reaaal cool. I looked over at Brinson for moral support, maybe a nod of her head, but nope, she was already joined in on the conversation between Remus and his friends.

Brenton looked over his shoulder to what I was looking at.

"Well seems like she's enjoying her time already" He said, as he walked a little past me.
I was so confused. No way was he just going to leave me standing here like an idiot while my best friend was flirting with some guys. No way was he just going to bail and make me look like an idiot.

But then I remembered it wasn't a date. We were just hanging out as friends... with friends.

 "Yeah she gets a long with pretty much everyone" I said, turning to face him, my back to Brinson and the others.

"Well she won't mind if we leave then?" He said, smiling. "Well, not really leave but, we could go for a little walk right? Before the music starts?"

 Woah woah woah was all I could think. Me and him on a walk... alone? That got my hands to sweat again, and my throat was as dry as the Ulaysian desert.

"Sure" I said. I couldn't really think and I'm not sure why I got so nervous around these people.

He looked past me with a smirk as he grabbed my arm and led me out.

 I looked to see if it was his guy friends egging him on or mocking him because he was taking me outside but I saw none of that. The only thing I saw was my sister's cold hard stare burning right back at me.

As if I wasn't nervous enough.

~~~

The next morning I sauntered to the kitchen more hungry than a rabbit in the winter time and sat down with a nice bowl of cereal.

I ate my breakfast looking like a zombie, but all for a good cause. I couldn't stop thinking about last night...

We walked for what seemed like forever, my legs were blanketed with goose bumps which couldn't be blamed entirely on the cold weather.

He laughed as I told him stories about me and Brinson and I listened as he talked about what he wanted to do in the future, which was something in the military.

We got back to Maguires and danced with everyone else and for once I really didn't care what they thought of me, I felt accepted because in a way he accepted me.

The images of last night faded away as my sister approached, something I had been dreading. Her evil glare from last night had to mean something.

"So you and Brenton,  huh?" She asked, sitting across from me.

Technically we weren't together. I came to like him a lot, but Brinson told me that those talks we had and they way he treated me was just him being friendly. She said not to tag it as anything relating to being a couple, or dating, or talking, or whatever until he said we were.  She said not to take it personally and I didn't. I knew she was looking out for me. 

I finished chewing the cereal I had in my mouth. "We're just friends" I said, contemplating her tentatively.  

"Keep it that way" she growled. "He's off limits. He's just playing games with you, and you should know that. Brenton doesn't get with losers."

I considered her, thinking of what to say. The words finally came to my mouth but she had already upped and left, leaving me dumbfounded at what had just happened.