Claire stands on her front lawn, waiting for me. She is wearing a pink fitted dress with one sleeve and some frills, with her freshly curled hair draped over one shoulder. Claire looks simply gorgeous. She races up to me with a smile on her face.
‘Oh Boo-boo, I’m so happy to see you,’ she says, giving me a peck on the cheek, and I realize I’ve been ungrateful for Claire all this time. She seems to like me a lot, and although she can be overbearing sometimes, she has been supportive and sweet towards me.
Stewing on the conclusion that Nina will never forgive me and never want to be my friend again, leaving a hole inside me that will be there forever. Although I caused Nina the same pain seven years ago, Claire shouldn’t suffer for what’s happened between Nina and me. Nina has moved on, although I would have preferred her to move on with anyone other than Moss. I can’t help but still sense something is off about that guy, but I need to focus on what is in front of me and give Claire the chance she deserves.
‘You look lovely, Claire,’ I tell her truthfully.
Claire steps back and twirls. ‘I’m glad you like it. Let’s go inside,’ she beams.
Upon entering, I notice her house is very tidy. She leads me to the kitchen to a vast island table. There are a few different platters she has already prepared for the party.
‘Wow, this looks great, Claire,’ I tell her as my eyes scan the variety of food.
‘Really?’ She asks with a smile.
‘Yeah, can I try one of these things?’ I ask her.
'Of course, you can! It’s called a vol-au-vent, by the way. There are a few different flavours,’ she points out.
I pick one up and take a bite. It tastes amazing.
‘These are delicious,’ I tell her as I relish the taste and reach for another.
Claire giggles and takes my hand away from the food. ‘I’m glad you like it. Let’s wait till everyone gets here until you eat more, though,’ she advises.
‘You know, maybe you should consider becoming a chef?’ I tell her.
‘Well,’ her smile widens. ‘I am hoping to open a restaurant one day,’ Claire admits with a dreamy look as she opens the fridge.
She hands me the bottles of soft drinks, and I set them up on the table. I approach a cupboard, take a few cups out, and place them by the drinks.
Claire stands back and looks around with hands on her hips. ‘What am I missing? Music, of course,’ she says and runs into the living room and turns on the stereo. ‘Everyone will start arriving any minute,’ she says, dancing to the music towards me. I smile, grab her hand, and twirl her around.
The doorbell rings, and we answer the door together, greeting six guys and two girls from our school. Josie, Flint, Zak, and May turn up a few minutes later. I place my hand around Claire’s waist.
‘Hey, come in. Good to see you all,’ Claire smiles. May glares at my hand on Claire’s waist and stomps past us. Paul and many others join the party.
The house is now full of teens and adolescents dancing, chatting, and playing card games.
After a while, I notice Paul following May around, trying to flirt with her, but she only glowers and ignores his advances.
‘Let’s dance, Boo-boo,’ Claire suggests.
‘How about we have a drink first, lemonade or cola?’ I offer.
‘Cola, please, Boo-boo,’ she says, dancing.
I enter the kitchen and pour her a cola, then sit on the couch, patting the seat for her to sit next to me. Claire sips her cola and places it on the coffee table, leaning her head on my chest. I wonder where Moss has taken Nina for dinner. Are they laughing and enjoying each other’s company? I narrow my eyes as I see Sean, the school’s notorious bully, has also joined the party.
‘Ready to dance?’ Claire asks.
I’m about to decline until Nina and Moss enter through the front door, giggling and laughing. Moss immediately wraps his arms around Nina and dances with her.
‘Sure,’ I stand up, pull Claire close, and keep both hands on her hips.
‘This is so much fun!’ Claire shouts over the music.
I try to dance with Claire, keeping as calm and relaxed as possible, showing everyone I'm not fazed about Nina and Moss.
Claire wraps her arms around my neck and pulls my face closer to hers. ‘Would it be okay if we kiss now?’ Claire asks as she gazes into my eyes with need.
I nod and go in for the move, sharing a kiss as Claire’s hands move down to my chest.
My shoulders relax, and one hand leaves her hip and slips behind her head, pulling her in for a more passionate kiss.
Someone wolf whistles, and we part from the kiss, smiling at each other. I take Claire’s hand and lead her to the kitchen to eat some of the delicious food she made.
‘This is the best food I’ve ever had,’ I assure her, chowing down on a bit of everything.
‘Oh, Boo-boo, stop it, you are just saying that,’ she blushes.
Once half the platters are empty, Claire pulls me in for another long kiss. She gives me a seductive look, her eyes sparkling with desire, and takes my hand, leading me up the staircase to her bedroom. As we ascend the stairs, I can feel Nina and Moss's gazes on us, their eyes following our every move. The atmosphere is charged with tension and anticipation.
We find ourselves making out for the next hour. Claire begins to unzip her dress, and a sudden tension grips me. I grab her wrist, stopping her from removing her dress.
‘What’s wrong, Boo-boo? I thought you wanted this. Don’t you want me?’ She pouts, her eyes searching mine for affirmation.
‘Claire, I want this, but I’m not ready for us to take that step yet,’ I confess, only wanting to take this step with her if she turns out to be my fated mate.
‘Why not? Don’t you find me attractive?’ Her vulnerability surfaces in the question, and I could sense the insecurity clouding her eyes.
‘Of course, I find you attractive. It’s just that I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks, and you know as well as I do that we should wait until we find out if we are mates,’ I explain, hoping she will understand.