He came up beside me and hooked his arm around my neck, “Now you know that I wouldn’t allow that, so don’t even suggest it. Besides, my momma would tan my hide if she knew I wasn’t treating a lady properly.”

“What lady?” Baylor asked, “Oh you mean Edie.” That earned Mr. Jenkins a punch to the stomach, which made a bolt of electricity ricochet throughout my body. That had never happened before while touching him.

That was why I had never displayed my true feelings towards Baylor; I was just one of the guys to him. And to an extent I suppose that it was my fault and wrongdoing. Even though my boobs weren’t big enough to make him notice me, there were other things I could have done, like wearing makeup or making an effort to style my hair in the mornings instead of just throwing it up into a ponytail, but then I wouldn’t have been true to myself. I was still a tomboy at heart.

The party was taking place in a barn on the outer edge of Marcie’s property, so we had to trudge through freshly cut grass for what seemed like a mile before we came upon it. “I really should’ve worn different shoes,” I whined as I attempted to concentrate on making the last few steps without falling on my face. I was a definite fan of sneakers but my mom made me wear a sandal with a slight heel for graduation, which further warranted my cause for whining.

Dean slid the barn door open enough for us to go in. The party seemed to be in full swing as a small speaker was filling the air with “1999,” by Prince. How original. Yes, talks of the menacing Y2K had already begun to fill everyone’s head and it was only June. A table filled with various snack foods, chips, dip, and the like sat off to the side and as we walked deeper into the barn we learned that Marcie’s parents actually sprung for a keg. I was eighteen, after all, and not naïve to the fact that several high school kids drank, but for a parent to actually condone it? They must not have known Bette and Richard Richardt.

Stop right there, I know my dad is one of those people whose first name is almost identical to their last. William Williamson, Phillip Phillips, the list can go on and on. My dad doesn’t like it any more than the next person but his dad was Richard, and his dad, and so on. So it’s a family name that some wackado distant relation used when they clearly couldn’t use their imagination on selecting a name different from their last.

My parents were law abiding citizens through and through. If my mother had even the slightest inkling that there would be alcohol at this party, I would’ve have been allowed in the direct vicinity of Marcie’s house.

Baylor walked up to me holding a red solo cup filled with beer and I brought it up to my nose to take a whiff and a small drink to taste, “Gross, I think mine’s spoiled,” I stammered while I was trying to rid myself of the awful bitter flavor.

“Relax Eden, that’s how it’s supposed to taste,” Dean chuckled as he took a generous gulp from his identical cup.

Who in their right mind would want to purposely drink something that tasted so vile? Blech!

Marcie finally spotted us and stood from her seat against a stray bale of hay. Her father was a landscaper, and all his lawn mowers and lawn equipment had been pushed to the side of the barn to make room for the party.

“Since a lot of us are here, why don’t we play a game?”

My first reaction was to decline but Dean and Baylor were already finding a seat amongst the crowd, so it looked like I was in.

“Ok this game is called Never Have I Ever,” Marcie started explaining after she took another sip of beer, “we will all go around in a circle and state something that you have never done and anyone who has, has to take a drink. Dean beside me will start, then me, and we will continue around the circle.”

“Hm, let me think,” he said as he tapped his chin for effect, “Oh ok, I’ve got one. Never have I ever played this game before.”

Several people from around the circle took a drink including Baylor, this was news to me. Must’ve been when he went to parties with Kristina.

“Good one Dean, now it’s my turn. Ok I’ve got a good one. Never have I ever kissed a guy in High School.” Everyone knew that Marcie dated a college freshman for most of the school year and they didn’t get together until he had already graduated.

Every single girl within the circle took a drink except for Marcie and me. I didn’t know what to think being singled out like that. Marcie knew that I had never been kissed and this just basically put that fact on display for everyone to see.

Sure I could’ve taken a drink with the rest of them but it was my hesitation that made me stick out like a sore thumb. Several audible gasps came from a few of the girls as well as guys within the circle, and I felt like running out the door. This wasn’t how I saw this night panning out.

The next girl thought it would be humorous to add insult to injury with her turn, “Never have I ever kissed a guy from within this circle.” Even then she took a drink along with every other girl once again.

I raised my brow at Marcie, who shrugged and stated, “I kissed Wes earlier tonight, and he’s no longer in high school.”

BITCH!

Being under everyone’s scrutiny made me feel about two feet tall instead of my five foot three inch stature. I sat my still-full solo cup on the floor and rose from where I was seated. I was done with this party and if I had to I would sit in Baylor’s car for the rest of the night until they were ready to leave.

Once I hit the grass the sky was completely dark and the clouds were looking quite ominous. Rain for Oregon was a common occasion, about as common as breathing, but this looked like it would be one doozy of a storm. The wind picked up as I was walking towards the car causing me to hustle my speed and wrap my arms around my body. My hair was flying every which way especially in my face and made it even harder to clearly see which path I was taking. With my vision impaired, I missed a hole in the yard and fell, landing on my hands and knees. Pain radiated through my ankle as hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me upright again. “Are you ok, Edie?” Baylor asked, searching my eyes for any sign of distress. I wanted to break down in front of him, but I would save it for when I got home and was in the privacy of my own bedroom.

But when he asked that question I allowed one single, solitary stray tear to escape before I willed the rest of them to stay put and keep from doing the same.

“Let’s get you home.” He fused my hand with his, interlocking our fingers and together we finished walking to his car.

“Wait for me!” Dean yelled as he ran from the middle of the field in our direction. Once he was finally upon us he bent over and braced his hands on his knees to quickly catch his breath before he finagled himself into the backseat for the second time in almost an hour.

Baylor pulled off towards the direction of my house and I felt horrible that they left because of me. “You guys didn’t have to leave the party yet, I would’ve been fine sitting in the car or calling my dad for a ride. I didn’t mean to spoil your night.”

“Eden, don’t be silly, you were clearly upset. We’re your friends, we aren’t going to let you suffer in silence,” Baylor said as he looked over to me. He called me Eden, he almost never called me that. He must’ve been mad that he had to leave the party early.

“Well, then you guys can always go back after you drop me off at home.”

“You don’t want to do something else? It is graduation night after all,” Dean spoke up from the backseat.

“No, I think I’ve had all of the fun I can stand for the night.”

“So what was that about anyways?” Dean spoke up again, clearly not thinking about what he was saying, “I thought you kissed Jeff that night you went to the movies with him, at least that’s what he’s told everyone.”