Chapter 18: Chapter 18

It was finally Friday and Penelope just arrived by my house.

I didn't bother saying goodbye because the house was empty anyway. Monic was staying in the warehouse along with Jake while Adam was busy, taking care of his mother.

I grabbed the house keys and my purse before stepping out of the house and slipped on some flats.

I don't care who you are, ask me to wear goddamn heels and I will decapitate you on the spot.

You ain't my friend if you're rooting for me to break my neck.

I was dressed in an off shoulder  white crop top and a high waisted short jeans that shows enough skin to not make me feel exposed and slutty.

I strolled towards the pink beetle that Penelope drove and slipped into the passenger seat.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I breathed out as I placed my purse on my lap and folded my hand to keep them from fidgeting.

"It's fine," Penelope chirped, casting me a cheery smile before stepping on the pedal and drove off to her house.

I realized then that she looked ready to go to the party with make up on and hair done.

The second we reached her house, Penelope rushed me into her bedroom and sat me on the dresser as she took out all her makeup products and started on my eyes.

Before the mascara wand can touch me, I started praying for my life because let's just say, I do not have a good experience with those sticks.

Dear God, if you're listening right now. Please don't let that God forsaken stick damage my eyes. Amen.

"Open your eyes, I promise I won't poke your eye." I didn't even realize I shut them but I immediately followed her orders and looked into the mirror and watched in wariness as she started working on my lashes.

The mascara was the last touch and I scrutinized my reflection as I gazed into the mirror with disguised horror.

Fuck. I'm a painted whore.

I won't say the girl I'm looking at in the mirror doesn't look anything like me because that's bullshit because my button nose is as evident as the freaking sun but I'm glad nothing changed about it, it's like a root that reminds me of who I am when my face is caked up.

Penelope managed to work on my cheekbones and they look more prominent now, thanks to the blush on and she added an extra inch on my eyebrows with her pencil, shaping it up a bit and making it thicker.

The shade of the eyeshadow she put on me was light and it gave off a natural look.

I was grateful for the help, I wouldn't have been able to do it on my own even if my neck was on the line.

"Thanks, Penny." I offered a smile through the mirror and she gave me a similar one.

"That's what friends are for, no?" We joked around a bit before deciding it was time to go.

"Okay, let's get going, we won't get any younger." She ushered both of us to the car and we drove off to the party.

------------

It was crowded. So so crowded. Luckily, unlike all the other times that I went to these kind of parties, I have Penelope who was practically glued to my hip - or was it vice versa?- the entire time. I gotta admit, having a friend feels great.

She introduced me to a few of her friends that went to other schools and seeing someone other than the assholes that bullied me in my school was refreshing and I greeted them with a smile.

I was actually having fun and that's not something you hear from partying me all the time. Most of the time, you hear 'someone give me a ride home before I scream bloody murderer at the sluts sucking off bystanders faces'.

So yeah, this was a major improvement.

We spent the rest of the night dancing and chatting over sodas with a few of her friends casually dropping in and joining our random conversations.

It was a good night, I saw no traces of Maddison or Sonia so I guess that's like a good luck mantra, no?

When we finally decided to head back home, it was already 9, in the middle of the night.

"Oh my God, did you see her face?" I laughed when a flash of Mr. Thomas' horrid expression wormed its way to my thought.

He had looked so uncomfortable and undeniably gobsmacked at this one coupled that apparently didn't know this was a supervised party and decided to dry hump each other in the middle of the dance floor.

Penelope and I spent the rest of the way to her car doubling over in laughter thinking about the fate of those two. When we left, Mr. Thomas was up on their asses, pulling them aside and yelled at them for inappropriate public displayed affection.

The laughter, though, immediately died in our throats as the car jerked and coughed out fumes when Penelope started the engine. We looked at each other and I got out of the car, opening it's front cap.

Now, Bryant taught me a lot of things but he told me nothing about cars. Well, he did, I just never paid attention because most of the time, he got too excited and spoke too fast for me to understand, thus, boring me to the point that I want to gag him with my grandfather's socks.

If you have ever smelled his socks, dude, you're gonna need some CPR ASAP.

It's just that bad.

One whiff, you're out.

Try tasting them.

Good luck in trying to stay conscious.

Anyways, Penelope seemed as clueless as I am so she dialed her uncle who, apparently, has a friend who knows some guy-

Okay, you know what, this is getting confusing even for me. Point is: She called an acquaintance who has a tow truck for help in getting her car to some auto workshop.

Now for us to get out of her. How on Earth are we gonna get home?

Taxi, apparently, wasn't an option since there's no taxi that's passing by in this time of the night.

Hitching up a ride with someone is counted as hopeless since all Penelope's friends left earlier.

Basically, that left us one thing to do.

We're gonna walk to the nearest street where cabs will most likely be passing by.

So we started the walk.

At first, we belted out from one song to another randomly and other times, we'll tell funny stories about our childhood. Basically, we tried doing anything to distract us from our aching and sore legs.

My feet were basically screaming for rest after all that dancing and walking but I can't stop now, not in the middle of the night where people might as well be cold-hearted killers disguised as junkies.

I continued to walk, clutching on my purse tightly. I can't let my guard down when I'm walking with a girl that I doubt knows how to fight in the middle of the night in some deserted street. Plain idiocy, if you ask me.

We finally started passing by closed factories, banks, restaurants. Until we passed this building. I think it was an office.

I saw a man, maybe in his late 50s, using a floppy hat, holding a broom, raking the leaves that fell off the trees to the streets in front of the gates. He was working silently, the broom brushing off the leaves into a pile and as we passed him, my gut tugged at him.

It was late in the night and this old man who probably has a family at home, waiting for him was working. A family he needs to feed.

With every step I took away, my heart sank that much deeper into my stomach and my feet felt like leads as I practically had to drag them to keep moving.

"Oh fuck it," I murmured under my breath as I opened my purse and took out 20 bucks and turned the opposite direction, abandoning a gaping Penelope for a second. I didn't even need to tap the man, he had his head raised to meet my eyes when, I assume, he saw my feet bringing me back.

He opened his mouth, probably about to ask me something but shut it right after seeing my outstretched hand.

I had folded the money three times and he took it slowly before smiling at me. I feel the knot in my heart loosen as I was able to breath again as I stared into the man's clouded eyes. I sucked in a breath as he thanked me, feeling something tugging at my heart.

I found myself offering him a soft and small smile before nodding in reply.

I turned on my heel and started walking towards Penelope in a rush.

I need to get out of there without bursting into tears and embarrass myself.

She eyed me in curiosity as I dragged her along by the arm. "What was that for?" She asked, confusion laced in her words.

I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

"An act of kindness. A good deed. What? Can't someone do something for people and not expect anything in return?" I spat the snarky remark and she visibly wince.

"I-I, Well-" I cut her off with a regretful sigh.

"I'm sorry for snapping, it's just that- it aggravates me that such a simple act can surprise you, it just proved how much our generation has been degraded into ignorant and blind fools." I  huffed out a sigh in the end, but I'm far from done.

"I mean I know how the saying goes, that ignorance is bliss but sometimes people has just got to open their eyes and see what's happening around them and stop being ungrateful brats. Not all of them are but it's annoying the shit out of me just to see the way you looked at me like I just gave life to someone.

It shouldn't be like that. It should be an everyday thing that you see but alas, a girl can only hope that the future will be better."

Penelope seemed to be pondering about something for a moment, a thoughtful look and something else crossed her face but it was gone in an instant.

I brushed it off, thinking nothing of it.

Suddenly, a voice called out behind us and I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise in alarm and a chill ran down my back and I guarantee you that it's not the good kind.

"Hello ladies."

•~•~•

Sorry for the wait. I was way back on my schedule and had a lot of catching up to do.

Anyways, I want to apologize firsthand if the speech Casey gave offended anyone. It was her speaking her thoughts and although I know you have objections and not all of them are true, know that it's a figurative speech of a character.

If you got something out of it then great!

I know not everyone is ignorant and that our generation has people that are doing something to make this world a better place but Casey was addressing people who weren't.

Anyway, I just wanted to get that out of the air.

In another note, it's Sunday here *groan*.

Another day at school for tomorrow. Damn. I guess you can't escape it after all. It was good while it lasted *wipes tear*.

I gotta end it at that, it's pretty late in this part of the world so yeah..

See you guys tomorrow, I love y'all and stay awesome. Peace out 🖖🏻✌🏻️ -J