9| The Girl With Daddy Issues

After spending two hours rearranging all the shelves of the store, both Maya and Travis slid against a free wall due to exhaustion.

"Your father should give me a raise." Travis said, gulping a huge amount of water down his throat.

"At least you are getting money in exchange of work." She complained in response.

They both kept staring at the snack counter, trying to catch their breath because soon, Cody will be back from the bank and they would have to return to their respective counters.

"Can you believe it? We are seniors. In a year, we will leave for college." Maya said and laced her fingers with Travis' long ones.

"Yeah, our friendship had a nice run. Don't expect me to return your calls once I am in Harvard." Travis chuckled in return and gazed at their linked hands.

"Don't worry. I'll be outside your dorm every weekend." Maya laughed but Travis knew nothing can be said sure about her. She might actually come every weekend to meet him if she makes up her mind to do so.

When they heard the sound of door, they both rushed to their respective counters but confusion filled their mind when they found Mario entering inside. He was usually with his father at the Garage at this time.

"Are you here to buy something?" Maya asked.

"No, I am here to ask Cody to let you both go with me." Mario smirked and looked around to find Maya's father.

"Dad isn't here yet. Besides, where are we going?" Maya asked.

"Don't you remember? There is a party at the quarterback's house. And he has invited all of us." Mario said in excitement and both Maya and Travis exchanged a look. Parties weren't exactly their cup of tea when they can enjoy much more by eating greasy cheeseburgers and having a Star Wars marathon.

"Can't you go alone?" Travis interjected.

"No, man. You know my Dad won't let me go if you both aren't going." He whined. It was true, Mr. Giovanni knew his son very well and he also knew that Travis and Maya were the sane one of the trio.

"Then maybe you should stay at garage and help him." Travis suggested and earned a glare from Mario.

"Please guys, I'm not smart like you. I might not even go to college. Don't ruin senior year for me. Please." He said, more like begged.

"But..."

"I'll do your homework in return." He offered and Travis chuckled in response.

"No thanks. I'd rather do it myself." He said and turned his attention back to the work. He knew having him do his homework meant he had to erase all of it and do it again.

Mario knew Travis won't be easy to persuade so he instead went to Maya and knelt in front of her. "Please, please, please Maya, help a boy out. I don't want to graduate a virgin."

"Mario, stand up. Don't be stupid." Maya said and tried to pull him up but he was heavier. "Ok. Fine, we will go. Now stand up." She admitted defeat and Mario's smile brightened.

He then turned to Travis who heaved a sigh and shrugged in response. "But you will have to wash my car tomorrow."

"Deal." Mario said.

•••••••••••

Travis stopped his car in front of the school's football team's quarterback, Jamie's house. Mario was the first one to step out of the car in excitement. Maya followed him and then Travis parked the car at a side.

"Do I look fine?" Maya asked. She was wearing black fitted jeans and a red top, her natural curly hair falling down her shoulders.

"You look smoking hot. I'd totally bang you, if you weren't like a sister to me." Mario said and Maya faked a gag.

"Do you know how gross it sounded?" She said and walked passed him through the gate. There was a huge lawn in front of the house and a swimming pool at one side. Boys and girls were gathered in the pool, playing games and having fun.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Travis said and looked around, unable to find a familiar face. There were many people here that didn't even go to their school, let alone their year.

"Have fun." Mario said and leaped towards the keg of beer. Knowing him, he would soon be out of his senses and will pass out in a corner.

"Let's find a quiet corner inside." Maya said and walked through the lawn inside the house. The music blaring in their ears deafened them and they had to communicate in extra loud voices.

Once they entered inside, a familiar whiny voice reached their ears. "This is real Dior. How dare you throw up at it?" Althea was scolding a drunk guy who had vomited all over her designer handbag. She looked pissed and disgusted at the same moment.

"Did she really wear that in a highschool party?" Maya said to Travis. Althea was dressed in an elegant white top and a lacy blue skirt, looking elegant as ever and really out of place in between drunk teenagers.

"She can wear a sack of potatoes and everyone would still worship the floor she walks on." Travis shook his head in disappointment and then looked around. There was Olive talking to a girl on the couch and then, there was Zachary and Ethan talking to a group of jocks of their school. But he didn't find the person he was searching and he didn't even want to admit to himself that he was looking for her, specially not after how his father embarassed him in front of Zoey yesterday.

"I am going to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute." Maya excused herself.

After she left, Travis passed through sweaty bodies and cursed Mario for bringing him here. He hated parties like that where at every corner, there was a couple dry-humping each other. The house was filled with the disgusting stench of sweat, alcohol and vomits and he couldn't help but feel nauseous.

As he tried to make his way to the kitchen through the crowd, someone collided against him and the next moment, he felt wetness all over his light blue shirt.

"Fuck. Can't you see..." He stopped when he found Zoey standing in front of him. His mind went black when his eyes trailed down her body. She was wearing a black dress a little too short for her. The dress barely covered her thighs and had a slit that left very little to imagination. The neckline was also quite scandalous and Travis felt blood rush to his cheeks on seeing her in such attire. He really didn't expect to see her here in such a revealing outfit.

"Travis Anderson, it's you." She said in her slurred speech, indicating that she was drunk. There was an arm around her waist that belonged to a guy. The guy was tall and broad and the side of his face and neck was covered in ink.

"Travis, meet Liam. He is the guy who took my virginity in junior year." She said and a bitter feeling settled in Travis' chest. "Well, almost took, because he couldn't get it up, if you know what I mean." She giggled mischievously and the guy chocked on the air.

"I... I was high." He said to defend himself while Travis stood there awkwardly, listening to something he would rather not hear.

"And Liam, meet Travis. He is an asshole." She introduced him.

"I guess, that's me." Travis shrugged.

"Let's go dance." She said to Liam and dragged him to the centre of the hall, leaving Travis standing there. He stood there with clenched fist as he watched their hands linked together. He couldn't understand why he immediately felt this burning feeling inside his chest. Maybe he had eaten something bad.

He went in the direction Maya had gone, not wanting to witness their closeness anymore. They both met halfway and then sat down on the stairs, watching the drunken boys and girls do things their sober selves would never have courage to do.

"Isn't she Zoey? Is she okay?" Maya said and he followed the direction of her gaze. Zoey was perched on top of a counter, dancing like there was no tomorrow. Her dress had raised up even more, giving a hint of her matching underwear.

Travis felt angered and slightly disappointed at her. He had never witnessed her like this before, acting so careless. He wanted to go to her and pull her down from the counter but that would be crossing his limits. They both were not even friends so he had no right to do so.

Thankfully, before she could make a complete fool of herself, Zachary threw her over his shoulder and put her down on the floor. Travis stood up to see what was happening clearly. Zachary was asking her to drink some water to sober up but she was resisting him with all her might.

"You are not my Dad, Zachary." She yelled at him at last and stomped out of the hall.

"This girl has some serious daddy issues." Maya said from behind.

Travis excused himself for a minute and rushed behind Zoey. He exited the house and looked around the lawn but she was nowhere to be found. He even searched the swimming pool area but all in vain. Worry filled his mind for her. She was drunk and vulnerable and he didn't want anyone to take advantage of her.

At the end, he was making his way back to the house when he found her sitting behind a huge artificial plant, hugging her knees silently and lost in her thoughts.

"Zoey?" Travis knelt in front of her.

"Travis," she slurred. "My driver isn't here yet. Can you drop me home?" She asked.

"Um... Well... Sure." He said after contemplating for a moment and helped her stand up.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Zoey's

Althea's

Maya's