"Me, me- and-nd you?"

Brand smirked, although he didn't say anything.

"Yeah, if you are okay with it, I will text you the details! After all, I have your number." He ended, shooting a sidewards glance to Brand.

I must have imagined the ever-so-slight scowl coming from Brand. 

"Well sure okay... We will see how things go. See you."

With that, I sped off towards class, not looking back.

Someone, help me. I'm on fire.

---

Surprisingly enough, no one talked to me about anything out of the blue.

I did not manage to see Benjamin after our mini encounter in the morning. Not like I dared to approach him anyway.

I was dazing off, looking into the ceiling.

"Michelle!" Cal looked slightly annoyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't see you!" My mouth widened. Just how long has it been?

"A sorry doesn't count, not especially if I have been calling your name for 5 times!"

He paused for a moment.

"Well, are you ready to go? Nicole is waiting outside."

We arranged to go over to Cal's house today.

Outside, Cal looked at Nicole with a knowing gaze and nodded. The two of them looked back at me.

"What?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Cal replied casually, swinging his car keys.

He walked off, heading to his car. The two of us jogged after him.

"So, what is up with you two?" Nicole nudged, and that was when I could see where this was going.

"Nothing!" I exclaimed back, but a big part of me knew she wouldn't just take my reply. She wanted answers.

She raised her eyebrow and shook her head.

"Fine, Benjamin asked me to go to a party with him and I am not sure if I should accept his invitation." I blurted out.

"Wow." came her short and uninteresting reply.

I raised my eyebrow in annoyance. I expected a bigger reaction from her.

After all, it is something out of this world.

Before I could even open my mouth again, she sped off, catching up with Cal and leaving me behind walking alone. I scoffed. These two were acting really weirdly.

---

"Good afternoon," Nicole and I chimed, as Cal's mother, Mrs Parker, looked up from her tablet. She gave a wide, open smile before standing up, heading to the kitchen.

"Girls, you are here! Three slices of that chocolate cake that I baked yesterday, coming right up!" She called from her current spot in the kitchen.

As if it were coincidence, I could feel my stomach grumbling in protest. Mrs Parker bakes awesome cakes.

I liked her bubbly, happy personality, she is an easygoing person to be with. Not that she minds our presence, something which I am grateful for.

"Thank you!" I replied gratefully.

Cal lived in a house located three streets away from mine, and a few more streets from Nicole's. The convenience getting from place to place made us even bonded.

We went to his room where he dug out a comfortable position on his bed. Following suit, I grabbed one of his blue pillows and hugged it tightly. I could see Cal shooting me a sideways glance.

Cal had taken on an obvious liking for blue, as not only were his bedsheets donned in blue, so were the walls and even his door was a light sky blue. Cal's room was located on the second floor, while his other two younger siblings stayed at the room opposite his.

He stood up, going to his CD case.

"So what should we watch today?" He grinned, pulling out some horror movies.

"No, we are not watching that." I declared instantly.

"Ooh horror movies, yes!" Nicole declared at the exact same time as me.

She looked up at me.

"Please, can we? Can we?" She begged.

I sighed.

"You jolly well know what wondrous happenings occur when I watch horror movies, don't you?" I said with an unenthusiastic voice.

There was once, after Nicole's persuasion, we watched a horror movie of this serial creepy doll who went around killing people. After the movie, when Nicole went to the toilet for a while and she returned, I smacked her face and screamed. I honestly thought I was going to die.

Yes, I was that traumatized. And it didn't help as well when Cal made spooky noises at me.

She left with a horrible bruise on her right swollen cheek that day.

Well, in my defense, I was just protecting myself. Thankfully her bruise wasn't that bad, otherwise I would be scarred for life.

"You mean the bruise incident?" Nicole's eyes widened, as the memories played out in her head.

I nodded and grinned.

"Okay fine then, we shall not watch it. But," she paused for a moment, "Promise me that you will go to Benjamin's party with me?"

I blinked twice.

That was sudden.

"You are going too?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Brand invited me, and I didn't want to go at first. But since you have an invitation from ahem, Benjamin himself, let's go together!" She explained.

As I was facing my back towards Cal, I failed to see the frown etched on his face.

I kept quiet, thinking.

When I first gotten the invitation from Benjamin itself, I knew I would reject him. After all, I didn't know him that well, I feel bad for just taking his food and basically wasting his money. But most importantly, a person like me who couldn't sustain a conversation for more than three minutes with someone I didn't know, just cannot survive inside a party where it's just constant mingling. And alcohol.

I have never drank alcohol, what if I got drunk? How am I going to make my way home safely?

No to parties.

Nicole spoke again, interrupting my chain of thoughts.

"You know, honestly I have no idea why Benjamin invited you since the both of you only talked once, but you can go with me! I'm going too, you know,"

"Benjamin drove me home yesterday and even asked me for my number..." I admitted.

"What?" Cal and Nicole exclaimed with synchronized precision, as if on cue.

I looked back at Cal, and that was when I saw the tensed up frown on his face. He instantly relaxed when our eyes met, as if not wanting me to see his expressions.

I looked back at Nicole.

"Why is this Benjamin suddenly paying so much attention to you? Not that I mean it is bad, but it feels really weird..."

"So that is why I told the both of you, I need some advice..."

There was a brief silence.

"Don't go to his party." Cal suddenly spoke out.

I was momentarily shocked by the harshness of his voice.

"Cal, do you hate Benjamin or something? You looked really pissed." Nicole pointed out.

"What? No—I meant it's quite risky for Michelle to go, it is not as if parties mean anything good."

I was just about to agree with Cal before Nicole snatched my words.

"But Michelle is going with me, right?" She protested.

I could now feel two eyes staring at me.

I didn't want to go.... But as for Nicole...

I sighed, "I'm going."

"This is great! Michelle is finally going to a party, woo!" She exclaimed and punched a fist in the air.

I sighed again as Nicole went out of the room as Cal's mum carried three plates of cake.

Then, I felt an arm around my shoulder. Cal seated himself next to me, his brows furrowed. He looked at me with concern.

"You sure you are okay with it? Please don't trust others so easily."

I thought back on the favor Benjamin did for me. Maybe he was really sincere in building our relationship, I should probably give it a try. Besides I have Nicole as well.

"I guess I will give it a try. Besides I have Nicole, don't I?" I mirrored my thoughts.

---
Michelle's first party!! How do y'all feel? :)