TEENAGE KICKS

CHAPTER TEN: MESSY CONFESSIONS

THE LOUD CLINKING OF glasses and the chattering of people were mostly what Rory could hear at the lame fancy dinner a bunch of rich people were gathered at. Obviously, she didn't want to be here, but once her mom forced her into a white silk dress that made her look like she was going to church, she was doomed.

"Johnny, will you stop staring at Ali. It's making her uncomfortable" the blonde was snapped out of his staring by the moody girl beside him.

The boy rolled his eyes, leaning down slightly so no one could hear him "shut up and eat your asparagus." He laughed at the irritated look that crossed her face before turning to look back at the girl that was currently dancing happily with her father.

Ali's dad noticed her smile disappear when she caught Johnny looking at her again "trouble with Johnny?" the blonde looked down at her shoes as they continued to sway "you two lovebirds having problems"

"Dad we're not lovebirds" she perked up and looked down at the mans watch "hey dad, what time is it"

"well" he pulled up the sleeve of his expensive suit "it's about 9:40"

"um, I gotta go"

Panning back to Rory who was sat at the table, watching Johnny dance with Ali's mother, probably so he could get close to Ali without her running off, the brunette sunk lower in her seat. Mrs. Lawrence, noticing her daughter's bored face, stood up and stopped at her seat.

"Hey sweety, why don't you dance with James Kingsley? He's a nice boy"

Rory shook her head quickly at her smiling mother "I can't...my heels are digging into my feet. So much pain." Thinking she was in the clear, the girl took a sip of her champagne and sighed.

"Oh no you don't, you're going to go over to his table and ask him to dance or else no more Cindy for 2 weeks" Rory sat up straight and narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm bargaining. Now go"

The brown-eyed beaut pushed her chair back stubbornly and made her way over to his table, quickly grabbed his arm, and pulled him behind her to the dance floor where she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Without much resistance, the smirking boy placed his hands on her waist to pull her closer to him "I was waiting for you to ask someone to dance, I'm happy it was me"

"Well" she sighed and let a fake smile grace her face "you should've come over and asked"

Jamie laughed, messily shaking his head "your brother would've killed me, heck, I should probably not be dancing with you now." As if to taunt her brother (that wasn't looking by the way), he slid his hands round to the small of her back and pushed her closer to him.

Rory tried to back away when she stumbled into his chest, but the boy held her tight, using one of his hands to grab her chin harshly and push his lips on hers. With one final struggle, Rory untangled herself from his hands at the same time a crash was heard from the kitchen.

The doors separating the kitchen from the ballroom were now wide open, showcasing Daniel and some other waiter sprawled on the ground. What made Rory's mouth gape open was what looked to be pasta and pasta sauce covering the boy's whole front side.

Out of all the people laughing, Johnny's seemed to be the loudest who was stood next to a slightly snickering Ali Mills. Rory's glare went unnoticed as she turned back to make eye contact with a wide-eyed Daniel.

The boy's eyes flickered between her and a smirking Jamie, his mind flashing back to the kiss he had just seen them share. Stumbling to his feet, he turned around and ran back the way he had come, leaving behind a saddened Rory who slapped the boy beside her and went to sit back down at her table.

★ ☆

"I can't believe the nerve of that jerk" Cindy took a drag of her cigarette as they stood outside of the Encino building "I mean, who does he think he is?"

Rory shook her head and held the cig that the girl had passed her "I don't know what was going through Jamie's head, and now...well, there goes my first kiss. Lost to a manwhore"

"If consent wasn't given, then I don't count it as a first kiss"

"Yeah, I guess you're right Cindy"

After the hectic show that went on inside of Daniel leaving covered in pasta sauce, the two girls had bid adieu to their still laughing parents before walking outside. In her expensive clutch bag, Rory had safely tucked a pack of cigarettes in the bottom beneath her wallet and lipgloss.

So they were leant up against the wall in an alleyway to the right of the entrance, not giving any fucks if someone were to come and find them.

Rory brought the cancer stick away from her mouth and let out a cloud of smoke, watching as the light from the lamp post shined through it. The mood was almost serene, like that feeling of coming down from a high that leaves you numb.

"Do you think Danny's mad?" the girl questioned, staring up at the calm night sky.

Cindy looked up at the girl after settling down on the concrete floor "why would he? It's not like you guys are dating...and he was supposed to go on a date with Ali tonight anyway"

"Oh right, I forgot about the reason he was at this stupid dinner" Rory sighed, kicking at the stones by her feet "this is all Jonny's fault"

"Why? He didn't do anything"

The brunette laughed, the stress of the night making her tired and sleep-deprived "I know, it's just easier to blame all my problems on him instead of taking the weight for myself"

A light snicker escaped the girl on the floor's mouth as she put out her cigarette on the ground "It is, isn't it. Stupid Johnny and his annoying hair"

"yeah"

"Annoying smile"

"yeah"

"Dazzling blue eyes"

"ye-wait what"

"perfect smile"

"uh...Cindy?"

"Yeah? Oh."

Rory and Cindy stared at each other wide-eyed, slightly gasping at the revelation of what was Cindy's obvious crush on her brother. "You...like my uh, b-brother?" The girl went quiet, but that gave her all the answers she needed "guess I'm not the only girl here with boy problems"

Not being able to keep a straight face, they both broke out into wide grins that eventually led to them giggling as Rory crashed down onto Cindy. They lay on their backs in the open, quiet parking lot trying to catch their breath.

"I've been in love with your brother since 7th grade" she looked over to the smiling girl who was named after the infamous sleeping beauty, the girl looking exactly like her with her closed eyes "I'm sorry I never told you"

"And I'm sorry that I gave you the feeling that you couldn't tell me"

Rory outstretched her hand and hummed lightly when she felt the other girl intertwine her fingers with hers, not wanting to ruin the moment the two were having. But she couldn't help but think about the period of time she and Freddie were dating for. They had broken up earlier that month after Cindy couldn't take the way he and his friends were treating Danny.

"Guess that Ali really is the root of all our problems right now" Cindy spoke up after a while as she shifted her head to stare into the side of Rory's face "why is it always the blondes?"

Rory now moved her head to look back at the sad girl and shrugged nonchalantly "because we're too good for the-who am I kidding, you're perfect for my idiot brother." Cindy awed softly "that was weird, actually wanting to see Johnny happy for once"

"It's called character development"

"pretty shitty character development if you ask me"