Party

Numerous colorful crayons, coloring books, and pencils lay scattered on the marble floor. Cali is very much engrossed in coloring her books neatly and without mistakes possible while Audrey is washing the dishes and their Mom is already asleep after a long day's work.

Brielle sprints down the stairs as she panics. She only has 20 minutes left before Liam rings their doorbell and picks her up for the party tonight.

She immediately sat in front of Cali on the floor, hesitating whether to ask her about something or not because the kid hates to be disturbed while she is coloring. Brielle bit her nails before mustering the courage to speak to her seven-year-old sister.

"Cali?" She lightly waved her hands in front of her and flashed a nervous smile. The kid tilted her head up and gave Brielle a questioning look. Cali tilted her head up and furrowed her brows, "What?" And threw her blue crayon on the floor.

Brielle scratched the back of her head and shifted her seat on the floor, "I just need your help about something. Would you mind joining me in my room? He he," Brielle awkwardly laughed. Her little sister is not someone to be messed with.

"Do you want to get my opinion as to what you should wear for the party tonight?" Cali straightforwardly asked as she began picking each of her crayons and put them inside the box. Brielle was too stunned that her little sister was too quick to get on.

Audrey spoke from the kitchen and asked, "You sure you do not want my opinion instead?" She put emphasis on the word 'opinion' as she slightly stretched her head to the other two's direction.

"No, thank you!" Brielle shouted back. As far as Brielle can remember, the last time she remembered she asked Audrey's opinion about an outfit, she looked like a dehydrated grape. Brielle fiddled with her fingers to see if Cali would agree.

Brielle particularly asked Cali for help in choosing what to wear because of her little sister's impeccable taste when it comes to fashion at a young age. Cali probably thinks much better than the two of them Audrey combined.

"Don't wear that silver sequined dress, you will surely look like a fallen disco ball," Cali commented pertaining to the dress Brielle is wearing right now. Cali is jumping up and down on the bed while criticizing, err, giving constructive comments to her sister's outfits so far.

Brielle sat down on the side of the bed and breathed deeply, "Seriously Cali, you are so hard to please. I don't even know what to wear," She spat in surrender as she lay down on her bed while her feet were on the ground.

Meanwhile, Cali got out of bed and rummaged inside Brielle's closet which had been left untouched for the past two weeks that she was mourning over her relationship with Gerald.

Cali gently scans dresses inside the closet while Brielle is breaking down at the last minute for not having something to wear. It only took Cali more than a minute to pick top and bottom clothes for Brielle as well as footwear.

"Here, change into that. I already heard Liam's car from the parking area. I will go downstairs and tell him you are still getting ready," Cali calmly said and twisted the door knob but before she even got to go outside, she spoke. "You owe me two lollipops for this," And then slammed the door shut.

'She surely has a temper at a young age. I wonder where she got it from,' Brielle asked herself and glanced at the clothes that Cali handed over to her as well as the footwear.

The top is a black long-sleeve turtleneck paired with a pencil skirt that is above her knee and dainty two-inch heels to complete the look. Brielle searched for a bag that would suit the look and found a white little shoulder bag.

A few minutes later, Brielle is uneasily sitting in the passenger seat of Liam's 2018 Chevrolet Colorado. Liam noticed that Brielle is demurely staring outside as the car moves and is biting her lower lip. She seems jumpy as well.

"Are you alright?" Liam gave her a quick glance. Veins on his arms are popping out as he professionally maneuvered the steering wheel.

Brielle is taken aback by Liam's question, "Uh- yeah… It is just that I have not gone out for a while. But… Do not mind me really," She stuttered and let out an awkward chuckle as she waved her hand to wave the bad energy away.

After approximately 30 minutes on the road, Liam and Brielle arrived at Jerrick's house. From the outside, neon colored lights illuminated along with lively music vibrating through the walls of the house. She could feel her rib cage pulsate as the loud beats of the music echoed. Liam gave Brielle a warm smile before they head inside the house.

"Damn, I thought this was just a small gathering." Liam cursed under his breath. Out of reflex, he held Brielle's hand in order not to lose her in the sea of drunk and partying people. He doesn't even know that many people here but he still dragged Brielle away from the crowd in the pursuit of finding Jerrick in the process.

Beads of sweat escaped Brielle's forehead as she swallowed hard a forming lump on her throat. She has seen a lot of familiar faces from their school who pretty sure knows about Gerald cheating on her.

Brielle held tightly to Liam's hands as she walked through the crowd of people with her head hung low. Jerrick, one of their childhood friends, does not go to the same school as her but is updated and popular enough to know about the latest news from the neighboring schools such as her being cheated on by her boyfriend.

The two of them were able to find a relatively silent spot near the pool area where only a few people were hanging out. Brielle's heart is racing, her knees feeling weak and her hands and the soles of her feet turning ice cold.

"I am terribly sorry for this, Brielle. I did not know this was a huge party since Jerrick clearly stated that it was just a small gathering among us childhood friends," Liam massaged his temples as he dialed Jerrick's phone number. On the other hand, Brielle stood up to basically let her blood circulate throughout her body as she is feeling cold inside and outside.

She took a few steps away from Liam who was talking to somebody on his phone. Brielle inhaled and exhaled as she brushed the horrible thought of meeting familiar faces around the house. Just as Brielle was about to go back to where Liam was, a familiar figure holding a glass of tequila in his hand appeared right in front of her. Brielle stood in horror, she wanted to escape but it was as if her feet were rooted deeply to the ground.

"I knew it's you Brielle," The man said in his usual confident Johnny Bravo tone. Brielle has thought why she ever liked him in the first place when he is absolutely so full of himself, a playboy, and cannot offer anything except his looks. It is Gerald, the cheater.