No Pads… No Helmets… Just Memories!

I had made the leap of faith to get ready at Cass’s house before my own party which looking back now was a dumb idea, but even dumber was letting her choose an outfit for me. But Cass, she’s so sweet and preppy all the time denying her of anything was a mere impossibility. She had shoved me into one of those short black pencil skirts with a horizontal tribal print and a white tank tucked into it at the hips. I shrugged on the thick green cardigan as she handed it over to me and we headed for the door.

When we arrived back at my house you could already tell the place was swimming with people. we pushed through the front foyer heading for the basement door as the pungent scent of beer and whisky filled my nose, the raw sent nearly made my eyes water as I followed my friend down stairs being careful not to bump into any grinding couples and make for an awkward first impression upon being back in Baltimore.

“Hey you!” Rian swooped over snaking his arms around Cass’s small fame.

“Hey Ri!” she giggled.

“Dance with me!” he had already had a few drinks. Dawson’s don't dance, well the male ones don't at least. Cass giggled as she looked back at me and my eyes lifted from my all black converse as they shuffled on the floor.

“Cass go, don’t wait up for me!” I laughed.

As the two disappeared into the moving crowded and blaring music a set of lips graced my ear. “Dance with me Dawson!” the voice yelled over the blasting pop song and I turned to see Jack straighten up to tower over me in the dimmed light. “Hell why not!” I laughed loud enough for the boy to hear before he took my hand and lead me to the middle of the basement and began to dance, but not in the fashion of majority of the pairs around us.

“Who’s doing the music?” I shouted up to his ear as we danced along to the fifth or sixth song as it neared its end.

“Vinny!” he half shouted as the song ended and began to shift into the next one, “He has to work early and said he’d do it to avoid getting shit faced or something, but someone else is doing music upstairs i don't know who!”

“Smart kid!” I laughed as the new found glory song, Head On Collision began to blast through the speakers scattered throughout the room, “OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS SONG!”

“You know this is the song Alex thought to name the band after right?” Jack laughed as I began to dance in a more idiotic fashion as the drinks I had downed began to take their toll on my small body and mind.

“No kidding?” I laughed as Jack nodded his head. “Where even is Alex?”

“Over there I think!” Jack pointed.

I couldn't help but notice that after breakfast Alex had been slightly distant from me till I parted for Cassadee’s to let them have band practice and it didn't hit me till I followed Jack’s finger and saw Alex scowling over by the drink table shuffling to the side as a group of bubbly teens neared to refill their cups. I wouldn't have made a big deal about him not talking to me, but Alex was always the life of any party, I was already aware of that before that day based on the many MySpace photos of Alex I had seen, this wasn’t like him and I wanted to get down to the bottom of his behavior.

“Hey Jack I’m gonna go get another beer.” I yelled over the music lifting my plastic cup as he nodded and I turned towards the table where Alex stood.

"Alex what's up with you? You've been weird with me all day I thought we were cool?” I asked approaching.

"Nothing, it’s just something you said that kind of just rubbed me the wrong way" he shrugged bringing his drink to his mouth and tipping it back.

"Well I’m sorry?" I said raising a brow, "what'd I say?"

"Well it was more of how you said it...” He diverted.

"Well how did I say whatever it was?" I asked pouring the liquid into my cup as I spoke.

"Okay I’m gonna sound stupid but I was kind of hurt by how you told Rian we didn't have sex, like yeah of course we didn't but am I really that repulsive that the thought of having sex with me makes you gag!?" He exclaimed and all I could do was look at him biting on my lip before bursting into laughter.

"Wow thanks! She laughs at me!" He exclaimed, "I was already feeling down on myself and now you laugh at me!"

"No Alex," I sighed controlling my giggles and snaking my small arms around his waist, "you're not repulsive, I mean just a tad bit, to me that is, you're Alex, but it’s not like I’d want to bang Jack or Zack either so don't take to heart champ!" I laughed patting his chest, and tipping the cup back against my lips.

"Okay but honestly if we were like the last two people on earth, would you have sex with me?"

"Alex the day you and I are the only people on earth is the day I will have sex with you." I laughed.

"Promise?" He asked smirking holding up his pinky like a small child.

"Promise!" I laughed nodding linking my substantially smaller pinky with his.

"I'm not totally disgusting!" He yelled throwing his hands in the air and running over to the group by the upright piano now.

"Yeah, I wouldn't flatter yourself Gaskarth!" I laughed trotting after him.

Everyone seemed joyous that Alex and I were friends again aside from Rian. Gross as it sounds, he might have actually thought there was more to Alex and I utter then the fact were friends, and it’s not like were close either we just aren't going at each other’s throats, To be fair most people around that hadn't filed back upstairs to where the music was still blasting were far too intoxicated to even comprehend what Alex had yelled.

“Vinny too tired or too intoxicated to keep playing music down here?” I laughed as I fully rejoined the decent sized group that still remained.

“Too sick of having people request 1, 2 step” he laughed, “there are only so many times a basically sober human can handle hearing ‘Automatic, supersonic, hypnotic, funky fresh’ in a short period of time!”

“Cheer’s to that!” Andrea bound over after appearing down the staircase.

“DREA!” I laughed as she stepped over swinging a tanned arm over my shoulder.

“Hey girl!” she laughed. “Oh I guess I should introduce myself, I’m Andrea”

“Oh we know who you are!” Jack cooed gaining an elbow to the ribs by Zack.

“Well how bout some old school Karaoke!” she chimed.

“Uh Rian do we even have a Karaoke machine?” I asked and he shook his head no before we all looked to Andrea.

“No worries children, Petrocelli off the piano!” she ushered causing Vinny to rise from his place on the wooden top and to shuffle off beside me.

“You play?” Cass asked smiling.

“A bit!” she giggled, “any requests?”

“DROPS OF JUPITER!” Alex all but shouted as the words spewed from his mouth.

“Okay then!” she calmly said and turned fully to the keys as she began to play.

“NOW THAT SHES BACK IN THE ATMOSPHERE WITH DROPS OF JUPITER IN HER HAAIIAIIIIRRRR!” the group bellowed when it came time to sing. “AND SINCE HER RETURN FROM HER STAY ON THE MOON SHE LISTENS LIKE SPRING AND SHE TALKS LIKE JUNE AYE AYE AYE AYE!” we all drunkenly skipped a line as Rian began to choppily slow dance with Cass joining the few other couples who had, “TELL ME! DID YOU SAIL ACROSS THE SUN” I felt an arm wrap around the small of my back causing me to sway with their body, “DID YOU MAKE IT TO THE MILKY WAY TO SEE THE LIGHTS ALL FADED?” I was turned to see Alex looking down on me as he shot me a lopsided smile. “AND THAT HEAVEN IS OVERRATED.” he slung the second arm over to gently grasp my hip as we swayed. “TELL ME, DID YOU FALL FROM A SHOOTING STAR?” I laughed as I looped my hands around his neck to place my head on his chest. “ONE WITHOUT A PERMANENT SCAR?” I lifted my head from his chest to look into his whisky clouded orbs as he sang and not screamed, “and did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?” as I rose to my toes to touch my nose with his with a drunken giggle.

Andrea ended the instrumental as the crowd booed at her ending before the chorus and she turned admitting she hadn't learned the rest of the notes with a laugh. by this time anyone who was sober enough had found their way back down stairs while everyone else stifled though the house in a frantic endeavor to get home before the street lights turned off. I looked around feeling content in knowing majority of the faces around me now had names thanks to Jack how had introduced me to the endless string on people throughout the night.

“PLAY PIANO MAN!” a voice shouted from the stairs followed by a string of nodding heads, approving thumbs, and pleasant grunts as Andrea smiled showing she knew the song and turned to play.

She began to play the first few notes till everyone joined in singing with a shaking off tune.

Notes