Chapter 7

• Nathan parked in the driveway of the Harvey’s home, there were a lot of cars around and the party seemed to be in full swing. From the windscreen, he saw a lot of gentlemen and ladies who were definitely not his age mates. He glanced at Tracy who was touching up her makeup, “you really think I should be here with you?”
• “I don’t see why not, everyone else here will have a date,” Tracy replied nonchalantly.
• Nathan wasn’t sure if he heard her correctly, “so I’m your date?” he asked to be sure.
• Tracy glanced at him and he wasn’t sure if he really saw her blush or if it was all in his head but he knew she didn’t keep his gaze for more than two seconds, “you are dressed up aren’t you and you accompanied me to a party. What else?” she quickly climbed out of the car before he could say something else embarrassing.
• Nathan grinned like a Cheshire cat, and had to stop himself from punching in the air. He can’t believe she said it herself, he is her date, her date. He stopped himself from drooling at that fact alone and climbed out of the car. He locked it and hurried to her side immediately. Tracy grinned and looped her hand in his while Nathan had to calm his swelling heart down so that it won’t burst as they walked into the house.
• The party happened to be at the terrace so they went straight through the kitchen door to join in the fun. There were a lot of beautiful faces, men and women but Nathan was contented with the woman in his arms and he hoped she was contented with him too. They approached a table and each picked a drink, “you are not eighteen yet but I will let it pass tonight,” Tracy said softly, sipping her glass of wine.
• Nathan chuckled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “you will be happy to know that this is not my first time taking alcohol.”
• “Really, then remind me to spank your ass at home.”
• Nathan laughed and the image played in his mind and he realized that he would really love to see that happening, as long as… “as long as you let me spank you back,” he winked seeing her shocked gaze before bursting into laughter.
• To the people around, they appeared as this loving couple that seems to get along well with each other and oblivious to their surroundings. While some awed at them, some weren’t actually happy because it was obvious that Nathan was much younger.
• “Nathan,” a voice called and Nathan turned and was surprised to find Cindy, the captain of the cheerleaders, “I never expected to see you here,” she smiled, walking up to them.
• “What are you doing here,” Nathan asked, the last thing he wants was someone ruining his moment with Tracy and he hates it more if that someone happens to be Cindy.
• “What do you mean what am I doing here, I live here,” she chuckled.
• Nathan made the connection then, Harvey’s home, Cindy Harvey, damn. “Oh, it must have skipped my mind.”
• “Yeah,” Cindy nodded with a smile but it was obvious she was a little sad. “Well, since you are here, why don’t you come with me? A couple of our classmates are over there,” she pointed at the pool side, “you can join us.”
• “I’m sorry but I’m with someone,” he took a step back so that she could see Tracy who smiled and waved at her softly.
• “Yeah but she belong with this people, I’m pretty sure James would keep her company, he had been going about all day saying that she is coming.”
• As if on cue, James came up to them, “Tracy,” he smiled, “for a minute there I thought you couldn’t make it. I didn’t see you come in.”
• “Oh you know, I like sneaking in,” she chuckled.
• “Oh that’s good,” James laughed softly, “why don’t you come with me, I will like to introduce you to some people,” he grabbed her hand and started pulling her away before she could give her consent.
• Seeing that, Nathan was greatly angered and he wanted to go after them but Cindy grabbed his hand, “come Nathan, I assure you that our own gathering is more fun that this old people’s,” she chuckled, pulling him along with her towards the pool.
• Nathan glanced behind him at Tracy who was laughing at something the couple in front of her said, James was standing beside her with a protective arm on her waist and he couldn’t stop the tightening of his chest. It was not fair, he was supposed to be her date, he was supposed to be the one with his arm on her waist, he was supposed to be the one standing beside her and letting people see them together. How did it suddenly change? How did they switch places?
• “Wow, dude, when you told me you were going for a party, I didn’t know it was this one,” Steven said, waving at him from the pool. Like Cindy said, there were a lot of their classmates there and they were all having fun. Just like Cindy said as well, their own little party was more fun but he wasn’t joining in the fun, his eyes kept following James and Tracy around. He couldn’t hear what they were saying but once he had seen James lean down and whispered something in her ear and she blushed. She actually blushed!
• Anger was boiling inside him but amidst that anger, there was something else: pain. Pain that he couldn’t generate that reaction in her, pain that everything was not going the way he had thought and hoped. And it wasn’t helping if at last, he saw James dancing with her, something he had actually been hoping to accomplish tonight.
• “Hey, they are dancing already, I think it’s time we finally join their boring party,” someone said but he didn’t care to know who as he immediately stood up and start walking towards Tracy.
• “I think Nathan agrees with me,” the voice said again with a light chuckle as everyone stood up and joined him.
• Cindy rushed up to him and linked her fingers with his, making him stiffen at the sudden contact, “dance with me will you. It’s so hard to get you to attend a party and you showed up on your own in this one,” she giggled, pulling him into the dancing crowd.
• “Wow, seems like not only Hansel is introducing a partner tonight, I think my baby sister is going to introduce her boyfriend at long last,” James said, bringing everyone’s attention to them.
• Cindy blushed while Nathan froze, his eyes on Tracy, he was waiting, wanting to know if he could see anything in her eyes, maybe pain or a little reluctance but there was nothing, rather she was just smiling at them.
• “That would be nice,” someone patted him on the back before pulling him into a half hug, “I wouldn’t want her dating anyone but Nathaniel, he is the best I heard of.” Nathan glanced at the man holding him and he winked at him.
• “Oh Hansel, is that how you sell your sister?” Someone said and everyone laughed, everyone including Tracy and it just made Nathan wish he could just disappear from there. Here he was, angry that another man was with her but she was in support of him being with another person, how ironic can that be?
• Cindy hugged Nathan’s arm with a giggle, “it wouldn’t be selling if I’m willing.”
• Everyone laughed again including Tracy and Nathan couldn’t take it anymore, he detached his arm from her hug, “it would be kidnapping if I’m not willing,” he dropped, making their classmates ‘oh’ and the older ones stare at him in surprise. With one last look at Tracy, he said, “I’m out of here.” And with that, he turned around and left.
• Everyone watched him leave but no one said anything. Cindy got so embarrassed that she ran away from there while Hansel and James stared at each other. All it took was a few seconds and everyone went back to having fun, the little teenage drama forgotten.
• Tracy stayed around for a while before excusing herself. She went outside and searched for Nathan with her eyes but couldn’t find him. She went to the car but it was still locked and Nathan was with the key. She sighed, wondering where he could be and decided to call him but the phone rang and no one answered.
• She lingered around, hoping he would show up but he didn’t and after some minutes, James came out and met her. “Hey, I have been waiting for you to come in, what are you doing out here alone?”
• “I’m sorry James but I really have to go now, Hansel’s fiancée is beautiful and you are right, I do like her.”
• James smiled, “I know you would. But why do you want to go now, the party is not yet over.”
• “I know but I can’t find Nathan and he is not picking my call.”
• “I see, maybe he is around somewhere.”
• “No he is not, I have looked everywhere and I can’t drive around because he is with my key.”
• “Oh, what if he has gone home?”
• “Why would he do that? We came together and he knows there is no way I could go home without him, plus he has the car key.”
• “Well, I can drive you home and you will pick the car tomorrow and if he is not home, I will come wait for him here to tell him you have gone when he returns.”
• Tracy thought about that and nodded, “alright, that would work, thank you so much James.”
• “Anytime,” he smiled and started walking to his car while she followed.