Cody and I began talking after the kickback at the campgrounds. We kept our conversations light. He didn’t try to flirt with me like every guy does. Most guys always gave me a good morning text or would try to ask about my day. They’ll say anything just to get my interest. Something to get was all any boy would ever see me as, an object. They didn’t talk to me as a person, Cody did. Even after I threw bait and flirted with him, he chose to ignore it.


    It’s one of the two reasons why I accepted his invitation to hang out with him and his friends. I wanted to see where things would go. The other reason was that I felt that I was going to blow up on Megan if I kept hanging out with her.


    Emily opened her front door and welcomed me in. Her breath stank of alcohol and weed. Her room wasn’t much better, but I was used to the smell. For once, nobody paid attention to my arrival.


    Cody was sitting on top of the front of Emily’s bed with his weird friend, Chris, both focused on the fighting game they were playing. Emily sat on the ground with the only girl I had ever seen her be friends with and that girl’s brother. They were in the middle of a game of Go Fish and had a bong prepped to smoke. I sat on the side of the bed next to them, a bit uncomfortable because I didn’t know these people all too well.


    I knew Andrew the best. Nobody tries to flirt with me more than him. His voice can always overtake any noise in a crowd. He’s the only one from Cody’s friend group that hung out with mine. Andrew is the person everyone in town buys their drugs from.


    His twin sister, Sara, is the first to look at me. She was confused as to why I was there and sadder that it was me who was. We were friends for a brief moment the year before. I couldn’t remember why we ever stopped.


    “You don’t smoke right?” Emily asked me after taking a bong hit. “You don’t mind if we do, though, right?”


    Andrew interrupted me from responding with his loud and obnoxious laugh. “She’s too good and better than any of us, ain’t that right, Ellie?”


    “I’m more than the opinions of others,” I responded to him. “I don’t mind, Emily. Thanks for having me.”


    “Thanks for coming. Hope you don’t get scared off too much.”


    I chose not to comment. I wasn’t one to judge anyone on rumors alone. Even if there was something to judge that didn’t justify me treating anyone any differently. I was never one to start gossip.


    Cody’s group was often talked about. No matter how hard anyone partied in Darkwood, it was his group that went a little harder. They went out more, drank more, and did more drugs. I would hear about parties they went to outside of our town and the rumors of what they would do. Of course, it was almost Andrew behind these myths. His name came up more often than anyone else’s.


    Now that I was around them for the first time, it felt that they only were rumors.


    Cody sat next to me after Andrew took his place. Emily and Sara started to play another game of Go Fish which let us have our conversation without interruption.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    “I expected much more than this,” I told him.


    “I didn’t think you would come,” Cody responded his fingers lightly brushing my thigh as he stretched.


    “Maybe I’m full of surprises.”


    “Surely this isn’t better than Connor’s party,” He laughed.


    “Shouldn’t you guys be there too?”


    “Maybe we both have the wrong opinion about each other.”


    “Maybe,” I giggled. “Are you going to Alyssa’s on Friday?”


    “If you ask nicely.”


    “Will you?”


    “Of course.”


    Cody was much more flirtatious in person. Over text, he was so uninterested. The stark contrast made me question his motives. I chalked it up to believe that was his ‘game’. His methods were different but his goal was the same. It was new to me.


    But it was me who wanted it to be more than just playful talk.


    Cody sat down to take a hit of the bong while Emily stood to ask me, “Want anything to drink, Ellie? I’m going downstairs.”


    “I’ll go with you,” I invited myself.


    “Okay,”


    I followed her to her kitchen where the bowl of punch everyone’s cups were filled with was. I don’t let her pour my drink and I do it myself. Emily adds a shot of Everclear of all things to hers but I don’t comment.


    “So what’s the deal with you and Cody?” I asked.


    “What deal?”


    “You know what I’m asking.”


    Emily laughed, “I’m the one who should ask you. You’re the last person I expected to come tonight.”


    “You’re not mad or anything, right?”


    “Why would I?” Emily took a sip of her cup. “Cody and I aren’t dating. You’re free to do what you want.”


    “Is that what you think I’m doing?”


    “Is it not?”


    I shrugged, “I’m not sure yet.”


    “Well, you don’t need my approval. You don’t have to worry about me.”


    “So there’s nothing between you two? Aren’t you guys like always together? And nothing has happened?”


    Emily laughed again then took a drink. “There’s nothing to worry about. ‘Sides, I don’t backstab my friends.”


    “Friends?”


    “We’re friends now whether you like it or not. You have no choice now that you’re here.”


    Emily’s choice of words made me quiet. Her mention of backstabbing friends was too relevant for my liking. I got myself questioning in my head if Emily knew what Megan did and that’s why she mentioned it. I was overthinking it but at the moment it felt like everyone knew. I couldn’t help thinking that it was an open secret that was being kept from me.


    Insecurity wasn’t like me.


    “Don’t think you can become popular off of me.”


    “I don’t want to.”


    “Seems like that’s what anyone cares about.”


    “You just hang out with the wrong crowd,” Emily said. “Nobody here cares what anyone thinks of them. That’s what everyone fails to understand.”


    I always thought Emily was the way she was just to be different. She dressed in oversized clothes and was always against the norm. I thought she kept her dark red hair long and fluffy just to stand out. Turned out that she just did and wore what she liked. I was wrong about her and I also started to like that I was.


    I realized that I still had prejudices and misconceptions about people despite pretending that I didn’t. The cracks in this perfect persona that was built around me started to show.


    And honestly?


    It was a relief that I didn’t have to wear it around Cody and his friends.


    I stuck around after learning that.