How We Began

by Sandra Corton

  Kayla didn't have another second to herself for the rest of the day. After dropping Isaac off, Mitchell became insane in his commands. He primped and dressed her up to the point that Kayla could hardly recognise herself.

  The doorbell rang, and Kayla anxiously looked down at herself. Mitchell had dressed her in a form fitting skirt, but her top flowed and covered her nicely. He had curled her hair, which Kayla admitted looked nice. He gave her minimal makeup, only because she had pestered him about it.

  She smoothed her hand over her skirt, and tried to calm her nerves. She opened the door and faced a staggeringly handsome Isaac. She couldn't say a word, as she stared at him. In well-worn jeans and a dark blue shirt that only deepened the colour of his eyes he astounded her.

  "You look beautiful," Isaac finally whispered, breaking their intense stare.

  "You look great too," she said after clearing her throat.

  "Ready to go?" He asked, and she nodded.

  "Whose party is it?" Kayla enquired, once they were in the car together.

  "Jays. His parents gave him permission too." Isaac informed her, as he continued to drive.

  "Oh, okay." She replied feeling relieved that it was at someone's house that she knew.

  She had expected it, but actually seeing it was a whole other deal. A normal nice looking house turned into a chaotic noisy mess from one simple party. From the thumping music to all the people streaming through the door, it overwhelmed her.

  "I'm not sure that this is a good idea." Kayla said, as her fingers began twitching.

  "Just stick with me and you'll be fine." Isaac assured her.

  She was a nervous mess when she slipped out of the car. This was worse than having to do a meet the parent’s dinner. Unhooking her fingers from the door, and shutting it took extreme concentration.

  "Trust me and I'll look after you." He clasped her fingers in his and she tried to breath.

  "Alright." She said her voice shaking with uncertainty.

  Every step closer to the front door of Jay’s house seemed excruciating. She heard whispers that she was sure included her name, as she walked past groups of people. Once they all realised that Isaac was beside her, was when the voices became overly enthusiastic.

  Within seconds, Isaac's teammates and fervid supporters surrounded them. The cheers from earlier spread around, as everyone seemed to shuffle into the house. Kayla hand ripped from Isaac's, and she let the crowd go past her.

  She had known this was a bad idea, as soon as he had mentioned it this afternoon. Now she knew she should have stayed at home, and left him to his crazy party. She didn't belong here.

  She stared at the door where everyone had crowded inside. She gulped down some air, and tried not to feel the intense rejection that began flooding through her. She knew getting involved with Isaac would never be easy, but she hadn't expected this.

  Forcing the tears back, and wishing that she hadn't come here, steeled her resolve. She had chosen to be with Isaac. She had chosen it even when she saw heart break on the horizon. This was just how it had to be.

  Chapter 19 - Epiphanies for all

  "Kayla," Jay's voice had her turning his way.

  "Hi, Jay. I heard this was your party," Kayla controlled her emotions, and hid them with a smile.

  "Yeah. They go kind of nuts over him, but he'll be back in a minute." Jay assured her, as he pointed back to his house where Isaac had disappeared.

  "You think?" She asked with the disbelief obvious in her voice.

  "I know. He's pretty pissed that they separated you from him. He sent me to find you." Jay told her with a smile.

  "Oh, that's good then." She said with gush of relief.

  "You're good for him, and I never thought I'd say that to any girl. You make him less selfish, I guess." Jay's cheeks went red as he spoke.

  "I'm still not used to all of this." She gestured around her and Jay nodded.

  "What's he been like, you know, when he's not doing the whole popularity thing?" He asked curiously, and she pondered his words for a long moment.

  "Different, not at all like he is at school. Quieter even." She answered, as she tapped a finger on her cheek in consideration.

  "You really are the right girl for him." Jay absolutely beamed at her.

  "What do you mean?" Kayla asked in confusion.

  "I'm sorry, Kayla. They are all totally insane tonight," Isaac's voice spread a familiar warmth through her. The earlier rejection washed away, and she knew that she shouldn't have doubted him.

  "That's okay." She replied softly.

  "Thanks, Jay." Isaac said, as he slapped the other guys hand in some weird handshake thing that Kayla couldn't understand.

  "No problem, man. You two go and have fun." Jay sent them off with a huge grin.

  "He's a good friend, isn't he?" Kayla asked, as she glanced back to Jay.

  "The best." Isaac agreed.

  "You guys have been friends since before I came here, right?" Kayla continued with her questions, while Isaac sent her a puzzled look but nodded.

  "Yeah. Now before we go in there, are you alright?" Isaac changed the subject and she blinked.

  "Uh, maybe." She squeaked out the words knowing that her response should have been a firm negative.

  "You know that I didn't mean to let go of you?" He asked anxiously, as he once again clasped her hand.

  "I realise that now." She said simply, as she swung their hands together shyly.

  "They just overreact whenever we have a win." He rolled his eyes at the rowdy noises still coming from inside the house.

  "I admit that I'm not exactly comfortable here, but you did your part of the deal." She told him, as she bit her lip and looked worried.

  "They are not going to act like on our last date." Isaac assured her, as he tugged on her hand.

  They walked through the front door of the house, and Kayla wasn't sure where to look first. From the drunken dancing to the couple's blatantly making out, it all seemed extreme to her. People began calling out to Isaac straight away, but he only waved and smiled in their direction.

  "OMG! You brought the nerd!" Melissa's words were loud and slurred, as she rushed up to them.

  Kayla felt her heart clench with anxiety. She didn't want a scene here in front of all these people. It had been bad enough earlier in the day when Melissa had acted so aggressive. Isaac's fingers tightened in hers, so she looked at him. He was furious, with narrowed eyes, and a cold glare that he aimed right at Melissa.

  "Mel, stop it already," Marnie sent Kayla an apologetic look, as she went to the other girl’s aid.

  "You... you get your hands off me, traitor!" Melissa turned on Marnie who let out a rough breath. "You got what you wanted! Your little boyfriend's all sorted! You didn't help me get the guy I wanted, did you? Oh no, you decided to join the little nerd’s side too. So, you back the hell away from me!" Melissa's voice rose attracting everyone's attention.

  "Melissa, your only embarrassing yourself." Isaac stated firmly, while Kayla couldn't get a word out, as her throat closed over at the scene playing out.

  "I'm the embarrassment here? Look at the nerd you're dating." Melissa fiercely pointed at Kayla.

  "I'd rather be dating Kayla than you and your bitchy attitude any day." Isaac called her out, as he pulled Kayla closer and tightened his arms around her.

  "She's Hat Girl, Isaac! She has no sense of style and she's freaking ugly!" Melissa's smugly said words hit home and Kayla flinched.

  "You have to be kidding, Melissa, she's hot." One of the other guys in the room piped up, before Isaac could say anything.

  A well of agreement echoed around the room, and Kayla ducked her head. She was between shocked, embarrassed, and pleased. She looked towards Isaac again, but he was busy glaring around the room.

  "This is your damn fault! You ugly, hat wearing bitch!" Melissa shrieked out, as she moved into Kayla's space.

  Before Kayla could back away, Melissa made an aggressive move towards her tha
t would have been a nasty slap. Instead, Melissa stumbled on her high heels, and fell dramatically to the ground. For a single second the room went deathly quiet, before erupting into laughter.

  Melissa pushed back to her feet with a stagger. She looked around at everyone through rather dazed eyes. An icy mask of fury and mortification filled her face. With a huff, she strode for the front door. She slammed it as hard on her way out, and Kayla finally felt able to breath.

  "And that's the end of that," Jay said, as he locked the door behind her.

  "Sorry about her," Marnie said regretfully, as a guy Kayla didn't know came up to hold her.

  "She's making this into something it isn't," Isaac said with a shake of his head.

  "I've tried to get her to stop, but she won't listen to me anymore." Marnie told them with remorse.

  "That's not your problem, Marnie," Kayla told her, while forcing a small smile.

  "This wouldn't be an issue if I said no to her ideas in the first place." Marnie sounded guilt filled.

  "C'mon, haven't we got something to celebrate?" Jay called out, trying to make a distraction

  Once the music started up again, the focus turned elsewhere. Marnie may have continued to look apologetic. Perhaps, the guys looked at her more than she would like, but she could endure it. She decided with Isaac's warm arms around her that she would be able to cope with a lot more than she had ever thought.

  "Let's go." Isaac tugged on her hand yet again. The frustration on his face overwhelmed her, as he seemed to glare at every single person in the house.

  "What's wrong?" She asked, but he simply grunted and kept walking.

  They made their way through the throng with continues congratulations and cheers. When they ended up in the kitchen, Kayla's surprise showed. With the music slightly muted, and then the bright lights that had her blinking, she wondered about his plan.

  "I'm sorry about Melissa," he finally said when they were alone.

  "How is her nastiness your fault?" Kayla asked, as she saw his distress. "Isaac, she's someone that you dated and broke up with. She doesn't like me, but would she like anyone that was your next girlfriend? She has always been a mean person, and I know that because she has treated me badly over the years," Kayla tried to assure him, but his frown only deepened.

  "She bullied you?" He enquired angrily.

  "I was Hat Girl, like she said. I'm an easy target."

  "You just said 'was'." Isaac sent her a small smile, as his anger lessened a little.

  "I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to being Hat Girl now." She gestured into the lounge room, where the party continued to rage.

  "I like that." He said, as he ran his fingers through her fringe softly.

  "I don't think anyone will let me be her anyway," she peered up at him, only to see the scowl reappear on his face. "What is the problem?" She asked, at his abrupt change in mood.

  "Nothing." He answered sullenly.

  "It was your idea to bring me here, so tell me what is bothering you or you can take me home." She demanded, which brought a smile to his face.

  "So damn bossy." He told her, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

  "I'm serious, Isaac." She sent him a stern look. She was determined not to show him how much his arms around her affected her.

  "Fine, I don't..." He trailed off, as he cleared his throat. Kayla detected that pink tinge on his cheeks again, and now she was dying to hear his answer.

  "Continue." She encouraged.

  "I don't want them looking at you." He finally muttered in a way that she barely understood.

  "What was that?"

  "Don't make me say it again." He said in an agonised voice.

  "Then tell me without whispering."

  "Bossy," he grinned, and leaned down to her ear. "I said that I don't like the other guys looking at you." He admitted, as he tucked his face against her throat.

  "Isaac, if we weren't together and I walked into this party, what would you do?" She leaned back, so he had to face her. His words flattered her, but she needed to know so much more from him.

  "Old Isaac, which you labelled smarmy Isaac or me now?" He asked wondering, where she was heading with this.

  "Before the kissing booth Isaac." She stated and he considered her words.

  "Go back out to the front door, walk in and I'll show you." He told her and she blanched.

  "I'm not going back through all those people." She replied quickly.

  "Alright. I would have asked you to dance." He stepped back from her, before offering a hand in a dramatic way.

  "You so wouldn't have done that." She said on a giggle at his wiggling fingers.

  "Okay, maybe not like that, but honestly, I always ask a girl to dance." He replied as he added in a bow.

  "Sure, let's go," She clasped his hand again and he grinned. "So, what's next?" She asked as he led her into the middle of the kitchen to use as their dance floor.

  "Then I show you my moves." He teased, his dark blue eyes dancing with fire.

  "Give it a whirl then." She teased him with a grin that set his heart racing.

  There were times over her years of dancing that she had to dance with boys. It had never been a very enjoyable experience for her. They were often unhappy to be paired with her, or the complete opposite and all hands and bumbling feet.

  Dancing with Isaac was more pleasant than anything she had ever experienced in her life. At first, he kept his distance and only rested his hands lightly at her waist. He moved in time with the music that was still thundering through the house.

  When their eyes meet, he pulled her in closer. His body flowed against hers, as he fully tightened his arms around her. With her heart beat pounding, Kayla ran her hands up his chest, until she could link them around his neck.

  His hands went to her hips, before sliding down over her bottom and pressing them firmly together. Kayla gasped, as every inch of his lean, muscular body pressed against hers. His lips slid down her throat, and Kayla was lost in the intense pleasure of the moment.

  "Uh, hey, sorry to, uh, interrupt," a strange voice had Kayla sucking in a huge breath. Her eyes went straight to the guy that was looking rather sheepish, but incredibly interested in their movements. "I just wanted a beer."

  The guy fully smirked at her. She didn't get a chance to say anything, as Isaac turned her around so the stranger couldn't see her anymore. Isaac faced him and she missed having his arms around her. She wanted to scream at the guy to leave them alone, but she didn't have to. Isaac was the one who practically threw a beer at him to get him to leave.

  "No more parties for you. Somehow you manage to send chaos into every guys mind," he told her, as he moved back around to press his forehead into hers.

  "I doubt that," Kayla said dryly, though still a little breathlessly.

  "Geez, Kayla, you have no idea how you mess up everything inside of me, do you?" He asked the question with a smile that threatened to melt her into a puddle.

  "Ditto." She answered in a whisper.

  "Wanna ditch the party?" His eyes twinkled at her with devilish delight.

  "Maybe, but what are you offering instead?" She bartered, as her face flared bright red.

  "How about a dance in the moonlight?" He sent her that very cheeky wink of his.

  "I'll consider it..." She trailed off with a secretive smile all her own.

  "Please." He begged softly, as he trailed his fingers along her wrist and down to thread through hers.

  "Alright."

  She couldn't believe how quickly they left the party, not that she had wanted to stay after all the earlier dramas. Soon, they were in his car driving to some undisclosed location.

  She realised, as she looked out the window that it must be the dark side of the moon, so there would be no moonlight. She wondered if he even knew. Still she loved the spontaneity of this moment. The freedom that she felt as they drove along hand in hand was glorious.

  "What time does your mum expect you home
?" Isaac asked, as he drew tiny circles against her fingers.

  "She's, uh, not going to be there, but I told her that I'd ring from the home phone at eleven," she replied, making him grin in the darkness.

  "It looks like we have a few hours spare." He said enthusiastically.

  "It looks like it."

  "Good." He replied, squeezing her fingers lightly.

  He drove into the darkness confidently, and she felt powerful about the clandestine way this night continued going. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. She had no idea what he had in mind, but she was willing to go along with him.

  When they finally pulled up, Kayla sent him a look. Tall, swaying trees surrounded them, but a huge meadow spread out in the darkness to the left. Stars blinked at her from the heavens, shining brightly in their own wondrous way. She glanced over to him again across the darkened cab, and could barely make out his features.

  "Where are we?" She asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the intimate air between them.

  "This is the back part of my grandparent’s property. It always looks cool at night. Hop out and I'll show you," Isaac finished, by getting out and going around to open her door for her.

  "Isaac, I can barely see anything," She said with a laugh, as she stepped out.

  His warm fingers threaded through hers again, and her senses came alive at such a simple touch. He led her to the front of the car and she tried not to stumble over the rough ground.

  "Look up." He advised.

  She raised her eyes to the heavens and gasped. Thousands of those glimmering stars glowed and flashed in shimmering colours. A shooting star beamed its way across the inky black sky making Kayla let out a sound of awe.

  "Make a wish." Isaac murmured, as he went to stand in front of her.

  She didn't need to make a wish when all of them were already coming true. With a smile, she gently pushed her fingers into his hair, leaned up, and kissed his lips that beckoned to her in the dark. He responded so fast that Kayla could hardly catch a breath.

  "You promised me a dance." She whispered, as his lips trailed down her throat.

  "I did didn't I? Wait one second." He left a sucking kiss against her shoulder, which weakened her knees. He stepped back and searched through his pockets for something.