Celebration

I was hurrying to get ready for the first back-to-school party we used to call the ritual of the school year, but it was just a lame excuse for young people to stuff their faces. The clock struck 6:50 pm, if I didn't finish in less than five minutes I would be late. I was frantically curling my curls in a way to finish faster, which wasn't working, until the creak of the door woke me up and made me stop curling my hair. For a brief moment I thought it was my mother, until Felipe came through the door.

- Hi, you're here already - I smiled as I saw him enter my room.

- Yes my princess, you look very beautiful. - He said pulling me around the waist. 

I was wearing a black dress that emphasized my curves, my make-up was light, I wore only a base and a kitten eyeliner, along with a purple lipstick, which matched very well with what I was wearing.

- You look like a prince, as always! - I returned the compliment. 

- You know I love it when you compliment me, don't you? - he asked, whispering, which gave me goose bumps. 

- As soon as I answered, he started a kiss, calm and slow, without any hurry, which made me gasp, he knew in every way which were my weak points, and his gentle kiss was one of them, I was madly in love with him, but as everything that is good lasts a little, the kiss was ended because of the damn lack of air.

- Let's go or we'll be late," he warned.

I took one last look in the mirror and fixed the lipstick that had just smeared and after grabbing my purse, we went downstairs together to the floor below where I would say goodbye to my mother. The party hall was a thirty minute drive from my house and an hour walk, but we would arrive quickly since Felipe came in his car. When we arrived at the first floor, my mother was watching a movie with a bucket of popcorn in her hand, this was what she did most when she missed my father.

- Mom, we'll be right there. I promise to be back before midnight. - I warned

- All right daughter, be careful on your way back and don't use too much alcohol - My mother spoke as if begging me.

- Don't worry, I will take good care of her, mother-in-law - It was Felipe's turn to speak up, and if it was up to him, I wouldn't put a drop of alcohol in my mouth, because he knew perfectly well what my relationship with alcohol was like.

- Then I will trust you, Felipe.

- Dona Maria, you bet.

- Bye mom, see you later!

After saying goodbye to my mother, we went to his car and after he opened the door, I could sit down. Eduardo was two years older than me, which brought small advantages, for example, he could drive and take me to some places I asked without needing my family's private driver. He had gotten his car as an eighteenth birthday present, and he was responsible enough to drive a car.

We met in the first year of high school, in exactly three months we will have been dating for two years and we will also have our engagement party, he had officially asked me at the end of the year party, which made me very happy. Different as you might think, my life was not as good as my family makes it out to be. My father is a renowned judge in our town, which takes him on several trips throughout the days, leaving his supposedly perfect wife and a healthy daughter at home alone, which was a lie, my mother was nothing but a sad and unhappy woman and a depressive daughter. 

Felipe brought back what my father had taken from me, my happiness. In these almost two years I was getting back to who I was before, a smiling girl who loved to help people, but who as a consequence of her father's acts and atrocities had closed herself off to the world, and only her best friends were left by her side.

- What have you been thinking so much? You don't even look like my fiancée," Felipe asked laughing, snapping me out of my thoughts. 

- About the things in my life and how you helped me to improve - I was sincere.

- And I will always be by your side, to help you each day more - He said what made my eyes fill with tears and then made me open a huge smile. 

- Thank you for always being with me." He gave me a long kiss as soon as I finished the sentence, which brought a silly smile to my face. 

As soon as we arrived at the place, it was already possible to hear the loud music and some already drunk teenagers at the door of the house where the party was taking place. We went to the parking lot together and when we got out of the car, not so close to the party, there was a girl with deep glasses being cornered by two girls from the dance group, pathetic the new girl was, what had she done to piss off Aline? 

- You shouldn't do this to her," Felipe magically appeared on the girl's side, making me feel a little jealous.

- Cut it out Felipe, this blind girl spilled soda on my skirt, stay at the side of the Trix that is better than you do - Aline said angrily.

- Come on baby, this is none of our business! - I pulled him back to me. 

- But you wouldn't like it if it happened to your friends, would you? - he asked softly, which made me frown.

- We're too popular for that to happen, now let's go! - I ended up ordering him, which made him look startled, and even I was startled by the way I had spoken. 

I stomped firmly on the ground, this scene had upset me, it was rare that he would defend someone as well as respond to me, let alone a complete stranger like that girl. As soon as we entered the house, the place was full of balls and glasses of drinks on the tables, and from a distance I could see my friends, which made me smile and wave slightly.

- My friends are at the drinks table, I will talk to them and meet you soon - I warned 

- Don't forget that we have to be back before midnight.

- Don't worry, before 10:00 I will meet you." I said goodbye with a kiss and went to meet my friends and they shrugged. 

I went closer and immediately I saw Lucas devouring a glass of drink and as always victory complaining to him, he knew how fragile he was and still tried to drink. 

- Of course you would be here - I said laughing.

- This idiot knows how he is when it comes to drinking and he still gets like this - Victory slapped him on the back while he choked on his drink.

- He's only seventeen and he's already like this, your liver can take it! - Every time Lucas ingested alcohol, even a small amount, he vomited horribly, not to mention that he also got drunk very quickly. 

- Look who's talking, you can't stand it either, Beatrix," he rebutted, which made me raise my eyebrows at his audacity.

- How bold. 

- Where's Felipe? You didn't come with him? - Victoria asked as she looked around.

- Yes, he's probably with his friends right now. 

Lucas was sitting in a wooden chair right beside us, he was dozing even with all the noise he was making, but how could he do it, for heaven's sake, but I knew, it was already the effect of alcohol in his organism and the next step was to wait for the vomit.

 - A new girl arrived at school - Victoria was scanning the place looking for something.

- And what is her name? - I asked curiously

- Caroline, she's a friend of the nerds, João and Marlon. 

- Did she come today? 

- Yes, she even got into a fight with Aline - I said, thinking it was the funniest thing in the world.

So that ugly girl with the deep glasses was the new girl in school? 

- I saw that, I guess news spreads fast.

- I wish I had, just like you did," she sipped her wine.

- Felipe even defended her, before I pulled him back - I said a little angry.

- You've barely arrived and you're already causing all this commotion.

I agreed, and we went to the dance floor, and our bodies moved with every touch of the music, attracting the attention of the people in the place, the parties held in celebration were always fun, especially when I could do what I liked most, dance. 

Some people accompanied us in the dance, and some boys tried to get close to me, which was harassment, and I knew very well how to deal with a harasser. As soon as the clock struck 10:00 PM, I went out to look for Felipe, which surprised me, since he was with the famous nerd group, people he avoided the most on the face of the earth. 

- I kissed him, making the new girl a little uncomfortable. 

- I almost forgot I had to take you back," I said, pulling away. 

- So shall we go? - I called and he agreed, his eyes shining when they met the new student's, which made me a little angry. 

- Sure thing, see you guys tomorrow," he said goodbye.

- See you tomorrow, losers! - I was also kind enough to say goodbye, which made Felipe look at me sad, but I just ignored him. 

We went to the car and I avoided looking at him, I didn't want to start a fuss over something that might be unnecessary, but anyway, I was a little sad. He knew about all my fears, it wasn't possible for him to hurt me, was it?  

- Why did he treat them like that? - he asked me, paying attention to the steering wheel. I wanted to avoid this conversation and apparently he wanted to have it.

- I don't like them and I didn't like that girl," I said sincerely and firmly.

- Tell me who do you like? - This time he asked me a little ignorantly.

- All the girls, except her.

- You don't even know her!

- Do you? - I asked, and he remained silent.

- Let's stop here. I don't want to continue this conversation. 

I could have everything, money, trips whenever I wanted, but he knew how insecure I was in terms of appearance, even with everyone around me telling me how perfect I was, the reality is that I hated myself, but I liked the things I had. When we arrived at my house it was 10:40 PM, the car was stopped right in front of the house and neither of us made a sound, I felt like crying, both for the way he had treated me, and the cruel way my thoughts were making me think of things that didn't exist.  

- See you tomorrow, okay? - he asked.  

- Yes, can you come pick me up? - I asked

- He gave me a kiss that I couldn't help but reciprocate.

I watched him start the car and sighed, what a night. Maybe I had messed up, but I knew that it was just my anxiety playing tricks on me and I also knew how much he loved me and that he would never be able to hurt me.

When I entered the hall, I realized that the light in the living room was on, maybe my mother was still waiting up for me, and at least I had kept my promise, I got home before 00:00 at night.

- What are you still doing up, Mom?

- I couldn't sleep until you arrived. 

- Well, now that I'm home, I guess we can sleep.

- Yes, dear, we can finally sleep.

My mother sighed with relief, she was on insomnia medication and I knew how sleepy she got, in that I was being a bad daughter to her, but now she could rest. 

- Good night mommy.

- Good night my child.

And so ended another monotonous day.