The Summer I Found Myself, By: Michelle Stone [the kiss of deception read online txt] 📗

The day started out like any other. I woke up with the sun shining down over my head. As I stretched I rolled over on my belly to look out my window that overlooked the backyard. It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in sight.
I got up and got dressed for the first day of summer. This is going to be the best summer of my life.
Shelly, my best friend, came over around 3 to pick me up so we could go to the mall and get new bathing suits. I got in her car as a song blaring full blast wound down to the end.
“So, tonight there is a party over at Dylan’s house” Shelly told me.
“Were we even invited?” I asked skeptical.
“Not technically, but do you think that anyone is ever invited?”
“Yea, I actually do. You know most people aren’t outcasts like us. They actually get invited to parties. It’s like a code or something.” I said as I looked over at her.
“Macy, If we don’t go to the first party of the summer people are going to peg us as losers for our senior year. Not that we aren’t already. Live a little, please?” Shelly begged from me.
“Fine, but if it gets uncomfortable, I’m leaving. No buts. Deal?” I said firmly.
“Alright. Deal.” She said as she turned up the radio and began singing along to some Carrie Underwood.
We got to the mall and Shelly and I began looking at cute skirts and wedges. We both bought a cute party outfit for tonight as well as some extremely cute bathing suits. My bathing suit has ruffles on the edges and is a soft pink color. Shelly’s bathing suit is platinum blue with green stripes down it.
As we got back to my house, Shelly told me she would be back to get me around 10 tonight. As much as I’d like to deny it, I was pretty excited. I mean, for once I would be able to socialize like a normal person.
Me and Shelly were not sent to social exile by fault. We chose to spend time studying for quizzes on the weekend when normal teens were out drinking. Which in fact pegged us as the academic nerds. Were not ugly. I mean, both of us have average weight . But not like those other girls who choose not to eat and become twigs. We’re normal.
I have really long brown hair accumulated after I went on this strike after my mom cut my hair in a bob in freshman year. As it turns out, it’s pretty wavy. Shelly is a natural blond that is cut at shoulder length. Her mom takes her to the Salon so she never had to go through the traumatic stages of puberty the way I did.
Shelly has always worn make-up but I don’t see the reason to put any on. I only wear make-up on special occasions or if I’m really trying to impress someone.
I’ve been asked out a few times but me and Shelly just tend to keep to our studies. “If you ever want to get into Brown you need to be prepared.” Shelly would always tell me after I would start complaining about prepping for the SAT s.
This summer though, after we finally realized that we are practically graduated we’d both decided that we would become more socially active. Or in Shelly’s case, Get drunk and for once not care about school or any of the other pressures that had been laid out for us.
Shelly arrived over my house around 10:30. I walked downstairs and past the living room where my mom and dad were watching a show on TV.
“Where are you going?” My mom turned from the TV screen and looked at me.
“Me and Shelly are going to go to the movies and then I’m going to stay the night at her house.” As I told her the first thing that had popped into my head.
“Why are you dressed like that? I don’t want you out traipsing downtown at the theater wearing clothes like that.” She scorned.
As she said that my dad then looked over at me.
“Mom please, I just thought for once I would care what my appearance looked like. It’s not a big deal.” I said.
After a few moments passed she finally said “Alright, but don’t forget your mace. You can never be too safe at night.” She said as she looked at me carefully, like she could see right through my lies. But when I thought she was going to send me back to my room to change, her and my dad both turned their attention back to the screen.
I slipped out the door and climbed in the front seat of Shelly's car.
“Gosh, I thought you were going to take forever.” She playfully laughed.
“Sorry, my mom decided that tonight she would pay attention to me or what I wore. I’m good now though. She just told me to bring my mace.” I said back.
“Nice, did she use the whole ‘You can never be too safe’ line on you?” She asked teasingly.
“Funny, but she actually did.” I laughed.

Chapter 2

We arrived at the party finally after driving up and down the road multiple times trying to get our act together.
As we walked up the front step of the house there were people hanging all over the porch. Nobody paid any attention to us. We got in the door and walked around and Shelly found some people she actually talked to in school there. They came over and immediately started chatting up a storm.
“Oh, my gosh.” One of the girls called at me, trying to be heard over the stereo blaring. “You’re in my advance physics class aren’t you?”
“Yea, Casey right?” I yelled back to her.
“Yea. I totally didn’t know you were into this kind of thing.” Casey yelled and leaned over sloshing some of the liquid in her cup onto the floor.
“I’m normally not.” I yelled back.
“Well, hey, lemme get you a beer.” She yelled as her words were being slurred.
"Alright, that would be cool." I said trying to fit in.
Casey took me over into the kitchen where there was a keg in the corner. She tapped it, grabbed
a cup, and filled it.
"Here you go. Just help yourself whenever you want." She finished then stumbled off into a crowd of people playing beer pong.
I went and found Shelly sitting on the couch next to a guy I remembered who played on the football team.
"What is that?" Shelly directed her attention to me.
"From what I understand, I think it's beer." I replied back with a smirk.
"Hey, do you think you can get me one?" She said while side glancing the football player.
"You know what? I think you can just have mine." I said as I handed over my full cup.
Shelly took the cup from my hand and started drinking away while turning her attention to
football guy.
I started getting irritated because Shelly and I had come to this party together and all she wanted to do was ignore me, or so I felt like. I decided to walk into the kitchen where I heard loud yelling noises.
"here drink this!" As a guy that I have never met before thrust a cup into me.
"Um, no thanks." I replied.
He just stood there looking at me for a second before moving on to another girl passing by behind me.
After side stepping a bunch of groups I made my way back to the living room where Shelly was nowhere to be seen. I sat down on the couch next to a couple making out.
"I think I saw your friend go upstairs with Jake." A guy said as he came out of large crowd by the stereo.
"Thanks. I guess I should go check on her huh?" I said tired.
All I wanted to do was go to a party for the first time and have a great time. I wanted to talk to people. But instead, I'm left on the back-burner with Shelly, trying to find her. You know, I’m always bailing her out. For once I’d like to be the bail-ey.
"I can go with you, if you want." The guy said.
"Thanks, but I think I can handle it." I replied back.
"Well, anyways, I'm Mike." He said with a half smile.
"Macy." I said as I walked away.
I climbed up the stairs and looked in the line for the bathroom, but sure enough, she wasn't there. The last thing I need is to lose her. So, I began opening up doors to rooms. The first one I opened there was a large group in there smoking out of a pipe. From what it smelled like, it wasn't tobacco. I closed that door and opened up another which was empty.
I decided to go in there to clear my head. All the smoke was starting to give me a headache. I sat down on the bed and looked around. It was a boys room. Judging by the trophy's I'm thinking this was Dylan's room. Dylan is our starting Quarterback. He's cute, smart, and talented. So, naturally he has girls pinning for him all the time.
Just then the door opened as Mike came in the room. He saw me sitting on the bed, and he sort of jumped.
"Oh shit. You just scared me. I didn't exactly expect anyone in here." He said taken aback.
"Too much smoke for me out there." I said with a smile playing on my lips.
"So, do you go to school with Dylan?" He said as he motioned around the room.
"I do." As I sighed, I said.
"And where are you from? I mean, you don't look familiar and most of the people here I've known since seventh grade." Macy asked.
Now that I wasn't so focused on finding Shelly I got to look at Mike a little better. He has these green eyes and his smile was one of those perfect white smiles where you just knew he had braces before.
All in all Mike is cute. No, scratch that, gorgeous. That was all I could think about when finally he talked and snapped me out of it.
"So, did you find your friend?" as he spoke he looked around as if the evidence was somewhere in here with us.
"Actually, I didn't. So, naturally, I gave up." This got a smile out of him and took my breath away. "I think I'm going to go and look for her now." I said as I quickly got up and side-stepped around him toward the door.
"Wait, I'll come with you." He said.
"It's alright. I think I'll manage." I smiled shyly at him.
I started out the door and down the stairs