Charlotte gasped, kicking Doris's shin from underneath the table.
"Doris, did you hear that? We just got invited to Taylor's party by Taylor himself. Oh my gosh, we are so going!"
When she noticed him staring at her, she cleared her throat, embarrassed. "Just so you know, anywhere Doris goes, I follow. We're a package deal."
Taylor chuckled. "Yeah, got it."
"Tonight? But it's a school night," Doris said, finally mustering enough courage to speak up again. She shrugged out of her jean jacket, suddenly feeling hot from the intensity of Taylor's stare, leaving on her armless flowery sundress.
She felt his eyes linger on her clavicle. Taylor folded his arms and stared at her. "So you'll be home by ten. I could give you both a ride home if you want."
Charlotte's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, that's so sweet of you, Mr. Drake." She glanced at Doris. "Come on, Doris."
Doris sighed and bit her lip nervously, gazing up at Taylor, whose eyes were still trained on her. His gaze was intense, fixed on her with an almost palpable seriousness.
"I don't know, Char, there's a high possibility that Bob will be there. I mean, it's Taylor's party. Everyone's going to be there. Every senior at least."
"Fuck Bob," she spat angrily. "All the more reason you should go to this party. It's the perfect opportunity to show the creep you don't need him in your life and you're doing much better without him."
Doris pondered for a moment. "That makes sense. I guess I could do that."
"Attagirl," Taylor said proudly, ruffling her hair. "I grow fonder of you by the minute."
"Bob was such a douche to Doris. I mean... who cheats right after asking his girlfriend out? And on the same day? Fucking bastard," Charlotte cursed, tearing a drumstick and sticking it into her mouth. "My poor Doris caught him smooching some chick in an empty classroom after school."
"Char," Doris scolded, burning red from embarrassment. She looked at Taylor, who was watching her silently, an expression of pity on his face. She hated it and got up from her seat, peeved.
"Where are you going?" Charlotte asked, alarmed.
"Leave me alone." Doris snatched her jacket from the arm of the seat and stormed out of the cafeteria.
Barging into the nearest empty room after the cafeteria, Doris leaned against the door, taking in deep breaths to regulate the wild thumping of her heart in her chest.
It was nearly impossible to breathe around Taylor. She brought her hands to her face and started to fan herself, moving away from the door. Barely minutes after, the door swung open, and Taylor walked in. He had followed her.
"Green eyes, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Doris responded, heading for the door. He stood in her way.
"Can you move, please?"
Taylor shook his head negatively. "No."
Doris groaned. "Taylor."
"Your ex is a jackass. I'm sorry about what he did to you."
"I'm fine, and I don't need you to pity me," she responded in a brusque tone.
He still blocked her way to the door, unwilling to move. "You don't sound fine."
"Well, I am!" she exclaimed in exasperation.
He tilted his head, and a chuckle escaped his lips.
"Something funny?"
"Yes. You."
"How?"
He grinned. "You're so cute. Even when you're mad."
Doris remained still and shook her head angrily. "You're annoying."
As she attempted to meander her way around him, he grabbed her by the waist and drew her to himself until she was flush against his chest.
"What are you doing?" she whispered, surprised."
I can't seem to get you out of my head."
"W-what?"
His grip around her waist tightened. Struggling to get free was futile.
Taylor studied her face, his hazel eyes dancing with excitement as he assessed her quietly. "What is it about you... about these eyes that drive me crazy?"
"M-my eyes?" Doris faltered, confused.
His gaze shifted to her lips, and Doris felt her heart race. "Taylor," she whispered, falling deeper under his spell.
The atmosphere was tense, the air electrified by the intensity of their chemistry.
Reluctantly, Taylor tore his eyes away from her lips and locked gaze with her. Doris noticed his irises had darkened. She recalled reading that it sometimes happened when someone was aroused, the result of dopamine and some other chemical she couldn't quite remember.
Her heart soared at the thought that she could turn someone like Taylor on.
Slowly, he ran his nose along the side of her face, down to the nape of her neck, breathing her in deeply. "Even your smell drives me crazy."
If he didn't stop staring at her like that soon, Doris wasn't sure she could resist any longer.
"Can I kiss you?" he asked, his expression uncharacteristically innocent.
Doris froze, stunned. Not just because Taylor... the Taylor, the hot-as-hell star of Pearson High, had her crushed to his chest in an empty room, but because he'd asked for permission.
She'd always assumed guys like him didn't bother with that kind of thing, they just took what they wanted. But she'd been wrong about Taylor. He was, as Charlotte had put it, sweet.
As Doris opened her mouth to reply, the wailing of the siren interrupted, shaking her to her senses.
"Ignore it," Taylor sounded desperate, but his grip relaxed around her waist. Using that to her advantage, Doris wriggled out of his hold. Flustered, she ran a hand through her hair.
What just happened?!
"Don't tell anyone about this," Doris said quickly.
"Tell anyone about what exactly?" He cocked his head to the side. "And why would I even do that?"
"I don't know. Just don't tell anyone. Not even Ryan or-or Toby." She pointed a finger at him as if to warn him before heading for the door.
"You still coming to my party tonight?"
Doris shut her eyes, trying to get hold of her nerves. "I, err... I don't know."
"Come on, Doris."
"Uh..."
"You know what? You do you. I won't push," he said with a frown before turning and leaving the room.
Doris stood there, wondering if he was mad at her.
******
"Don't you think you're overdoing it? It's just a party. Ease up on the makeup, Char."
"Shhh," Charlotte hushed, applying some mascara to Doris' full lashes. "He obviously likes you. Which is great news. That's why we're going."
"What if he doesn't?"
Charlotte took a step back to observe Doris' face. She set down the mascara and picked up a bottle of eyeliner.
"He's definitely into you. I mean, returning your journal was one thing," she bent to carefully line underneath Doris' eyes. "Coming over to sit next to you at the cafeteria and then inviting you to his party, even further offering to drop us home...girl, let's not forget how he stormed out of the cafeteria after you, leaving everyone shocked."
Charlotte picked up a shade of red lipstick and waved it in front of Doris. "Honey? Definitely into you."
Doris shook her head and slipped on a T-shirt. She had kept the details of what happened after Taylor followed her into an empty classroom to herself.
Taking the lipstick from Charlotte, Doris applied it over her puckered lips. She didn't want to talk about boys tonight.
"What if he asks you out?"
"Um, I don't know."
Charlotte took a brush from the table and started to tackle Doris's hair. "Maintaining hair like yours sure is stressful."
"Yes. She's thinking of cutting it soon."
"Don't you dare," Charlotte warned, before pausing. "Do you like him? Taylor?"
Doris's mind went back to when they almost kissed, and she shook her head as if to shake away the memory. "I think so."
"Then that's enough." Charlotte dropped the brush to pick up a powder puff, powdering her small nose.
Doris turned halfway to look at her reflection in the dressing mirror. She had dressed casually in a plain T-shirt and tight pants. Her hair was loose.
"You ready?"
"Yeah. Sure."
They both descended the stairs, and Doris went to give her mum a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Bye, mum."
"Bye, darling. Be back by ten."
"Okay, mum."
"Bye, Mrs. Dayton," Charlotte said over her shoulder.
"Bye, Charlotte."
They got outside and hailed a cab, giggling like children as they bundled themselves inside.
******
Taylor's house was brimming with students, but Taylor was nowhere in sight.
"I can't believe we're actually here," Charlotte clung to Doris's arm, bouncing excitedly.
"Yeah, me too."
Doris's eyes scanned the room in search of Taylor.
"Yo, ladies," Ryan drawled, coming to stand in front of them, styrofoam cup in hand. "Welcome to the Drake house. Feel at home." He winked.
They went around, drinking spiked punch and flirting with sophomores, but Doris's happiness became short-lived when she spotted Bob making out with a cheerleader, Yolanda.
All the excitement immediately drained from her body.
Charlotte was too taken up with flirting with Drew, a member of the basketball team, to notice what Doris had just seen. Fighting back annoyance and a flicker of misery, Doris left the room and headed upstairs.
She went past the drunk students tearing at their clothes on the stairs and the ones doing drugs in the passage, looking for somewhere, anywhere she could find, even if it was but a modicum of quiet.
The music downstairs started to fade as she rounded another hallway.
"Finally, some peace and quiet," she muttered to herself, breathing in deeply and stepping into one of the numerous rooms lined down the hallway.
Posters of Marvel and DC heroes, along with basketball stars, were plastered to the walls. Doris dropped to the bed and closed her eyes, trying to force the thought of Bob and Yolanda kissing out of her mind. Suddenly, she heard a sound come from the bathroom, and she sat up immediately. Someone was inside.
Before she could make her escape, the door handle turned, and Taylor emerged fresh from the shower.
Doris fell a step back, startled. She was in Taylor's room.