01
"Rei! Hurry up, we still have to go! Now!" I rushed to the bathroom and tried to hurriedly finish putting on my earrings.
"오는! Oneon (Coming)." I yelled rushing out of the bathroom. My mom was at the door When I got down. She looked me up and down and her eyes fell on my shoes, "You sure you can walk in those? Or are you going to fall?" She said,
Looking down I raised an eyebrow. "It's fine Amma, Lydia and Stacy are wearing them too." She nodded as her phone rang.
"Come on" She mouthed still on the phone as I ran to the car. As soon as I got into the car though, my feet were kind of sore. Maybe I should change. But before I could say anything we were off.
Sighing I threw my head back onto the seat. I sighed, nothing to do, and since Amma was on the phone no music either.
I glanced at my watch, it was early, Amma insisted she help at these parties, she helped set up always and dragged me into it, but I didn't mind, but I was wearing heels right now and I was not looking forward to it.
Looking out the window my sight was filled with trees and houses hidden in them. Suddenly my watch dinged. 'Hey you coming to help out at the bar mitzvah' It was Andy, quickly I responded,
'Yeah almost there. You're helping out too right? Or are you ditching again.' I remembered the time where he didn't show up and setting up was boring, I never realized how much Andy helped me through stuff until then.
'Naw, but I might be a little late, why do women take so longggggg' he texted. I giggled at his comment, it was true, all women took time, and especially Mrs. Goldfarb.
'See you, Good luck!~' I texted back as I rested my head back against the seat.
Looking out the window we were there. I started to unbuckle my seatbelt and stretched. The car stopped as we got out.
Walking into the venue, it was awfully silent, but as we approached the area where the party was the talking became a bit louder.
"Okay, yes, thanks." I heard my mom say before hanging up. We entered the room as people greeted us.
I walked around greeting everyone, "Rei, how are you doing?" I heard Devin's mom ask, I stopped and turned around, "I'm doing just fine, how about you?" I asked.
"Good, oh I just can't believe you all are tuning into adults already, it seems like just yesterday you all were playing in the bounce house." I nodded, not only for her it felt like that, 13 years went by too fast.
"Rei-Iseul!" I heard my mom call out, "Sorry, I have to go." I said to her before leaving to go to Amma. "Yes Amma?" She pointed over to the chairs in the corner. "Can you start placing the chairs, move the tables as needed, and yeah." I nodded as I ran to the chairs.
Picking two up I carried them over to the first few tables already set up. Placing them I noticed all the grown-ups leaving the room. "We'll be right back." I heard Amma call out. Sitting on the chair I traced the table cloth and sighed.
Suddenly my eyes were covered, Grabbing the wrist of the person I squeezed it. "Guess who?" I heard, it was high-pitched and forced to sound girly. Giggling, I uncovered the hand, "Let me guess, Aaron?" I said hoping to annoy Andy.
He pretended to be hurt. "I was just messing with you." I said as he laughed sitting in the next chair. He just looked at me, tilting my head in confusion. I asked, "What?"
He looked down. "Sure you can set up in those?" I nodded, shoving his head away. He stood up pushing the chair away. "Tag, you're it." He said running away as soon as he touched my shoulder.
I stood up and started chasing him around the room, my feet were killing me already but I didn't care, this was fun.
He was running around the tables as I suddenly almost tripped. Squealing I waited for impact as I felt arms wrap around me. Looking up, I felt my cheeks warm up.
He helped me up, "Sorry." He said as I laughed, "yeah?" I said before touching him on the shoulder and running away. "Tag you're it!" I yelled back.
I felt him roll his eyes and chase me, "come back here!" He said as I kept running, a bit slower this time because my feet were killing me. I felt him catch up to me grab me by the waist.
He picked me up as I kicked my legs a bit. "Put me down!" He pretended to think about it, "I don't know you did trick me." I groaned as he sat me down on a chair.
"Come one rest, I know your feet are probably killing you." He said as I sat there.
It was silent for a minute before I felt goosebumps forming on my arm, "You cold?" I heard him ask, I nodded, He stopped and took off his jacket, "Here." I stopped him, "No, trust me Andy, I'm fine."
He persisted as I finally gave in. Wrapping it around myself he stopped, "Since when did you wear heels?" I sighed, "Since Lydia's mom bought us each a pair and Stacy decided we should all wear them today.
He nodded, "Since when did you dress up Andy?" I said smiling gesturing toward his tie. He groaned in embarrassment, "My mom forced me too, she was all "You do want to look nice don't you?" And she made me wear the pants."
I giggled, "You look a bit weird." He rolled his eyes, "I'll be taking back my jacket now. I pulled away, "No, I think I'll hang on to it." He laughed. Suddenly people started coming into the room, the guests had arrived, and we hadn't finished setting up.
"Who can set up the most chairs in a minute?" He said as we both stood up. "You're on." I said as we rushed to the chairs.
The adults had just come back and were rushing to set up the food and just finishing up, thankfully they had already put up the other decorations.
Finishing I sat on a chair and there my head back in exhaustion . Andy collapsed onto the chair next to me. "How many did you get?" he asked, "3-30." I said I felt him smile slightly, "I won." He said.
"Make some noise, mishpachah!" I herald the DJ yell, completely ruining me and Andy's moment. Not that there was a moment- of curse not, he's Stacy's...
"WOOOOOO They're becoming an adult!" He yelled as the crows erupted into cheers. Covering my ears slightly from the sudden noise I felt Andy tap on my shoulder.
Uncovering my ears I looked at him oy to find him smiling, "I still won." I rolled my eyes and fell back down still facing him just smiling there like an idiot.
"Rei!" I heard Stacy yell. Standing up I walked over to her, "Hey, Stace." Hugging her I went over to Lyafia."Lyds!" Looking down I realized that they weren't wearing heels.
I whined, "You took them off?" They nodded before Lydia ran to the table and brought a pair of Converse to me. I hugged her, "Oh, thank you, my feet were killing me, and I had to help set up!" They laughed.
I looked back quickly and waved bye to Andy as he waved back, standing up and leaving to go join his boys, smiling. I turned back as Lydia and Stacy dragged me along with them.
"Okay I love this carnival theme, but your Candyland theme is going to be the best of the year." Stacy shouted over the music. I nodded.
"Until your New York Theme!" I yelled, "It'll put the whole school to shame!" Lydia added on as we laughed.
"And then your's Rei- it will wrap it up in the best way possible and it will overthrow everyones." Lydia and Stacy said, we all laughed.
"Did your Dad talk to DJ Schumley yet?" I heard Stacy ask Lydia. Just then we were interrupted by DJ Schumley. "Let me hear you scream, DJ is my King!!!" We all shouted it and burst out laughing.
"He's already been booked- we got it!" Lydia yelled as I laughed, "Sweet!" I exclaimed.
We walked over to Tara and Nikki, still laughing as we stopped. "Ladies looking nice!" Stacy exclaimed looking them up and down. They did look nice- as ice as you could look in seaters, but I loved them for it!
"Hey Guys!" I said, leaning forward to hug them I said excitedly. I was very excited to see them, both of them. I stepped back and realized that Lyida, Stacy, and I were wearing very different things than them.
It was sad, we all used to be so close, all of us, then we kind of drifted still friends- but the relationship was not the same, they were both wearing purple hoodies and black jeans. They had recently joined a club hence the sweatshirt.
"Can you believe we're all becoming adults!" Tara said as we all nodded, "I still can;t believe we're 13, it all happened so fast." I said as they nodded, "Oh guys guess what?" Nikki said.
"My mom let me shave my legs for the first time! SO magical," she said exaggeratedly. "Oh I'm so proud of you Nikki!" Lydia said. "God for you!" I said.
"It burns so bad right now, like somebody wiped wasabi all over my shins." She said clammy as my eyes widened, "Oh." I heard Stacy say clearly baffled, "oh my god!" Lyddia said. "I don't think that's normal Nikki," I said concerned. She just shrugged.
Suddenly they all looked beyond them, turning I say, Kym, Megan, and Anya. Smiling I looked at them, I had been good friends with Kym my whole life.
"Oh my god," I heard Tara start, "Why do Kim, Megan, and Anya always look so cool?!" She said, It was partially true, I had helped pick out Kym's dress and as did she, she said we should wear a better dress every Bat mitzvah and then everyone would think we just got prettier.
"Typical KYm." I said as they discussed with the guy who had a bird. Giggling I heard Stacy say something beside me. "They scare me." As everyone except me nodded. I waved over to Kym as she waved back smiling I turned back.
"You know what else is crazy. Nikki's mom is allowing Ronnie and Zara to drink alcohol!" SHe said, raising her voice at the last part.
"Yeah- I think she's trying to be like a cool mom." Nikki sid concerned, "It's really weird." She finished. I saw STacy looking over my shoulder, clearly entranced because of something- or someone.
Looking back I saw it was Andy, he was fighting over in the corner- that's what Stacy chose to look at?!
"OMG Andy Goldfarb looks so cute tonight!" Stacy said, keeping my gaze on him I looked at his features. His hair was curly and really voluminous, he was wearing the shirt form earlier without the jacket, and was wearing dress pants.
Freckled decorated his cheeks, and he was laughing, his ice blue eyes softening. He actually did look very handsome- wait what?! I felt my cheeks heat up and I could tell it was pink, cursing I turned back to them.
Suddenly Stacy pulled me and Lydia in. "Do you realize that one day he will be mine, and you two will have super cool boyfriends too, and then will have a joint wedding and then move to adjoining lofts in Tribeca?" She said in one breath. "In Taylors Swifts building?" Lydia said as we all smiled and responded, "Nyeahhhh!"
We all laughed as she looked at Andy, "You know I'm going to go talk to him." She said. "What?" I said a bit nervous, and I felt something in me. Shaking my head and brushing it off I put on a smile. "You should." Lydia nodded, "Yeah, you should Stcae."
She started walking and then stopped, "Please come with me?" We all agreed and started to walk with her over to ANdy, slightly teasing her.
As she climbed the steps she opened her mouth and was about to speak, this was it. "Hey stacy- I like your kicks." Matteo said smiling, this was not it. Stacy's smile fell as she stormed off. The girls followed, glaring at him.
I stopped and stayed by Matteo. "Sorry." He nodded, "It;s fine, you didn't do anything." I nodded. "Still-" He shushed me, "Like I said all good, you want to stay and see Andy beat this guy?"
Laughing I looked over at andy, "Yeah- stay and watch me beat this guy!" I laughed, "I'll come by later! See you beat another guy!" He smiled and Exclaimed back, "Okay! See you princess!"
Walking down the stairs I felt the heat still there, when he called me princess something happened that has never happened with him before. And it was when I realized what I had been trying to ignore 4 years ago.
I.Like.Andy.
Burying my head into my hand I sighed, No, no, no, no, no I repeated, Stacy liked him, and he will never like me back. Yeah, I know that, but still- I knew that this wouldn't go away.
Catching up to Stacy and the group I saw them in a circle talking about Matteo
"I heard he has a girlfriend in college." I raised my eyebrow. "No, I think that's illegal." I hear Nikki say. I rubbed Stacy's shoulder, "don;t worry Stace you'll get another chance."
Suddenly I heard a scream and I jumped back. Looking at where the scream came from sat Ronnie and Zara, Zara had her hand over her mouth as Ronnie looked embarrassed.
Ronnie murmured something before the party continued. Another song started as Nikki and Tara dragged us to the front, we all started to dance as I realized Stacy was still looking at Andy.
The rest of the night I spent with both them and Kym and Andy and that whole group. ANdy had also scared me half to death while hanging with Lydia as he came up from behind and booed me.
I had slapped him.
Kym made me do a Tik-tok with Andy and she also made one with me. I ended up seeing Andy beating Aaron and that was a highlight of the night.
Kym teased me all night long and tried to get me and Andy together any chance she got
And despite all the commotion I couldn't ignore one thing.
The feelings for Andy were still there, everytime I looked at him I felt it.
And I knew it wouldn't go away.
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That night I fell asleep- comforted by Andy's jacket, which I had forgotten to give back because my mother dragged me away early.
The drive was uneventful until I realized I had forgotten to give Andy his jacket back. My mother was on the phone the whole time.
I waited for my mother to come in and check on me, butcher never did
So I fell asleep that night to thoughts of Andy, and the feeling of an aching heart, caused by both him and my mother- but this was just the start.