Chapter 3 - Abandoned

Benjamin Reyer looked down at his hand, clutching onto the pink slip of paper. He looked up. "This is it, I guess..." He spoke hesitantly. The numbers on the paper were identical to the gold ones beside the door. There was loud music playing and he could see a few people dancing inside. He sighed heavily. For the first time in his life, he was actually invited to a party thrown by one of the more popular kids. He had believed it was a mistake for him to receive an invitation. After all, he was classified as a nerd, a social outcast, in the eyes of most of the student body. But when Sara Bass came to him the day before to confirm whether or not he was coming, he knew it to be true. For a short while, he felt accepted and pleased. Naturally, he realized she was inviting him as a way to pay him back for dissecting her frog in biology. That somewhat made his mood simmer down.

He cleared his throat, trying to ready himself. This was his first, and probably only, chance to mingle with the popular crowd. If they liked what they saw, this could be the first of many parties for him. He smoothed out the wrinkles in his blue shirt, tightening the black skull necklace around his neck. He released his belt a bit, letting his tan short sag slightly. He took a deep breath, lifting his sandal-clad feet up onto the stoop. He pocketed the slip, knocking on the large wooden door. He waited for a moment, tapping his foot. The door cracked, catching his attention. There was Sara, dressed in a white blouse with a black sleeveless vest and black shorts. Her wavy ebony hair was hidden under an onyx beret and her face was fresh, coated lightly with make up. "Hey!" She greeted, "Glad you made it, um...." Benjamin smiled weakly, trying to hold back his discontent.
"Benjamin."
"Benny! Right! Come on in." She opened the door wider, letting Benjamin pass her. The moment he entered, his eardrums seemed ready to burst. Loud bass echoed through the hall, bouncing off the laughter of his peers. "Come this way. The party is raging right now." Sara spoke as she walked down a corridor. Benjamin followed her into a large room, presumably the game room. The room was large, filled with a dance floor and arcade machines. There were countless people dancing to heavy trance in front of a DJ booth, some Benjamin didn't even recognize. "If you want refreshments, they're over there. Enjoy yourself!" Sara pointed to a corner where a long table of treats lay alone, before walking off to the dance floor. Benjamin made his way immediately towards the food, muttering "excuse me"s and "pardon me"s as he passed the writhing teen bodies.

He reached the table, picking up a paper plate and piling various finger foods upon it. He picked up a napkin and made his way towards a red sofa. There he sat, eating and watching people have fun. 'Figures,' He thought to himself, 'I get invited to a party and am the wallflower.' He sighed, looking at his food. It would seem that the refreshment table and the sofa would be his only companions tonight.

A small urge to look towards the doorway struck him. Acting upon it, he saw her. Her long brown hair was tied into a large ponytail, falling to her mid back. Her slender body filled out a one-strap dress that fell to her knees, colored white and pink. Her dainty feet sat serenely in a pair of pink slip ons. Her face was glowing, her soft and plush lips shining with clear lip gloss. Her cheeks were colored a light pink. A faint light seemed to come off her body, as if telling all to direct their attentions to her. Benjamin swooned. "Hollie Hillsdale..." The girl whom he had been pining for was here, at this party. Granted, she probably didn't know he existed but just being in her presence was a sign. But then all turned sour. Benjamin realized she wasn't alone. Running his grubby hands all over Hollie was Eric Peterson, his rival for Hollie's heart. Benjamin growled, returning his attention to his food.

Hollie smiled. "I'm so glad you decided to come with me," She spoke to Eric. He shrugged.
"Anything for you, babe." Hollie giggled, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He held her waist, copping a feel. She shivered.
"Not here, okay?" Hollie pulled away from the hug. Eric grinned sheepishly, nodding. "Alright. I'm gonna go get a drink, okay?" Hollie waved to Eric as she walked towards the refreshment table, unaware of the pair of green eyes following her. She picked up a plastic cup and moved over to the punch bowl. She picked up the ladle, pouring a reasonable amount into her cup. She took a sip, spinning to scan the crowd. There were alot of people here, she noticed. She continued to peer around the room when she noticed Benjamin. He seemed out of place. Hollie stared at him, watching him pick at his food. He was probably a pity-invite. While he was a nice boy, he wasn't nearly as popular to be invited normally. She guessed he probably did something nice for Sara.

She finished off her drink, looking down at her cup. "Mmm....I wonder if Eric wants some." She looked up, trying to spot her boyfriend. Though it was hard to see through the crowd of people, she could tell he wasn't on the dance floor. "I wonder if he went to the bathroom." Tossing her cup in the nearby wastebasket, she walked onto the dance floor and made her way to Sara, who was dancing with a boy she recognized only as Jacob. Tapping Sara's shoulder caused her to turn.
"Hm? What's up, Hollie?" The girl asked, her body still moving to the beat. Hollie gave Jacob a small wave before talking.
"I was wondering where your bathroom is. I think Eric might've gone there and I wanted to ask him if he wanted some punch." Sara turned and pointed out of the room.
"To the left, the third door on the right. Next to the umbrella stand." Hollie thanked her and followed the directions. She knocked on the door, expecting a voice. But she received silence.
"So he's not in the bathroom..." Then a sound came to her ears. A feminine giggle from the other room. Hollie slowly followed the sound, leading her into the breakfast nook. Leaning against the counter was Eric, holding onto a blonde girl dressed in a pink spaghetti-strap camisole and shorts. The girl seemed to nuzzle Eric's neck, as his hands wrapped around her waist. Hollie gasped, taking a moment to register her thoughts. Deciding that anger was the emotion she was feeling, she stomped up to the couple. "Eric! What do you think you're doing?!"

Expecting Eric to push the girl away and break into a stutter, Hollie found he was as casual as before. Not even moving, his hands still wrapped around his blonde companion, he chuckled. "I'm talking, what's it look like?"
"Your hands are all over her!" The blonde rolled her eyes, pushing herself off of Eric.
"Ditch the cheerleader and THEN come find me," She said as she walked towards the exit. Eric stretched, preparing to follow her. Hollie, enraged, pushed him back.
"Where do you think you're going?" She said, her voice cracking. Eric let out a slight growl.
"Listen. I'm sick of this charade. You're cute, okay? But you're boring. Frankly, I was ready to break up with you after a week." Hollie's eyes enlarged, her bottom lip quivering.
"You can't be serious..."
"I am. It''s over, Holl. It's been fun but you're just too plain Jane for me. Later." Waving her off, Eric followed his make-out partner and left Hollie alone to wallow in her heartbreak.

Hollie stood there, trying to fight back tears. "I...can't believe this..." She huffed. She wiped her eyes, trying to make it seem like nothing was wrong. She thought about just leaving the party, hoping no one would learn of her embarrassment. But her sudden absence would spark rumors. It would be better, she decided, to stay and clear up any questions. She put on a brave face and walked back towards the game room. She slipped in, hoping no one noticed her. She made her way over to a red sofa, sitting down and sighing.
"You okay?" Hollie turned to her right, finding herself looking at a boy with green eyes, glasses and black hair that passed his chin.
"Yeah...I'm fine."
"You don't look fine." He scooted closer to her and examined her. "You've been crying." Hollie shook her head, a smile gracing her lips.
"It's nothing," She said as she looked down at her knees.
"I can tell you're lying...come on, tell me." Hollie looked back at the boy. He seemed trustworthy and willing to listen. With a heavy sigh, she explained.

The boy's face showed pity,"That's terrible!" Hollie nodded. The boy was silent for a minute before he spoke again. "Well...if you ask me...I think you're better off. I mean, he obviously can't tell how great of a girl you are." Hollie looked at him with a puzzled look.
"How do you think I'm great?" The boy stuttered out his words.
"W-well...I know you're on the cheerleading squad...a-and on the school newspaper...and y-you are one of the friendliest girls in school." Hollie nodded. She wondered how he knew all this. After all, she didn't know him personally and he didn't know her personally.
"I guess so..." Hollie drifted off, letting her vision stray. She felt herself throw up in her mouth slightly when she spotted Eric all over the girl he left with. Seeing him, Hollie felt a deep burning feeling, identified as jealousy. Looking at the boy next to her, she felt the need to seek human comfort. That is what made her ask, "What's your name again?"
"Benjamin."
"Well, Benjamin...do you want to dance?" The boy's eyes widened.
"A-are you serious?" The girl nodded and lifted herself off the couch, holding out a hand.
"Come on!" She encouraged with a big smile. Benjamin hesitated, hoping this wasn't a joke, before he placed his hand in hers and she led him off towards the DJ booth.

The music had shifted to a soft ballad, causing many of the dancers to disperse into groups of two. Benjamin gulped, knowing he could no longer be hidden in the crowd. He stood in front of Hollie, waiting for direction. "Oooh," She giggled, "I love this song..."
"I...don't know how to dance," Benjamin confessed. Hollie laughed.
"You don't have to know how to dance...here, I'll lead." Hollie took Benjamin's hands, taking one in her own and placing the other on her hip. She then put her empty arm around Benjamin, resting it against his back. "Now," She said, "Just slowly move in a circle...." Benjamin nodded and followed her instructions. All the while, he kept his gaze on her.
'This has to be a dream,' He thought. Here he was, at a party and slow dancing with the girl of his dreams. They danced slowly, spinning in a circle, for the duration of the song. Another slow song crept out of the speakers but Hollie didn't move away. She instead brought herself closer to Benjamin, resting her head on his shoulder. "Uh..." He croaked. Hollie hushed him.
"Let me just stay like this, okay? You smell nice..." Benjamin fell silent, not arguing or complaining.

Hollie brought her head back to face Benjamin, though much closer. Her blue eyes met his, asking him countless questions. Benjamin tried to speak but found the words trapped inside. Hollie sensed it and smiled. "Don't speak...please. Just...kiss me." Benjamin stopped moving his body to the beat, frozen by her words.
"But...you...and Eric..." Hollie dug herself into Benjamin's neck.
"I want to forget about him. Please." She nuzzled her nose against his neckbone, seducing a Yes out of him. She pulled away and was met by a pair of dry, thin lips. Feeling forceful, Hollie wrapped her arms around Benjamin and brought him closer. He welcomed her kiss, intoxicated by the situation.

Their kiss seemed to open the door for many. Every few minutes, Hollie requested more and Benjamin was more than happy to oblige. They danced, they kissed and they created meaningful memories. The night was droning on, when Sara finally decided it was time to end it. Walking Hollie out, Benjamin started to replay the evening in his mind. The brunette girl, holding onto his arm, cooed. He turned his attention towards her. "Hm?"
"Thank you..." She said. She gave him another kiss before pulling away at the end of Sara's driveway. "I had a really great time."
"Me too," Benjamin agreed. Hollie rubbed her arm as she looked down at her feet.
"I can walk myself home...I'll see you later, then." She waved before walking down the street. Benjamin swooned, waving after her. From there, he walked in the opposite direction.

Once he got home, he couldn't find the exhaustion needed to sleep. His mind and body were far too awake. He immediately got on his computer and pulled up his livejournal. Normally, he found it difficult to put into words his exact feelings but with the previous events, he found it hard to stop writing. He wanted to share with the world all of his amazing feelings in hopes that they too could somehow feel them. After turning off his computer for the night, he got dressed in his night clothes and laid in bed, the lamp on his nightstand the only light. Yet, sleep would not come. Each time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Hollie. Sitting up, he tried to think of a way to get her image out of his head long enough to acquire sleep. A blank canvas called out to him, as it rested on the wooden easel in the far corner of his room. He rose off his bed, and walked up to the easel. He could see Hollie, her portrait, waiting to be painted. He looked at the clock. 'Midnight...It won't take too long.' Picking up his palette and a brush, he began his vision.

The next morning, when Benjamin should have woken up groggy and still tired, he found himself ready to take on the day. He dressed quickly, hoping to get to school early so he could speak to his beloved muse. Shooting one last adoring glance towards his work in progress, he hurried off to school.

He waited for Hollie to arrive by bus, spending most of his waiting period writing in his journal. He was deeply immersed in himself, though a rumble of snickers seemed to break his train of thought. He looked up and around, trying to figure out what was so funny. He spotted Sara Bass whispering to the boy named Jacob, causing him to break out into a storm of snickers. Benjamin closed his journal, putting it in his backpack and walked towards the duo. "What's up?" He asked. Jacob raised an eyebrow, as if telling Benjamin to mind his own business. Sara merely shook her head, answering him.
"It's Hollie and Eric." Benjamin became interested.
"What about them?"
"Well, I heard that they got into a fight at my party last night but...well...I just passed them and they seemed to have made up."
"Really?" Benjamin asked curiously. Sara nodded. "Where are they?" Sara gestured downstairs. Benjamin thanked her and walked down the flight of stairs. He continued to walk until he came to the corner that led to the locker rooms. He stopped as soon as he heard the unmistakable laughter of Hollie. He turned the corner and his stomach churned.

Hollie, the one who had kissed him and physically proclaimed her love for him last night, was enjoying the embrace of Eric, the one who broke her heart the very same night. Eric was nipping at her ear, causing her laughter. Hollie's eyes opened and her laughter stopped as soon as she saw Benjamin.
"Oh..." She let out. Eric turned and rolled his eyes.
"What's wrong? It's just frog boy." Benjamin glared, wishing numerous types of torture upon his insulter. Hollie, meanwhile, broke away from Eric.
"Um, I need to talk to him. I'll meet you in gym, though." Eric shrugged and walked off, leaving Benjamin alone with Hollie. He looked at her with pained eyes. She realized the look and sighed, trying to think of her words. "Benjamin...I'm sorry. Last night was a one time deal. I..." She drifted off, trying to put her meaning delicately. Benjamin wanted to yell at her, accuse her of being as bad as Eric, but the love he felt wouldn't allow him. Instead, he tried to be understanding.
"You just needed someone to care and that someone was me." Hollie nodded.
"Yeah. Eric really hurt me...but he apologized so...we're back together. And...so..." She rubbed her arm, just like before.
"You'd...rather we never speak of what happened again," Benjamin guessed. Again, she nodded.
"I'm so sorry..." Benjamin sighed.
"It's alright. I understand." Hollie smiled, breaking his heart even more.
"Thanks...well...I'll see you..." With that, she turned her heels and headed off to meet Eric. Benjamin shook his head. She was too good to be true. Gazing at the school clock, he slowly drifted off to his first class, the rest of his day doomed to depression.

He didn't hurry home as he did the night before. However, he also didn't go to bed as he normally would, either. He sat on his bed, staring at his painting. "What should I do with you?" He spoke to the face looking back at him. "Destroy you along with my memories...or keep going, keeping my false hope alive?" The painted Hollie just smiled at him, providing no visible answers. He rose, getting closer to the painted canvas. Picking up his brush, he let out a long sigh. "False hope is better than none, I suppose..."

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