Part 1 - Chapter 1
“I don’t know…” Janis said, looking at herself in the full body mirror. She was wearing a black crop top and a matching black mini skirt. They belonged to her best friend, Brynn. It was Brynn’s suggestion that she wear the outfit to the party tonight.
“You look great!” said Brynn, coming up from behind her. She gently took Janis’s long black hair and pushed it up to rest on top of her head in a stylish manner. “Once we get your hair done, you’re gonna look so hot!”
Janis could honestly say she never looked hot in her life. She grew up in a very conservative home, and even though she had moved out and was in college now, she still struggled with her self-image. She hadn’t even lost her virginity yet and not from lack of trying. She was incredibly shy.
“I feel like I’m not wearing much of anything,” said Janis.
“That’s the point,” Brynn said with a grin. She dropped Janis’s hair and nodded towards the bathroom.
Janis obediently followed her best friend. Hours later, she emerged looking like a completely different person. Brynn had not only done her hair but her makeup too.
“Now, I’ve got like a million shoes but I think these will suit that outfit the best,” said Brynn. She was holding up a pair of heels. Janis had never worn heels before!
“Brynn, no, com’on. I don’t know how to wear heels!” protested Janis.
“It’s not that hard. You’ll look stupid in flats!” said Brynn.
With a sigh, Janis reluctantly gave in. Brynn had a way about her. She was hard to say no to.
With her best friend’s help, Janis got the heels on. She did a few practice walks and the first time, she nearly tripped and snapped her ankles. But with Brynn’s guidance, she slowly got the hang of it.
“That’s it! See? I told you it’s not that hard,” said Brynn.
“Easy for you to say. If I break my neck tonight, I’m blaming you,” Janis said.
“You’re not gonna break your neck. But you are gonna turn heads. And who knows, tonight might be the night.”
“The night for what?”
“The night you lose your virginity!”
“Brynn!”
Just then, there came a knock at the bedroom door. “Brynn?”
“Come in, Dad. We’re decent,” said Brynn.
The door opened and in stepped Brynn’s dad, Cal. He was a handsome man in his mid-40s. Tall with broad shoulders. Dark hair, greying at the sides, and a strong jawline. Janis always had a little crush on him, though she never dared tell Brynn.
“I thought you said you were decent?” said Cal, frowning at the revealing outfit his daughter was wearing. When his eyes shifted to Janis, his expression changed just slightly. His eyes widened just a hint and his nostrils flared.
“We’re decent enough,” Brynn said with a smirk.
Cal turned his attention back to his daughter. “If you were younger, I’d make you put something else on.”
“Good thing I’m not,” said Brynn.
Cal sighed. “Something you have no problem reminding me.”
“You knew I couldn’t stay your baby girl forever,” Brynn said.
Cal frowned. “Well I’m heading to work. I’m working late tonight so I’ll probably see you in the morning.”
“We won’t be home until late either. We’re going to a party,” said Brynn.
“Do I need to warn you to be safe at this party?” asked Cal.
“Nope. We’ll be fine. Right, Janis?”
“I’ll try not to let her drink too much, Mr. Pearson,” said Janis. The key word being ‘try’. It was hard to make Brynn do anything she didn’t want to.
“But if I do, Janis will be there to drive me home,” said Brynn.
Cal let out another sigh. “Well if you need me, you both have my number. Be careful. You two dressed like that, boys will want to take advantage.”
Janis’s face flushed slightly. Suddenly, she felt very exposed and had the urge to cover herself.
“Trust me, we’ll be fine,” said Brynn. She stepped over and planted a kiss on her dad’s cheek. “Love you.”
“I love you too,” he said, then disappeared through the doorway, shutting it behind him.
“I swear he’s like too protective sometimes. I mean, we’re 21. We’re not kids anymore,” said Brynn.
“He just cares about you,” said Janis. “And besides, he let you go out like this. My parents would die if they saw me in this outfit!”
Brynn laughed. “Yeah, I guess you got me beat there.”
The two girls left Brynn’s house some thirty minutes later and went to the party. It was packed. Mostly people that Janis didn’t know. Brynn, however, knew everyone. And although Janis did try really hard to not let her drink too much, Brynn didn’t listen. She was drunk before it was even midnight.
Janis, on the other hand, didn’t have one drink. She knew she had to stay sober to safely drive them home.
Like Brynn said, everyone was looking at her. Guys and girls alike. No one had seen her dress so provocatively before. At first, it was a little nerve wracking. She felt like all eyes were on her. But when a particularly cute boy paid her a compliment, she began to feel better. More confident.
By the time the night was over, she’d been hit on by a few different guys. One even gave her his number. Another one invited her back to his dorm. She politely refused. Mostly because Brynn was drunk and making a fool of herself.
She had been dancing wildly on one of the tables and fell off. Many guys rushed to help her, but Janis shooed them away.
“We’re going home,” said Janis.
“But the party’s not over!!” whined Brynn.
“It is for you. I promised your dad I’d take care of you,” said Janis. She moved Brynn’s arm over her shoulder and helped walk her towards the door.
“I’m fine… I only had a few drinkss…” said Brynn.
“A few? More like ten,” said Janis.
Brynn continued to whine the whole way back to their car. It was a struggle to get her into the passenger’s seat. She was so out of it, Janis had to buckle her seat belt for her. On the drive home, Brynn started blasting the music so loud in the car Janis was getting a headache. When she shut it off, Brynn whined about that too.
Janis felt so relieved when she finally pulled into Brynn’s driveway.
She walked around the car and when she opened the door, she found her best friend passed out.
“Brynn?” said Janis as she poked her. No response. She grabbed her shoulder and gave her a shake. Brynn was completely out of it. Great. How the heck was she supposed to get her inside? Brynn wasn’t a big girl, but neither was Janis, and now she was all dead weight.
She stood there, pondering. She felt like just leaving her in the car, but what kind of friend would she be if she did that?
Sighing, she unbuckled Brynn and attempted to drag her out of the car. It wasn’t easy. By the time she got her to the front door, she was panting for air. She had to put her down on the porch, just so that she could dig out the keys, then it was an even bigger hassle to get her through the doorway.
She felt completely spent once she had her inside. She knew there was no possible way she could get her upstairs to her bedroom. The best she could do was maybe put her on the couch. She was trying to muster up the strength to do that when she heard a car door slam from outside.
Looking out the storm door, she saw Mr. Pearson. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or embarrassed.
