Party Phobia

As I was looking around the room, it had become so familiar after a year of staring at its walls and not able to go anywhere. I memorized every place in the room, I could close my eyes and find everything, and so I did. To the left of the room was the window seat it had a few pillows with patterns of black and white flowers. To the right of the window seat was the closet door, that was left ajar, revealing many of my shirts, jackets, leggings, jeans, and shorts hanging on rods. In front of me were multiple pictures of my friend and me all around the mirror that was also surrounded by small, round lights. Below the mirror, was a table for make-up and jewelry and had a chair to sit in. More to the right of the room was a door that led to my restroom. On the right wall was a cubicle organizer filled with books and bins filled with clothing. To the right of the cubicle was the door that led to the hallway, look further to the right of the door and there was a desk. I opened my eyes and looked at my friend, who wore a white, short-sleeve crop-top with light blue skinny jeans and white socks. She had dark brown, beautiful, long, straight hair that reached her elbows and beautiful brown eyes. I went back to my homework on my bed and laid flat on my stomach; my friend was working on the floor next to me. 

“There’s a party going on later today, you want to come? It will be at one of those million-dollar mansions you see on tv. We will party till midnight, hang out with boys, and eat all we want.” She spoke with excitement.

She snapped her fingers in front of my face, for I was not listening. My head reacted and flung back almost immediately as I heard the snap. 

“Did you hear me?” She asked impatiently.

“No. Any sentence with the word party in it, I block out,” I told her.

“How rude,” She exclaimed. “Please, Ashlyn. It will be fun, I promise,” She tried to reassure me.“Don’t be a party pooper!”

“I am not!” I defended myself. “I just... I have a fear of germs and umm ...,” I paused before finishing. “I don’t like parties anymore,” I whispered as if someone was listening and was going to tell the whole school if they heard. “It would be way much more fun without me,” I told her in a soft and low tone. I continued ranting,” I haven’t been to a party in five years. Read my lips. F-I-V-E Y-E-A-R-S. Five years, Em! One, no one is going to want me there since everyone thinks I’m weird. Two, I don’t want to go since there are so many germs and I don’t mind not going. I like my house, I feel most comfortable here. Three… Well, there is no three. I was hoping I would have thought of a third reason by now.”

“Wow, you are really a party pooper,” She concluded proudly. I gave her a look of disappointment and was mad at her for saying that. “Anyways,” She exaggerated,” would you really let me go to a party all alone with no one to talk to? Even if I did go, I can’t even dance or have a good time without you. Come on, Ashlyn. I know you won’t let me go alone. Please.” Emily continued to plead until I agreed with her.

“Fine, fine, fine. I’ll go only because you’re hopeless without me.” I lied. “I’ll start getting ready. Could you please leave?”

Emily took her belongings from the room, I was thinking I was not going to that party no matter who is there or how fun it might be. When she got into the hallway, she turned around to see me with a smirk on my face as I closed the door on her. Soon after I locked the door ever so quietly and started to curl up into a ball against the door. I really did not want to go since I have not been to one in a long time. Plus I know that no matter how hard I try, the students at school would never accept me, and the only people who will are my family and friends. Another negative factor is that there would be so many germs if I went. After a few seconds of silence, I began to hear knocking on the door.

“Ashlyn? I know you’re there. Come on it’s not that bad. Unlock the door and let’s discuss this. Huh?” Emily pleaded. 

I didn’t respond because I felt so embarrassed.

“Ashlyn? Ashlyn? Come on, open the door. Fine, you want to play the hard way, we’ll play the hard way.” Emily added.

I heard her walk away from the door and by this time all I was thinking was how long it has been since I went outside to go somewhere fun or do something fun. I am not fun. The last time I went to a party was when I was 13 and all I could think about was how many germs we were sharing and how many I was touching. No matter how hard I try I can’t enjoy myself anymore like I used to. I heard multiple footsteps coming towards the door sounding like a military troop. After the footsteps stopped, I heard a knock on the door.

“Sweetie, you okay?” a voice said from the door

Oh great, she brought my mom. As if she could not be more involved in my life than she already is.

“Yes.” I lied.

“If you were, I would not be here right now. Now, would I,” she corrected my lie. “Emily, what seems to be the problem?”

“Well, she does not want to go to a party happening later today,” Emily replied.

“Sweetheart, unlock the door before I knock it down,” my mom demanded. “You have three seconds. Three … two …”

I quickly uncurled myself and unlocked the door. I ran to my bed and quickly hid behind the bed. I heard the nob turn and the door open as my mom started hunting me down.

“Show yourself or I shall I have to make you pay the price,” my mom demanded.

Ever since I was ten years old, I have been scared of her punishing me if I did not do as I was told. Since then, I knew not to underestimate her. I raised my hand and slowly got up and faced her. She wore a long, grey open-front sweater with a white blouse underneath and wore mom jeans. She had short, brown, wavy hair that reached her shoulders and had brown eyes.

“Sit down.” She said.

I sat on the bed waiting for further instruction. Before my mom spoke, she sat down next to me.

“Now tell me what’s really going on,” she asked sincerely.

“Well, I do not want to go to this party because of what the kids would think of me and how germs there are,” I replied.

“So basically, you don’t want to go because you are nervous and scared to go?” she concluded.

I was stunned and speechless, she knew the real reason why I didn’t want to go. Man, a mother’s intuition is powerful. I turned towards my friend for reassurance, but she said nothing, and then I turned back towards my mom.

“I want you to get ready for the party.” My mom commanded. 

She shooed me off the bed and towards the restroom. I got a nice, comfortable dress from the closest and ahead towards the restroom. I closed the door behind me and saw that my friend was no longer at the door and my mom would be waiting for me. 

After I got dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror. I wore a nice rose-patterned, quartered sleeve dress with white as the background that reached my knees and had half of my hair in a bun and the rest came down past my shoulders. Was I really ready for this? I shrugged and unlocked the door where I saw my mom still sitting on my bed.

“How do I look?” I asked.

“Honey, you look beautiful. I can’t be you are all grown up,” she responded. “Come on, let’s go get you to that party of yours.”

After I grabbed a purse, put on some jewelry and make-up, made it downstairs, and into the living room, I saw my friend, in a black short sleeve dress that had sunflowers and past her knees, sitting down with her curled hair.

“Wow! You look stunning,” I commented to her.

“You too!” Emily replied.

“Ladies let’s get you on the road.” My mom told us.

She got my friend up and walking while I followed as she showed us the front door. She opened the door and moved her forearms to the door. I grabbed my white flats and put them on, as my friend got out and soon after so did I. As soon as I got out all my nervous feelings came back to me and I ran back to my room, locked the door, and curled up against it. 

A minute later Emily spoke impatiently and worried, “Ashlyn? We are going to be late.” 

“Sweetie, is there anything that could ease your nerves?” My mom asked. 

I heard someone’s phone ding and a few seconds later my friend spoke. “Ashlyn,” she exaggerated in a singing tone,” your crush is at the party.”

As I heard my crush was at the party, I opened the door and rushed out of the house without thinking. I made it to the door and was waiting for them to catch up to me. As soon as they reached the door, I became more nervous by every step my friend took towards me and out of the house. I can’t do this, my crush was there, and at this rate, I was becoming a wreck. I ran back towards my bed. But suddenly my mom stopped me at the passway of the door from going any further.

“Nuh-uh. You are not going back to your room. You are leaving this house and going to that party.” My mom demanded as she made me back up in fear.

“But-” I said before getting cut off by her. “No buts. You are to leave this house immediately and do not come back until it is past midnight or you will be grounded. Do I make myself clear?” She commanded me as we made it to the other side of the door. 

“Yes!” Emily and I said at the same time.

We started walking towards the right side of the door and towards Ashlyn’s car, my mom shouted, “Remember no making out with anyone or smoking-.” 

I rudely cut her off and shouted from in the car with the windows down,” I know. We will be back after midnight.”

And off we rode.