TEENAGE FEVER | I.
"PLEASE DATE ME"
(' PARTY AT MCKAY'S ')

MAKAYLA MCKAY SHOVED HER WAY through the throng of people that filled her living room. Her head was aching from the bass of the loudspeakers and she currently had nothing but murder on her mind as she looked at her older brother, Christopher who sat on the stairs, chatting it up with Cassie Howard.

It wasn't that Makayla didn't like house parties, in fact she loved them. She was quite the party animal she had been told, but a party was the last thing she needed after a three-hour soccer practice that had been preceded by an hour of weightlifting, not to mention the four miles she had ran that morning.

She was practically running on fumes and there was no way that she was getting sleep tonight, but she could manage to find some peace and quiet somewhere in the house. And that somewhere was in the bathroom.

Makayla took a deep breath as she climbed into the bathtub of the downstairs bathroom and laid her head back. She could still hear the music, but it wasn't as loud as it had previously been and now, she could actually hear her thoughts.

Her junior year was staring next week, and that meant that she had to be on her A game. She had been invited to work out with the U17 national soccer team over the summer and it had gone pretty well. Now she was planning on playing club and high school soccer in the fall at the demand of her father.

Her body ached and Makayla wasn't sure how she was going to manage both soccer practices, tournaments, and her schoolwork all on top of each other. Junior year was a hard year, not only when it came to recruitment, but academics as well. She'd have to take the SATs and pray that her scores were high enough.

The door to the bathroom swung open and Makayla muttered a soft 'fuck' under her breath at the fact that she had forgotten to lock the door. She could hear the bass of Teenage Fever by Drake playing outside the bathroom.

A brunette stepped inside, quickly closing the door behind her and locking it before staring at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair. It took Makayla a second, but she recognized her as Cassie's younger sister, Lexi Howard. She was in Makayla's year.

They'd gone to school together since they were five and Makayla was certain that they hadn't spoken more than three words to each other in those twelve years. They simply ran in different circles. However, it was inevitable for their paths not to cross now that their siblings were supposedly dating.

"Hey," Makayla stated, feeling that she should make her presence known before Lexi decided to do anything else in the bathroom. Lexi's head snapped to look at her, a sense of panic on her face that quickly went away when she saw that it was just Makayla.

"Oh hey," Lexi greeted nervously.

"Lexi, right?"

She nods, "Yeah."

"I'm Makayla," she says, extending her hand out for Lexi to shake. She's sure that the situation is weird and certainly doesn't call for a handshake, but she's tired and delirious.

"I know," Lexi says as she shakes the hand. She pulls down the lid of the toilet seat and takes a seat on it, placing her beside Makayla. She smiles playfully at her, "Makayla McKay."

Makayla snorts, "I know, it's stupid. My parents must have been on crack when they named their kids because who the hell names twins Troy and Roy?"

Lexi giggles and Makayla smiles as she adds, "Christopher got off easy."

"It's strange hearing his first name," Lexi says, her eyes drifting over to the door.

"Word on the street is that our siblings seem to be hitting it off," Makayla says.

Lexi's eyes rolled, "Hitting it off is an understatement. McKay is all Cassie has talked about this summer. It was really annoying."

"Every time he and Cassie would hang out, he'd come in my room and ask if his outfits were alright, that was annoying."

"Well Cassie and I share a room and every night it was, no you hang up first, no you!" Lexi says doing her best Cassie impression and Makayla giggles loudly beside her.

"Okay, you win," Makayla shakes her head, "Overhearing phone conversations is definitely the worst."

"Trust me it is," Lexi huffs, before raising an eyebrow at Makayla, "So why are you sitting in a bathtub?"

"Only quiet room in the house," Makayla tells her, "Well the quietest room in the house. Troy and Roy are being loud with their friends upstairs and my room is next to theirs. Hence why I am sitting in a bathtub."

"Okay," Lexi laughs.

"So, did you have to use the bathroom, because I can totally leave," Makayla says, pointing her thumb toward the door.

"No, I just needed a moment," Lexi tells her with a laugh, "Parties can be a bit overwhelming."

"Parties not really your scene?"

"Not really," Lexi states as she looks over at Makayla, "How about you?"

Makayla shrugs, "I like a good party every now and then."

"You must think I'm lame," Lexi says with a nervous laugh.

"Nah," Makayla answers, "You said it yourself, parties can be a bit overwhelming. I like that, being surrounded by people and being at the center of attention. You don't, which is totally fine."

The corner of Lexi's lips quirk up as she drops her gaze. She nervously begins to chip at the nail polish on her fingernail, "I wish my mom thought like that."

Makayla sits up a little straighter in the bathtub, "What does your mom think?"

"She wishes that I was more like Cassie," Lexi says with a sigh, "She wants me to dress like her, act like her, do the things that she does."

"That's bad parenting," Makayla voices, "Like really bad parenting."

"I know. I try not to take what she says to heart but I can't help but feel like my mom doesn't like who I am," Lexi tells her and Makayla honestly isn't sure what she should say. Her friends never got heavy on her and expressing emotions wasn't something that her family did often.

"Well do you like who you are?" Makayla asks.

Lexi shrugs, "I guess, I mean I honestly have no clue who I am. I have no idea what I like, who I like. I'm just kind of here."

Makayla smiles, "Welcome to your teenage years. We're all going through one massive identity crisis."

"You don't seem like you are," Lexi states, "I mean other than the fact that you're camped out in a bathtub."

A laugh escapes Makayla, "You can mock me, but this tub is super comfortable. And there's more to me than meets the eye, like I really love Motown music."

"What?" Lexi asks with a giggle.

"Yeah," Makayla tells her, "Before every soccer game I listen to Nina Simone or the Temptations. It clears my head."

"So, you like the classics? Interesting," Lexi says smiling at her.

"What's your favorite kind of music?"

Lexi's cheeks flush, "Um well it varies."

"Okay then what's your most listened to artist?"

"You can't laugh, okay?" Lexi tells her and Makayla rolls her eyes, but nods her head, "It's probably BTS or Taylor Swift."

Makayla tries to stop it, she really does, but the need to laugh was far too much. Lexi hides her face behind her hands in embarrassment and Makayla feels a bit of guilt.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" Lexi exclaims.

"I'm sorry, but you like BTS?" Makayla asks, "Taylor I can understand, but BTS? You can't understand half their lyrics!"

"Doesn't matter, it's still good music!" Lexi defends.

Makayla shakes her head, "Just when I was starting to think you were cool Lexi Howard, you drop this on me."

"I'm not sorry," Lexi tells her, "I have no shame about listening to BTS."

Makayla laughs, "You know that's the mentality you need to have about everything. So, what if you don't like parties or you're not like Cassie. You're Lexi and you like BTS and there's no shame in that, no matter what your mom says."

Lexi tilts her head, "You know when Cassie talked me into coming to this party I totally did not expect to overshare to a stranger in a bathroom."

"I'm not a stranger, we've known each other since we were five," Makayla tells her, and Lexi rolls her eyes playfully.

"And how many times have we spoken?"

"I would say three times," Makayla tells her, and Lexi nods her head.

"Stranger."

Makayla chuckles, "Sometimes a stranger in a bathroom is exactly what you need."

"You're right."

They lapse into a silence, a comfortable one. It feels like minutes when in reality it's only seconds when Lexi stands up.

"Well, I should probably get going. I think Cassie will be spending the night at your place and I have a long walk home."

Makayla frowns at that. It had to be like one in the morning and while East Highland was a nice neighborhood in the suburbs, she didn't like the idea of Lexi walking home alone in the dark.

"I could drive you," Makayla suggests.

Lexi shakes her head, "No, I'll be fine."

"Famous last words," Makayla tells her as she climbs out of the bathtub, her legs felt like they were on fire, but she ignored the pain, "Let me grab my keys."

Instead of protesting, Lexi simply nods her head and opens the bathroom door. A Mac Miller song flooded into the bathroom as they stepped out. They received a few curious looks, but no one asked anything, either too drunk or high to really care.

Makayla made her way to the key rack where several people had simply tossed their keys. She dug through and found hers at the bottom of the pile. Lexi followed her through the bodies that were dancing in her living room and out the front door.

Makayla glanced toward the fence surrounding her backyard to hear splashing as people jumped into the pool.

She made her way over to her car, a 2016 Nissan Murano that her dad had gifted her after she got her invite from U17 team. He never told her he was proud of her, there was just a car sitting in the driveway and Makayla figured it was better than nothing.

She started the car and sighed as Taylor Swift blasted through the speakers, causing Lexi to grin widely at her. Makayla quickly changed the radio station which was no better than what it had previously been as classical music filled the car.

Makayla put the car in drive as she pulled away from her house and observed the long line of cars that had parked on the street just to attend the party.

"You're gonna take a right up here," Lexi tells her, and Makayla does that, "It's the house right there."

Makayla parks outside of the house and turns to look at Lexi who was already looking at her.

"Thanks for this," Lexi tells her, "I had a pretty good time tonight."

"I tend to have that effect on people," Makayla teases and Lexi rolls her eyes.

"See you at school Monday?" Lexi asks her and Makayla was once again reminded that their junior year began in less than forty-eight hours.

"Yeah, maybe we can actually speak to each other," Makayla tells her and Lexi chuckles as she climbs out of the car. Makayla watches as Lexi makes her way to the front door of her house. The door swings open to reveal Lexi and Cassie's mother.

Lexi turns back and waves at Makayla, a gesture that she returns before Lexi steps inside with her mother.

Makayla drives back to her house to see that the party is still in full effect. Sighing she climbs out of the car and heads back into the house. Instead of heading toward the bathroom she had previously inhabited, she goes to her room and collapses into bed.

The next morning, she's awoken by a pillow to the face.

"Kayla," she hears Christopher say, "Get up."

"No," Makayla moans out.

"Mom and dad will be home in like eight hours," he tells her, "We have to clean up."

She rolls over, turning her back to her brother, "You shouldn't have thrown a party."

"Kayla, all our asses are on the line here."

Makayla sighs as she rolls over and looks at her brother, "No, your ass and Troy's ass and Roy's ass are on the line. No one saw me at the party last night because I was in the bathroom trying to get some peace and quiet."

"Mom and dad don't care about that! You were here, that makes you an accessory."

"Christopher," Makayla says kindly, "Get the fuck out of my room before I kick your ass."

Christopher must know that getting her out of bed is pointless because she hears the door to her bedroom slam shut and she smiles as she cuddles into her elephant stuffed animal.

She's awoken a second time by her father.

"Did you run this morning?" he asks her. No greeting, just straight to the point.

"No dad," Makayla answered, "I did four miles yesterday, lifted weights, and had practice. Now I am resting as even professional athletes do."

"While you're resting, another girl is out there working harder than you are," her father states and Makayla rolls her eyes. It was always the guilt trip.

"Leave her alone Fred," her mother says from the doorway, "The kids start school tomorrow. Give her a break."

It's obvious that her father doesn't want to do that, and he makes it known, "Tomorrow I want six miles."

"Fine," Makayla tells him. With that, her father leaves and Makayla sighs as she sits up in bed. She glances over at her mother who offers her a sympathetic look before stepping into the room.

"Did you have anything to do with the party that went on last night?" her mother asks as she takes a seat on the edge of her bed.

"Party?" Makayla asks, playing dumb, "What party?"

"I know there was a party, one of the knives was not where it was supposed to be."

Makayla sighs, "You didn't hear it from me but there was a party and Christopher put it all together."

Her mother chuckles, "Way to sell your brother out."

Makayla shrugs, "I wanted to come home from my practice to some peace and quiet and all I got was loud music and sweaty bodies in the living room."

"Don't act like you're a saint," her mother tells her, gently tossing a pillow at her. Makayla catches it with ease but smiles at her mother, nonetheless.

"How was the trip?"

Her parents had gone out of town to celebrate their anniversary, which had given Christopher an empty house to throw a party.

"It was lovely," her mother says with a smile, "Your father can be quite romantic when he wants to."

"I doubt that," Makayla voices, "But I am happy that you had a good time."

Michelle McKay chuckles as she places a kiss to her daughter's forehead, "We're ordering takeout for dinner, be downstairs in an hour."

"Dinner?" Makayla asks as she looks at the clock beside her bed. It was around 6:45 which meant that she had slept the entire day away.

"Dinner," her mother repeats back to her.

"Right," Makayla answers, "I'll be down."

Her mother smiled before standing from her bed, "Take it easy Makayla. It's good to be driven, but there is such thing as too much work."

"I know that," Makayla states, her mother smiles at her once more before closing the door, "But he doesn't."

~*~

Makayla was kind enough to give her brothers a ride to school and they were rude enough not to thank her. She sighs as she closes her car door only for an arm to be thrown around her shoulder.

"Kayla!" her best friend, Alexis, greets her, "How's my little whore?"

"Not a whore," Makayla mutters.

"You're my whore," Alexis says, kissing her on the cheek, "You'll sleep with me someday."

"Can we just be normal for one day?" Makayla asks, "I've seen you for a total of two minutes and you're already trying to get into my pants."

"Because I know you're not straight and I want to be the one to help you realize that," Alexis tells her and Makayla reaches around and removes the arm around her, putting space between herself and Alexis.

"Stop with the whole sexuality thing!" Makayla exclaims, "And even if I were into women, you are the last person I'd sleep with."

Alexis pouts, "You're so rude and you're so not straight, I mean you play soccer."

"Alex Morgan plays soccer, she's married and has a child," Makayla argues.

"Christen Press plays soccer and she's dating her teammate. You know that could be us," Alexis teases, wiggling her eyebrows.

Makayla groans, "You're disgusting and Christen and Tobin are not dating. They're just really good friends."

Alexis places a hand on her shoulder, "You're in denial, it's okay. I was too until Ashlyn and Ali got married. That also could be us."

Makayla rolls her eyes until she catches sight of another one of their teammates, "Ainsley!"

The blonde turns her head and waves at Makayla before jogging over toward Makayla's car and throwing her arms around her in a tight hug.

"There you are superstar!" Ainsley exclaimed in a thick English accent, "I missed you this summer."

Freshman year Ainsley's parents had gotten a divorce and her mother had made the decision to put an entire ocean between herself and her ex-husband. That meant Ainsley spent her summers in London with her dad.

She'd missed tryouts and practice because she couldn't get a flight back, but since Ainsley was their best goalie, the coach decided she could have a tryout whenever she returned to the states, and that had been yesterday.

"I missed you too!" Makayla tells her.

"Hey bimbo, I'm here too," Alexis says, and Ainsley rolls her eyes as she looks at the other girl.

"Hello Alexis, catch any STDs?"

Alexis chuckles, "Just one."

Ainsley grins as she wraps her arms around Alexis in a hug.

"See? The group is back together," Alexis says, "The mean lesbian, the blonde bisexual, and the straight that pretends to be straight even though she isn't."

Ainsley elbows Alexis in the stomach, "Seriously? It's the first day of school. Leave her alone."

"Thank you!" Makayla exclaims.

"Now onto serious news," Ainsley says as she loops her arm through Makayla's and Alexis's and tugs them toward the school building, "Some girl cut herself at the party the other night."

"Oh yeah, heard about the party," Alexis said, "But I kind of already had an appointment if you know what I mean."

"Ew," Makayla says, "And I was asleep when that happened."

"You fell asleep at a party?" Ainsley asks, eyebrows furrowed, "You know what I'm actually not surprised."

"Practice was rough," Alexis says, "You would know if you had been there."

"Sorry," Ainsley mutters, "But back to the party. This new girl named Jules cut herself. She scared the shit out of Nate."

"Sounds interesting," Makayla says as they enter the schools, "Does anyone know if Nate and Maddy are still together?"

Alexis raises an eyebrow, "Why? Interested?"

"No," Makayla tells her, "Just curious. Chris told me they were on the rocks."

"Guess we'll find out today," Ainsley says as the bell rings, "I'll see you two at weightlifting."

Alexis sends an air kiss Makayla's way, one that she ignores as she makes her way to her home room.

Her day trudges on slowly, the biggest disappointment being that she didn't have lunch with either Alexis or Ainsley. Makayla was pretty popular and could sit with anyone she wanted at lunch. However, she'd rather sit by herself than with people who knew far more about her than she knew about them.

Her father made her lunch, or he at least told her mom what to pack. He insisted that she needed the proper intake of nutrients so that she wouldn't run out of energy when she was at practice or working out or whatever.

Makayla reached into her lunch bag and pulled out a container of yogurt and a spoon and began to eat it when Lexi Howard sat down abruptly in front of her.

Makayla's face brightened as she saw the younger of the two Howard sisters, "Lexi, hey."

"Please date me."

Makayla's eyebrows lifted on her forehead, "I'm sorry. What?"

Lexi bites her lip and stands up, "Never mind, this was an awful idea."

Makayla looks around the cafeteria, wondering if anyone was trying to punk her, but everyone seemed to be paying attention to their own conversations. Makayla grabbed her things as she rushed out of the cafeteria after Lexi.

She found the other girl and grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the girl's bathroom. Makayla checked the stalls which were all empty before turning back to Lexi.

"Now why do you want me to date you?" Makayla asks.

"When you brought me home from the party, I don't know, my mom seemed excited or whatever and it was nice to have her excited about something I was doing."

"So, what, you want me to date you so that your mom will look at you differently?" Makayla asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

Lexi sighs, "It's stupid, I know. Please can we just forget that we ever had this conversation?"

"Lexi," Makayla says as she reaches out, but the door to the bathroom opens as a group of girls walk inside. Lexi takes that as an opportunity to leave and Makayla sighs as she watches the wooden bathroom door swing shut.