Chapter 20
By the time the party is already starting down below the school, we’re barely halfway through. We gather up our supplies and throw them in a cardboard box when the teacher isn’t looking, so we can work on it first thing in the morning before the lab opens up.
We’re already late, so we don’t bother going up to the room to change. I told them to go ahead, but the boys are waiting for us as soon as we make the trek back up to the main building through what’s turning out to be a snowstorm.
I’m frost-covered and freezing when I spot them, but that doesn’t last long. Blair takes the box from my arms and Wills lends me his coat. They’re both dressed to the nines, leaving Dana and I looking frumpy in our school uniforms. But it’s no matter.
We lead Dana to the hidden doorway and go down several flights of stairs in the old stairwell, all the way down past what Dana is sure is the lowest level of the school.
“I had no idea there was anything this far down here,” she murmurs as we make our way through another dark hallway lit only by the LED lights on the boy’s cell phones. “Are you sure about this?” she asks me, and I squeeze her hand in mine as we keep walking.
“Come on Dana, grow some balls.”
She just wrinkles up her nose. “That’s what the smell is,” she says, pinching her nostrils shut. “It smells like balls. Sweaty ones.”
Both Blair and Wills chuckle as we turn to head down one last, long dark hallway, and reach a big metal door. We knock the ‘shave and a haircut’ code, and the door swings open.
It’s packed. Way more so than the party I attended last year. The cellars are also well lit, toasty warm and every table is laid out with food—so I don’t care.
“I didn’t expect to see this many people here,” I say as we walk in and the door is closed behind us. I’m already trying to map out the fastest routes to one of the famous cheese trays.
“The Christmas party is
always a big one,” Wills tells me in my ear. “You weren’t here for this last year, so you didn’t know. It was a shame really, you should have seen Blair.” He shoots Blair a look and Blair blanches. One day, I’m going to want to hear that story, I think. Wills grabs my shoulder and squeezes it. “Don’t worry, he says. We’ll make sure this year is even better. This is going to be a night you’ll never forget.” He grins at me.
Blair looks at the rest of us. “But first, let’s get some drinks!”
Wills nods. “Definitely!”
Dana, always the voice of reason, points out the box of dangerous chemicals Blair keeps waving around under his arm. “You should probably do something with that,” she says. “Before we get too drunk and someone here tries to set it off for shits and giggles.”
“That,” I say, “is a very good point.”
Blair hands Dana the box and points out a closet down the hall. “The vintages in there are no good. No one should touch it.”
He’s just about to leave to fetch the promised drinks, when he turns and practically walks straight into Astor and Victoria. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a couple look so tense. She sees me and narrows her eyes, reaching her hand up to Astor’s arm, but he pulls his arm away from her.
Dana takes the opportunity to slip away—stowing the project out of harm’s way and avoiding the awkwardness in one fell swoop.
“Hey you two. I’ll be back in a minute,” Blair says, also abandoning us. Now it’s just me and Wills.
Astor is watching me, and I know that he doesn’t care if Victoria sees him do it. I wish he would just stop. The more he does this sort of thing, the more likely she’s going to come after me in another fit of jealousy. The last time worked out better than expected, but I’m not sure I’d look good bald if she took her scissors to my scalp a second time.
I turn to Wills and lean up to kiss him, hoping that it will diffuse Victoria’s worries. He kisses me back and smiles.
Victoria narrows her eyes coldly at Dana across the room. “What is she doing here?”
Wills jerks his head up and raises his voice above the music playing around us. “She’s our guest, Vic, and she’s welcome here, so don’t be rude. If you don’t like her being here, then you can leave.”
Victoria’s mouth falls open and she turns away from him to tug Astor’s arm. He turns and snaps at her.
“Stop pulling on me! I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”
In a bitter rage, she turns and stalks off. I catch Blair peeking around the corner with a tray of drinks, and seeing her gone, steps out with a smile.
“Coward,” I whisper, but he just winks and hands me an extra-big glass.
“Call it what you will … that bitch is not going to ruin this party for me.” He clinks his glass against mine. “I’ll avoid her all night if I have to, and I suggest you do the same.”