Some guy bumps into Jackson before spinning around to either beat him up for being in his way or apologize, but luckily, recognition dawns on both their pissed off faces. The new guy looks both an awful mix of drunk and stoned and from the joint pinched between his lips, I’d say he doesn’t give a shit what he looks like. “Hey, man,” the newcomer says before looking over Jackson’s shoulder and looking me up and down, giving me the creeps. “Been a while. I heard you’re rocking it with those Broken Hill douchebags.”
“Yeah,” he says. “Got my eyes on a scholarship.”
“Fuck yeah,” the guy says before taking the joint from his lips and offering it to Jackson.
Jackson greedily accepts and takes a long pull. He closes his eyes for a second and looks back at me. “You’re up,” he tells me as he tries to jam the joint between my lips.
I pull back and scrunch up my face. “No, thanks,” I tell him.
“Come on. It will help you relax. You’re so freaking wound up,” he says before turning his attention back on the guy. “This shit is good.” The guy nods in agreement but looks at me, waiting to see what the hell I’m going to do, making me wonder if this is some kind of test, though, I don’t know what it’s for.
“Nah,” I laugh, trying to play it cool when in reality, my heart is threating to beat right out of my chest. “Really. I’m good.”
“Suit yourself,” Jackson shrugs, pulling his arm back and taking another drag before handing it back to the guy.
The guy disappears and Jackson scans the room as he cracks open his beer. “I’m going to say hey to some of my friends really quick,” he throws over his shoulder as he grins at some girl. “You’ll be ok?” he questions. “Go chill with some of the chicks.”
And just like that, he slips away, leaving me way too nervous for my own good. I look around the room and see nothing but bodies, but all those bodies have eyes that are trained on me and from the looks in their eyes, they know I don’t belong and what’s more, they want me out.
I place the beer down on the table and start walking around the cramped house trying to find somewhere that isn’t so crowded with people who don’t want me here. Where the hell is Jackson? He shouldn’t have brought me to a place like this. He knows what kind of girl I am. This isn’t me.
I walk into a room and the first thing I see is Jackson’s friend from the races, rolling up a dollar bill. He grins with a twisted excitement before looking around the room. His eyes lock on mine and he smirks at me as he leans his face into some girl’s naked chest and snorts a line of coke.
I swallow back. I really shouldn’t be here.
I start looking for the exits as Jackson’s friend straightens up and wipes his nose. “Hey, I know you,” he says, narrowing his eyes on me and walking forward.
“Um, no,” I say, wishing I had an escape.
“Yeah,” he laughs with a sick fascination. “You’re that chick from the races. You’re Nate Ryder’s girl, aren’t you?”
I shake my head.
“I’ve always wanted to stick it to that guy,” he tells me as that grin from before returns. “I heard he fucked you over.”
“I, um… need to pee,” I stutter out.
“Nah, babe. Dance with us. It’s a party.” The guy grabs me around the waist and pulls me into him before grinding himself into my ass and making me want to throw up.
I really have to get out of here.
Where the fuck is Jackson?
I try to wriggle free of the guy but he’s either too drunk or stoned to even realize I’m trying to get away. I jam my elbow back into his stomach and his arm loosens from my waist. “Fuck,” he roars as he rubs his stomach. “You fucking bitch.”
I don’t wait around to see what the hell he’s going to do to me, I just run.
“Get that fucking bitch,” I hear called from behind.
Shit.
Chapter 20
I squeeze through the bodies crowding the front door and break out into the night. The air has cooled a lot over the past twenty minutes since we got here, or maybe that’s just me.
I hurry down the cracked driveway hoping that guy isn’t coming after me for elbowing him in the gut, though, I should have got him in the jewels. Doesn’t he know who I am? Maybe he didn’t hear what I did to Josh.
Shit. Josh. I didn’t think about him. He’s probably here somewhere too. After all, he’s the rare exception that someone from Broken Hill would actually go to a school like Haven Falls Private.