Macy didn’t mind showing off a little skin—well, a lot of skin. Her long legs were wearing tight, black leather pants and her gold sequin tube top showed off her ample breasts. She looked amazing and I felt silly standing next to her.
“I don’t want any action,” I mumbled.
“Well, maybe it might help you relax,” she laughed, grabbing my hand and leading me toward the bedroom door.
We arrived at the party in less than ten minutes.
The street was lined with cars and part of me wondered how any of the neighbors hadn’t called the cops due to excessive noise. Though, part of me believed these kids parents were probably rarely home, just like mine weren’t.
“Whose house is this?” I asked, as Macy parked her white Range Rover in front of a dark house.
“Mark Landis, the quarterback for the football team,” she said.
Mark Landis was your typical jock. His parents were international attorneys and never home. Even though I wasn’t in his inner circle of friends, even I knew that Mark Landis threw large parties weekly. He was practically an orphan since he was without his parents more than he was with them.
We got out of the car and the thumping of the music had my body shaking. Walking up to the brightly lit mansion, I gulped down my nervousness. It was strange how awkward I felt, while people smiled and laughed as they talked on the front lawn. This was normal for them.
Comfortable.
I followed Macy into the house and the air was electric. Music seemed to fill every space of the house and red solo cups littered the ground as we walked through the grand foyer and toward a formal living room. A few girls in short skirts were dancing on a white couch, no doubt, destroying the fabric. However, I doubted anyone would notice. These people had enough money to purchase new couches in the morning if they so desired. Plus, I was sure Mark Landis would hire a cleaning crew to come in and erase any damage done from this party. That was just how our perfect, twisted little world worked.
“Macy!” a few girls squealed, as they waved her toward the kitchen.
Macy waved back and began dancing and swaying to the beat of the rap music as she headed toward the group. I had no choice but to follow her. There was no way in hell I was going to get lost in this sea of douchebags that I called classmates.
As I pushed back a couple making out in the hallway, I felt a strange sensation wash over me. I felt like I was being watched, which was beyond insane because half the people in here were so drunk, they could barely see straight. A drunk guy I recognized from my chemistry class stumbled past me, grabbing onto me for support.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, the word barely recognizable through his drunken haze.
Swatting his hand off my shoulder, I glanced around as the eerie feeling continued to creep over me. “It’s ok,” I stated, watching him hold onto the wall for support as he kept walking.
Spinning, I finally found a pair of eyes locked on me. Narrowing my gaze, I stared back through the crowd at the one person who I had hoped more than anything I wouldn’t see tonight.
Ason.
Damn, I knew I shouldn’t have come to this party.
As our gazes locked, Ason’s jaw ticked. Anger flooded through me as I suddenly noticed a black-haired beauty on his lap. She was nibbling on his ear and giggling, while his hand rested on her waist. They sat in the corner of one of the large sofas in what appeared to be a family den. The brown leather sofa was large enough for at least seven people, yet this girl felt it necessary to sit right on top of Ason.
Shaking my head, I turned my eyes away from them and stormed into the kitchen where Macy was standing among her other friends. As I approached, one of the girls Sara Beth, handed me a red solo cup filled with a pink liquid.
Macy instantly shook her head. “No, Scarlette doesn’t drink,” she stated, reaching for the cup in front of me.
Jerking the cup away from her, I placed the cup to my lips and downed the sweet liquid. It was good, but had a strong kick at the end. At that moment, I didn’t care what was inside of the cup.
Macy’s eyes shot daggers my way and the girls cheered as I slammed the empty cup onto the granite countertop.
“Wow, Scarlette. I had no idea you knew how to party,” Sara Beth said.
Macy leaned in and whispered in my ear. “You don’t have to drink, Scarlette. That punch is spiked with vodka.”
She appeared nervous and I didn’t want to her to blame herself. Macy had begged me for years to go to these parties with her. What I was doing right now wasn’t because of her. Honestly, I had no real idea why I decided to let all of my inhibitions go and try to drown out the anger ringing in my head right now. Or maybe, it was the alcohol.
“I guess it’s time that I enjoy myself for once,” I said, anger lacing my words.
Macy looked at me like I had grown two heads. Confusion filled her features, but she didn’t try to stop me.
Sara Beth handed me another cup and I drank more. “Slow down, that will get you messed up fast,” she warned.
Right now, I didn’t care about warnings. I wanted the ache in my chest to go away. I wanted to become numb. To no think about Ason and the skank sitting in his lap. I hated how terrible I felt and none of it made any sense. Ason wasn’t someone who I had ever cared about before. He was an Elite, someone out of my reach. He was bad. Untouchable.
Still, though, I couldn’t help but think about those dangerous, brooding eyes with every sip I took.