AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If you say so.”
He grins. “I know so.”
Alrighty then.
When we get to the entrance, he ducks suddenly into the winterized cluster of shrubs beside the ornate staircase and pukes again.
Now I am getting a little worried.
“I think you should see a doctor, Seb… Maybe you have a concussion or something.”
“I don’t have a concussion,” he shoots back, sounding annoyed. “Jesus… you guys need to relax.”
“It’s just—”
“I didn’t even take any hard hits. Trust me, Caro. It’s fine.”
I don’t completely believe him, because I feel like he wouldn’t still be puking an hour after the game, if it was just because of nerves. But he seems pretty adamant that he knows what he’s talking about, and he definitely has more experience with this than I do. So, I give him a stick of gum from my purse, and we head into the house and a party that is already off the rails.
Seb pumps both fists in the air, bellowing at the top of his lungs when we enter the Smoking Room.
“State fucking Champions, bitches!”
The room erupts in cheers, and everyone rushes him again, jumping all over him, one huge guy even swinging him around. I hover off to the side, laughing as I watch everyone go nuts over my boyfriend. And I like that I get to celebrate this win with him. An aspiration he’s been working toward for a while now.
Which makes me think of my own aspiration… to go off to Braden Hall. To leave all this behind. Leave Sebastian. Maggie and Hayden. Xavier, Jax… even Silas. The spontaneous touch football games, visits to Scoopies, Xave’s crazy parties, Rooks… Seb’s pranks. Guilt lodges in my chest as I look over at him, where he’s still being swarmed near the wide arched Smoking Room entrance. I need to tell him soon.
I should have already told him.
Suddenly Braden Hall doesn’t seem as appealing as it did a few months ago—having to start over… make new memories, when I’ve just started making amazing memories here in Sandy Haven.
When I scan the room, I realize I know quite a few of the people here tonight. I might not be a full-fledged SH Prep socialite or anything, but I’m no longer the shy, friendless pariah anymore, either. And I don’t need my boyfriend glued to my side to have fun at this party.
I spot Jackie over by the bar with a group of other people I’ve hung out with a few times recently, and head over to join them. I even help them mix fun cocktails, even though I don’t drink any of them myself.
Almost an hour passes, and I’m having fun. I’m part of the conversations, not an outsider looking in. I’m laughing. Having discussions with people about stuff I never even knew some of the other kids were into. I dance for a bit with Jackie and a bunch of other girls, even.
And then I realize that Seb hasn’t come over to find me after he left me right at the beginning of the party. Because usually he does this thing where he checks in with me every once in a while whenever we’re anywhere that’s crowded or really loud. Kind of like I check in with him in classes we share, anytime he’s feeling nervous or unsure about a quiz or assignment or whatever.
I stand up and glance around, and I eventually spot him slumped at one end of a couch in one of the seating areas a little ways down the long room. His head is resting against the high back, and he’s passed right out.
This isn’t like him at all.
I head over, sliding my empty soda can onto the bar as I pass. When he doesn’t wake up after I’ve jostled his arm a couple of times, the girl sitting next to him places her hand against his chest and strokes it in wide circles, which I really don’t love.
“Sebbeeeee,” she purrs. “Wake uuuuup…”
He twitches a little, but that’s it.
“Hey, Murdoch! Wake up, bro!” Xave calls from behind the sofa. He tilts his drink onto his best friend, enough that it drips from Seb’s cheek onto his neck, and down the front of his sweatshirt. His eyes flutter open, and he groans. And a chorus of cheers and laughter roar from everyone around him.
Seb looks around, confused, wiping liquor off his face. “What the fuck?” he mutters to Xavier, when he perches on the arm of the couch beside him.
“You really wanted me to let you sleep through the championship celebration party? It’s fucking ten-thirty, dude.”
“Seriously?” Seb grins. “Shit.”
“Yeah. You’re welcome.” Xavier hands him the drink from his hand. The same one he just tipped onto Seb’s face.
