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Jennifer cleared her throat and put on her best Mom face.
“Okay. Have fun, but not too much fun, right?”
I nodded.
“Thank you, Jennifer. I love you.” I gave her a big hug and sighed. What would I do without Jennifer?
Jennifer called me a taxi, saying, when I argued, that there was no way I was destroying her shoes by walking all that way from the bus stop. I couldn’t help but notice she slipped double the cash into my purse for a ride home.
When the cab pulled up to Lila’s house a few minutes later, I was taken aback by just how massive her house was–it wasn’t even a house; it was anestate.It wasn’t my first time here, but it seemed to grow larger every time I visited. I gave the driver some money and hopped out in front of the gates, which were open. I walked up the driveway, which glittered gold in the dark with lights lining the driveway and shining on the front porch. More lights sparkled in the distance, tucked away in the beautiful gardens that I knew surrounded the property.
My steps stuttered a bit as I wondered if I should even be here. I didn’t have many friends in school and I couldn’t help but feel a little vulnerable just walking up to Lila’s house. Her family was obviously important, and I was sure that everyone inside those walls was wealthy. Enough cars lined the driveway that I was sure I was the only one who had to take a cab.
“You can do this, Amy,” I was embarrassed to realize I said that out loud as I reached the front door. Before I could ring the bell, the door swung open, revealing Lila’s wide, ever-present smile.
“Amy!” She pulled me into a hug and then stood back. “Oh, my God! You look amazing.” Her warm hands clasped mine and squealed.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice sounding a little thin in my ears.
“The party’s this way,” she practically sang as she closed the door behind me. She led me deeper into the house and I felt my heartbeat ratchet up. I hoped I wasn’t sweating off all the makeup Jennifer carefully applied.
But then I was introduced to the world of fun, created by Lila and her friends. She handed me a heavy cocktail glass–none of those red plastic cups from the movies here–and I couldn’t even taste the alcohol.
A refill or two later and I felt so light and carefree. My legs were a little wobbly, but that only added to the excitement.
One of Lila’s friends–Sarah? Sasha? Something with an “s”–called me outside to the patio to play flip cup. As I was headed in that direction, I noticed a tall, dark-haired figure slouched against the wall. Clearly, he didn't have nearly as much fun as I was having at Lila’s party. He looked completely unapproachable and fired off major fuck-off vibes, but something about his long, lean body sent shivers skittering up my spine.
It might have been the alcohol that gave me a little extra boldness, but I didn’t care. I set my glass down and walked over to him.
“Hi,” I said, and waved my hand lamely.Great first impression, Amy.
He raised his head and every muscle in my body tightened, coiled with awareness andwant. It was Daniel Reed. My crush since I started at this stupid school. He was the star of many, many dreams and the one person I had looked for every day. Not that I ever actually, you know,talkedto him.
“Hey,” he said. His voice was deep, vibrating through my core, with just a hint of gravel and…sadness?
“I’m Amy,” I said, completely unsure of how to continue this conversation. I never really considered what I would actually say to him. “I think we’re in the same English class.”
“Oh,” he said, looking down at the ground. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before, Amy. But it’s nice to meet you.”
I nodded dumbly, searching for something else to say.
“Are you enjoying the party?” My brain was trying to send my mouth warning bells to shut the hell up and just go away. But my mouth refused to listen to the smarter part of me.
“No,” he snapped tersely.
“Well, we have got to do something about that.” What the hell was I doing? Was I trying toflirtwith Daniel Reed?
He said nothing and the music stopped playing abruptly, eliciting groans from inside. Probably some drunk idiot bumped into something important.
“We could get a drink,” I suggested hopefully. I refused to see his ambivalence in this conversation as rejection. I had no idea where this confidence was coming from–well, it was definitely coming from the cocktails Lila made–but it felt good. I had to at least try my luck. The worst he could do was say no, right?
“Amy, can I be honest with you?” Uh oh, that didn’t sound good. His dark eyes stared directly into mine and I felt the dark cloud of his rejection pour over my skin, sending less pleasant shivers than earlier.
“Okay,” I said slowly, plastering a bright smile on my face, knowing this wasn’t going to end well.
He cleared his throat, almost hesitating. Like maybe he knew saying this next part wasn’t a great idea.
“You don’t belong here,” he said finally, and it felt like a blow to my stomach. I actually reeled so much from his words I took a half-step back from him. “Staying within your own…people would be better for you.”
