Stephanie looked down at her outfit. “I know, right?!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the living room. “Look who’s here, everyone!”
“No no,” I said, shaking my head and tearing my hand out of hers. “No one needs to know.”
I smiled nervously and looked around. Thankfully no one heard Stephanie or they didn’t care. The music was turned up to the max, and half the partiers were already wasted. There was an uneasy energy bouncing about the room, like a huge fight would break out at any moment. I didn’t like it, or rather my spirit didn’t like it. I could tell because my heart fluttered and thumped, and not to the beat of the song.
I turned around assuming Gretchen had followed me into the living room. I assumed wrong.
Shit. Why didn’t I grab her hand when Stephanie pulled me along?
I maneuvered through the dancers, cursing when I felt a foot land squarely on the top of my purple pump, and squeezed into the kitchen. It was the busiest room in the house. Naturally. Liquor bottles and various juices lined the countertops and crowded all the space on the island. The refrigerator door hung open. Guys vied for the imported beers over domestic ones. That’s the kind of party this was.
I scanned the group for Gretchen but couldn’t locate her. I tried not to panic. We had only just arrived. I doubted anything lascivious could have happened to her in ten minutes.
I pushed through the crammed kitchen to an equally crammed hallway. Cal was walking my way.
“Hey, Brooke!” he called as he approached.
I knew to expect him here, but I still jumped. I hoped he couldn’t see.
“Hi,” I said.
He backed me against the wall to make room for a few girls rushing by, squealing about how badly they needed to pee. Apparently we were in the way.
“You look really nice tonight,” he said raking my body with his eyes. He kept them lowered once he got to my feet. “Sexy shoes!”
What guy says that? What guy compliments a girl’s shoes at all?
“Thanks?” I knew it came out as a question. I meant for it to.
He chuckled. “What? I can’t have good fashion sense?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, grinning. I looked down at my shoes. “They are sexy, huh?”
“Very,” he replied, and leaned in to kiss my cheek. I could smell the alcohol on him. “Is that okay?”
It was most certainly not okay. Who the hell did this guy think he was? So what that I was going to let him do me. That wasn’t happening tonight, not when I didn’t know him. Fucking get to know me first before you act so insolently.
I nodded, cocking my head and twirling my stud.
“So, you know Tanner?” Cal asked.
I debated how much to tell him. I didn’t think he knew I went to school with Tanner last year, but then again, why would I be here? Why was he here for that matter?
“Do you?” I asked.
He looked at me strangely, then shook his head. “No. But Parker does.”
I remained stoic although I screamed inside. Great! Just great! I already had the creeps about that guy, and now he had a connection to my past. I did not want any of them discovering my ties with Beth. It would ruin everything.
“Who’s Parker?” I asked. “You say his name like I know who he is.”
“Oh, right. I forgot you’re new to the school,” Cal replied. “Parker’s my best friend. He’s on the swim team with me. Everyone at school knows him.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of people,” I said.
“No easy job being popular, that’s for sure.”
I wanted to throw up.
“Anyway, you never answered my question,” Cal said. “Do you know Tanner?”
I opened my mouth to tell a big, fat see-through lie, when Stephanie stumbled my way.
“Oh my God! Where did you go?!” she screamed, teetering on her four-inch strappy sandals while holding up a plastic red cup.
“Here, I’ll take that,” I said, plucking the cup from her hand before she could protest.
She bumped into Cal and mumbled a halfhearted apology.
“Let’s go dance!” Stephanie screamed. “Like old times!”
“Old times?” Cal asked. Again, he looked at me oddly.
“She’s a friend from a long time ago,” I explained. “And she’s drunk.”
“You bet your ass I’m drunk,” Stephanie said. “I’m soooo drunk!”
“And I’m soooo taking you to the bathroom right now,” I replied, handing the half-empty cup to Cal and excusing myself.
“Come find me later!” he called.
Yeah, I’ll get right on that. Then I immediately shook my head. No, Brooke. You need to find him later. You’re supposed to be pursuing him, remember? Stop thinking like a bitch and start thinking like an assassin!
“Brookey, we miss you!” Stephanie said, clinging to me while I helped her through the bathroom door.
“Try to make yourself throw up,” I said. “And don’t come out of this bathroom until I get back. I’m going to find Gretchen.”
“I know where she’s is,” Stephanie slurred.
“Where?”
“In the basement shatting with some cute guy.”