Page 71

“Take us home. Right now.”

Just because that vile bitch somehow sunk her claws into Felix doesn’t mean I’m going to let her do the same. And I have no plans to drag Willow into this den of vipers.

“Just hear what she has to say, Riley. I want to stay and have a good time. I promise tomorrow I’ll talk to my dad for you about staying at Pizza Crumbles. Just… please don’t be difficult,” he murmurs, pocketing the keys and stepping out of the truck.

My jaw drops in awe. “Are you saying that if we don’t go to this party, then you won’t ask your dad to help us out?”

He swipes his hand down his face in frustration. “I’m not saying that.” He looks at Willow, avoiding me completely. “You know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you both, right, Will?”

Willow nods and looks at both of us. She takes me completely by surprise when she opens the truck door and basically drags me out of the seat. She points to the bustling mansion and tightens her fingers around my hand again.

“You seriously want to go in there?”

She nibbles on her bottom lip and smoothes her thumb over mine.

I stare at the house apprehensively. Dread weighs heavily in my heart because I can’t shake the feeling that this is all a trick. But if Willow wants to try… then I guess I’ll try, too. For her.

“Fine. But anyone so much as looks at us funny we’re leaving.” My eyes darken as I place an icy glare on Felix. “With or without you.”

Felix barks out a laugh and rushes over to us. “That’s the spirit.” He audibly gulps and steps closer to Willow. “I promise, we’re going to have a night to remember.”

4

PARTY FROM HELL

WILLOW

Felix leads us towards the front door of the mansion, passing through a large cloud of smoke that reeks of marijuana and cigarette smoke. I soak in the faces of everyone we pass by, a few sneers and looks of disgust cross their features, while some appear curious at the sight of us. I recognize a few of the members of the crowd from school, but not anyone I was close enough with to greet.

I know that Riley is completely on edge and waiting to be bombarded with some kind of assault as we pass through the massive ornate double doors of the home, yet nothing happens. While she prepares for a hypothetical fight, I want to party and let loose for once in my life. We’ve never gone to a party or drank alcohol like normal teenagers do. I’m tired of feeling like we’re locked inside some social cage, away from the rest of the world. I want Riley and I to experience something fun and just be free for once—free to be ourselves in front of others without judgment or fear of being ridiculed.

I want to drink and dance the night away. I want to see Riley’s worry wash away and let her walls down, to see her laugh. Like, really laugh, as if she doesn’t carry the weight of the worldon her shoulders. But what I want most of all… is to feel her hands caressing my skin the way they were earlier. Only I wish that next time, she takes it even further.

A few people glance our way, then quickly avert their eyes back to whatever they were partaking in before our arrival.

Felix squeezes in between Riley and I, throwing his arms around both of our shoulders with a grin. He looks between both of us, crushing us to his chest awkwardly. “I told you, Riles, there’s no foul play,” he shouts in her ear over the booming rap music.

I nervously bite my lower lip, staring around the large open space where drunken bodies bump and grind to the music. In the back room, there’s a crowd cheering and hovering around a long table, playing beer pong. Directly to our right, there’s a DJ booth and a makeshift dance floor, bartenders serving drinks at a tiki bar to our left. There are two extravagant curved staircases with golden railings leading up to the upstairs rooms.

Vanessa’s parents are well-known plastic surgeons, so I suppose the extravagant house makes sense. The party decorations are lavish and completely over the top for a shitty teenage house party, but I digress.

“That’s yet to be seen, asshole,” Riley shouts back at Felix with a scowl on her beautiful face.

“Shots! I have Jell-O shots!” A man I don’t recognize screams over the music with a sly smile. He’s holding a spherical plate with an assortment of multi-colored Jell-O shots, treading cautiously amongst the party-goers.

My heart flutters wildly as adrenaline kicks in while I eye the array of jiggling alcoholic shots in tiny plastic cups. I dart out of Felix’s grip and reach the man, who graciously tilts the tray towards me in offering. “Take as many as you want, cute little thing,” he says with a wink.

My cheeks heat at the forward compliment. Riley comes up behind me and possessively wraps her arm around my waist. “Don’t mind if we do. Thanks, dude,” she replies for me, towing me closer to her warmth.

She snatches a red one, hands it to me, then grabs a blue one for herself. Riley holds the shot toward me with her eyebrows raised. “Cheers, cute little thing,” she chuckles, mimicking the man’s earlier praise.

Felix barrels forward, double-fisting two Jell-O cups, and drinking one after the other. He makes a sour face as he gags down the wiggling alcoholic dessert. “Blegh. Nasty stuff,” he dry-heaves, sticking out his tongue and shaking his head like a dog.

Riley barks out a laugh, toasting her shot with mine. “Here goes nothing.” We smile at each other, then toss the drinks back. It goes down rather smoothly, but damn, that stuff is potent. I’m not experienced with spiked drinks, or Jell-O to be exact, but that tastes like straight alcohol.

My insides feel all warm and tingly as the alcohol settles in my stomach. It’s a strange feeling, but I think I rather like it.

After four more shots, two red solo cups filled to the brim with foamy beer, we danced with Felix like goofballs for almost two hours before he ran off somewhere into the sea of people. Mostly everyone avoided us, but we didn’t mind. At least, this fuzzy feeling in my head allows me to let loose and not have a single care in the world.