Page 9

We stand stiffly beside each other for all the photos, our mothers cooing at how great we look together, our fathers drinking scotch and smoking cigars.
After we’re whisked off to where the event is being held, Mason and I immediately unlock our arms as he goes to find his real date and I stand pathetically against a far wall.
It happens every time without fail. And maybe that’s another vein of dread I’m feeling tonight. Prom is in a few weeks, and it will be the same story again.
Except, if I let this thing with Ezra go further, I’ll still hold up the wall at prom, I’ll just be doing so while watching him dance with another girl.
Only a stupid person would continue on with this and unnecessarily add to her misery.
“We’re here,” Ivy shouts, a note of excitement in her voice.
I have no idea why she’s looking forward to this. Gabriel still hasn’t gotten her back for the sex lube stunt at school, and parties are always his favorite place to target her.
One would think after her sweet sixteen party, she’d have learned her lesson.
Nobody knows how Gabriel managed to replace the net of balloons that were reserved to fall on Ivy when she walked into the room with a net full of dildos.
There stood Ivy, surrounded by everybody who mattered, all our parents applauding how beautiful she looked in her empress gown and sparkling tiara, only for that applause to stop suddenly, every jaw slack, when we watched her get pelted on the head by a hundred rubber dicks.
Gabriel’s silence during the incident was so pronounced even the adults in the room glared his direction, the rest of the Inferno standing with red faces and thin lips, tears leaking from their eyes from restraining their laughter.
Sadly, that was just the beginning of what he did to her that night.
Ava pulls the car up behind a long line of early arrivers, but only by our standards. We never show up to any event until it’s been in full swing for several hours.
As usual, Kevin Landry’s house is filled wall to wall with a frenzy of high school students, all drinking or smoking, dancing or practically fucking right out where anybody can see them.
His place isn’t as large as most of the typical hot spots, but his parents are out of the town the most, which makes it possible for there to be a party every weekend.
Ivy grabs my hand and shouts for people to move as we walk through the main part of the house en route to the backyard. They part on either side of us like waves, a sea of random faces smiling and calling out to say hello as we pass.
It feels like I can’t breathe until we reach the French doors in the back of the house and escape onto the pool deck.
Thankfully, this area isn’t as crowded.
Several kids are skinny-dipping in the water, a few couples making out, but we navigate the perimeter to reach the pool house, a thousand square foot mini replica of the larger mansion.
Only those sitting at the top of the food chain are allowed inside, my stomach already twisting at the thought of who I’ll see.
It doesn’t help that as we’re heading in, Hillary Cornish and two of her friends are walking out, her hair a mess and lipstick smeared.
She smirks at me, the expression not lost on Ivy and Ava. Ivy sneaks a side-eyed peek, and I can feel the protective energy rolling of her.
Sadly, Hillary doesn’t know Ivy like I do.
Dumb girl.
Hillary’s smirk becomes a broad smile when she speaks to her friends, but with a voice loud enough for me to hear.
“Ezra said I’m the only girl he’s actually wanted in the past few months. The rest he played. In fact, the last girl was so frigid-“
“Is that why your breath smells like cock?” Ivy asks as she pushes past me to stare down Hillary. “I was wondering, but then again, it always smells that way.”
Red-hot anger flares across Hillary’s cheeks. “We just kissed-“
“Uh, huh. I believe that about as much as I believe Ezra said any of that shit. Especially since it was Damon you were making out with. Or did you not know that?”
Hillary flinches. “No, it was Ez-“