Page 18 of I Don’t Need Your Protection (Harrington Bay Academy #1)

“Ooh, is that food?” Carly sprints over to the side of the room, where a large table is set up with every snack a person can imagine.

Potato chips, Cheetos, Doritos, pretzels, gummy worms, baked goods—you name it, it’s here.

Carly grabs a plate and starts loading it up with all the goodies, then turns around and waves us to join her.

Sophie and Raven rush over, but I wrap my arms around myself.

I’m still nervous about hanging out with Warner and I doubt I can get anything down my throat.

My eyes trek around the room, soaking everything in.

Most kids are dancing to the upbeat music, some are sitting on sofas and chatting while others make out, and there’s a crowd by another table, which is obviously the alcohol table.

I guess it looks like any other teen party, minus the rich mansion, of course.

“Hey, you made it!”

I turn around and find Warner standing before me. He’s dressed in a casual shirt and jeans, his hair a little messy, unlike super neat like he wears it at school. It makes him look younger and not so…rich, I guess. But the way he lifts his chin makes it hard to forget that he really is indeed rich.

He’s holding two cups in his hands and offers me one. “Drink?”

I shake my head. “No thanks. I don’t drink.”

“Ah.” He takes a swig and lifts a brow. “You sure? Might take the edge off.”

“What edge?”

He shrugs. “You look nervous.”

“Oh, um…” I glance around as I rub my arm. “I guess I’m not used to attending a party thrown by rich people.”

He grins. “No worries. Trust me, you’ll have nothing but fun. Wait here and I’ll get you a different drink. Water? Soda?”

“Um, Coke is fine. Thanks.”

He winks as he points at me. “You got it.” And then he walks away with his head held high in importance, slapping and high-fiving various kids as he passes. I guess confidence comes with being rich? For some reason, he doesn’t come off as arrogant or snobby. He looks really cute .

I wrap my arms around myself as I survey the room again.

Most of the kids seem to be having a lot of fun.

My friends are still at the food table. My eyes come to a stop when I catch the familiar dark-haired and blue-eyed guy sitting at one of the tables.

Caleb’s eyes are pinned on me, but they roam around the room every so often, as though he’s ready to pounce the second he senses any sign of danger.

I wonder if he’s ever been to a high school party before.

Will he try to join the fun? I doubt it.

He seems determined to focus on his job and his job only.

I offer him a smile and am about to wave, but I squeeze my hand to my side.

He told me explicitly that I shouldn’t bring attention to him.

But does he really expect to just sit there and not be noticed?

Every so often, a girl tries to talk to him.

Maybe if he wasn’t so darn good-looking…

“Here ya go,” Warner says as he holds out a cup before me. “Coke, just like the lady ordered.”

“Thanks.” I take a sip, enjoying the bubbly liquid sliding down my throat. I didn’t realize how parched I was.

“You look great, by the way,” Warner tells me. “I love every chance we get to throw off our lame uniforms and dress however we want. Those uniforms have to be the ugliest things I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Thanks. And I think our uniforms are pretty good, compared to other schools.”

He lifts a brow. “You really think so?”

“Sure. I mean, I don’t know kids from other boarding schools, but I’ve seen a lot of shows on TV…” My voice trails of f when I realize how lame I sound.

Warner chuckles. “You’re cute. But sure, I guess our uniforms aren’t as bad as other schools, but they’re still ugly.”

I’m about to respond, but a group of kids from the popular crowd, including his friend Hudson, pass.

“Yo, what’s up, guys!” he calls after them.

They must not hear him because they continue on.

“One sec. Be right back,” he tells me before chasing after them.

I wait for him to return, but he goofs off with his friends.

I’m not upset with him for wanting to hang out with his friends.

He’s popular and has lots of them. I guess if he and I…

well, if there is a he and me in the future, I’d have to get used to the fact that he has a lot of friends.

I have no idea if they would accept someone like me into their circle, but that’s thinking way ahead of myself.

I walk to my friends, who are still eating from the snack table. “Addie!” Carly says. She plucks a cookie off the table and hands it to me. “You have to try this. I have no idea what it’s made of, but it’s the best cookie I’ve ever eaten in my life.”

“Okay,” I say as I take a small bite. My eyes light up. “Oh my gosh, me too!” I stuff the rest of the cookie into my mouth.

“Right?” Sophie says as she grabs a few gummy worms. “We should attend more of these parties just for the food.”

“What happened to Warner?” Raven asks me.

“He’s hanging out with his friends.”

“You don’t want to join them?”

“I don’t know.” I turn to study them. They seem a little intimidating. I can’t imagine myself walking up to them and chatting to them like we’ve been best friends forever. I’m nowhere that confident.

“I’m sure he’ll hang out with you soon,” Carly assures me. “The night is still young, even though we’re getting older by the minute. Anyone want to dance?”

“Sure,” I say.

“Do we have to?” Sophie asks with a frown.

“You’d rather eat the whole snack table all night?” Carly asks her.

“It’s definitely tempting.”

“I’m game.” Raven tosses her plate into the nearby bin.

The four of us—with a still-frowning Sophie—head to the dance floor and find an empty area. I love to dance, so I waste no time shaking to the beat of the fast-paced song. But like during the dance game on Wednesday, Carly’s dancing is on another level.

“Don’t tell me you were holding back during our dance-off,” I tell her.

“Me holding back?” She clutches her chest like I accused her of accidentally running over my dog. “ Never .”

That makes me laugh.

The four of us are having loads of fun dancing—well, except for Sophie. She doesn’t look miserable or anything, she just trips over her feet a few times. I don’t know why she’s so hard on herself—she’s actually much better than she thinks.

“Oh my gosh, how fun is this?” Carly asks as we all hold hands and make a small circle. “You three are the most precious people in my life, other than my family. I thought going to this school would be hell for me, but it’s turning out to be the best years of my life.”

“Same,” Raven says with a smile. “I’ve never had friends like you guys.”

“And you, too, Addie,” Sophie tells me. “I know we’ve only been friends for a few days, but it feels like we’ve been best friends forever.”

“Thanks. I feel the same way, too.”

“Show us some of your dance routines,” Sophie tells Carly. “But slowly so I can keep up.”

For the next few minutes, Carly shows us step-by-step how to do her routines. Some of the moves are complex, but for the most part, all of us can keep up.

“See?” Carly nods to Sophie. “You’ve got it.”

“I look like a total dork, though.”

“No you don’t,” I tell her. “And even if you did, who cares? All that matters is that we’re having fun.”

Carly grins. “I like that attitude. It’s not like the other kids here are paying us any attention anyway.”

“Can I cut in?” a familiar male voice asks.

I turn my head and find Warner there. “Hey,” I say.

“I wondered where you disappeared to.”

“Oh, sorry. You were hanging out with your friends and I didn’t want to bother you.”

He lifts his brows. “You think I would ditch you for my friends?”

“Um…maybe? ”

He chuckles. “I’d choose a cute girl over them any day. Can I join your dance? You guys have some sick moves.”

“It’s all Carly,” I tell him. “She’s the choreographer.”

“Nice.” He flashes her a smile. Then he focuses back on me. “So can I join? I can’t promise I can dance like you guys, though.”

“Of course you can join us,” I say.

He moves slowly as he tries to imitate the moves.

Honestly, he’s not the best dancer out there, but that doesn’t matter because he’s having fun.

And after a few minutes, he has all the moves down and gets this huge smile on his face that makes him look so…

approachable. Not like he was born into a world I may never understand.

“Look at you,” Carly says with a laugh. “You were so stiff at first, but you’re totally showing off now.”

“You guys are great teachers.”

We dance for quite some time, but then Warner says he needs a break. He and I head to the drink table while my friends continue to dance.

“Your friends are cool,” he says.

“Thanks.”

He and I both get Cokes, and then we sit down at an empty table. I feel intense eyes on me, and when my gaze flits to Caleb, I find him glaring at Warner. It takes everything I have not to roll my eyes.

As Warner and I chat about our lives, Clarissa saunters over with a drink. She looks gorgeous in a pink dress that fits her body perfectly. Her hair and makeup are perfect as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the guys at school are secretly in love with her.

“Hey, Warner,” she greets as she sits down. Then she smiles at me. “Hey, Addie. Your dress is so cute.”

I shift in my seat, not sure if she’s making fun of me. “Thanks.”

“You and your friends looked like you were having so much fun,” she says, still with that smile. It looks genuine enough. “It must be nice to do your own thing and not care what other people think.”

“Of course we care what other people think. But there will always be people out there who try to make other people feel rotten, or bring them down. The best we can do is ignore them and have fun.”

“I don’t think the kids here would make fun of you, though,” she says. “I mean, sure, we might not be best friends with you guys, but we don’t have a problem with you being here.”

I narrow my eyes at her, trying to determine if she’s BSing me. Again, she seems genuine. Maybe I judged her too quickly?

“Thanks.”

Her phone buzzes with a text. She grabs it and scans the screen. “Luna is looking for me. Ugh, she’s had too much to drink. See you guys later.” She gets up and walks away.

“That was…odd,” I say.

Warner’s brows dip. “Odd?”

“I thought she hated me.”

“Why would she hate you? Look, most kids here aren’t evil like all those TV shows portray. We’re just normal kids like you. We just happen to have trust funds.”

“Minor detail,” I joke.

He laughs, then finishes his drink.

“Want to go back to dancing?” I ask.

His eyes light up. “I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.”