After ten minutes of fussing and tossing through a pile of clothes, I decided it would have to do.
Meanwhile, my parents were fretting over Kyra's upcoming piano recital next Friday, so I knew they'd be occupied for the night listening to her practice and helping her prepare. I wasn't sure how open they'd be to the idea of me going to a party, but hopefully they'd be too busy to argue.
I followed the sound of gentle music as I descended the marble staircase to our opulent foyer and spotted my family in the living room, gathered around the grand piano. Kyra's fingers raced up and down the keys gracefully.
It wasn't exactly the uplifting, exciting beat most kids would seek out before heading to a house party, but it certainly reminded me who I was. A calm Lucy is a capable Lucy—that's what my mum used to tell me before exams.
"Mum!” I called out from the foyer, and she looked over at me. "I'm going to a party. Is that okay?"
Mum frowned, folding her arms.
"What party?"
I felt my stomach sink.
"Uh… just a party… It's at a friend's house."
"Which friend?"
I tugged at the hem of my blouse. My mum knew everyone in this town, so if I lied, she'd find out. But if she knew the party was at Adam's house… would she still let me go?
"Adam Bauer,” I mumbled finally, my eyes drifting to the floor. She took in my attire—the blouse and the skirt—and pulled her lips into a thin line.
"I remember Adam. I thought he was at college?” she asked. I shrugged.
"He's home for a while,” I replied, my tone steady. Her gaze was still disapproving, and I decided to play my wild card. "Valarie's going. She wanted to go....and wanted me to go with her."
Mum's expression softened a little. She relaxed her stance and sighed.
"Okay, but don't be home too late. And don't get into a car with anyone!"
I nodded and gave her a thankful smile. She turned back to Kyra, and I hurried to the door to slip on my shoes before heading out into the cool, autumn air.
According to Valarie, Adam's house was situated up in the hills, like mine. But it was on a different street entirely, so I'd still have to pass the school to get there. With this in mind, I turned off onto the jogging path, taking the shortcut once more.
This time, I kept my eyes open for anything suspicious. The cold air was chilling enough, but all of the twisting trees and shrubs brought back memories of my dream from last night, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I couldn't stop checking over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure I wasn't being followed.
I got to the clearing, and the wildflowers blew gently in the breeze under the starry twilight. The feeling of being watched crept upon me again, but I shook it off.
You're being paranoid.
The clearing sloped down, and was so wide that even if someone had been there, I'd have had plenty of time to see them and run. Aside from the crickets and the rustling trees, it was so silent that I could hear my own footsteps. I'd surely hear someone else's.
Snap!
I whirled around, eyes wide, frozen in place. I scanned the border of the clearing, peering into the dark, shrouded trees.
This was way too similar to last time's events. Completely unnerved, I ran the rest of the way to the street, my feet slapping the pavement. I slowed my pace and walked briskly under the streetlights, thankful to be able to see my surroundings. There were more people around now, and they were all headed to the same place that I was. Even when the lighting began to fade again, I felt safer with the crowd around me.
I didn't stop until I was standing right outside of Adam's massive house.
Soft orange light filtered through the tall, narrow windows, and music pumped through the brick walls. The entryway was made of stucco, and two large columns framed the black door that led inside. My breath seemed to come out shorter, and I couldn't tell if I was nervous or curious. I'd never had the faintest desire to go to a house party. I found them to be tedious and uncomfortable—everyone was too chatty and wild and stupid for my liking.
I stood there, staring, letting people walk right by me as they headed inside. I couldn't seem to move my feet. I hated this. I already wanted to turn around and leave.
I'm doing this for Valarie, I told myself, and took a deep breath as I forced my feet forward and approached the steps.
Loud music assaulted my ears, and I wrinkled my nose against the stench of alcohol as I looked around. It was everything I'd been expecting—fellow teenagers destroying their brain cells and pretending that getting wasted was cool. Those who had just arrived flocked to their friends and helped themselves to a drink. Those who had been here a while now could be found stumbling into chairs and crowding around Adam's light up ping-pong table.
I wouldn't call myself socially awkward, but I didn't exactly thrive in situations I wasn't familiar with. And parties were completely out of my realm of experience. I mean, what did people even do at parties? You know, aside from get drunk and dance? Was that really all people came for?
I spotted food in the kitchen and decided that was a good place to start looking for Valarie—even if she wasn't in there, I could grab some chips on my way through to try and blend in. I didn't plan on drinking, so it was the next best thing I could do.
I navigated through the stuffy crowd until I reached Adam's kitchen. The countertops were already trashed with spilt dip and chip crumbs, and in the corner, a group of people were chugging from a keg. I watched them, munching on the chips.
It just seemed so… meaningless.
But Valarie needed a night of fun, so if this made her happy, I would be happy too. Still, why she'd choose a scene like this over something more fulfilling had me completely stumped. Maybe she just liked having an audience to see her dressed up or something. I mean, the old Valarie had a way with makeup and clothes that could make heads turn.
Or maybe she was just completely depressed.
Before yesterday, I hadn't even known that Valarie had been going to parties again. That kind of knowledge wouldn't have gotten past me, the way she'd been before. But now she was so secretive. It was like she didn't want me to know how she was coping… like she was ashamed of it, even.
Two people entered the room, and my eyes widened in surprise. It was Valarie, accompanied by none other than Chrissy DeLane herself.
Holy freaking cheese balls, I thought, my hands clamping down on the counter with rigid shock. Why was Valarie with Chrissy, of all people?
Their arms were linked, and Chrissy was laughing her high-pitched laugh, which sounded like bells tinkling through the kitchen. A shiver ran down my spine at how innocent she sounded, despite the rumours surrounding her. At first glance, nobody would ever suspect she was capable of blackmail.
They hadn't spotted me yet, and I debated running to hide. But that would be pointless—I'd come to this stupid party to support Valarie, so if I spent the whole time avoiding her, it would be a complete waste.
Seeing Chrissy was almost hypnotising. Her copper-blonde curls bounced to the music, and her light brown eyes seemed to gleam, almost like a cat's. To me, she seemed like a predator who could smile and still make your insides turn to goo, then lash out and rip you with her claws.
Valarie caught sight of me, and her eyes lit up with delight.
"Over here,” she mouthed, motioning with her head. I swallowed hard, feeling my gut twist uncomfortably at the thought of approaching them.
You can do this, I thought, and took a deep breath.
I slowly walked across the kitchen towards them. By now, Chrissy's gaze had locked onto me, and I could feel those eyes analysing everything, from my outfit to my posture. I resisted the urge to smooth out my blouse as I walked.
I didn't understand why Chrissy made me so uncomfortable. I mean, what could she really do to me? But somewhere under all that reassurance was a tiny voice reminding me of the rumours I'd heard. My thoughts even flashed back to the two girls I'd seen i
n the hallway this morning. I remembered being in fourth period later that day, and the one who had been crying was called out of class. Soon the whispers had begun, and I'd heard she'd been suspended. If I’d ever got suspended, my mum would flip. There was so much that could be destroyed in just an instant.
"I'm so happy you came,” Valarie said, and her smile warmed my heart. Seeing it was enough to make me swallow my fears and stand my ground, even as Chrissy's sickly-sweet perfume engulfed me, making me feel somewhat trapped by her presence.
Valarie quickly embraced me before turning to Chrissy. "Uh, this is… well, I'm sure you know who this is."
I definitely did. And she knew that too—Valarie was as much in the know as I was about the rumours that circulated this girl. I was still trying to decipher why they were even together.
"Hello,” I said meekly, unable to form much else. Chrissy smirked, her eyes playful, and gave me a dazzling smile.
"It's so lovely to finally meet you, Lucy. Valarie told me a lot about you,” she said in a honeyed voice, leaning on the marble counter beside us. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "She was insisting that you were coming, but I've never seen you at a party before. This must be your first."
Valarie and I exchanged a glance, and I couldn't tell if Chrissy was just making polite conversation or patronising me. She noticed our faces and blurted out,
"Oh no, don't misunderstand—I'm pleasantly surprised! In fact, we simply must give you the proper first-time experience."
To my surprise, a short snort escaped Valarie's lips. "Good luck with that,” she said, evidently holding back her laughter. "Do you know how many years of convincing it took for me to get her to even come to a party? Let alone drink anything!"
"Oh?” Chrissy mused, a sly smile growing on her pink lips. "Well, what persuaded you to come tonight, of all nights, Lucy?”
"Uh, just… wanted to get a feel for it,” I said quickly, not wanting to reveal anything about Valarie to the likes of Chrissy. "In fact, I'm not sure I'm really up for whatever first-time experience you had in mind."
"Oh, don't be silly,” Chrissy replied, waving her hand. "I was only suggesting some shots. That’s nice and easy for a first timer—and it will get you buzzed fast."
I couldn't stop myself from wrinkling my nose. I'd never drunk alcohol before—my mum sometimes had wine at dinner, but my parents weren't big on drinking either.
"Alcohol is a depressant,” my dad once told me. "If you have one or two, it can make you feel really good. But if you drink too much, it can make you angry, anxious… and generally unstable."
I shook my head. "Um, I think I'm good,” I replied. Chrissy tutted.
"Pity…” she drawled slowly, which made a pit form in my stomach. I couldn’t help but feel like I'd insulted her somehow, and thus given her a reason to hold a grudge. But if she was mad, she didn't show it; instead she turned to Valarie.
"How about you, Valarie? What's your poison?"
"Uh…” she trailed off, looking put on the spot. "I'll just have whatever you're having."
"Oooh,” Chrissy mused. "You might regret that, sweetie.” She flounced off across the kitchen, singing, "I'll be right back!”
Valarie whipped around to me.
"Where were you?” she hissed, every muscle tensing. Whatever façade she'd put up in an attempt to impress Chrissy had vanished.
"I-I just got here!” I replied quickly, peering around her to keep an eye out. "What the hell? Why is she with you?"
"She just latched onto me! I tried to tell her I was waiting for someone… but she insisted on giving me a house tour!"
"Do you think we can give her the slip?” I whispered, scanning the crowd for any sign of her return.
"Please. Don't you think I tried that? Besides, I don't want to make her angry—"
I grabbed her arm. "Crap—she's coming back!"
We both straightened and forced smiles as she returned, two drinks in her hands. She passed one to Valarie and said, "Bottoms up."
Valarie sniffed it uncertainly. "What's in it?"
Chrissy's eyes glimmered. "Magic. Now hurry up and drink that so we can go dance!"
Valarie grimaced, but after another sniff, she tilted the liquid towards her mouth and gulped down about half of it before spluttering. Chrissy cheered, not seeming bothered that she couldn't finish it.
"That’s more like it!” she sang. "Now come on—"
She grabbed Valarie's hand and pulled her out of the kitchen. I followed behind them, not sure what else to do. They headed into the next room, where a crowd of sweaty bodies was moving in time to the pulsing beat. I zig-zagged through the crowd, trying not to lose Valarie.
"Hey!” I called as I struggled to keep up. I managed to squeeze between the two of them and said, "How do you know Adam Bauer?”
It was just an attempt to attract Chrissy's attention so they didn't have an excuse to ditch me. It seemed to work, because she came to a halt and began to sway with the music.
"Adam?” she mused, like she was only half-listening. "Oh, he's friends with my brother, Kale."
"Speaking of Adam… where is he?” Valarie asked, glancing around. "I mean, isn't this his party?"
"Last I saw, he was wooing two girls in the spa out the back,” Chrissy replied. Her eyes seemed to glimmer a little. "Have you two seen the backyard yet?”
We both shook our heads, and she smiled a wide, mysterious smile.
"Well, what are we waiting for?"
She grabbed Valarie's hand and navigated through the crowd once more. I had them in sight the whole time—or at least, I did until someone backed into me and cold liquid spilled all over me. My eyes snapped to the culprit, and I came face to face with Jason. His own gaze was one of surprise.
"Hey,” he greeted, steading me with his firm hands. "Sorry, I uh…” he trailed off, appearing to be collecting his thoughts. "I didn't see you there."
I couldn't believe this. How had I fallen into this guy's orbit again?
"Clearly,” I sniped back, the stench of tequila drifting up to my nose. I peeled my sticky, wet blouse away from my chest before it sank into my bra.
"Is Valarie here?” he inquired, scanning the crowd.
"Yeah, she's just—"
I turned back to where they'd been a second ago, but there was no sign of her.
She was gone.
She and Chrissy had gone off who knows where to do who knows what, leaving me alone at this stupid house party that she had invited me to! I turned back to him with a groan.
"I have no idea.”
"I'll help you look for her,” Jason suggested, and I was thankful that he'd offered. I was alone now, and this house was so large and unfamiliar to me. I mean, just above our heads was a spacious landing that led to about a dozen rooms! I didn't like the idea of venturing around alone, so I'd take the first familiar face I could get.
We threaded through the crowd towards a towering glass door that led outside, seeing as that's where they'd been headed. Jason nodded at a few people on his way past, who slapped him on the back.
My breath was taken away by the backyard. Spilling down a generous flight of steps were beautiful floral arrangements and fountains, all leading to a massive pool. The swimming pool sparkled under the lights and the constant movement of partygoers playing water polo. Behind that, there was a massive tennis court—which was also a basketball court.
Clearly, Adam's family were big on sports.
"There are so many people…” I breathed, unable to tear my eyes from it all. I even spotted Adam over to the right, in a steamy Jacuzzi. His arms were wrapped around two gorgeous girls, in a pose that was almost model worthy. His sandy blond hair and toned muscles all shone together under the lights.
"This way,” Jason said in that steady voice of his. We weaved through the gardens, and I breathed in the smell of chlorine and roses. My mind flashed back to my dream, and those cruel eyes…
Found you.
An electric jol
t shot through my body as those dark, cruel eyes appeared once more. I shivered and trembled. I shook off the feeling and shoved the stupid dream to the back of my mind, hoping to never think of it ever again.
We eventually found them, mingling with a group of people over in the gazebo. They were playing spin the bottle, and a feeling of uneasiness washed over me. Valarie's eyes landed on me.
"There she is!” she giggled, pointing at me. She wore a stupid grin and sloshed a glass of alcohol around.
Oh, crap.
"Where were you?” Chrissy asked lightly, smiling innocently. I resisted the urge to grind my teeth. Not only was she clearly trying to get under my skin, but she'd gotten Valarie wasted. I wondered what had been in that drink—it must have been strong if she was already out of it.
"Come play with us!” Valarie insisted, patting the seat beside her. Her newfound happiness was both wonderful and awful. I knew that it was only temporary, and it wasn't caused by her actually being happy—it was just a side effect of the alcohol. In a few hours, she'd return to being gloomy, and knowing it was coming while seeing her this happy might have been the worst thing of all.
"Please!” Valarie whined when I hesitated. She eyed Jason and added, "You too!"
We exchanged a glance, and Jason shrugged.
"If it makes her happy,” he murmured before crossing over to her. I sighed, but went to join them. I didn't really know how to play, but didn't get a chance to ask—they were already spinning the bottle before I'd finished sitting down.
The first spin landed on two of the strangers in this circle, who pecked each other on the lips before exploding into a fit of laughter, their cheeks flushed. Once I realised this was a kissing game, I debated getting up again. I wasn't one to just go around kissing people—that really wasn't my style at all. But I felt frozen, feeling as if everyone would judge me if I bailed so soon. I didn't know why it mattered so much—it just did.
The bottle went round again, and again, and every single time I held my breath, praying it wasn't going to land on me. Then Valarie spun it and it went round… and round… and it started to slow as it came around to face me.
Lanterns In The Sky Page 3
