by Ruby Vincent
“Of course, they will. A bunch of teenagers drinking, puking, and screwing all over my house is bound to leave a trace, and my mom would sniff it out.”
“Ugh. You’re no fun.”
She rolled off me and I pushed myself up. “May I also remind you that there is exactly one person who would come to a party at my place and she’s sitting in this room.”
Estelle winced. “You have a point. Alright, fine. No party. Book me in for a weekend of ice cream and rom-coms then. I’ll sleep over.”
That’s how the two of us found ourselves on my bed in my old pajamas with our hair in messy buns and chilled bowls on our laps.
“Rachel!” I heard Mom’s shout up the stairs. “Come down and say goodbye.”
I heaved myself off the bed and hurried downstairs. Mom, Dad, and Christian were standing in the entranceway.
“There you are, Rachel. I was just telling Christian our plans. He won’t be here this weekend as he’s staying with his friend Jace, but we can trust you alone.”
Why did that feel more like a question than a statement? “I’ll be fine, Mom. Go on. You two kids have fun.”
Mom held out her hands for me and I gave her a hug before doing the same to Dad. I waved them down the driveway as they got into Dad’s car and pulled out.
Christian was still in the entranceway when I came back inside. His eyes were glued to his phone while he typed.
“When are you leaving for Jace’s place?” I asked. “Because I’m about to give your dinner to Estelle.”
Christian’s eyes flicked to mine and he scoffed. “Don’t be stupid, Bryant.”
I bristled. “Jeez, fine. Eat the damn thing.”
Christian ignored me and put the phone to his ear. “Ryan. Yeah, they’re gone. Bring the speakers. Tell Jace to bring the beer.”
My eyes widened. “Christian, no. No! You better not be doing what I think—”
“Do you know Bryant’s address? Good. The party is at her place. Tell everyone.”
Christian hit end and looked dead in my incredulous face before flicking down. “Wear those shorts to the party, Bryant. I’m kind of into ’em.”
Speechless, I watched him go as my brain tried to catch up to what was happening.
A party. A party here. A party here in my house. A party here in my house with a bunch of people who hated me.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs. “Babe, did they leave? I’m ready to watch this movie.”
“Estelle, you are not going to believe what just happened?”
“What?” She came down the rest of the way and met me in the hall.
“Christian!”
She blinked. “What could he have done in the last five minutes?”
“He just invited all of Meadow Creek High here! He’s throwing a party!”
“Oh my god,” she breathed.
“I know!”
Estelle looked down at herself as she clapped her hands on her messy hair. “You’re telling me Ryan is on his way here right now and I look like this?”
“I think you’re missing the point!”
She spun on her heels and charged off, racing toward my room. “Estelle!”
I groaned. She was going to be no help, but whatever I had to do, I was stopping this party. I tore up the stairs and burst into Christian’s room. He was lying on his back on the bed. He didn’t bother to get up. “What?”
“You know what, Christian.” I planted myself in the middle of the room and glared at him. “Cancel the party!”
“No.”
“What do you mean no?” I raged. “Mom and Dad will go insane if they find out. I’m not getting grounded for the rest of senior year because of you.”
He casually moved his hands up behind his head. The bottom of his shirt rode up giving me another peek at his six-pack. “Then make sure they don’t find out.”
“They’re not going to find out because there will be no party! I mean it, Christian. You’re the stupid one if you thought I was going to let you get away with this.”
He laughed and finally moved his head to look at me. “I’d love to see you do something about it.”
“Watch me.”
I stomped across to my room where Estelle was tearing apart my closet. I hopped on my computer and posted on every single account I had that the party was canceled and if anyone came to my house; I was calling the police.
I felt no small pleasure of satisfaction after hitting send. That would teach him.
Thirty minutes later, Jace was strolling through my door. Two massive cases of beer rode his shoulders. “Hey, man. Where do you want these?”
Christian pointed over his shoulder. “Put them in the kitchen.”
“Put them in your car and drive away!” I retorted, thundering down the hall. I skidded to a halt next to Christian. “We’re not having a party.”
Jace peered at me over the rim of his glasses. They were old-fashioned, circle frames but instead of looking geeky, they gave him a serious naughty professor vibe. “Hey,” he addressed me. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?!”
Jace shrugged and wandered past me.
“You need to chill, Bryant.”
“No, Moreau, I’m not going to chill.” I turned to face him. “I know what you’re doing.”
“Oh?” He cocked his head and a lock of raven-black hair fell across his eyes. “And what am I doing?”
“You’re going to throw your little party and get my house wrecked. Mom and Dad come home, lose their minds, and you swan in claiming you were at Jace’s all weekend with him and a dozen witnesses to back you up. I’ll be grounded till I’m dead while you enjoy ruining my life.”
Christian nodded along as I spoke. “Wow,” he said when I finished, voice flat. “I’m so devious.”
“You are devious!” The words were pouring out of me too fast for me to stop, spurred on by the ball of anger and pain I’d been nursing toward him for almost three years. “You’re mean and nasty for no reason, and I’m sick of it. Did you hear me?” I lurched forward and shoved him. “I’m done!”
His eyes darkened. All traces of amusement disappeared from his face. “Don’t do that.”
“Oh, you don’t like that?” I shoved him again. “You have a problem with me putting my hands on you? I’d love to see you do something about it!”
I lifted my hands to shove him again and Christian caught them in midair. He shot forward, making me stumble back. I didn’t have time to react or pull away. In a blink, Christian had pushed me against the wall with both of my wrists held securely above my head.
I gasped as he bore down on me. “Christian, let me go.” I tugged at my hands, but they didn’t budge. He had them in a grip like iron.
“Why? This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” Christian’s eyes were dark with an expression that wasn’t anger. “You can’t seem to keep your eyes or your hands off me lately. So here’s your chance.”
Christian closed the tiny amount of distance between us. Closer. Closer. Until he molded his body against mine. I thought his scent was intoxicating before but now I was drowning in it. He smelled like green apples, pine, and something that was distinctly Christian. My heart was pounding its way out of my chest and I was sure he could feel it.
Christian bent his head and my breath caught. He couldn’t be about to do what I thought he was.
He stopped with his lips hovering just above mine. “How do you want it, Bryant? Say the word, we’ll go upstairs, and you can put your hands anywhere you want.”
“Uh, hello?”
Our heads whipped around. The door was still open and Ryan stood on my welcome mat, grinning like the fool he was. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No,” I said quickly. I tugged at my hands and this time Christian let me go. He backed up, face once again unreadable, as Ryan came inside.
“I’ve got Theo and Geo lugging the speakers in here. Where do you want them?”
“In the liv
ing room.”
“Back in your car!”
Christian and I spoke at once. Ryan looked between us both, but unsurprisingly—
“Guys, Christian wants it in the living room!”
—he went with his friend.
I watched helplessly as the guys who used to torment me blew through my house and turned it into party central. This was not going to be good.
“NO, PUT THAT DOWN!” I darted across the room and wrenched my mom’s favorite vase out of some drunk idiot’s hands. The party was in full swing and if I wasn’t in panic-stress mode, I would have marveled at the fact that it was insane in a good way. Almost the entire senior class had shown up including this one kid who spent the summer deejaying in Europe. He took over the music and now the whole house was shaking with the sickest beats.
The dance floor—my living room carpet—was packed with seniors actually dancing, not just shuffling around and giving each other above-the-clothes hand jobs. Ryan got in there at one point and started krumping to loud cheers before Estelle got her hands on him and dragged him into a corner to make out.
The alcohol was flowing, the atmosphere was chill, and not one person had made a baby crack or shot a dirty look in my direction. It was a great party, but since I was in panic-stress mode, all I could do was freak over everything.
I slipped out of the living room and took the vase upstairs. It would be safe in my room where I was hiding every other fragile thing in my house. I pushed into my room and flicked on the lights.
I took two steps and got smacked in the face. My eyes widened at the bra at my feet and the couple tearing at each other as they fell on my bed.
“Oh, hell no! You are not doing that in my bed. Get out.”
The couple scurried off, snatching up the bra as they went. I took a deep breath and set the vase on my desk.
This could be worse. It could be so much worse. Nothing’s been broken or caught fire yet so I might be able to get out of this unscathed.
I turned to leave.
“Hey, Bryant.” Christian stood in my doorway. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Actually, no. I’ve been running around all night keeping your friends from destroying my house or dirtying my sheets. But that’s what you wanted, right?”
“You tell me.” Christian straightened and came fully into the room. He closed the door and the sounds of the party muted. “You seem to think you have me all figured out.” Christian moved toward me, his thick shoulders filling up the field of my vision as he approached.
“Christian, what are you doing?” I stepped back, but he kept coming. I backed up until my bedframe stopped me. It wasn’t that I felt threatened. It was that Christian had obviously lost his mind. “Why have you been acting like this? Is this some new trick to torture me?”
He didn’t answer. No real surprise there, but it frustrated me all the same. What was with this guy? Why was he so impossible to read?
Christian’s eyes drifted off my face and landed on the wall behind me. He moved back as his eyes swept across my room. My pictures, my flower comforter, my clothes strewn across the floor thanks to Estelle. All of it was on display.
Time for him to go.
“Go back to your party, Christian. This room is off-limits—especially to you.”
“Ouch.” He took his eyes off the photos and focused on me. “I guess that means we won’t be picking up where we left off.”
I didn’t need to ask what that meant. My cheeks blushed hot and I twisted away. I threw open the door and Christian brushed past me and left the room.
I breathed a small sigh of relief. I thought he was going to put up more of a fig—
A hand grabbed me and tugged me out of the room. “Hey!”
Christian drew me to his side and snaked his arm around my waist. “You’re not hiding in your room or running around cleaning up. If my grand master plan is to get you deep in this party, then you better join in.”
I wriggled in his hold, but he held tight. I wasn’t going anywhere. Christian practically carried me down the stairs. My feet brushed the steps instead of landing on them. We hit the bottom of the staircase at the same moment my front door flew open and Madison Bernard walked in.
She took one look at me pressed against Christian with his arm around my waist and her eyes formed into slits.
“What are you doing here?” Madison and I said at the same time. Xenia came into view as she followed on Madison’s heels.
I shook Christian off and got back on my feet. I was looking at Madison, but she wasn’t looking at me. She gaped at Christian like she couldn’t comprehend how he could be standing in my house.
“What are you doing here?” she repeated.
I guess he hasn’t let it slip that he lives in my house. Interesting.
Christian didn’t reply. He gave her his textbook unreadable look as her face darkened.
She advanced on him. “Christian, I said—”
“No! No way.” I shot in between them and grabbed Madison’s arm. “I have to put up with all of these people in my house, but not you. Get out!”
“What are you— Get the hell off me!”
Madison tried to tug free, but I kept a firm grip on her. I dragged her to the door and practically threw her out. The door slammed on her and Xenia’s incredulous faces hard enough to rattle the house.
I locked and bolted the door as soon as the pounding started. I turned around to see Christian still in the same spot.
Folding my arms, I faced him down. “That chick does not come into my house—ever. You hear me? I don’t care if you have a problem with that.”
His lips quirked up into a grin. “You know this whole thing you’re doing—standing up to me and telling me off—is surprisingly sexy.”
I rocked back, hitting the door. “What?” I lost my defensive stance in my shock.
“You heard me.” He advanced on me. “But don’t get carried away.”
Ryan burst into the hall, saving me from coming up with a response. “There you are, Bryant. Dude, stop hogging Rachel.” He took my hand. “Come on, I’m challenging you to a game of beer pong.”
Ryan threw his arm around my shoulder and dragged me off, ignoring my protests. He put his mouth to my ear. “This explains why Christian didn’t get you back after Tracy’s party. He’s picked you out for the next ride on his pole.”
Ride on his pole?
“Just make sure you crazy kids use a condom this time.”
I whipped my head around. “What?”
Ryan didn’t answer. He turned his attention to the game as he tugged me into the dining room. The room was already packed. People lined the walls and the chairs had been taken out and the table set up with cups. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Christian post himself in the doorway. I didn’t know what Ryan was talking about and all the shouting and howling wasn’t giving me a chance to think.
Ryan thrust his hand in the air. “Challenging the undefeated is Rachel ‘Hot Mama’ Brryyyyaaannnt!”
The crowd whooped and shouted as Ryan deposited me in my spot and ran around to the other side of the table.
Estelle strode out of the kitchen with a beer in hand. “I don’t think you want to do this, Ryan. You’re about to lose your undefeated title.”
He gasped theatrically. “What’s this? You’re doubting me?”
She laughed. “I’m telling you. Rachel is scary good at this game.”
I looked back toward my escape. Christian hadn’t moved an inch, and by the challenge in his eyes, he was serious about me getting into this party, and ready to stop me if I wouldn’t. He expected me to go back to fretting in the corner.
I squared my shoulders. I’d show him.
“That’s right, French.” I turned back to Ryan, smirking. “Let’s just say... you don’t want any of this.”
“Oh, it’s on now.”
The game got started and I made quick work of Ryan’s confidence. Throw after throw after throw I landed in his cups
without missing one. I got them straight. I bounced them off the table. I even bounced one off him and landed with a perfect plop.
With every ball I landed, the audience got bigger and louder, cheering me on until Ryan was down to one cup and I still had five.
“That’s it,” he slurred. He snatched up the ball and staggered to my side of the table. We were playing for keeps and all the cups were filled to the brim. As a result, he was trashed.
Ryan took the ball and dropped it into my cup. “Drink.”
I cracked up. “This is what you have to resort to, French? Cheating.”
He grinned unrepentantly. “That’s right.” Ryan put the beer in my hand.
I took out the ball and put the cup to my lips. “Fine, but one more thing”—I looked him in the eye as I flicked my wrist and threw the ball until it landed with a satisfying splat—“I win.”
I downed the beer to a room full of cheering.
I WAS SLOW TO WAKE up the next morning. I wanted to stay asleep, but the steady pounding in my head dragged me back to consciousness.
I peeled my eyes open and forced myself up. “Estelle? Estelle, wake up.” A grunt from beneath the covers told me she was up. I clutched my head. “How much did I drink last night?”
“Hmm hmm hm hm.”
“What?”
She pushed the covers back and peered bleary-eyed at me. “I said, you drank a shitload. After you beat Ryan, everyone challenged you to a game. You won all of them, so there’s that, but they ended up drinking you under the table. Literally, you crawled under the dining table and passed out.”
I groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Thanks for bringing me up here.”
“Wasn’t me. You were already here when I crawled into bed.” She yawned and sat up. “Someone else took pity on you.”
“Really? Huh.” I didn’t spend any more time thinking about it. I had a bigger problem. “Estelle, do I even want to know how bad it is down there?”
She winced. “Think of it like this, we have all day to clean. Your parents don’t come back until tomorrow.”
I sighed. “Let’s get started then.”
We dragged ourselves out of bed and stumbled downstairs. Hungover and now looking forward to a whole day of cleaning, I cursed Christian for getting me into this mess.