The New Girl Who Found A Dead Body (excerpt)

Chapter 2: The Party Girl

CHAPTER 2: THE PARTY GIRL

Music from the party blared out into the street, as they made their way slowly to the house. The streets were jammed with cars. Back home in Illinois, people would have been complaining about the noise. Here, nobody seemed to mind, but perhaps, Chloe thought, that was because the nearest neighbor was quite a long ways away. They were in the ritzy suburb of Verdes, California where the houses were not only vast, but they also had ocean views and the more expensive ones even had beachfront properties. The party was being held at one of the more extravagant homes, in particular, at the house of Lora Kelly, who Chloe deduced was the most popular and rich girl in school.

They walked up to a massive stone entryway and a maid answered the door, ushering them outside to a back pool area, opening out onto the beach. It was a gorgeous setting. Chloe felt as if she had just walked out onto a movie set. There were white chaise chairs flanking the pool and hundreds of tea lights decorated the area, giving off a romantic glow.

The deck was crowded with people, talking and dancing to the blaring music. There was a snack table on one side of the deck and what Chloe thought looked like a bartender mixing drinks, right beside it. It was a real party.

“Jakey!” A girl screamed, running up to Jake from out of the crowd, and throwing her arms around his neck.

Chloe glanced at Kate and saw what seemed like her now usual scowl of unhappiness deepen just a moment before she forced her face into the most animated expression Chloe had seen on it yet.

“Lora!” Kate yelled with apparent glee that nobody except Chloe seemed to realize was fake.

Lora and Kate hugged with apparent fondness, exchanging girlish pleasantries that Chloe tuned out. Chloe used the moment to take a look at the hostess of the party, the girl that lived in what Chloe deemed almost a palace, a surreal existence. Lora had dark brown hair that was up in a twist at the nape of her neck, with long tendrils hanging down, seductively. This girl was not an innocent girl, Chloe immediately thought. Her lips were stained with dark red lipstick and her eyes were smeared with a smoky eye shadow. She was wearing a jean skirt with a slit up the side of one of her thighs that ran almost to her hips. Her red shirt was almost backless and satiny with a plunging neckline in the front. A thin bright blue silk scarf completed her ensemble, giving her outfit some added color and although it would seem out of place on most people, it suited Lora perfectly. It made an outfit that would appear completely vampish on most girls, look sexy and classy instead. Lora also carried a sense of power with her, in her countenance. She knew where she stood in the world. Chloe was somewhat surprised that she sensed so much from Lora so quickly. Usually people didn’t give her much of an impression at all, but Lora seemed to demand an impression.  

As they pulled apart, Jake gestured to Chloe, “Lora this is Chloe. She’s staying with me and my family for the school year.”

“Hi,” Lora said sweetly taking Chloe’s hand in hers, “It’s really nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too. Great party,” Chloe replied, unable to keep the awe out of her voice at the luxury of her surroundings.

“Thanks,” Lora said, taking a closer look at Chloe, “Hey, are you the girl Jake grew up with? He used to tell me the funniest stories about you.”

Chloe looked over at Jake curiously before she replied, “Yeah, that’s me.”

She caught Lora looking over at Jake too when she looked back and Chloe couldn’t help but notice the intense look that Lora had for him. Lora was interested in Jake despite Kate. Chloe glanced over at Kate, who was attempting to appear cheerful. Surely she knew that Lora was definitely interested in her boyfriend and yet, Kate was putting on a charade. Lora must really have some power at the school, Chloe realized, otherwise Kate would be as bitchy to her as she has been to me.