When You Least Expect It

30

I let out a snort of laughter. "Well, don't expect me to show up in festive wear."

Holly Dae threw her head back and laughed. "Ugh, too late. I already bought matching ones."

I threw a piece of paper her way. "Shush. I'll go, but no candy cane skirts."

.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．

   Friday rolled around, and the buzz about the party was electric. Whispers about Daniel's folks being out of town crackled through the hallways, practically fueling the excitement. It felt like the perfect way to blow off steam after exams.

We wrapped up our final exam of the day, and then headed to Holly Dae's house to change into our outfits. Despite my initial resistance, Holly Dae's persuasive powers prevailed, and before I knew it, I was in a candy cane skirt paired with a red tube top. Holly Dae did our makeup, applying glittery eyeshadow and glossy lips all over.

We piled into Nik's Jeep, a sardine can on wheels with Miles and me crammed in the back. Thankfully, Nik seemed to have finally mastered the art of looking Holly Dae in the eye without tripping over his own tongue. It was kind of funny, this weird dynamic we had. Here I was, the single friend, perpetually stuck in the middle of their on-again, off-again thing.

Daniel's house was alive with twinkling lights and festive decorations when we arrived. As we entered inside, the sound of laughter and chatter filled the air, mingling with Christmas music playing in the background. Holly Dae wasted no time in dragging us to the kitchen, where we downed shots. The kitchen twinkled with fairy lights and someone had hung a mistletoe above the doorway.

"And a big 'fuck you' to Mr Anderson," Holly Dae shouted, clinking her shot glass against mine. She had a personal vendetta against our biology teacher.

"Amen to that!"

Cherry joined in, and together we downed another shot. I was determined to get as drunk as possible. I'd already let Dad know I was crashing at Holly Dae's place for the night. Tonight was all about forgetting the last few weeks.

We played a game of beer pong with Daniel and a couple of my classmates. Holly Dae, momentarily freed from our clutches, was whisked away by Conner, a cloud of cigarette smoke trailing behind them as they disappeared outside. As I navigated through the crowd towards the kitchen, I bumped into Bones and Harry. Harry was perched on the table, legs spread, his gaze fixed on me. Bones poured himself some punch and glanced over as I hesitated by the doorway.

"Nice dress," he said.

"It's not a dress," I corrected, squeezing past him to reach the fridge. I could feel their eyes on me as I grabbed a water bottle. When I turned back, both of them were staring at me.

Bones stuck his hand out. "Looks like you could use a little cheering up. Care for a drink?"

I suppressed the fear rising in my throat. "No, thanks." Who knows what they might have slipped into that drink while my back was turned? Maybe if I kept my distance and played it cool, they'd lose interest and move on.

"Aw, come on, for old times' sake," Bones insisted, edging closer with the drink in hand.

I looked at Harry for help, but he just watched the two of us. I raised my chin to meet Bones's stare and shook my head. "I said no, but thank you for the offer."

"Why not?" He thrust the drink to my face.

A hand swooped in and grabbed the drink. We both turned to see Carson there, downing the drink in one swift motion, glaring at Bones. He finished it in a gulp, then crushed the plastic cup in his hand. Not once did he glance in my direction, not even as he swiftly exited the kitchen. He was in and out in a flash.