It Doesn't Do Well to Dream

Chapter 7

Peyton floated around the warmly lit lobby, a champagne glass marked with a green stem resting lightly in her hand. She sipped at the sparkling cider and sighed as she made another round passed one of the waiters with a tray of appetizers.

She'd been to company parties before. She knew the dance that had to be performed. But none of the parties she'd attended had ever been quite this grand or lavish. An entire floor of the corporate building they were in had been cleared out for the event. She didn't even want to know what all the glitzy Christmas decorations had cost. There was actually even a life sized swan ice sculpture at one end of the room.

Her substitute parents had left her to her own devices after doing a tour around the room with her to present themselves as a happy family unit to other business associates. Peyton had smiled and indulged them, which they seemed to take in stride. But now she didn't know what to do. It would look odd for her to try and engage in conversation with people who were her actual, true age; and there wasn't an abundance of teens here that she'd noticed.

Peyton fiddled with the shiny, black clutch under her arm. It was a bit bulky with Lex's present inside, but she refused to not wrap the gift. It was small and silly enough as it was, putting it in a gift box was the least she could do.

She continued in her meandering around the room, enjoying the way her heels sounded on the sleek wooden floors and wondering where Lex might be. It was really sad that he was the only company she could keep in this place.

"Peyton?"

She swiveled at her name. The voice hadn't been Lex's, or one she recognized, but that didn't really surprise her. A blonde headed boy was making his way towards her; he looked about the same age as Lex, and Peyton felt a twinge of recognition. She'd definitely seen him before... at the school. Oh! Right! That Oliver kid. The one who thought he ruled the campus, or something like that. Peyton sniffed, took a deep breath, and pasted on a polite smile.

"Hello... Oliver," she said. She held out her hand to shake and she noticed his look of confused amusement. Instead of shaking her hand, he theatrically bowed and kissed her knuckles. Peyton quickly pulled her hand free, subtly wiping the back of her hand on her dress.

"What's with all the formalities, Pey," he asked. "I haven't even heard from you since break started."

Peyton winced slightly at the nickname with the relief that he at least didn't try to use the term "Pey-Pey". Not that she necessarily was anti-nickname, but she didn't know who this boy was and she still wasn't sure that she liked him. So far, he gave her a haughty vibe that was already prickling a few nerves.

"Christmas has been busy," she said lamely. "I've been doing holiday stuff."

He snorted.

"What? Like hanging out with Lex Luthor?"
"Excuse me?"

Oliver huffed out a false laugh and Peyton furrowed her brows further.

"Oh come on. We all saw the tabloid pictures. Are you hanging out with that loser now? I thought you didn't like him."

Peyton cocked a disbelieving brow at the boy and came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be her new favorite person. True she may not know the full dynamic between the two boys, but there was still some basic decorum one usually followed in company. And he was certainly old enough to know better.

"That's rude," she said dryly. "You know whose party you're at, right?"

Oliver laughed easily.

"Lionel Luthor's," he said. "And since when did you care about being rude?"
She rolled her eyes and brushed back her bangs. Before bothering to reply, she took another sip of her sparkling cider and adjusted her grip on her clutch.