Toward the Walk of Shame

16 {Suzy}

"Suzy! You're here!"

"Um, hi." I saw a glimpse of Kai's face before he pulled me into a tight hug, like he hadn't seen each other for years instead of just a few hours. My feet dangled over the sand for a few moments as I struggled to breathe. I patted his shoulder to get his attention. "Where's Sehun?"

"Sehun? He's drinking somewhere over there." His hand waved around the entire party.

Great. That was really helpful. "Somewhere over there" covered about a hundred or so teenagers drinking and dancing with each other's bodies. Even though I was their age - younger, since I'd skipped a grade - I felt as if out of the place.

I tried to slip away, but Kai was too fast and pulled me right back into a tight embrace as though we were dancing. My head was against his neck, and the alcoholic fumes hit me in the face when I tried to pull away. Urgh. He was really drunk. As further proof, his red-rimmed eyes squinted down at me. "Let's go find him, Suzy!

He guided us around and half tangoed, half skipped into the center of the party.

We had barely taken ten steps when three other guys decided to join us in the "fun." They whooped and screamed around me, and we all danced - well, they danced, I stumbled - toward the fire.

I never imagined I would ever be in the center of a guy pile and be this miserable. This was so close to an wild party as I'd ever get. And I was beginning to think it was severely overrated.

"Let her go!"

Even though that was the same thing I had been telling them to do for several minutes, they listened to the commanding female voice and fell away from me. I straightened up with a sigh and a grateful smile for my savior, which instantly faded when I realized whom it was.

"Well, look who we have here. Little Ms. Perfect's finally off her throne for the weekend."

Seulgi. Seulgi and her curvy body in a tight jeans and a tank top, on display in all its glory. The bright-red bikini top shone through the thin-fabric. How the heck was she not freezing? My shirt had sleeves and goosebumps were still popping up all over my arms. Maybe her snarkiness kept her warm. Like an internal mean girl heater.

Her red hair was loosely braided.  She managed to look innocent, sensual, ethereal, wild, and reserved all at the same time. I didn't know how she looked like she could take over the world with one hand yet wouldn't mind the occasional shoulder to lean on once in a while. But could see why Sehun used to date her. Any guy would jump to do her bidding. Guys were such idiots.

Man, I hated her.

My head whipped back and forth as I searched for someone to save me. Anyone. Given the choice, I'd rather go to back to the wild party. "Um, yeah. Great party."

"You don't belong here," she said, hands on her hips.

"Tell me about it." I rolled my eyes before realizing I'd said that out loud. Seulgi stared at me as though I were a water slug slithering up the shore to join the party. Wait, scratch that. The lsug would have been more welcome than I was. "Uh, do you know where Sehun is."

The hardened expression on her face showed that she did know where he was, but that didn't mean she was going to tell me. Not by the tight line her red lips formed.

Wa this hostility because she didn't think I belonged here or because she didn't think I belong with Sehun? If you asked me, she never deserved him. She was clearly an A-rated bitch, while Sehun was . . . well, Sehun.

Either way, it didn't look I was going to get past the bodyguard anytime soon. "You know what? Never mind. I'm going to go."

I had barely taken a few steps when her voice reached me. "Yeah, you better go back to your precious books. Best to leave Sehun with people who really understand him."

"What makes you think I don't understand him?"

Seulgi looked me up and down and frowned. Yes, frowned. "Do you really need to ask?"

That was it. I'd had enough of her smug ass. I crossed my arms and stood my ground. "On second thought, I think I'll stay. I am Sehun's girlfriend. Why shouldn't I hang out with his friends?"

Ouch. I knew I had hit a sore spot when her mouth fell open. She recovered pretty quickly and looked around the people watching us as if we're a reality show. Like that would ever happen. I'd need another two cup sizes before a show about my life would ever have a chance of getting picked up.

A devilish look entered her eyes, and my stomach sank in response. Oh no, I think I poked the bear. Stirred the eagle's nest. Unleashed hell. "Fine, stay here. Come have some fun with the rest of us." Seulgi reached into her pocket and pulled out a small white tube. She held it out to me. "Go on. Take it."

It was a joint.

She had called my bluff. And now I didn't know what to do. Crap. Crap. CRAP.

I rolled it around in my fingertips. It was so small and harmless looking. But I'd attended enough meetings to know how dangerous it could be. I still wore the anti-drug T-shirts to bed. I still helped out at the yearly fundraisers. Heck, I even won the award for best essay in my district just a few years ago. I knew all about the consequences.

But now all that seemed to fade into the background with everyone staring at me. All the arguments, all the facts. Poof! Gone.

"Suzy?"

We both turned around, and Sehun was there. His messy hair. He was in a black T-shirt and shorts that were covered in dark, wet splotches.

I'd never been so happy to see anyone in my life.

His gaze jumped back and forth and finally landed on the joint in my hand. With a fierce growl, Sehun snatched it from me. "You know what? I don't even want to know. Come on. Let's go," he muttered, sticking it in his pocket.

We had only taken a few steps when Seulgi grabbed his arm and pulled him back, purposely knocking me off balance, since his other arm was around my waist. "You're just going to leave? Just like that?"

The simple question had a thousand other questions attached it.

He scanned the party for a long moment before he finally released me. Time froze and I stepped back, feeling dejected. He was going to go with her. Probably deciding this ruse had played through long enough. A wave of disappointment came over to me. Not because I liked him or anything. No, because I thought we had become friends.

NOT because I liked him.

The smugness on Seulgi's face grew as she same to the same conclusion I did.

To everyone's surprise, Sehun just pried her hand off ever so lightly - finger by finger - until she was no longer touching him, and he dropped her hand. He backed up a few steps until he was at my side again. With both hands raised as though he were surrendering, Sehun nodded. "Yeah, I am. Just. Like. That."