Captivating (The McElroy Duology, #1)

Chapter Two

It was sometime after 9 in the evening. Bed time, for most households- but not for Paulo Sarmiento's. The house was practically dripping with inebriated adolescents. You'd have thought that the eardrum-shattering music pounding through the marble floors would be enough to drown any kind of noise- but teenagers+raging hormones+unlimited alcohol? It was chaos.

But it was the kind of chaos that I was familiar with. With the kind of parents I have? I literally grew up in this scene. It was calming, in a strange way.

Strobe lights illuminated the poolside, the pulsing neon rays casting psychedelic reflections on the water. It was slightly chilly, specially in my Gucci crop top and relatively modest daisy dukes that kept all the essentials sufficiently covered- but I didn't mind. I wasn't drunk, exactly, but the margaritas I've been sipping have left me encased in this warm, pleasant bubble of almost-intoxication.

I laid back against the lounge I appropriated early on. Jun was beside me, of course, on a lounge of his own, Samantha, Eya and a bunch of other girls who can often be found screaming and tittering at the bleachers during practice sessions gathered bellow us, feet dipped into the water. Like I said, I'm not good with befriending girls- but I don't think friendship is what Samantha and her posse wants, exactly. Me and Aidan and Jun? We're highly convenient accessories. Always good to be seen with.

I could live with that.

As long as they leave me to my own devices, and didn't get into my face too much, we could share the same space without me spontaneously combusting.

I took another sip of my margarita, trying to hide my growing frustration. Just where is that stupid guy?

"Damn, these things are good." I sighed as the slight burn of the sweet fruity concoction slid down my throat. "P hired a bartender or something?"

"Nah. Some chicks from SM public." replied Alex, who had just appeared out of nowhere. He was now ensconced snugly between two of the girls.

"SM public as in San Miguel Public High?" Jun asked.

"Is that snob I hear?"

"Shut your hole Alex. I only mean they hate our guts."

"Yeah. Cause we always beat them during district meets." Piya- or is it Priya?- added with a giggle.

Alex shut her an appreciative grin. "Yeaaaah. We do that a lot."

"You know how it is, good music and free beer bring enemies together." Samantha said. "But don't worry J, they only invited the cool kids. Wouldn't want you mingling with the nobodies now, would we? You might catch something. You never know."

"That's reassuring, Sammy darling." Jun replied, voice as sweet as sugar. "I heard they also brought a bunch of varsity players. More for you, no?"

"I don't mind sharing."

"If you don't mind my castaways." Jun reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "But we already know that's your thing."

Samantha's smile faltered.

Score.

Jun's snide remark hit a nerve. Samantha's latest display of her homewrecker tendencies was something that most people were too afraid to even speak of in her presence- but not Jun. He wasn't some freshie to be cowed to a corner with threats of social ostracism. We've been surviving rather well even before she came to the picture- we'd do just fine without or even against her. And we all knew it.

This is exactly the kind of passive aggressive shit that I hated with girls. All too fond of sharpening their little claws on the unsuspecting. I never had the patience for it. Lucky for me, Jun had enough for the both of us. That doesn't mean I should let him get into a cat fight on a school night though.