Odysseus' POV:
It was June, the air was humid but chill. I'd waited until it was night time, after my parents had fallen right asleep. The moment they'd made a second check-in, a nightly routine I'd been getting since ninth grade, I went straight for my bedroom terrace. Going out to the balcony that was connected to my room, I went to the side of it and climb over the railing, grabbing onto the loose bricks I'd been scaling since eighth grade.
Once I'd touched down onto the hardened soil, I glanced around to see that the designated guard on duty was nowhere in sight, just like I'd timed it. "Perfect," I mumbled before sprinting off into the woods that grew over fifty or so feet from the estate I'd grown up on ever since birth.
Once I was under the cover of the thick forest, my feet having mesmerized the acres like the back of my hands since I'd been playing in them ever since I could walk.
"What the heck took you so long, Odie?"
Came Ambrose's voice once I stepped out on the other side of the tree line, myself chuckling as I came over to be swallowed up in his large embrace, his touch warming and inviting. He was my best friend, like a brother even. I had two brothers, but Ambrose wasn't too different from them.
"I was blowing your old man," I remarked back instantly, earning an eye roll and slight shove towards his Ford F-150 passenger's side door, Ambrose opening my door for me while I tipped my head as if I were royalty. "Thank you, kind sir," I state as he practically shuts the door on my boots. "Oops, sorry Madame." He feigns a fake look of sincerity and I'm ready to tussle him to the ground.
"Just get in the truck. I'm ready to get buzzed, so I hope this damn party is worth it." I mumbled once he's inside and already starting to pull off, although he just chuckles while resting his arm along the headrest of the vehicle. And we fall into the comfortable silence we'd always shared as little ones, seeing as though we'd been the best of friends since grade school.
Upon arriving to the party, I can already tell I'm not dressed to attire. There's pretty girls here. The ones that say they're too fat when you can already see their hipbones. Crop tops and mini skirts. Open toed wedge-heels and white nail polish. I'm not designed like them.
My hips curve and my stomach pokes out just enough to make me look slightly pregnant although I haven't did the deed yet. I also dress as if I'm just 'one of the bros', which has certainly landed me a spot in the more male-populated areas of high school. But I hate that description, sounds like a cliche movie write up. I just wore what I wanted when I wanted to.
But since tonight is my last night as a 'high school student' and I haven't partied properly since eleventh grade, I'm going to make this one hell of a last 'hoorah' for sure!
We're already heading into the crowded home of a fellow student, although I didn't bother to get her name nor for an invite. I didn't need one of those with the weight my last name carried. I was a Lancaster. I was Odysseus Lancaster in fact, the first born, daughter of Marquis Lancaster, all-time favorite Mafia drug-lord with a devoted Lucille Lancaster attached to him and his every move.
I got what I wanted whenever I desired it, just because of my name alone. I also was a key master in seduction and had the power to manipulate the most sophisticated men if need be.
I didn't plan on needing any of those skills tonight though, because I wanted to be carefree. I wanted to have fun and be a 'kid' for just once in my life before I'd become an official adult tomorrow.
"O, you don't look like you're feeling this scene?" Ambrose shouted to me over the obnoxious music that was blasting out of so many different speakers, I could practically feel my hearing evaporating.
"No, I am! Just get me something to drink, Rose!" I yelled back, and as if on cue, a dancing crowd was already separating our close proximity of one another but his finalizing nod told me he understood.
Losing eyes on Ambrose, I wandered off of the designated dancing floor and past the staircase full of hormonal teens slobbering over each other's faces. My eyes traveled over two clearly intoxicated girls arguing and a male pushing up on a female who blatantly didn't want him; I accidentally bumped into her and made her drink spill all over him, oops.
Once I'd reached the back patio though, and the music had thinned out while allowing me more volume to hear my inner thoughts, I stumbled slightly when I bumped into someone.
"Lancaster?" The voice said, to which I looked up slightly to see Edward Pearl. He was a brown-headed, narcissistic, know-it-all who's daddy could pay his college tuition several times over. He wasn't scrawny nor bulky, but did put on muscle after eleventh grade's football game year.
And he was the high school boy of every girl's dream, literally. Girls fawned over this boy like he was the new dance craze. I, on the other hand, knew him on a much deeper surface than what meets the eye.
"Pearl." I respond in a monotone voice, as if I were being asked about the weather.
"What are you doing here? You know this isn't an undercover wrestling ring right?"
Rolling my eyes as I sarcastically chuckled, the opposing party thinking he'd won some sort of humor out of me. I then quickly grew a serious expression and frowned. "Oh my bad, you must've thought this was a chest club meeting then?" Scanning his attire, a button up plaid shirt and khaki cargo shorts, it was an obvious self-esteem jab he took hard.
"You better watch yourself, Lancaster. My dad wouldn't be too happy if I came home telling him about some building I saw you and your hand-maid vandalizing together."
I could hear the dare in his voice, but just as I went to violate his whole family, Ambrose had set his hand firmly down on Edward's shoulder. "Hey, special Ed," He sounded, his booming voice getting the attention of a few people around us with the teasing nickname only a few of us dared to call him.
"It's Edward and hey, we were just discussing when you'd be able to come over and clean for me." The jab was low, even for Edward, seeing as though everyone knew Ambrose's mom used to clean the richer people's houses back in the day, before his father made Sheriff and got the bonuses that came along with it.
You see, our three family heads all came to a steep bump once-upon-a-time ago. It's ancient history even I'm not familiar with but long story short, our families fought, made up and now have a long-standing truce.
But I didn't give a f*ck about any of that, not with the way he'd just spoke of Ambrose's mother, who was practically my second one. Snatching the red cup from Ambrose's hand without second thoughts, I tossed its contents onto the crotch area of Edwards shorts.
A smirk grew on my face as I stepped, feigning disgust. "Eww, Special Ed! You really just pissed yourself?!"
The glare my actions earned from him was absolutely worth the childishness though, seeing as though he stormed off past me.
"You'll regret this, Lancaster! I swear it!" Edward shouted as he departed, the crowd surrounding us laughing at him.
"Yeah okay, run home to daddy!" I shouted after him, turning back to Ambrose who was staring at me while laughing himself.
"Well done, Lancaster," He smirked, handing me the second red cup that I'm guessing was for himself.
"I try," I responded, bowing my head before throwing it back and gulping down the warm brown liquor, its ingredients burning my throat.
"Now, can we officially enjoy this party? I'm here with my favorite girl. I think I'm owed one party dance.. yeah?" I smiled at his words, wanting nothing more than to lose myself tonight and let go of every worry I possessed, just for a little while at least.
"Don't mind if we do."
