THE REBOUND GIRL ( The Well Kept Secret)

Chapter Four.

Everyone was talking about it, Adrian Russell's party of the century. By everyone I mean every senior at Fair Lane and beyond. After all, Adrian was some sort of big deal at our school.  Lindsay and Becky had us talking about it all night, here they were again at school trying to get me  into going.

" You got a personal invite from Russell himself ," began Lin. " He wouldn't have done that if he didn't want you there Rae." She winks at me poking her elbow into my side.

We were on recess as I stuffed my books into the locker  barely listening to these  wild revelers. Seemingly they weren't going to give up until Ella Rae gave them the nod.

" What will you be doing all weekend Ella?" I look at Bex clueless of what to tell her my mind trying to conjure up something.

" I will find something to do," she frowns at me in a heavy sigh.

" We are clearly not getting through to her," pointed out Lindsay shaking her head.

" If you come to the party with us we will totally tell you who texted Adrian,"

Lin and Becky smile at each other ganging up on me. I glance at both of them and smile, do they not know me by now?

" It was you Becky ,you texted ,yeah I would totally love to hang. You are the only one among us who uses that slang!"

She gasps as Lindsay can't believe that their plan backfired.

A rough manly voice called out to me, his blue eyes meeting my gaze. Sometime back he would always leave me guessing as he covered my eyes with his hands. Not today though!

" What do you want Will?" I asked him coldly.

" Can we talk? " he replied not in his ever familiar drawl. We walk a little further away from Becky and Lin whose eyes watch our every stride.

" You have been ignoring me. You didn't text back or call. I went over to your house yesterday and your mum told me you were asleep,yet your bedroom lights were on!"

" I sleep with the lights on, sometimes." I protest rolling my eyes.

" We are best buds Ella, I don't know why you will not talk to me. What did I do?"

His eyes look at me longingly,his hand occasionally brushing his dark hair.

" You know exactly what you did Brooks, that night on Gabby Parker's driveway!"

" It was just an argument,  you and I do it all the time!" He interjects his face muscles twitching.

" Not like that, but why were you and Gab arguing? I don't think you would get so infuriated over an Instagram post!" I look into his eyes demanding to know the truth.

" I can't tell you that."

The bell chimes marking the end of recess as everyone gets to their classes.

" So much for best buds huh?" I walk away flustered that the bond Will and I shared was thinning out.

" What about you and Russell ? When were you going to tell me Ella,when?"

His voice dies down in the empty hallway as  I get into the girl's bathroom and rest my head on the door. I exhale softly my thoughts wandering off into the distance.

**********

Saturday! The day that changed my life forever was here and even I wasn't ready for what was coming.

I watched idly as Bex and Lin tried every outfit they had bought at the mall. For some reason it didn't bother me at all that I wasn't going to the party of the year,until something happened! Something that should have never happened in the first place, yet it was out of my hands.

" Mum you can't leave me here all by myself. It's Saturday remember, we are supposed to be watching a movie together!"

I was in mum's face as she applied her red lipstick gently and slowly,her eyes glued to  the mirror.

" There's a company function tonight sweetie that I can't afford to miss."

She fixes her hair before throwing in a bit of jewelry.

"What company function takes you four hours to get dressed for?" I hurl at her clenching my teeth.

" Don't talk to me that way young lady, go hang out with your friends or do a girl's night. I don't know!"

Her words cut me open as I watch her leave, now I understand why dad re- married!

" Ella!" Becky was all smiles seeing me at her doorstep that evening.

" Come in,did you change your mind?" She wasted no time in stating the obvious.

" I had no choice!" I tell her and she shrieks hugging me tightly.

Adrian Russell's place was packed that night when we drove in at around 10 pm. The ins and out of the place milling with people, from the pool, into the house and all over the estate. Lin had made us wait for her to get her game on and she didn't disappoint! We got the show on the road standing out in the crowd. We got tongues wagging, necks craning and eyes watching!

The blaring music wouldn't let a conversation go on ,the neon lights giving the place an aesthetic feel. We sat near the pool having shots of  whisky, once in a while putting our dance shoes to work having the time of our lives.

" Hey ladies," Adrian greeted us warmly as he and the guys cane over.

The guys are basically The Boy's Club members. Adrian Russell, Will Brooks, Ryan Wallace and Lex Keagan. A bunch of good looking guys turned predators.( To put it nicely) Except for Russell, he was the only one with brains , I mean manners.

" Heey," replied Lin with all the enthusiasm she could muster. Will seemed out of sorts and I was soon going to find out why.

" Do you ladies want to join us?" offered Ryan fixing Becky's hair, his brown eyes gazed upon us the wine glass on his lips.

" Yeah over at the VIP lounge, where the fun never ends," Lex licked his lips pointing at the room upstairs. It sure seemed fun up there and we were given a free pass, courtesy of Adrian Russell.

" Sure," replied Lindsay as I all this time couldn't stop blushing as Adrian's forest green eyes peered into my thoughts.

" Oh God, look what the cat dragged in!" Ryan didn't seem happy about it and neither was Will Brooks.

Gabby Parker had just arrived and she was making her way towards us!

*********