Less than an hour until Jennifer's party, and I'm still torn between two outfit options: a long blue skirt with a white, wide, long-sleeve top, or elephant pants paired with the same top.
Eventually, I choose the skirt, because it's giving off that extra Mamma Mia vibe I'm after. My hair is styled half up and half down, and I'm adding a small blue flower, matching my skirt's color, as the finishing touch. I give myself a final once-over in the mirror before rushing downstairs to let my parents know I'm leaving.
I slide into the car, bubbling with excitement for this party. Jennifer invited Alex and Lily, recalling how they hit it off at the fair some time ago. It's been ages since I last saw them, and I'm eager for the reunion.
The twenty-minute drive feels like an eternity, but as I arrive, it's like stepping into a fairy tale. The driveway stretches longer than my entire street, leading to a home that's more castle than house. A tower, entwined with ivy, stands proudly on the left, while grand oak doors beckon at the top of a staircase.
I didn't know Jennifer was this kind of rich. She never bragged about it, making me admire her even more.
Knocking on the door feels almost futile, so I push softly and swings open easily. Inside is even more awe-inspiring than the exterior. A grand hall greets me, with twin staircases spiraling in opposite directions, framing a majestic lustre.
I take a breath and look around, hoping to spot someone to tell me the way. Amazed by everything, I navigate toward the garden, expecting the party to be held there in the warm evening.
Passing through a door, I stumble upon a stunning kitchen, its dark oak complemented by white accents and rustic brick walls.
Moving through the kitchen into the living room, it's still light outside, and I'm captivated by the view of the garden. Stables and fields sprawl in the distance, but my gaze is drawn to a magnificent willow tree by a serene pond, complete with a charming fireplace nearby, making me imagine all the fun summer evenings, where they play music and eat marshmallows.
Closer to the house, I spot what seems like a swimming pool, only to realize it's a smaller pond, made by people, leading into a greenhouse. Rocks line the perimeter, and a gentle waterfall adds to the tranquility. Lost in my thoughts, I'm startled by a throat clearing behind me. I turn to find Jennifer, her smile brighter then I've ever seen it. She's wearing a light blue dress and her hair is curled and she's wearing it down, making it look like she's straight out of the movie.
"Snooping around, are you?" she chuckles, and I shake my head, smiling.
"No, I just got lost," I explain, gesturing to everything and nothing.
"Yeah, it's quite big here, isn't it?" Another chuckle escapes her as she surveys the surroundings, as if only just realizing.
"Big?! It's enormous," I remark before adding, "and absolutely beautiful! It's like stepping into a fairytale." I glance around again, unable to tear my gaze away from the enchanting scene.
"Well, princess," she says, and I look at her, slightly taken aback by the nickname. "The party is over here," she smiles, gesturing for me to follow her.
We walk back the way I came, leading us to the hall once again. She heads towards one of the doors on the left at the back, and I trail behind her, not wanting to lose her in this maze. Pushing the door open, I'm utterly astounded.
We step into a room that's more like a ballroom than anything else. It's a vast open space, with marble floors, pillars, and a high, open ceiling, making the room appear even larger and brighter than it already is.
"Maybe close your mouth before you catch a fly or something," Jennifer chuckles from behind me. I turn around, and she hands me a drink.
"I didn't know you were this rich," I say, completely awestruck.
"It's not something I like to brag about," she says, smiling. "But yeah, my dad owns multiple firms."
"You're so lucky, and I mean that in the best way possible," I say, taking in the room once more, and I hear her sigh.
"I'm not going to deny that living here isn't some kind of dream, but it sucks too, you know?" She says as if I would understand. If I lived here, all my problems would be gone.
"I don't know, no," I reply honestly, and she gives me a half smile.
"My dad is out a lot because of his firms, which means I only see him once a month, and even that is stretching it," she confesses. "And it takes a toll on my mom too; she works her frustrations out on me and my brother, which isn't always that fun." I nod. I wouldn't be able to survive if I didn't see my dad at least every two days, so I can only imagine how much it sucks.
"I'm sorry for assuming," I apologize, and she smiles.
"That's okay, really. Let's just enjoy the party, all right?" She says as she makes a drink for herself. "Alex and Lily are somewhere around if you'd want to speak to them," she says, turning around again.
"I'll find them, but first, I still need to give you your gift," I say, and excitement sparkles in her eyes. "Here you go," I say, handing her the bag with the gifts inside. She takes it eagerly and takes the box out before opening it carefully. It's a simple silver necklace that she's been telling me about forever, and I decided to get it for her birthday, because why not.
She looks like she's about to cry, making me grin widely. "Emily, are you serious? It's perfect!" She squeals as she jumps into my arms and embraces me. I can't help but giggle as I see her face when she pulls away again.
"Can you help put it on, please?" She asks, already turning around and holding her hair up as she holds the necklace out toward me, and I gently clasp it around her neck. "Thank you, Emily. I love it!" She exclaims, and I nod at the bag again, because there's something else in there.
She looks at me confused before getting it, and her eyes grow wide. She grabs the bag and takes something else out. It's wrapped in paper so she can't see what it is yet.
As she slowly unwraps it, I see how many people have gathered around us. I spot Alex and Lily, and I wave at them before returning my attention to Jennifer, because I don't want to miss this.
"You can't be serious, Emily?!" Jennifer almost screams as she takes it completely out of the wrapping paper, revealing the book 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt. Except it's not just a normal copy... it's a signed and annotated version by Donna herself. I remembered Jennifer saying that it's one of her favorite books, and Flora has some connections, making it able for me to get this copy.
Jennifer looks up at me before going in for a hug again. It's a different kind of hug, one with more affection, probably because I remembered something she only mentioned once, at least that would be my case.
She pulls away slowly and looks at me before saying, "thank you, Emily, seriously. It's the greatest gift I've ever gotten," she says honestly as she flips through the book again.
"You're welcome," I simply reply.
"I'm going to lay it safely in my room; I don't want anything to happen to it," she says as she grabs the bag and throws the wrapping paper inside before gently placing the book there as well.
"Great, I'll see you later," she turns around, but I quickly add, "oh, and Jennifer. Happy birthday." She smiles and nods once before disappearing into the hall. I turn around and look for my other friends, who I spot easily because of Lily's red hair and because they're standing by the snacks, which is something that's expected from them at this point.
"Hey, babe!" Lily screams, her mouth filled with chips as she excitedly acknowledges my presence.
"Hey! How've y'all been? It's been too long," I ask as I greet them both.
"I'm great! Happy to finally have an excuse to leave that small room on campus," Alex says.
"Yeah, exactly," Lily agrees. "How have you been?" They ask in unison, and I think about it. It's been a rough couple of weeks, but also the best I've ever had.
"I'm great too," I say, not wanting to dive into it, at least not right now.
"Okay, so, I don't know about y'all, but I'm getting wasted in this fancy-ass ballroom, so get out of the way, babes," Lily says as she pushes past us with a bottle of something strong in her hand. Alex chuckles before turning her attention to me.
"It really is fancy here, isn't it? Why did you never tell us Jennifer was this kind of rich?" Alex asks as she looks around again.
"I didn't know, I'm just as shocked as you," I answer honestly, and Alex's eyes find their way back to mine.
"Let's cut to the chase and talk about your hot teacher! How's things between you two? I've seen a glimpse of the two of you at the fair when we were all dancing. She was being really close," Alex says, playfully raising her eyebrows.
Feeling torn, I debate whether to confide in her. If word gets out, Hannah could lose her job. But I trust Alex more than anyone.
As if sensing my hesitation, she says, "I won't snitch, if that's what you're worried about. I promise."
"I just feel like I'd be betraying her. She could lose her job," I explain, nervously biting my cheek.
"So, something's going on, huh?" Alex remarks, more statement than question. I simply nod. Then, out of nowhere, she asks, "Have you fucked her yet?" I nearly choke on my drink.
"Alex!" I whisper-shout, slapping her arm.
"What? I'm just happy you're finally getting some. It was about time," she says, grinning at me. "So tell me, what's she like?" We stroll around as I ponder. Describing her feels like trying to capture lightning in a bottle.
"Well, she's as attractive as you've seen," I say, giving Alex a playful glance. "And she's incredibly caring and sweet when it counts, but she can also be quite possessive and protective."
"Just your type," Alex giggles, and I can't help but smile too.
"Yeah," I agree, gazing out the window.
"You really care about her, huh?" Alex asks softly, and I meet her gaze.
"I really do," I admit without hesitation.
"I'm happy for you, Emily," she says sincerely, and a half-smile appears on my lips.
"Thanks," I say, the smile growing with each passing second.
"It's really cute how you light up when you talk about her. Makes me want to meet the person who makes my friend this happy," Alex says, and I can't help but feel emotional about her words.
"Stop it, Alex. I might cry," I joke, even though there's truth behind it.
"Alright, I'll stop. Just let me know when you're planning to propose. I'm great at arranging the most fairy-tale-like places for that kind of thing," she says, smirking, and I playfully roll my eyes. She's the second person to talk about proposals and marriage, like we're not even official girlfriends.
Which makes me think. Is it too early to ask to be her girlfriend? Should I even bring it up? I mean, she's still my teacher, and maybe she's not interested in anything more than what we have now.
So I simply answer, "We're not there yet, but I'll definitely let you know when we are."
"Great," she says, just as Lily and Jennifer walk up to us.
• • •
It's pitch black outside, and the party has shifted to a new setting. We're gathered around the fireplace by the pond. I'm seated next to Alex on a tree trunk when my phone beeps.
I pick it up, and Hannah's name appears. Just as I open the chat to read it, Alex jokes, "Is your fiancée texting you?"
"She's not my fiancée," I reply, rolling my eyes at her comment.
Hannah
No goodnight text?
I glance at the time, realising it's almost midnight, and I completely forgot to send my good night message.
Emily
I'm sorry, must've lost track of time.
Good night, beautiful!
Hannah
Are you okay?
Emily
Yeah, of course I am, just at a party and completely lost track of time.
Hannah
Having fun without me, huh?
Emily
I'm sorry, but I can make it up to you if you want:)
Hannah
What do you have in mind?
Emily
Let me come over tomorrow and find out for yourself.
Hannah
How does 2 o'clock sound?
Emily
Sounds great! I'll be there. Now you go to sleep, you're going to need your energy tomorrow;)
Hannah
Maybe you should go home and sleep too, I have a feeling you're going to need the energy more.
Reading the message repeatedly, I can't help but smile. Alex catches me and gives me a knowing yet curious look. My cheeks flush, and I quickly respond.
Emily
Good night, Ms. Anderson.
Hannah
It's Hannah for you.
Emily
Whatever you say, Ms. Anderson.
Hannah
🙄
I smile at her response before putting my phone away. Alex is giving me a funny look, and I roll my eyes again.
"What does she want?" she asks, curious.
"She wants to meet tomorrow, so I should get going," I reply, standing up. Alex struggles to find her balance, clearly having had a lot to drink in the past hour.
"Do you want me to drop you off?" I ask, concerned, knowing Lily must be in an even worse state.
"Nah, I don't want to go home yet, but you definitely should. Keep your face young and pretty so you can make that woman your wife," she says, and I snort. She's been fixated on marriage all evening, and I find it cute how much she's okay with it.
I ignore her comment and ask again, "Are you sure you don't need a ride? You can't drive home like this."
"Lily and I will Uber, so just get your pretty ass out of here," she says, sounding sober again, and I nod.
"Alright, I'll see you around, Alex," I bid my goodbyes, making sure she's with people she knows before searching for Lily and Jennifer, hoping to find them together.
Walking around, I realize they're not outside, so I head into the house. I spot Lily, completely out of it, sitting on a chair. I crouch in front of her.
"I'm off. Do you know where Jennifer is?" I ask.
"Yeah, she went to the bathroom," Lily says, gesturing toward the door. "God, Emily, why did you let me drink so much." I chuckle at her words, having warned her repeatedly about drinking too much. I hand her some aspirin from my pocket.
"Here, you can use this once you sober up so your headache won't be as bad," I say, and she takes it gratefully.
"Thanks, Emily," she says, taking another sip of her drink.
"Let's put this away, alright?" I gently take the bottle from her, relieved when she doesn't resist. I want to go home now, feeling exhaustion creeping in.
"Are you going to be okay?" I ask as I stand up, placing the bottle out of her reach.
"Yeah, yeah. You should definitely go, me and Alex will Uber," she says, as she always does. I nod, glancing at her once more before making my way into the hall, hoping to find the bathroom easier than I found the ballroom.
I check the door between the two staircases and hear someone throwing up. I knock once, hoping it's Jennifer so I can leave.
The lock opens, and Jennifer pushes the door open. She doesn't seem drunk at all, making me wonder why she was throwing up.
"You leaving?" she asks, trying to hide her unease.
"I am. But are you alright?" I ask, not leaving until I'm sure she's okay.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just ate something bad probably," she brushes it off, but I can't shake the feeling that there's more to it.
As I look at her, I can't help but notice how slim she actually is, especially knowing she doesn't really do any sports. I remember how she always goes to the bathroom after we had lunch. I'm not naive; I know what an eating disorder looks like, and it feels like I'm seeing it for the first time with her.
She interrupts my thoughts, saying, "So, are you going to leave, or are you going to keep staring at me?" I consider asking her about it, but it's her birthday, and I know how those kinds of questions can suck. Plus, I don't even know if that's what's going on, so I decide to leave it for now.
"No, yeah, I'm leaving. Just wanted to come say goodbye before I did," I force a small smile, and she nods, relieved.
"I'll see you Monday then, Emily. Thanks again for the gifts, they're amazing," she says, giving me a small hug before walking back to the ballroom as I head to the front door.
For some reason, the night air feels colder and thicker on this side of the house, tinged with both worry and excitement. Worry about Jennifer's well-being and excitement for my upcoming time with Hannah tomorrow.
Taking a deep breath, I navigate between cars until I find mine. I put on my playlist and start the engine, allowing thoughts to consume me as I drive into the night.
A/N
A more boring chapter, I'm sorry, but I promise the next one will be something to look forward too;))
And again, lmk if there's anything you'd like to see<3
Regards
~N💋