The music hit my ears instantly and I was dreading this night all week. But it would also hurt my reputation if I didn't show up. Gray parked the car a few houses from Molly's house and can I say that I already made up my mind that I was going to avoid her, or try to.
People were gathering and either acting drunk or they already were drunk. It was nine o'clock and the party had probably gone on for about two and a half hours. After what happened with Penelope today, I had learned my lesson. Don't bring up her past and don't give her a lecture about letting people in.
Strike one. Or maybe strike fifty.
I would have invited her, but I was assuming Molly already did that. She thought she could just befriend Penelope? She was only doing that because I was pinning after her like crazy.
Why was I so stupid?
Gray shut off his car and got out. He chucked me the keys with a smile. "You're the designated driver tonight."
I wanted to flip him off but decided not to, he probably needed a night to just be free. Gray was right, you really do sound like a girl.
I got out of the car as Gray stood in the street to wait for me, I locked his car and walked with him to Molly's huge mansion. Inside, people were gathered talking and dancing, acting like it was the party of the century and we all knew that Molly Drake was back in town.
I hadn't been in her house in a while but it hadn't changed. Her parents rented it out when they went out of the city and now they were back. The spiral staircase was crowded with people going up until the top. The same chandelier hung in the middle of the ceiling where people were mingling.
In an instant of being here, Gray spotted the table filled with many alcoholic beverages with Molly in the kitchen flirting with a guy.
Will.
"He's probably drunk, he doesn't know what he's doing." I reassured Gray who was standing by me a second ago so I guessed I was talking to myself.
He surprisingly ignored them and grabbed the first drink he saw, Molly stopped and stared at him but Gray didn't even notice. She looked around the room and spotted me as Will was trailing kisses down her neck.
Molly pushed him away and headed towards me, just as I thought I was going to avoid her the entire night.
Well, this was her house.
Her blonde hair was curled to the tip and she wore a slim golden sparkly dress that caught every guys attention as she walked by.
"Zack, you made it!" She brushed her fingertips against the skin on my arm, making me pull away in disgust.
"I didn't come here for you, I came here for a good time." I spat, making her face stay the same.
I wanted to ask her so badly if Penelope was coming tonight, but I fought the urge to even mention her as Molly would get what she wanted. "You know where I'll be," she said with a small smile and just as I thought she was leaving she looked back up at me, "Oh, Penelope might be coming tonight. Just thought you should know that." She winked and walked away smoothly back into the kitchen.
I cringed as she mentioned Penelope like she was some sheep that followed Molly around like the rest of her flock. Penelope was not like that, I reminded myself. She was her own person. And I liked that in a girl.
I swore Molly hated me and well, I could say the same.
*
The party had been going most of the night and people weren't even close to leaving.
Gray was somewhere upstairs while I was leaning against a wall, drinking lemonade. I then felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned to my right to see Cecilia Grahams smiling at me. "Hey, Zack."
"Hey," I said back, remembering what Gray said about one night stands and come to think of it, maybe he was right.
Her dark brown hair flowed freely down her back and her blue eyes looked into mine in a flirtatious way. "Enjoying the party?" She said, glancing around at the drunk teenagers.
"I suppose. You?"
She nodded, taking a sip of her drink. "Yeah, it's great." She was practically yelling over the music and I was too, why didn't she go and flirt with some other guy? I was clearly not interested.
She moved closer to me and continued to look at me as I looked at the other people at this party having a good time. Man, Penelope had really gotten me down. I was never like this. And speaking of Penelope, where was she?
Maybe I needed to let loose and forget about her. She was not worth it.
"Wanna go someplace quiet? Say, a bedroom upstairs?" I offered, feeling no guilt. Why should I? Penelope clearly didn't like me back and she wasn't even here.
Cecilia giggled with a nod. "I would love to."
We both set our drinks down on an empty table and I took her hand, we moved past all the people and found an empty bedroom. Before I closed the door, I saw Gray who gave me a thumbs up with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and closed the bedroom door. Cecelia didn't muck around, her t-shirt was thrown across the room and her thin, tan stomach was shown with her black lacy bra.
"You don't mess around, do you?" I said my thoughts out loud with a smirk as I took off my shirt.
She smiled, sitting up on the bed. "I like what I see."
I took steps over to the bed and crawled my way up to her, she trailed her hands down my stomach and then I placed my lips onto hers. And everything about my feelings towards Penelope just disappeared like dust.
*
My breaths had finally slowed down and we were both lying on our backs, satisfied. I hadn't had good sex in a long time and it felt good. "Hey," I turned to Cecilia who looked up at me as I sat on the bed. "Wanna go out on a real date? Maybe at the diner? Tomorrow night?"
She smiled and nodded. "Of course, I would like that."
She sat up and kissed me on the cheek. "My friends are probably looking for me." She leaned over and took my phone from the nightstand. "Here's my number, text me the details and I'll be there."
She handed me back my phone and got up to get dressed, images of a few moments ago flashbacks into my mind and then I ask myself was this a rebound for the one I couldn't have?
No, I liked Cecilia. She seemed like a nice girl and I would go on a date with her to the diner.
Didn't Penelope work there?
I rolled my eyes, wanting to punch myself in the face. The diner? You couldn't just say the movies? Or out to dinner somewhere else?
She blew me a kiss and left the room, fully dressed. I also got changed and left the room for someone else to have the fun. Gray cane upstairs with a smile. "That's the Zack I remember!"
I checked my watch and it was one in the morning, I sighed. "I asked her out."
"About time, she likes you." Gray said as we went downstairs. "See? Isn't life easier going after someone who likes you than someone who isn't?"
I knew he was talking about Penelope but maybe I didn't care anymore. It was too hard chasing, usually girls were chasing me. Maybe that was why I liked her because I was chasing her and she wouldn't even look at me twice.
I snapped out of my thoughts and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right!" He yelled over the music. "Where are you taking her?"
"The diner," I said in a softer voice, "don't have a go at me, I forgot okay?"
He patted me on the back. "That's good, you forgot and besides she might not be working even if you do know her schedule."
I guess he was right, I checked my phone and saw Cecilia's number locked in there, I noticed she placed a smirking emoji next to her name.
I shut it off with a smile. I guess forgetting Penelope was the right thing to do even if I did see a future with her.