Duncan Forrester and Lucas Elmhirst are drinking with a few of the other Prisley boys in the lounge room. I storm up to them, drunk and furious and needing an outlet for my anger.
'What the fuck are you still doing here?' I say to Lucas. 'Get out of this house!'
Lucas stands up. 'I have just as much of a right to be here as you do, Em. I was invited to this party, so don't tell me to leave.' He puts his beer down and crosses his arms over his chest, probably in an effort to look strong and unwavering, but all it does is make me notice the way his arm muscles flex.
'I'm Ainsley's best friend and I'll tell you to leave if I want to,' I say. 'You've ruined this party and you should go find another place to drink. Take your stupid wolf masks with you!'
Some of the Prisley boys give me weird looks, but Duncan and Lucas just look angry.
'Fuck off, Em. You're drunk,' Lucas says. 'We're not hurting anyone. We had our fun and now we want to enjoy the party.'
'You're hurting everyone,' I say, and then I point an accusatory finger at Duncan. 'And what the fuck do you even think you're doing? I know about your little stunt. You stay away from my friends!'
Duncan gives me a confused look but I can see the anger behind it.
'Emily,' Lucas says, and he grabs me by a wrist and pulls me away from his friends. 'Stop it, you'll make him angry.'
I stare at Lucas, seeing red. 'Make him angry? I'm angry!'
'I can see that,' Lucas says spitefully. He runs a hand through his blonde hair. 'Look, I know you hate my guts, but take my advice on this one and don't get on Duncan's bad side.'
'What the fuck are you doing?' I say. 'Are you trying to protect me from your best friend?'
'I'm not trying to protect you,' Lucas spits. 'Why would I try to protect you? You're a selfish bitch. I'm just saying; don't fuck with my best friend, because you'll have to go through me first.'
I grind my teeth together. 'I'm sick of you, Luke. You're nothing but a waste of space and I don't understand why you keep forcing your way into my life. I don't want my friends to be hurt.'
'Then don't hurt them,' Lucas says through his teeth. 'Leave us alone, Maisonwood.'
I spin around and walk away, frustrated. The Prisley boys are the bane of my existence and I don't know what to do about them. Somehow I need to pay them back for the wolf stunt they pulled on this party. I don't just want revenge for the prank; I want revenge for the things Lucas said about me in grade ten. I want revenge for the fights Lucas and I had. I want revenge for Duncan bullying everyone smaller than him. I want revenge for Duncan trapping me under a bed and making out with my best friend's girlfriend. I want revenge for Duncan Forrester's father interrogating my father about a dead man.
In the kitchen I pour myself a strong vodka with soft drink. I take a big swig of it and stand beside the counter, musing to myself and watching spilt beer drip from the countertop down onto the floor. I know exactly how to get back at Lucas and Duncan and all the Prisley students, I think. Doing it drunk isn't the smartest idea but now is the only time. I can slip out of the party now and no one will notice if I'm gone for an hour. Everyone is too drunk and there's no one who cares about me enough tonight to look for me. With that thought, I grab the key from where it's hidden hanging up in the broom cupboard and I unlock the Shepherd's garage. When I have the stuff I need I lock up the garage again and make a sneaky escape through the front door. There's an abandoned wolf mask lying on the front lawn and I grab it and run down the street, hoping no one has seen me.
*
'Listen, I heard you had some trouble last night,' Julian says while we're pressure-hosing the deck. He says it quietly so Ainsley, who is mopping the floors inside, doesn't hear.
'You mean with the Prisley boys?' I ask. 'We all had trouble, but it's all sorted now. They'll get their return in due time.' I think about the revenge I played last night. Hopefully on Monday morning I'll start to hear something of that. My stomach lurches with the idea that anyone could find out it was my doing.
'No, I mean with Watson as well. He said you were really drunk and you were making accusations about Taylor? He seems to think you're jealous of Taylor and you're trying to get her out of the picture,' he says. 'Em, I just want you to know I'm on your side, okay? I don't mind Taylor, but I'm always going to be on your side.'
'Thanks Jules,' I say. 'But it doesn't matter. Did you have a good night last night?'
'Oh, it was so good. Are you feeling hungover?'
'Only a little.'
Cleaning up the Shepherd's house before Ainsley's parents come home is the last thing I really feel like doing. As much as I want to help out, I'm craving my bed, where I can cry about Toby staying with Scarlet, and Watson not believing me when I told him about Taylor.
Last night was an eventful night, and there's some foggy memory in my brain of a confrontation with Lucas, but I feel icky about it and I want to erase it. I remember what I stole from the Shepherds' garage and I know I need to replace it soon before Ivan Shepherd needs it, but that's a problem to worry about later.
'So how are you feeling?' I ask.
He shrugs. 'I'm in pain, but whatever bro, I'll live. Watson on the other hand was absolutely pissed. He was getting shitty because he reckons someone drank his last four beers. Well I know exactly who drank Watson's last four beers, and it was Watson. After his word with you he just started inhaling alcohol. You know how he is, Em. He gets so focused on one thing and he can't shake it. You need to be careful.'
I roll my eyes, moving a chair out of the way so Julian can hose off a particularly sticky part of the deck. 'It's not my fault Watson drank too much. Everyone was getting drunk.'
'You were pretty absent for most of the night,' Julian noted. 'Were you hanging out with someone?'
I "disappeared" twice last night, I remember: once into the bedroom with Toby, and then once more to take my revenge out on the Prisley boys.
'I was around,' I say. 'I was just trying to talk a bit with everyone.'
'I can finish this off. Do you wanna go inside and help out Ainsley?'
'Hey Ains, do you need help with the floors?' I ask her when I walk inside. She's wearing a black dress, and she's scrubbing at the hardwood.
'Yeah, uh, can you bring the bucket over here?' she says.
'Do you need it for the mop or because you want to throw up?' I ask her, bringing the bucket over next to her and grabbing a cloth to wipe down the counter.
'I vomited this morning, actually,' Ainsley says. 'It was the first time I've thrown up in ages. I don't even know how I got so drunk last night. All I remember is doing two of Gabriel's homemade shots and then all of a sudden Jake was putting me to bed.'
'At least Jake was happy to look after you,' I say. 'You two are quite cute.'
Ainsley's gaze flutters up to me, as if she's about to say something more. I see the red in her cheeks. She takes a breath.
'That pink dress made me look massive. I really shouldn't have worn it. I was hosting this party and I was just a huge pink ball. I must have looked ridiculous, and then I got so drunk. I was so stupid! Where were you all night? You should have looked out for me!'
I feel a surge of guilt. 'I'm sorry, Ains,' I say. 'I wanted you to spend time with your boyfriend. I should have spent more time with you.'
Ainsley shakes her head. 'School tomorrow is going to be a nightmare. Everyone is going to be talking about how drunk and fat I was. I ate three party pies. I hate when I get drunk because I just eat everything!'
'Yeah but you threw up this morning,' I say.
'Yeah,' she says. 'I threw up this morning.' She scrubs hard at a clean spot of floor.
'I have a feeling no one is going to be talking about you at all tomorrow at school,' I say. 'I have a feeling there will be other things to discuss.'
'Like what?' Ainsley says, but I don't divulge.