Saturday 31st.
The next weekend rolled around quickly, my weekdays having been filled with committee duties and party organising. On Saturday night, I sat in the middle of Hugo's living room, eyes surveying around the room in admiration of the party we had put together. Chester, who I had been permanently attached to all week, had managed to finally escape my stress induced madness and was off enjoying himself. Much like the rest of the committee who I'd spotted dotted around the massive building that Hugo called home.
We'd tried to make the atmosphere for the night as spooky as we could, considering the occasion. Now with the light's switched off, the sky outside pitch black and the heavy thumping of the music I couldn't help but feel pride at what we'd managed to create. Everyone's costumes and the excessive Halloween decorations arranged around the house only added to the theme of the night.
I was sure our head teacher wouldn't approve of the endless amount of alcohol we'd scored and the countless amount of student's who were caught up in lip-locked positions. But that didn't seem to matter too much now. Not only would she never know what actually happened at these events but she would surely get a gleaming, slightly false, report of the night from the committee and me.
"I've been looking for a hot guy for ages and nothing," Ivy huffed as she sauntered towards me and Fleur. I'd barely seen her all night but from the drunken glaze covering her eyes I could tell she'd been having a good time. Though now as she made her way into the buzzing living room, a frown bothered her forehead, "How is that possible?"
Ivy gently threw herself on Fleur's lap, sighing. Fleur didn't even attempt to reject Ivy's position on her, instead she simply rolled her eyes and wound her arms around Ivy's waist.
"There are tons of hot guys," Fleur pointed out, eyes wandering around the room just like Ivy's. I watched the two of them from my spot opposite on one of Hugo's living room sofas. I relaxed further into the back of the chair but kept my hearing stretched as I listened to them talk.
"Yeah but preferably not someone who I've either dated or rejected," Ivy complained squinting as she further assessed all the boys surrounding us in the room.
"Wow, modest," I mumbled beneath my breath. Ivy heard, knowing her she would, giggling as she leant forward and slapped my knee lightly with her hand.
"I was obviously kidding," she laughed, rolling back into Fleurs lap.
Fleur's head leant against Ivy's shoulder, gaze flickering between Ivy and me. She sighed heavily jumping back to Ivy's earlier conversation, "Do you know who was hot?"
Ivy's eyes instantly travelled down to the friend beneath her with curiosity, "Who?"
"Jonathan Hollis's kid," Fleur noted randomly. As soon as she'd said it my eyes tugged from their sockets and stared widely at her. It came from nowhere, not something I had expected. She was too busy day dreaming to notice my reaction, giggling into Ivy's shoulder as she pictured Asher no doubt.
"Seems Fleur has a little crush," Ivy's face strained in distain but the curve in her lips remained as she stared down at Fleur in amusement, "What was his name again?"
"Ash," I said before Fleur could even open her mouth. His name felt so familiar on my lips, a feeling I didn't want to share.
"I think it was Asher," Fleur thought, disagreeing with me. It took everything not to correct her, "And I don't have a crush. I'm just saying he was attractive. Don't you agree Andra?"
Did I agree? I hadn't even allowed myself to think over it for too long before now, not wanting to get to caught up in how gorgeously sculpted Ash was. If I thought too long on it I found my mind wandering to places it shouldn't.
"Yeah," I shrugged, lifting my drink to my mouth and taking a faint sip, "I guess he was attractive."
"In a messy rebellious way, I guess so," Ivy jumped in, brows pulled in disgruntlement, "He seems like the kind of guy you date to piss off your parents."
"Ivy," I snapped though my tone wasn't half as rude as I wanted it to be. All of a sudden something territorial come over me, a need to protect Ash. A need to protect him against the people I held higher than anyone in the world. I questioned what that meant, to be putting Ash on the same level I would hold my friends. To want to defend him the way I had so many times defended Ivy or Thomas.
"Jesus Andra, I'm just having a laugh," Ivy laughed stiffly, throwing her eyes up towards the ceiling dismissively, "Someone needs a drink."
I needed more than one, that I agreed on.
"Well, I wish he was here," Fleur hummed, her petite head bobbing to the new song that played through the house.
If I were being honest with them I would tell Fleur that I wanted him here to. I'd tell her that I'd invited him but he'd rejected me without hesitation.
With my mind trailing over what I wanted to say, I mindlessly let slip my next words, "His dad did tell him to come. But he didn't want to."
Both of the friends pointed their eyes narrowly in my direction. Ivy shuffled around in Fleur's lap, her voice inquisitive as she spoke to me, "How'd you know that?"
I could have easily told them everything. From meeting Asher in my bedroom to driving around a race track with him to sleeping in his bed. But whether it was as simple as Ivy's snide comments or because I secretly knew none of my friends would totally approve, I bit my tongue and sprouted the first lie that came to mind.
"My mum, she told me," I spoke with confidence, hoping to wide away any tinges of doubt that may have planted in Ivy's mind, "She had dinner with Savanah the other night."
The lie digested well with them, both their heads bobbing up and down in understanding. Ivy's face scrunched up and she scoffed, "Why wouldn't he want to come here? You think he'd be grateful for an invite."
Ivy's conceited remarks usually passed straight through me. I'd chosen to look past them, mature enough to know that every person had certain faults in their personality. Ivy's pretentiousness was exactly that, a blemish that I refused to not judge her for. After all, we all had our own. Mine might have my consistency with lying to my friends. But when the comment was suddenly aimed at Asher, I felt anger soar through every vein in my body. I'd been working so hard to convince him that I wasn't a snob, that my life didn't consist of everything he hated. But now I felt like I was betraying that; having my best friend look down on him all because of his 'background' and not sticking up for him out because it benefited me more to stay silent.
Fleur shrugged in reply to Ivy's comment, "I don't know."
"It's probably a good thing he didn't come," Ivy pursed her lips before plucking Fleur's drink from her hand and pushing it to her mouth for a large sip, "He's trouble."
"You love trouble," Fleur laughed. Her now free hand found its way to her hair, assuring her loosely coiled hair was still securely wound up in its bun.
Ivy watched Fleur from her tall height on her lap and smirked down, "Only trouble I can control."
"You're terrible," Fleur laughed. Content with her hair she brought her hand away from the top of her hand and reached out to grab back her own drink from Ivy.
Ivy reluctantly handed back the glass that was now half empty but laughed non-the less, "You love it."
"Speaking of love," I said, changing the conversation as my eyes run around the room in search of our other friends, "Have you seen Hugo and Vic yet?"
"How could I?" Ivy scoffed, an arrogant noise considering she was the one sitting in the wrong, "They've been avoiding me all night."
Behind Ivy, Fleur looked up at our friend and patted her arm in a gentle cautionary, "Ivy."
"Sorry, I meant all week. They've been ignoring me all week," Ivy replied sarcastically, her demeanour wrapped up in bitterness.
"Ivy, you just need to let it settle down," I told her, fully aware of the possibility that my words were falling on deaf ears, "Stuff was said and feelings were hurt. It's going to take a little bit of time before it blows over."
Ivy drew her bottom lip between her teeth sternly and her shaped eyebrows arched in a disapproving manner. It seemed my gift of persuasion only worked on her when we were alone and she was vulnerable. Otherwise I felt as though I might have better luck speaking to a brick wall.
"It's just making everyone choose sides," Ivy complained, an element of casualness in her manner despite the streaks of resentment in her eyes, "They need to grow up and get over it. I was drunk."
Fleur jumped in to reassure her, "Ivy, no one's choosing sides."
"Let's challenge that theory," Ivy's eyes bypassed me and stared across the room, her jaw tightening as she focused on something else, "Here they come."
Both Fleur and I turned to look, Fleur peering over Ivy's shoulder and me twisting on the sofa. The two, hand in hand, strolled in our direction. Both dressed to perfection, stunned as they approached the middle of the room where we were sitting. Victoria pressed herself against Hugo's arm, her fingers entwined in his. A cautious expression misted her pretty features while Hugo appeared utterly confident.
"Hey," I spoke up, waving my hand in Victoria's direction. When they stood at the end of the sofa, I hoped up and reached over to hug her lightly and the Hugo.
Fleur, still trapped underneath, just wiggled her fingers and grinned, "Hi."
The couple both nodded their heads, their gazes trailing over the three of us. When Victoria's eyes landed on Ivy, she paused, something on the tip of her tongue. But she chose to bite it back, shaking her gaze and looking back to me.
"You enjoying the party?" I asked the two of them, falling back onto the sofa.
"Yeah, it's great," Victoria nodded, running her eyes quickly over the crowded and noisy room, "You and Chester did an amazing job."
"I'm just really happy we were able to do it here," I shrugged, brushing off her compliments, "Thanks Hugo."
"No sweat," Hugo grinned, teeth flashing as he waved a dismissive gesture towards me, "You made the place look awesome."
I shared with him an appreciative smile just as a silence lapsed into the space between us five. It felt awkward, uncomfortable. I snuck glances across to Ivy but she remained fixed in her spot, arms crossed stubbornly and lips clamped shut.
I coughed, clearing my throat and gaining attention, "I nearly forgot to ask, how was your trip?"
"Yeah it was good," Hugo nodded, peering down at his girlfriend and grinning wider.
"It must have been," I said, hoping to keep the conversation flowing, "You stayed an extra week."
"We just had such a great time," Victoria explained, hugging herself closer to Hugo, "We didn't really want to leave. Which is awful because I know we had plans to hang out."
"Oh, it's fine," I insisted, having not even giving it a thought till she'd said it, "Honestly, I was so busy planning anyway. I barely had time to sleep let alone go out."
"Well, it payed off," Hugo cut in, gesturing with his free arm to the intoxicated students around us who were completely letting loose.
"Thanks."
Silence overtook the conversation again, this time heavier, worse. We all blinked, chewing at the insides of our cheeks as the awkwardness settled in.
The first person to break the silence was Victoria. A huge sigh fanned from her glossy lips, a frustrated expression coming to light on her face, "This is stupid."
Hugo's hand tightened around his girlfriend's arm as he spoke lowly in her ear, "Victoria."
"No," She shook her head, her eyes running to Ivy blazing with irritation, "Ivy are you seriously not going to say anything?"
Everyone one of us followed Victoria's line of sight to Ivy who sat still. Crossing on leg over the other, Ivy's stubborn attitude failed to drop despite the growing confrontation between her and our friend.
"I have nothing else to say," Ivy told her, shrugging and pouting her lips, "I called you, you ignored me. What can I say to that?"
"I was mad," Victoria's arm waved widely around her having dropped her grip around Hugo. She took a step forward, body faced completely in the direction of Ivy and Fleur, "I needed time to cool down before we spoke."
Vic gained little to no response from Ivy who's eyes bored dryly into her own red pumped heel.
"So, you'll apologise to everyone else but not us?" Victoria said cynically, gauging a reaction from Ivy.
Ivy' shoulders picked up just as her eyes did, staring at Victoria, "Maybe because I'm not sure I was completely in the wrong when it came to you."
Disbelieving breaths of air escaped Victoria's mouth, "Are you serious?"
"Well I'm definitely not joking," Ivy retorted, titling her chin upwards to regard Vic with sharp and sarcastic eyes.
"I can't believe you," Vic's head began to shake just as Hugo's hand circled around hers, "You said some hurtful things Ivy."
"Yeah well maybe it hurt me to have everyone turn on me," Ivy told her, finally admitting the real reason she wasn't as willing to apologize to Vic as she was everyone else.
Victoria's eyes widened as she shook of Hugo's grasp on her hand, "Turn on you? You're the one who jumped in the argument to defend Hugo. He's my boyfriend, it was between us. You had no reason to get involved."
"I felt sorry for the poor sod," Ivy jumped up, standing to her feet as she battled her own corner, "You were digging into him in front of everyone. Maybe if you don't want anyone to get involved, don't have your arguments around the group."
"Maybe next time I won't," Victoria spat, fury encompassing her features. With little else to say, too overwhelmed with the conflict, Vic spun around. Her hand shot out and grabbed Hugo, dragging him with her as she continued to storm away from us.
Before she could leave the room completely, she threw her head over her shoulder and shouted over the music to Ivy, "You're really not going to say sorry?"
Ivy's jaw tightened and her cheek bones popped as she shook her head tightly, "Not tonight."
That was all it took for Victoria to lose all patience and have her totally leave the room. Before I even had the chance to speak to Ivy she was following suit and strutting off in the other direction in which Vic had gone, "I'm going to get a drink."
With everyone having dispersed, Fleur and I were left, speechless over everything that had just been exchanged. All my hopes of there being a civil and friendly reconciliation had been crushed and all I was left with was disappointment,
The argument deflated the whole evening for me. I managed to stick it out for another hour or so but by half eleven I was bored of having decide whether I should speak to Ivy or Victoria. Bored enough to have me call for cab and send Asher my first text to him in a week.
*
Outside Hugo's house I hugged myself further into the grey jacket that I thankfully remembered to bring. Hovering at the edge of the pavements, I clicked my heels on the stone ground impatiently as I waited for my cab.
A voice emitted from behind me causing me to jump underneath my coat, "Leaving already?"
Spinning around I looked back in the direction of Hugo's house. Chester strolled down the stone pathway that lead away from the ludicrously large house. In jeans and a ripped shirt, he had gone for the easiest costume he could, only having to cut rips and drop red food poisoning onto the fabric. I too like him had optioned for the easy root, having thrown on an identically designed tight white dress. Small rips cut into it and red drops decorating it.
"Oh, yeah," I nodded, holding the coat tighter around me, "Tired of all the drama."
"I heard," Chester said, arching his brows as amusement morphed into his features, "Glad I wasn't around."
"Where were you?" I asked him just as he ended the path and joined me on the pavement, "I've barely seen you all night."
"I know, sorry," He told me, shrugging his shoulders into a black bomber he'd held in his hand before, "Jason P had me doing shots with him."
My brows shot up, lips quirking up as I echoed the name of the boy who'd been bothering Chester for a while now, "Jason P?"
"Yeah," Chester nodded, eyes rolling as soon as he noticed my smug reaction.
"The one with the crush?" I questioned further pleased with the beetroot red flush that crept up Chester's neck and cheeks.
"He doesn't have a crush on me Andra," He insisted, pointing a glare in my direction but failing to supress the contagious chuckle that affected both him and me, "he's just a friend."
"So, he's not someone my brother should be worried about?" I interrogated, only looking to embarrass my friend a little further.
"Andra," He whined, clamping his palms over his eyes as he attempted to hid from me the humiliated blush that bothered his cheeks.
"I'm kidding," I laughed, reaching out to grab his hands and pull them away from his face, "I know you don't like talking about it, sorry."
"It's not that," Chester said through pursed lips. His hands remained in mine between us, arms swinging as he continued speaking, "It's just that he's your brother and I'm not sure what's even happening."
"Chester, seriously," I smiled, dropping his hands and bringing mine to his cheeks, "You don't have to explain to me, I get it. Ok?"
Underneath my palms, Chester's cheeks pinched up and balled, his lips picking up in a smile, "Ok. Thank you."
Treading on my tip toes I pulled my body up and placed a silly little kiss on the tip of his nose. My gesture managed to gauge a hearty laugh form Chester as he brushed away my lips and pushed me away.
Just as I began to pull back and tread back onto my heels, the cab I'd called for pulled up behind us. I twisted around to observe the black taxi that's engine purred loudly as the man inside waited for me.
"No Brad tonight?" Chester asked immediately after realising it my taxi.
I shrugged, stepping backwards towards the car and grasping the back-door handle, "We gave him the weekend off."
"Oh, well how about I jump in with you?" Chester suggested, reaching out to handle I was touching and pulling it open for me, "We can go back to mine?"
"Oh," was all that stumbled from my mouth, Ash's and mine texts running through my mind.
Sensing my hesitation Chester's brows furrowed together in a frown, "You don't want to?"
"No, it's just that I'm going somewhere else," I explained hovering the doorway of the car, calling over my shoulder to the man in the driver's seat that I'd just be a minute.
"Where?" Chester questioned his confusion transforming into curiosity,
I shrugged, my back leaning against the metal frame of the car, "Just somewhere."
"Why so suspicious?" Chester asked, now more amused than anything.
"It's not suspicious," I laughed, grinning slyly, "I just told a friend I'd meet them at another party."
"Great, count me in," Chester chimed, using his arm to push me to the side and hoping in the cab first. Balancing myself from the force of his push, I spun to face the inside of the cab, staring with a slacked jaw as Chester cosied himself into the backseat.
"Chester," I whined.
"Come on," he said stretching over and tugging at my hand, "Get in."
*
Barely an hour drive later the cab driver pulled us up to the address of the house Asher had texted me. Chester had fleetingly tried to pull out of me the details of who I was meeting but my lips managed to remain zipped and soon after he moved onto other conversations.
Passing the money over to the cab driver, I vaguely listened to Chester as I paid for the ride, "Where are we?"
"A long way from the city," I told him, leaning up from the window of the taxi and watching briefly as the car rolled away from the curb and drove off down the road.
"I can tell," Chester noted. I turned around in the direction of him and the house party. Barely the size of Hugo's place, the house was small but the party wasn't. Even from the street I felt the music was already overbearing. In the windows, I could the faint outlines of people and bright neon lights blaring through and to match the music there was the noise of teenagers screaming and singing.
"Whose party is this?" Chester asked as we both began to walk up the short pathway to the front door.
With the door already edged open I pushed it wider and stepped through the door frame, "I'm not sure."
"So, who are we meeting?" Chester continued to ask questions, our voices having raised now as we entered the deafening party.
"You'll see," I called back to him over my shoulder. My hand found his as I dragged us through the party. We elbowed our way through what I assumed was the living room though I couldn't be sure, every room was too crowded with people to actually tell what furniture was in it.
"Andra!" My name was yelled above the music after a minute of pushing through the hordes of people. My head spun around, eyes running along everyone to find the source of the voice.
Then I spotted a tall figure, looming a little taller over everyone, his eyes on me as he moved towards me.
"Marley," I called out to him, waving my free hand up, "How are you?"
"Drunk," He laughed finally managing to get to me. Bending down, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in for a quick hug. I responded, the arm that wasn't linked to Chester, to hug him back.
"I can tell," I said to him, noticing the glossy mask covering his eyes.
We shared a quick laugh as he stumbled back from me, his gaze then going to Chester, "Who's this?"
"Marley this is one my best friends Chester," I said gesturing over my shoulder to my much shorter and slimmer friend, "Chester, this is Marley."
"Chester," Marley tested the name in his tongue whilst reaching a hand out for Chester to shake, "Cool name."
Chester copied Marley's actions, pressing the palm of his hand into Marley's and shaking it firmly, "Thanks, nice to meet you."
"You too man," Marley chuckled a low, drunk sound, one I wouldn't hear at all if I weren't right next to him, "They're out back, come on."
Marley spun around and guided us through the house. Chester and I remained glued together, our hands joined as we shoved our way to keep up with Marley who stumbled his way around the party till we reached the back door.
"Ash," Marley yelled as he fumbled through the door and into the garden of the house, "Look who I found."
"Ash?" I heard Chester briefly whisper above my ear to which I pretended not to hear.
Following suit, I walked into the garden and surveyed the space out back. Surprising not a lot of people where outside, only a few small groups bunched up in corners of the fenced garden. The group Marley staggered towards was directly right of the door, all sat around the garden furniture. My eyes found Drake first. He stood in front of his friends, dancing wildly to the music that transpired to the garden. An applause of laughs echoed as he continued to wave his hand frantically around his head.
"Damn," he shouted having noticed me by the door watching him with an amused expression, "It's Andra."
"Hey Drake," I laughed, stepping forward, "Cool moves."
My hand dropped from Chester's just as Drake tumbled towards me and engulfed me in a sweaty hug. Both arms encircled around me and using his knees, he bent down and picked me up from the floor. Just as a small squeal left my mouth he dropped me back down again.
"Got a few more I could show you," He joked, his charmingly drunk conduct causing me to laugh further.
"Maybe later big boy," I taunted, using my hands to jokingly push at his chest.
He shot me a wink, "I got you pencilled in."
"Andra," Another voice called, not as loud as everyone in the party. My eyes went straight to the person I knew the voice belonged to.
Asher sat on the arm of a bench, his legs spread out in front of him and a beer bottle in one of his hands. Around him I only noticed three other people I knew, Marley, Millie and Josh. The four others that sat around the furniture I'd never seen before and appeared to interested in something Millie was saying to pay any attention to me.
But not Ash, his eyes were fixed solely on me.
"Hi," I said to him, my legs moving me instantly towards him though he were a magnet.
"Hi," He echoed, a lopsided smirk settled on his lips, "Glad you could make it."
"How could I miss it?" I questioned sarcastically, my own lips circling upwards as a warm feeling spread through my chest.
"Chester, you remember Ash," I said suddenly remembering my friend behind me. I angled myself so I could see both boys and gestured from Chester to Asher.
"Yeah," Chester stepped forward and placed his hand forward to shake Ash's hand, "Hey."
"Hi," Asher responded, shaking Chester's hand back.
When their hands disconnected, Chester nudged his elbow into my forearm and tipped his head in the direction the door to the house, "Should we go get some drinks?"
"Yeah ok," I nodded, following him as he headed backwards for the door, "We'll be back in a minute."
Asher's eyes followed me right up till the moment I disappeared through the door with Chester, I knew because I was staring right back at him.
Chester snapped me out of my trance the second we stepped back into the house. His hand found my forearm and he tugged me into the kitchen and then over the corner of the room, furthest away from the music, "Asher?" was all he said.
"Yeah?"
An entertained smirk took hold of his mouth, "Since when did you two start hanging out?"
"Only recently," I rushed in insist, repeating the same dumb expression he had earlier, "We're just friends."
"Really?" He asked, his teeth biting down on his bottom lip in an attempt to overturn his large grin.
"Really," I deadpanned, though I was sure the blushed heat that rose to the surface of my cheeks gave me away, "I wanted to tell you but I didn't really want to bring it up to anyone, you know how some people are at home."
"Ivy," Chester said her name beneath his break, teasingly knowing it would only irritate me further.
"Chester, I'm serious," I whined, throwing my head back in distress much like he had earlier when I had embarrassed him outside Hugo's.
"I know, I know," He laughed, a comforting tone touching his voice, "It's fine Andra, I understand."
"Ok," I smiled, destressing myself slowly but surely, "And just to let you know, Asher's friends don't really know about his dad so try not to mention how we know him and anything."
"Ok, cool. Got it," Chester nodded reassuringly, "I won't mention it."
"Thank you."
Chester shook his hand dismissingly, "No problem. Let's get a drink and go back outside."