Chapter Eleven
"I'm not wearing that."
"Why not? You said you didn't have anything cute to wear, I'm just trying to help."
"It looks like something a stripper would wear."
"A really classy stripper."
"No."
Vanessa crossed her arms and sighed, "Well fine, go ahead and go to the official Trinity University end-of-summer party in a boring gray sweater and knee socks." She snorted, "No wonder you don't have a boyfriend."
I sat on her bed as she turned and began to do her mascara in the mirror, I made a noise of protest to prove her comment was unnecessary, despite it being the sour truth. "I'm not going to this stupid party for a boyfriend I'm going because you're my only friend here and I agreed to be your emotional support."
"Emotional support huh? You sure you didn't agree just because we both know Ezra is going to be wasted on expensive alcohol and -oh my god what if someone spikes it?" She giggled, "The shit he'd do would ruin his reputation for the rest of his life."
The thought of his reputation being ruined, and it not being entirely my fault, did amuse me, but it was also very unlikely.
"So long as he doesn't speak to me tonight, I don't care what he does."
I watched her but a deep shade of red on her lips and pout, "Part of me feels you and him running into each other is inevitable."
I narrowed, "What do you mean?"
She did an innocent shrug and grabbed her camera, "It just seems like you two attract each other. You always seem to get caught up in some sort of fight or drama."
"He started it!"
"And you continued!"
"What was I supposed to do, let him walk all over me?"
"Normally I'd say no, but he's a Scott, so yeah, that's exactly what you should've done."
I stood, "Whatever, let's just go before I decide to leave you to your shameless sleuthing alone."
Vanessa made a noise that sounded amused, but she didn't press the conversation any further. We exited the dorm building and made our way to the party.
No, I never intended to go to any college party in my life. I always found the idea of getting drunk off your ass and possibly drugged and sexually assaulted without consent to be unappealing. Still, I told myself so long as I don't drink anything, talk to anyone shady -which is everyone in this God-forsaken place- and stick by Vanessa like super-glue, nothing should go wrong.
Also dodging Ezra would be smart.
Besides, I owe Vanessa for being the only rational person here at Trinity, and for seeing me before the amount of money in my bank account.
She's genuine, and I don't want to lose someone like that.
We followed a group of students into the party. We weren't even in the building yet and the music was already pumping through my body as it was up so loud I'm not sure how anyone could even hear themselves think in there.
"You sure you don't want to skip and just order pizza?" I asked Vanessa, as she was already taking pictures of the lights protruding from the windows.
"Stop being such a child, Olivia. We've got the whole night ahead of us!"
A whole night of potential disaster, sure.
The moment we walked into the building my heart fell to the floor. I don't go to parties, it was never something I would even consider doing. And yet, here I am, with not hundreds, but thousands of students dancing, drinking, laughing, kissing, and some even getting more intimate than that right against the walls.
I clutched Vanessa's arm.
"I really don't like it here." I said to her, but she couldn't hear me with the music so loud.
I didn't even wonder why the university administrators were allowing students to be so profuse and downright disgusting to have sex in the open. The students probably paid the university to stay out of it.
And they are. They damn well are.
I cringed, shielding my eyes from everything I'd need counseling to rid myself from seeing, and walked deeper into the crowd of dancing students.
It was hard to shift my way through the abundance of people all while keeping my hold on Vanessa, so we wouldn't get separated. She moved a lot faster than I did through the crowd, and it was a difficult task to keep up, despite also looking for Ezra, who was unusually absent from what I could tell.
It seemed the longer we were in the crowd, the louder the music became. I was beginning to get a headache, and the smell of alcohol surrounding me wherever I went was not helping.
And then I lost my footing and fell onto the floor.
I cursed loudly, but I was sure nobody heard me because nobody here could hear anything but music.
It was difficult to stand back up, as I was getting kicked down 'accidentally' by some dancing, and very, very drunk, students. Irritated, humiliated, and straight up pissed, I grabbed onto a guy's shirt and hoisted myself off the ground, not caring who it was that I was using to steady myself. The guy seemed so drunk and out of it, I don't even think he noticed what I did, so I shrugged him off, and turned away.
It took me a few seconds to realize Vanessa was nowhere in sight. It took a few more seconds for the realization to sink in and panic arose. And not even a second later for me to start screaming her name frantically.
I began to push past each individual not caring about them because I knew they didn't give a damn about me. These people hate me, and I don't like them either. I was looking all around for Vanessa, but the room was so dark, and I was getting scared something could happen to her being all alone. And then I realized something could happen to me being all alone too, so I began to panic even further.
"Vanessa!" I shouted, though I doubted she could hear me at all. Part of me only screamed to get the anxiety out.
And then I saw him.
Ezra Scott, leaning against the wall, a bored look on his face as he was looking down at someone, speaking to them. Surrounding him were a bunch of students all with cups in their hands. They looked entertained, and just happy to be by Ezra's side, even if he didn't care about them at all. A few were laughing, and I wondered how you could ever look that happy being even remotely close to Ezra.
I took a few steps closer to him, not even understanding why. He was wearing a black long sleeve shirt, and black jeans and I couldn't understand why something so simple still looked so good on him. So official. So luxurious.
I hate him for it.
He wasn't holding a drink, and I wondered why he wasn't drinking, or why he didn't even look drunk. Instead, in his hand was an object I couldn't make out at first, as he handed it to the guy sitting on a table beside him. The guy was laughing as if whatever the thing was, was the most hilarious thing he's ever came in contact with.
Looking closer I realized the object was a camera. It didn't take me much longer to see the person Ezra was talking too, the person the students around him were laughing at, was Vanessa.
I felt a fire burn every rational thought I had as I didn't need to think twice about walking over to them to save my only friend.
The moment I stepped through the crowd, Ezra's eyes were locked on mine, and the bored look on his face vanished to an immediate amused look.
"Speaking of Miss Lucifer herself." He said with a cocky grin.
I glanced at Vanessa who had tears in her eyes. She looked so pale, absolutely terrified. "What's wrong, did they hurt you?" I grabbed her arm to comfort her, but she only shook her head.
"Calm down, I didn't touch her." Ezra spoke up, making me return my gaze to him. "I only wanted to make a bargain."
"Give her camera back." I said loudly so I could be heard over the music.
He stared at me, "And if I said no?"
I had no threat to give. It's not like I could ever do anything to blackmail him with. I huffed, "What do you want?"
The girl beside him laughed, "Look how easily she gives in."
"You should tell her to shave that revolting shit-colored mop of hers. Then she and her friend could match." Said the guy who was holding Vanessa's camera. A few people snickered at him, but not even Ezra found him funny.
No, he wasn't laughing at all. In fact, the entire time he was staring me down like I wasn't just a girl he could torment, but his victim.
Only his victim.
"You have no right to take what isn't yours."
He sighed, "But that's exactly what your friend was doing. I'm not a fan of double-standards."
I blinked, "What?"
"I caught her taking photos of me without asking, it was quite invasive of her."
I couldn't help but laugh, "You're Ezra Scott, people take hundreds of photos of you every time you step foot out in public."
"Hmm," He pretended to ponder, "I think I'll just break it."
He took the camera from the guy beside him, and held it up, as if he were going to smash it on the floor. Vanessa gasped, a look of pure horror stapled onto her face. She gripped my arm, "Come on Olivia, please do something!" Her voice was filled with desperation, and I knew what she meant by me do something.
He was only picking on her because he saw I was hanging out with her before. He was doing this because of me.
"Please don't break it." I cleared my voice, "Please, I'll -I'll do anything."
His eyebrows rose at that, "Anything?"
Fuck no. "Yes."
And then he smiled, a smile so wicked, so full of mischief that all I desired was to run far away from him. "What should I have you do?"
"Uhh, maybe just be nice and give me the camera?"
"No, that's boring, how about a kiss?"
I nearly chocked on the air in my throat, "Kiss you?"
He pretended to ponder it, as if the idea was slowly appealing to him, "Yes, kiss me, and I'll give your ugly friend her cheap camera back."
So, this was his plan. Torment my friend until I gave into him.
I looked at Vanessa, hoping for her to tell me that I didn't have to do it, that she'd rather go without a camera than see her friend kiss a man she hated.
She didn't.
The tears in her eyes tore through every selfish thought I had to not do it. The look on her face was pleading for me to do it, to win her her camera back.
"She's not going to do it." Taunted the girl beside Ezra, "She looks like the type to save her first kiss until the day of her marriage."
Somehow, I didn't find that particular comment funny either.
"It wouldn't surprise me." Said the guy on the table. "Look at her clothes."
"Well," Ezra spoke, as he examined the camera, "I suppose breaking this would only do you and your friend a favor. It is undeniably hideous-" I cut him off by grabbing fist-fulls of his shirt and forcing my lips onto his. As tall as he was, I was practically standing on my toes to reach him, but I didn't care. It's not like I wasn't already humiliating myself by kissing Ezra-freaking-Scott in front of the entire mass of Trinity University attendants.
Ezra's eyes were wide, and I realized he didn't actually believe I'd kiss him. A small part of me took satisfaction at the thought of shocking him, so I kissed him further. His body was completely pressed against the wall now, as if to sturdy himself from the compact of my body against his.
I had to give it to him though, his lips were soft, and unfortunately for my pride, I didn't hate it. Yes, I hated who he is, but not what he is, which was a tall, well-built, handsome twenty-four year old, with curly hair that I think me, and the entire female population wanted to run their hand through.
I refrained myself from touching his hair.
Finally, I pushed myself off of him, as he and I gasped for air that I didn't even realized I so desperately needed. He just stared at me in complete surprise, and so did the students around him. I, not wanting to look anyone in the eyes out of pure humiliation, swiped the camera from Ezra's hand, which he didn't object too, and gave it to Vanessa, who I then grabbed by the arm, and pulled her out of the party without a word more.