We're ten minutes past fashionably late and haven't even left the vicinity of the house yet, which is a problem considering we're walking and the party is 15-minutes away.
Why the delay? For once, not because of me. I actually got ready on time. Despite my desire to spite Atty for the sake of it, I slipped into the red dress last minute because damn it, it really is the sexier option.
Jay was ready too. Except, he sprung a surprise guest on me last minute so now we're gathered underneath the neighbor's second floor bedroom window. Apparently, according to Atty, here I'll find Jay's 'pain in the ass' best friend.
A few more minutes pass by when finally, slender legs swing over the windowsill. A tall girl with wavy copper hair shimmies onto the adjacent wall and spider crawls down the side of the house as if she's simply taking a walk.
Ha, color me impressed.
Halfway through her descent Jay protests, "Pres your parents give you all the freedom you want, why do you still choose such a stupid method to come outside?"
She doesn't bother to respond verbally, instead she simply sends him the finger. That's my type of classy. Also, she's paired a short green sequined dress with tattered combat boots and spiked leather jacket which, honestly, is also my type of classy.
Once on solid ground, she engulfs Jay in a massive hug, then turns to me and sticks out a hand, grinning. "Presley Chang, Jay's beloved mentor and idol," she introduces.
I match her introduction with my own, "Madeira-Jade Hayes, the Jay whisperer."
She cackles loudly as we begin our walk and decides to give me a big hug as well. I return her affection happily because I really love hugs and Pres' are extra good because she's half a foot taller than me.
Jay groans, shaking his head. "Honestly, you two are going to give me a headache."
"That's the idea Romeo," she pauses and turns to me, "did he tell you he plans to woo Annie tonight?"
I chuckle. "Yup, apparently he's liked her for a while now."
She rolls her broad shoulders and in a mock whisper adds, "did I tell you that I plan to woo Nate tonight?"
"Is Nate cute?"
Jay groans loudly, shaking his head. "Don't get her started. I hear about Nate so much I feel like a stalker whenever I talk to him."
Pres shrugs and nudges him into the fence to our right. "Don't be an ass, at least I haven't been drooling over Annie since the third grade. Its been what, seven years now?"
Jay ignores the tease and instead directs us to a sharp right into a hidden alleyway, then a left onto a secluded dirt path. When the walk evens a bit, the conversation turns to me and how I know Jay.
"I ran away and tried to steal gasoline from their garage but got caught. Then Collette offered to let me stay for two weeks before I go back," I explain.
Pres nods with a distinct kind of understanding. "Sounds like Collette. But I bet that pain in the ass Atty gave you trouble."
"Funny, he used the exact same words for you," I laugh. Sounds like a good old-fashioned rivalry.
She narrows her dark brown eyes, pouting her lips. "Sounds like Atty." Pres then asks about why I ran away, so I tell her.
"Dated this guy Will, made some bad decisions and accidentally seduced his best friend, created a huge mess."
She takes it in stride, wholeheartedly agreeing with my actions (so now I know for sure between the two of them, Jay's the one keeping them alive).
Eventually we make it to Mason's, and man oh man, Mason is one rich fellow. He's got the type of house where you can complete whole conversation just walking up the endless driveway. And of course, the mansion has heavy double doors leading to sweeping marble stairs. I glance up and as expected, there's a car sized crystal chandelier just hanging there.
By now the party is in full swing, with teens pouring out of every nook and cranny while the music creates a steady hum in the background. There's the distinct scent of alcohol creeping from the left, mixing with the teenage musk in the air. I tilt my head slightly and see an archway leading into a loud room.
"Shots?" Pres asks. She read my mind. I smile so she hooks her arm in mine and sweeps me away, mumbling something to Jay over her shoulders. He's already immersed in his group of guys before we're even out of sight.
Once we're at the source of the noise, I see a group of boys chanting around a grey table filled with red cups. They're rooting for a girl with a ping pong ball in her hand. Ah, now this is familiar. Towns may change, but the kids rarely do.
I take a few steps towards the group, but Pres lightly elbows me in the side. She points to a brightly dressed guy near the back wall with big eyes and cornrows pulled into a bun. He's leaning into another girl and both are laughing.
"Nate?" I ask. She sighs, turning in the other direction. Oh no, I'm not letting my girl's wooing plans go to waste just because Nate is flirting with another girl. Pres is a catch by any standards.
"C'mon," I instruct as I string her along, right in Nate's direction.
"Jade, no. Nate's dead set on getting into Harvard, and that girl? She's Celeste- as in already-got-accepted-to-Yale Celeste. I'm not bothering them, no way," Pres babbles all at once, pulling on each step as I lead us closer.
"There's no way she already got accepted, the school year just began!" I try to reason. The Yale thing has to be a rumor, it's either that or I somehow managed to miss the college application window and thus have an entirely new problem to deal with it.
Pres ignores my objection and continues trying to weasel her way out of this.
Once we're close enough, I clear my throat. Thankfully, that gets both Nate and Celeste's attentions right away. I smile wide and turn to Nate. "Hi, I'm Jade! I'm new here and Pres just told me you're looking good for Harvard? That's amazing," then to Celeste I say, "and you're already accepted to Yale? Wow. Is it okay if you give me a few pointers? I'd love some guidance!"
Celeste, a gorgeous girl with dark red hair wavier than the ocean, smiles wide and nods. I gesture to the couch on the other side of the room and get her to follow me, leaving both Pres and Nate together.
Once we're seated, I speak before she can say anything. "I'm sorry, I lied. I have no interest in Yale, just needed to give my girl an opening."
At this Celeste laughs. "No worries, it's cool. The Yale thing is a rumor, by the way. Applications haven't even opened yet." Oh, thank God. She flashes me a shy smile and points to one of the guys in the middle of the beer pong group- an actual giant, mountain of a man. "How about you give me an opening with him?"
Oh, this is going to be a fun night.
"His name's Mark and we almost hooked up last week but I think I gave him the impression that I'm not interested."
"Say no more," I chime in a singsongy voice. Its always fun to have quests at a party, makes me feel accomplished.
I slide over to the group and pretend to bump into the target- uh, guy. He immediately holds out a hand to help steady me. I plaster on another wide smile. "Thanks," then I visibly check him out (even throwing in an arm feel for the full effect) and add, "oh, you must be Mark."
He scrunches his eyebrows, visibly confused. "How do you...?"
"Please, Celeste already told me- a body that impressive only belongs to Mark."
His ears perk up at the mention of her name. Bingo. I press further. "She's right over there," I point behind me, "was talking about wanting to run into you. Imagine my luck, huh?"
At this point, he's already got his eyes trained on Celeste. I doubt he's hearing much of what I'm saying, but for some reason Mark's still rooted to his spot. Looks like he needs a final push.
I raise my hand in the air and call out, "hey, Celeste! Over here, look who I found!" She reacts, of course, with excitement. Once he sees that, he practically flies over to her.
From behind me, I can just barely make out the sound of singular clapping. When I turn, I see a guy with slicked back brown hair and sparkling blue eyes.
"If you're everyone else's wing woman, who's gunning for you?"
I flutter my lashes, sending him a coy smile. "I don't need it."
He chuckles. "I would expect no less from Will's girl."
The smile vanishes from my face instantly, so fast you wouldn't know it was there to begin with. The guy raises his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, you are Jade right?" he asks.
"No," I grumble as I push past him. Even one town over, stupid Will has influence. I wanted to party to forget about that douche and his ultimatum, not have people refer to me as 'Will's girl'. So gross.
Whatever, there's still plenty to do. This night isn't a waste, I refuse to let it be. Time to turn things around and get the taste of vomit out of my mouth. I'll start by finding the keg then work my way from there.
Armed with the makings of a plan, I wander to the gigantic backyard with its lush grass and arched trees. Sure enough, propped in the middle is an equally outstanding keg.
I feel a sense of relief when I spot Jay nearby, fooling around with the guys I saw back at June's. I try to keep an even pace and casually stroll over to him but I know its more of an eager hobble instead.
"Did you speak to Annie yet?" I ask.
Instead of answering, he simply pouts. His friend instead laughs and explains, "he did, Annie's got a girlfriend."
Oh, damn. That sucks.
Looks like I've found my next quest, cheer Jay up. That, and make sure to steer clear of Will's associate.
I occupy myself with these two tasks as we drink and laugh, making generally stupid jokes- the kind that are only funny if you've got a certain blood alcohol level.
"Don't worry, I'll find you a pretty girl. I'm 2 for 2 as of now," I reassure, already scanning a nearby group for someone with potential.
He holds up a hand, shaking his head. The blonde locks he had styled back before are loose by now, brushing against his forehead. Paired with his round hazel eyes, he reminds me of a puppy.
"I'll be fine. What about you though? You look paranoid as hell."
I have no idea what to say. For a while we sit quietly side by side on the grass, lost in the music. Ultimately, I sigh.
"Some guy called me Will's girl and I don't know, its just pissed me off."
He reclines on his back, propped up on his elbows. "Will's a coward. He doesn't deserve even a second of your time."
I rest my chin on my knees, hiding a small smile. Beside me, something buzzes on the grass, a screen lights up.
"Can you check that please?" Jay asks. I glance at his home screen and read the text from Pres, the words immediately making me grin.
"It's from Pres, she says she left with Nate."
Jay takes a deep breath and hops to his feet. "We should head back too," he suggests. I nod, scanning the crowd for that slicked back brown head one more time before we leave.
/\/\**/\/\**/\/\
Just a fair head's up, the next chapter will be very dialogue heavy, so please stick around if you enjoy that :)
Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Or about your thoughts on Pres :D
Chp pic: sort of what Pres' outfit looks like, except the dress is a bit longer, the jacket is rougher and the whole thing isn't as glamorous lol