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Chapter 13--NOT EDITED OR CONSTRUCTED; WILL BE CONFUSING FROM PREVIOUS CHAPTERS
"You look exceptionally miserable today." River announced to the entire cafe as he plopped down in the seat beside mine. I shot him a dark glare. He really did have such a way with words. "Have a nice little chat with the yummy 'not-brother'?"
"If you could call it that." I grumbled and kicked my feet up on the empty chair across from me. It was early Thursday morning, and despite a tense "have a good day" before he left, Adriel and I were fine. We even spent the rest of Wednesday afternoon together and finished off the pizza.
"Spill that tea, my dear." River sighed dramatically and sipped on his frozen coffee.
"There is no 'tea'." I air quoted the word with my fingers like he usually did. "We both agreed it was best if what happened stayed a one-time thing."
"Oof. Well, that's no freaking fun. How am I supposed to live vicariously through you if you refuse to fuck the guy?"
I rolled my eyes but ate my bagel without snapping any rude comments. "It was his idea, and it's for the best. Things would just get too complicated if we kept sleeping together." No matter how badly I wanted to.
"Whatever, you two are going to bump uglies again, bet you all the money in my bank account."
"You two are still on this?" Siena sighed as she sat down at my other side. She wore her usual dark attire, except her usual purple lips were a deep, dark blue that reminded me a little too much of a certain person's eyes. River wore dark gray shorts, and a floral blue button down that didn't really go together but he somehow managed to make it work. I gave Siena a small smile as she slapped her microwave to-go breakfast down on the table.
"He is." I grumbled and nodded over to the skinny brunette as he slurped on his drink.
She rolled her eyes. "He's hornier than I am. And that's saying something." I let out a laugh, but River just shot her a look.
"Not all of us can walk up to random guys and get fucked—literally."
"Grow a vagina and it's easy."
"You make it sound like I haven't tried." That actually got a laugh out of Siena, which was apparently pretty rare. I smiled and relaxed back in my seat. I enjoyed how they nagged each other.
They tossed various insults back and forth for the next few minutes until River glanced down at his Apple Watch. Those hazel eyes suddenly became alive. "It's Thursday!" He sang happily.
"I know, that Folklore professor is already assigning papers next week." I groaned, and completely didn't understand the enthusiasm in his eyes. We had barely began discussing the 'mythical' beginnings of Deshua, and the teach' already wanted us to write a paper.
"Oh, no. That's not why I'm enthused at all." His large smile disappeared into a scowl as he brought his way too tiny backpack up on the table. "Ever heard of Thirsty Thursdays, Larkin?" River asked on a dramatic, elated sigh. Those bright hazel eyes of his staring off into some lust-filled distance.
"Uh, sure. A bunch of kids from high school used to throw parties on Thursdays."
I was never much of a partier—I was never much of anything really. Ever since I turned sixteen all my free time was spent working various part-time jobs so I could afford to live on my own when I became legal. That all changed when the Markos took me in. I still worked a part-time job on the weekends, but they insisted I should be a kid for my last two years of high school. I was worried about not making enough money, until then their parents admitted they were actually putting some away for me for college. No one ever cared liked that.
Then when they died and Adriel made me stay, my whole perspective changed. He didn't want me working while I was in school at all, which was why I didn't try to get one here. Dri was convinced he made enough to keep the three of us comfortable, and even if he couldn't, his parents left them with a shit ton of money.
"Have you ever been to a college Thursday party?" River's voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I flicked my gaze towards his.
"No."
"Honey, they are awesome. All the drinking, smoking, loose inhibitions. It's a great, great time." He sighed dreamily and Siena rolled her eyes.
"She might not like parties, skank." The goth spat at her best friend. That was something I noticed pretty quickly with these two. They might have been 'best friends' but they were the meanest people to each other. Even meaner than I was to Dri! And I call that man all kinds of things.
"Why are you calling me the skank?" He raised a pale brown and leaned forward against the table. "I'm not the one who fucked some rando' last night."
My eyes widened and I looked over at Siena whose cheeks had flushed a bright pink. "Well, look at you miss anti-social." I teased and nudged her softly in the shoulder, so she knew I was joking.
"He wasn't completely random." She spoke calmly enough, but her creepy, bright gray eyes sent River a narrowed glare. "We've been talking for a while. And don't act like you aren't king of one-night stands." She took her spoon out of her on-the-go oatmeal and jabbed it at her friend.
"Never said I wasn't." He stuck his tongue out before leaning back causally in his seat with a smug smile. Men. No matter their sexual orientation, they were all the same.
"Pig." Siena echoed my thoughts with a look of pure disgust.
"Anyway..." River rolled his hazel eyes before turning that bright smile back on me. "What do you say, Lark? It's the first real week of school, there's for sure going to be dozens of parties."
"In the dorms?"
"Only if you're a grungy-freshmen." He laughed, like that was the funniest joke in the world.
"We are freshmen, moron." Siena snapped and reached up to chuck her used napkin at River's face. He dodged it effortlessly.
"Yes, but we're not grungy, Si. That's the difference. I got the hook-up babe, don't you worry." He nodded excitedly, his eyes flashing like we shared some deep secret. "All the upper classmen party in the apartments off campus. That's where we're headed tonight!"
I let a laugh escape and shook my head as he passed his beaming smile between Siena and I. "Thanks for the offer, but I have to be home by four today to look after Raffie." Despite what happened between us, I wasn't going to risk Dri's wrath at being late again. No way.
"That's the great thing about college parties, Lark!" His words were loud enough that the students sitting a few tables over looked at us curiously. "They're at night! His 'hot-ness' will be home in time to watch her. Hell, invite him along! I'd love to get that man all drunk and loose, as much as you would. If you know what I mean." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
I let out a small sigh. "Adriel never parties. I've never seen him drink either. Besides, even if he did want to go, we wouldn't have anyone to watch Raf. Sorry." I gave him a one-shoulder shrug, as a pout slowly fell over his pale lips.
"Fine, but you're still going to try to go, right?" The hopeful look that overtook his boyish, adorable features really did pull at my heart. I felt bad for saying no.
"River—"
"Awe, come on! You can get dressed up all cute, come over to mine and Si's apartment and we can all get drunk together, then head to the parties!"
I let my gaze fall away and ran my fingers through the long, loose curls tangling my hair. "I'll... talk to Adriel about it." I wasn't so sure he would be thrilled about me spending a night with a bunch of drunk college kids.
"Yay! Don't worry about bringing any alcohol, I have loads." He clapped once excitedly, and even Siena sent me a small smile.
I tried to shove down the unease in my chest as River kept rambling on. The last time I ever went to a party I ended up being so uncomfortable I called the Markos. No matter what Adriel said, they died because I did that. I might not have killed them, but I still was the reason it happened. I never wanted to go to a party again. But the campus was close enough to our house to walk, and I wouldn't call Adriel to come get me.
No matter what.
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"A party..." Dri rolled the words around his tongue uncomfortably, like he was tasting them and decided he didn't like their flavor.
"Yeah, River—the guy that was here last week—invited me." More like persisted until I conceded, but I didn't think that would have sat well with Adriel.
"Hm." Was all the blue-eyed, insanely good in bed, man muttered as he turned his attention back to the dishes in the sink. I quietly wiped the clean ones dry and put them away. "And you want to go?" He asked a moment later, his gaze focused on the soapy water. I shrugged and wiped down another plate.
"It's part of the college experience, right? And I did tell you I would try."
He sighed and pulled the plug out of the drain when the last dish was washed. "I wanted you to try and enjoy the town. Not get fucking trashed around a bunch of people you don't know." There was a hard bite to his tone I hadn't quite heard before. The last thing I wanted to do was upset him, even if I loved the way his muscles tensed and strained against the fabric of his t-shirt. Muscles I had my fingers curled into two days before.
"Well, I know Siena and River. And I only have one class tomorrow at noon so it's not like I'll sleep through it..."
"Whatever, Lark." Even though he spoke low, that hard snap in his tone cut through my chest like ice. "Do whatever you want." I sighed and stepped forward to place a soft hand on his arm. I didn't want to make him upset, no matter how much his muscles bulged. If he didn't want me to go than I wouldn't.
"Dri—"
"It's not like you need my permission." He snapped and pulled away, those dark blue eyes blazing. "You're an adult, and I'm not in fucking charge of you." Adriel brushed past me with his jaw grit tightly shut and all-but stormed from the kitchen.
"Adriel!" I called after him, my mouth hanging open. He didn't stop, and I was too shocked to go after him. What the fuck was that? Guilt suddenly weighed heavily on my shoulders. All I did was tell him about some stupid party! He didn't have to get all pissed off! I wasn't even sure if I was going to go!
Was this a fucking jealousy thing?! He was the one that suggested the whole "one-time" thing anyway! And it's not like I was going out to fuck a bunch of random guys! That guilt quickly fell away to rage. Fine. If he wants to get pissy over something stupid like that than fuck him—metaphorically speaking. No, he wasn't in charge of me, and I sure as hell didn't need his fucking permission.
He wants to be angry? I'll give him a reason to be.
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It was ten o'clock by the time River, Siena, and I were all walking sloppily to the upper classmen apartments behind campus. I didn't drink, like ever, so the two Vodka and Crans' I had at their apartment were making me feel more than a little good. I had sat giggling on the couch as they threw back four or five shots. I stopped counting after a while. For someone as skinny as River, he sure could hold his alcohol. Despite the fact we were all stumbling by party-time.
"And this is Luke Acton's place. He's a junior who is far too yummy for words." River announced as he swayed against me before that grip on my arm tightened and he pulled us towards the bustling front door. Luke? I knew that name. Creepy boy Luke?
"Creepy boy Luke?" I asked out loud, my feet stumbling slightly as River dragged us up the apartment's stone steps. College kids were streaming in and out of the door, all laughing and cheering and drinking deeply from plastic water bottles. Though the liquid inside them definitely was not water.
"What did you say?" Siena shouted over the pounding music when we were finally able to push our way into the way too crowded living room. The apartment was pretty big, with a living room and kitchen that took up the entire first floor.
"I said," I raised my voice, like that would help any. The music was too loud and there were way too many people. "Creep boy Luke?!"
Siena just scrunched her face up but just waved me off. My mind was too gone to really care, and I just turned my attention to the thin boy gripping my arm. "Stay close, Lark!" River shouted over the music as he pulled us further through the crowd. "These things can get crazy!" As if to prove his point, there was suddenly the loud sound of glass breaking as someone threw a heavy object at the living room window.
This was nothing like that cheerleader's party in high school, and I honestly wasn't too pleased. There was no room to dance, you couldn't hear anyone, and I swear to whatever the hell was out there, that if that guy behind me touched my ass one more time I was going to deck him in his ugly little nose. Not that I knew if his nose was ugly or not. I couldn't see anything, and my mind wasn't all that present. Though my complete discomfort was slowly sobering me up.
"Having fun?!" River shouted over the noise, a beaming smile pulling across his pale lips.
"Oh, so much!" I replied sarcastically, but I knew he was too drunk to notice.
A tug on the bag of my short skirt caught my attention, and I wheeled around ready to deck whoever had the audacity to tug on my clothes, when I came face to face with a sheepish Siena. "I really have to use the bathroom!" She shouted over the music, an apologetic smile on her face. "Come with me?!"
"Of course!" Anything to get out of that mess. We told River where we were going, and he just shot us a thumbs-up before getting back to gyrating on a random guy who had grabbed his hips. Siena grabbed a hold of my hand, tightly might I add, and started dragging us through the crowed until we reached the stairs for the second floor.
There actually weren't too many people up there, I guess all the fun was in the mash pit below. Siena must have been here before because she expertly weaved us down the hallway to the last door on the right and barged in. Thankfully there was no one in there. She turned to me again, that sheepish smile pulling on her lips, which were painted a bright neon green instead of their usual purple. I imagined it was to match the sudden green streak in her hair and the black and green maxi-dress clutched desperately tight to her body. She looked good. For a goth.
"Thanks for coming with me, but I get a little pee-shy. Do you mind waiting out here?" I could tell she was sorry by the look on her face, but I sure as hell didn't mind. Not like I wanted to watch the girl pee anyway.
"Sure, Si. No worries." I backed out into the hall and closed the door behind me. There was a windowsill to my right which I leaned heavily against and fanned my heated skin. I had worn a short skirt and crop top, thinking that would be appropriate for a party. I guess it didn't really matter what you wore to one of these things. You were going to sweat regardless.
The music and noises of the crowd weren't too loud up here, and I was able to hear a rustling at the end of the hall. Then a loud 'thump' reached my ears. I stood away from the windowsill as a different door opened. My back went ramrod straight as that familiar flash of blond hair crossed my vision. Luke turned towards the stairs as he closed the door behind him, his jacket-covered sleeve reaching up to wipe at his mouth. He had just reached the railing above the steps, when his gaze flickered to mine. My heart dropped to the ground at my feet.
His eyes were red.
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Hope you all enjoyed! Shits getting real mwhaha.