The boys were drinking by the small table in the pool house but they fell silent the moment the girls knocked on the door. Damien checked that his sister wasn't there before unlocking it and he almost fell over in shock when he saw the transformed trio.
He shut the door while the girls sauntered in, looking sheepish and Julian started wolf whistling. He joined his friend and soon the entire room was filled with the boys whistles.
"Shut up," Nalini complained as she took a seat, but there was a ghost of a smile on her face when she looked at Damien.
Lola's cheeks were burning and it didn't help that Julian had been staring at her from the moment she walked in.
"You girls look hot," He said and then winked at Lola.
She felt something stir in her chest as she stared at him. He looked miles different from the night he crashed her place to seek refuge.
His cheeks were clean-shaven and pink, dark eyes carefree and content despite his current predicament. For some reason this observation made Lola feel happy.
"What are we drinking?" She asked after sitting down, eager to change he topic. "Please don't tell me it's beer again."
Julian laughed and then he started mixing some clear liquid into a plastic cup with some cranberry juice.
"Vodka cranberry," He answered. "We figured you girls would like this better."
He prepared three cups and handed them to each of them. Lola took a sip and felt the sweet liquid coat her tongue. He was right, this was a hundred times better than the bitter beer they had the other day.
"So I heard you wanted Julian to introduce you to me," Damien slid into the seat next to Nalini and put out his hand for her to shake. "The pleasure is all mine."
Nalini leaned away from the flirtatious boy and eyed him skeptically. "Are you sure the pleasure is yours? Because we just heard from your sister that you thought we dressed like crap."
"Yeah, but look at what my constructive critism did. I'm going to be fighting off guys the whole night," He smirked and Lola burst out laughing.
"I think that's a bit of a stretch. I mean yeah we're wearing your sister's nice clothes and make up but we still look pretty much the same. I'm still the same old chubby girl," Hanna said wistfully.
"She thinks she's chubby? What is she a size eight?" Julian asked Lola incredulously. "Why do girls think being size zero is attractive? We guys like some meat on our girls."
Nalini scoffed out loud at his remark. "Yeah, that's what you all say but last I checked your ex Natalie is a size two minus and so was yours." She pointed at Damien who pretended to study his drink.
"She has a point," He shrugged at Julian.
Lola surreptitiously eyed Julian at the mention of Natalie. She wondered if he knew about his girlfriend's new boyfriend who would most likely be at the party tonight.
"Lola, why are you staring at me like I broke leg," He suddenly turned his attention back to her making her recoil.
"Nothing. It's nothing," She mumbled suspiciously, drawing attention from everyone else in the room.
"No, it isn't," Julian's eyes narrowed on her face and she felt his gaze pierce her like laser beams.
She finally gave up, sighing loudly. "Okay fine, I was just worried that you heard about Natalie. I'm sorry I didn't tell her about you. I didn't think it was a good idea."
"Thank God, you didn't," Damien exclaimed and then he poured another drink for Nalini who frowned at him.
"Here this will help the latent anger radiating of you," He teased her and she snatched the drink away from him.
Julian's expression had darkened for a split second when he heard Lola's words but then he straightened up and gave her a forced smile. "It's fine, Damien told me. It's times like these when you realize who your real friends are."
Lola smiled at him, she admired him for being so strong. She didn't know what she would do if she was in his place.
They chatted for awhile longer and the girls had one more drink each before Damien decided it was time to leave. Lola stood up and adjusted her skirt, she had only had two drinks but she felt a little light headed and extremely brave, like she conquer the world.
"Let's do this! Tyler here I come!" She slammed her fist to her palm and grinned widely.
"She's definitely buzzing," Damien smiled, looking proud for some reason.
Lola nodded like a good student and followed her friends out of the pool house. She was the last to leave and just as she was about to cross the threshold she felt something pull her back inside.
She whirled around to see Julian who was standing extremely close, their chests almost touching. She gulped as she took in his expression, his beautiful eyes that were focused solely on hers, tugging her closer and closer.
"You don't have to do anything you want to," He said, his voice soft and heavy. "With Tyler."
She slowly pulled her hand out of his firm hold and cast him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Julian. It's just a mission."
He nodded, his face clouded with an emotion she couldn't read and she finally walked away, her heart beating in her chest.
It's just mission.
Lola's words played in her mind as she thought about Julian's words and Tyler, whom she would be approaching later on. She couldn't help but feel like she was playing fire with fire and wondered if she would end up getting burned.
They got into Damien's jeep, with Nalini in front this time and Lola looked out the window, trying to ignore the whirlwind of emotions in her chest.
"You, okay?" Hanna squeezed her hand, bringing her back to reality.
She squeezed back and cast her friend a reassuring smile.
"Hanna, since Lola is going to be busy with Tyler, I'm going to find you a date tonight. Do you have a type?" Damien asked.
"What about me?" Nalini complained. "You're going to have to find dates for the both of us."
"I'm already your date so don't be greedy," He replied, shutting her up.
Lola and Hanna squealed internally and leaned to the side to get a good look at Nalini. She saw their reactions and mouthed at them to 'shut up' but Lola could tell her friend was currently on cloud nine.
"Hanna's always liked tanned guys. Like Tyronne," Lola grinned cheekily just as her friend punched her.
"I don't want some Abercrombie model," Hanna said. "Just someone who isn't judgmental."
"A non-judgemental person in high school? Hanna, I don't think that exists." Damien laughed. "I think Tyronne will do."
Lola stifled a laugh when Hanna shot her a deathly glare.
"Okay, girls we are here," Damien announced once they reached a street packed with parked cars.
Natalie's house was slightly smaller than Damien's but her lawn was huge and there were kids sprawled all over the place. Damien parked his car and then got out but the three of them stayed rooted in place.
Lola, Nalini and Hanna were dead silent as they stared at the scary scene before them. Their schoolmates and strangers they didn't know were standing in groups, lying in pairs or making out by the sides of the house.
"Why did we think we could do this?" Hanna murmured in a small voice.
Lola was still riding on the high from the pre-drinking, it was fading with her nerves but she could always solve that with another drink. She grabbed Hanna's hand and pulled her out with her while Damien pulled a reluctant Nalini out as well.
"We survived these two cocky boys. The rest can't be any worse," Lola whispered to Hanna, trying to make her feel better.
Who knew she could be so wrong?