“I’m totally excited!” Gretchen
squealed as we walked, arms linked, up the sidewalk to Tanner’s house.
Yes, I felt guilty for lying to
my dad. It wasn’t Olivia’s house. There’s no Olivia anyway. But I thought it would
sound better if the party were being thrown by a girl and not an immature boy.
Tanner was just that. An annoying, loud, overbearing football player from my
old high school who insisted on being popular whether people wanted him to or
not. I think he was only accepted into the club because he had parents who
traveled a lot, thus opening his house to the most over-the-top,
alcohol-infused, sex-crazed parties in the city. It amazed me that not one of
them had ever been busted by the cops.
“What’s there to be excited
about?” I asked. “These parties are obnoxious.”
“Whatever, Brooke. You loved them
last year.”
“Yeah, that was last year,” I
said. “God, I don’t want to run into anyone I know.”
We pushed through the front door
and nearly toppled onto Stephanie.
“Oh my God!” she screamed,
throwing her arms around my neck and choking me.
“Steph.” I know I sounded less
than enthusiastic, but I just couldn’t pretend anymore.
“I was so hoping you’d come
tonight!” she replied, pulling away and looking me up and down. “You look so
pretty!”
I did look pretty. I wore dark
blue skinny jeans with a gray sequins top and alligator pumps. My very first
pair of closed-toe heels. I bought them immediately after Beth’s funeral, and I
made sure there was nothing sad about them. Not a hint of black. They were
purple instead. I wore my hair in a messy chignon at the nape of my neck to
show off my mother’s wedding earrings—the diamond studs. I felt confident and
sexy.
“Thanks. I love your dress,” I
replied. “It’s really cute.”
Stephanie looked down at her
outfit. “I know, right?!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the living
room. “Look who’s here, everyone!”
“No no,” I said, shaking my head
and tearing my hand out of hers. “No one needs to know.”
I smiled nervously and looked
around. Thankfully no one heard Stephanie or they didn’t care. The music was
turned up to the max, and half the partiers were already wasted. There was an
uneasy energy bouncing about the room, like a huge fight would break out at any
moment. I didn’t like it, or rather my spirit didn’t like it. I could tell
because my heart fluttered and thumped, and not to the beat of the song.
I turned around assuming Gretchen
had followed me into the living room. I assumed wrong.
©
S. Walden, 2013
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