THE PARTY I

CHAPTER 12

12. THE PARTY I

Chloe straightens her hair and I decide to curl mine instead. I usually wear it straight but today I felt like curling it for more volume

I took my time doing Chloe’s make-up as we talked about everything and nothing. Most of it centered on our mutual hatred for Kieran.

Get a bestie who hates your enemy as much as you do.

If Chloe was the queen of shopping, I was the queen of make-up. My parents owned a beauty company. After all, it’s only reasonable that I was good at it. I’d grow up playing with makeup and listening to exclusive make-up secrets from top beauty gurus in the industry.

“How was practice today?” I asked Chloe, changing the topic from Kieran slander.

“Everyone was shitty. There’s no improvement.” She sighs.

“They care more about kicking me off the team than actually bettering themselves,” I snort.

“I made everyone run laps until they almost burst a lung for that and then they did cart wheels non-stop for their bitchiness.”

“Chloe!” I scolded and smacked her arm.

“You’re too nice to those ungrateful bitches for your own good, you know. It’s just a little punishment and way less than they deserve." She scoffs.

"I'm not being nice. I just don't want you injuring their bodies. I care about the Royal Academy cheer team not for those two timers, at least not after what they did.”

I make a show of dusting my hands and turned Chloe towards the mirror so she could see my work of art. I’d given her a natural but smoky look with white and black eyeshadow with crystals on the arc of her brow.

“Omg! I literally look like a goddess, Liya.” She gushed as she took her phone and began snapping away.

“No, you don’t look like a goddess. You are a goddess, Chloe.” I chuckled.

My own make-up was similar but with red and pink galaxy eye makeup and crystal tears.

In summary, we looked overdressed and bad ass. And that’s exactly what we were going for, so it worked. We planned to stand out in a good way. Chloe paired her outfit with a black four-inch slipper heel and I paired mine with a beige heel with spandex laces up to my knees.

We both go downstairs and take a shot of my dad’s whiskey before stumbling in our heels, laughing and heading to my car.

Chloe was making me the driver so she could get wasted tonight, but I didn’t mind. I never got wasted anyway, as I don’t really like drinking and making myself a fool in front of anyone.

I don’t understand why Chloe does it, as she always ends up making decisions she regrets. I always try to stop her from taking more when she was reaching her limits but she’d get this immense strength to swat me away annoyingly and then complain to me the next day about hooking up with the wrong guy or saying the wrong things to people.

That didn’t keep me from telling her I told you so, neither did it keep me from trying to stop her from overdrinking.

The party was already in full swing before we arrived. We gave Tyler Myers, the point guard of the team, who was stationed at the gate, our tickets and we headed inside. He gave us appreciative glances before whistling under his breath. The air was thick with smoke and alcohol as people drank and grinded against each other. Chloe’s eyes lit with glee and I knew this was going to be another situation where I had to fend her off the drinks. At this point, she was only bringing me along to be her chaperone and driver because she never acted like that when I wasn’t around. It was sweet that she trusted me but it was equally tiresome.

“Let’s join them”. She said as she dragged me towards the dance floor and sweaty bodies rubbed onto my skin.

I hated it. Ugh

But Chloe loved it. Again Ugh!

‘We can’t stop’ by Miley Cyrus blared from the speakers as Chloe shouted the lyrics into my face.

And I just found something to focus on instead of the sweaty bodies as I screamed the lyrics back at her. My problems were momentarily forgotten and I was just happy to be here, happy with someone who gave an honest shit about me.

“Can’t you see it’s we who own the night?” Chloe screamed the lyrics at me with so much passion.

“Can’t you see it’s we who’ bout that life”? I screamed back at her, matching her energy.

“And we can’t stop” We both screamed at each other’s faces and I laughed. We shake our hips to the music and raise our hands, dancing like the world would stop if we didn’t.

‘Soco’ by Starboy started to play and cheers rang out as people screamed and jumped. More people joined the frenzy.

I dropped my hands to my knees and whined my waist, twerking to the music and Chloe grabbed onto my hips and allowed me to grind her as we danced together laughing. I whipped my hair back and grinned at her. Whining slower and then faster, catching every rhythm as Chloe also moved her hips together with me. I was glad I was dancing with my friend instead of any of the guys in school. If any of them had attempted to dance with me, I’d have to bring my inner stuck-up bitch and end up ruining our fun.

A hand snakes around Chloe’s neck and she turns to look at Tyler Myers who’d come to press himself against her. Their eyes met and I could already see the lust swimming and cracking around them.

Get a room already folks.

That did it for me.

“I'll go get us drinks.” I called above the music. Chloe never refused drinks and would let me go. She did as I guessed, nodding in agreement and unable to speak because Tyler’s hands were already skimming her lips.

I turned my back and left the two of them to it. Feeling more sweaty bodies push against me as I struggled to get out of the crazy bodies.

I’d been grabbed and touched a few times but I managed to make it out. I was going to sit down and catch my breath first and wipe the sweat off in the washroom. I’d have gone to take a swim but I didn’t want to ruin my make-up. I hadn’t taken anything to retouch it.

I headed to the sitting area but Kieran was already sitting there with his flock of followers, my ex-team members included. He’s dressed in jeans and a wife-beater and I refuse to acknowledge he looked good so effortlessly. He held an unlit blunt in his fingers. His dark eyes met mine and I held them challengingly for a second before I scoffed and looked away, deciding to go and grab some water. I was feeling hot from the dancing and the smoke-filled room wasn’t making it easier.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed one of the red cups, dropping some ice into it and filling it with water from the tap. I take gulps of it before splashing the rest on my face. Thank goodness for quality and water-proof make-up. I release a moan from the coolness.

“I should substitute for tap water if it’s that good.” A low and rough voice says into my ears and I whip around to find Kieran standing right at my back smirking down at me cruelly.