Chapter 1
“Oh, come on, Talon’s so boring,” Allison whined. Gripping my hand, she pulled me off the sofa. “Just come to the party.” She gave me her best sad face, puppy-dog eyes and all.
“It’s hardly a party,” I replied. “It’s just a pitiful group of your friends making out in your basement. Plus, Talon already said no, so I can’t go.”
“I can’t believe this. ‘Talon said I can’t go, so I’ll just stay at home,’” Allison said in a mocking tone. “God, he’s your boyfriend, not your father. He is so controlling.”
“He is not controlling, he just wants what’s best for me! He wants me to make the responsible choice, and you yelling at me isn’t helping.”
“I know, I just really want you to be there, Lulu.”
I did not need the guilt trip, so I just replied with, “I’ll think about it.”
She claps her hands together. “Good. I hope to see you there. Remember, my place at seven, and dress sexy, this is a graduation party, and everyone at the party is eighteen now.” She smiles. “This is just what you need, and I don’t care that you have a boyfriend. It doesn’t even count, he wants to wait until marriage, and you need a fling.”
“Remember Allison, waiting was a mutual decision because we both plan to wait until marriage.”
“Umm, ok, just be there. Now I have to go convince some other people to go, because without a good crowd, this party is gonna suck.” With that, she whisks out the door, intent on having a huge party. I will admit, I am a little excited. This will be the first time I’ve gone out in a long time. I build up the courage to call Talon. He answers, and when I ask him if I can go, he says,
“You know the answer to that. Lulu, be smarter than this. I’m not going either.” I can practically hear his eyes roll. I start to protest, but he quickly says,
“I don’t want to hear anything. You know that this is what’s best for you. I’ll see you tomorrow to help you prepare for your job interview” He hangs up the phone, and I start to sniff. A tear rolls down my cheek, but not with sadness. This is anger. He can’t just tell me not to go. Allison is right, he isn’t my father. I’m going to the party. I head up to my room, and start rooting through my closet, looking for anything and everything that might be fancy enough to wear to a party. Then I think to myself, ‘What are you doing? This isn’t you, and you don’t have anything to wear anyway.’ I throw on a gray hoodie and some jeans. I think about what to do with my hair, but when I look at my phone, the time reads: 6:45pm. I put my hair into a messy bun and rush out the door to get to the party.
I drive up to Allison’s house at 7:02, and as I walk in, I smell the booze, and see her friends all over the house. I run to find her, and concerned I whisper, “Allison, your parents are going to kill you! They told you that you could have a small party in the basement, not a huge party all over the house!”
“I know, but they’re out of town all week on a business trip, remember?” By the way, how did you get Talon to let you come over?”
“I didn’t tell him.” She sways slightly with a pleased look on her face.
“I knew you’d do it!” She starts giggling.
“Wait, are you already drunk?” It’s freaking 7:15 in the evening!”
“Yeah, but so is everyone else. Here, take my cup. We have plenty to spare, and getting tipsy is just what you need to let loose a little. Actually, you should change, your outfit is awful. She throws her drink at me, which smells like straight tequila, and it makes me gag. She has a huge house, and multiple bedrooms that are empty, and I shiver thinking about what might be happening up there. “You know where my room is, and you’re welcome to anything in my closet. When I see you again, you better be wearing something better than whatever that is.” She gestures at my hoodie and sweatpants. She then floats away, immersing herself in the crowd. I stand there awkwardly, praying for Allison to come back and save me from these strange people, but she doesn’t. I start wandering around the house, so that I don’t have to just stand there like a weirdo. As I start to drift up her spiral staircase, to her room to change, winding around the people sitting on the stairs, I trip. I brace myself for bashing my teeth in, but a hand grabs my sweatshirt from above.
“Watch where you’re going, ok?” A voice snorts. I look up, and see a guy, probably around my age, but he wasn’t in any of my classes, so I don’t think he goes to our school.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“What a way to start a conversation,” He replies. “No ‘hi’ or anything. I don’t like to give out my name. You never might know who might be listening.” Hmm. What a weird thing to say.
“Well, hi rando, I’m Lulu.”
“If we’re asking questions, why is your sweatshirt all wet? Also, you smell like alcohol, but you’re definitely not drunk, so what happened there?”
“You seem smart, why are you here?” I ask.
“Who knows, I could be a criminal mastermind, here to kidnap your friends and murder them in my basement.” He smiles, the first thing I’m sure is genuine since our conversation started.
“First of all, they’re not my friends. Second of all, I thought murderers were supposed to be ugly.” What am I doing? This isn’t me. I have a boyfriend, and I shouldn’t be flirting with some guy at a party. I need to say something. “I have a boyfriend, and I should go change. Have fun with the rest of the party.” I start up the rest of the stairs. He blocks my path.
“Well, having a boyfriend doesn’t mean we can’t talk, right? I’ll help you find some clothes.”
“I know where Allison’s room is, I’ll be fine.” I push past him and continue up the rest of the stairs. I turn down the hallway, and when I open her bedroom door, I find her passionately kissing someone on her bed. Her eyes dart to us.
“Oh hey, I thought you had already changed,” she says sheepishly. “I’ll leave you to change.” She pulls the guy she’s with out the door, but on her way out she whispers in my ear, “I knew you secretly wanted a fling. Go get him!” I scoff, because that is not what is happening at all, but before I can explain, she rushes off. This mystery guy and I step into Allison’s room, and it seems clean, but don’t let that fool you. Her closet is a mess, and I don’t know if I’ll even be able to find anything, but my hoodie is cold, so I have to find something. Despite her closet being huge, it’s so stuffed with clothes that it’s hard to find space to even stand, and we end up smushed together. It’s not really romantic though, it’s just awkward . He breaks the tension though. He holds up one of Allison’s most scandalous outfits, which is basically just a bikini marketed as a real shirt, and jokingly says,
“What about this one? Something tells me you’d look good in it.” My eyes grow round.
“No! I could never pull that one off.”
“Oh come on, I’m sure you look good in everything.”
“Very funny.” I pull a spaghetti-strap, sparkly, purple dress with the highest neckline I can find. “This one is much better. Now leave so I can change please.”
“But I don’t want to leave.”
“Well you have to. I have a boyfriend.” I don’t mention that this would actually be my first time changing in front of anyone.
“You know, you keep saying that,” he says thoughtfully. “It seems like you’re trying to convince yourself more than you’re trying to convince me.
“Well, regardless, just get out so I can change.”
“Ok fine, but just let me know if you want me to come back in.” He flashes a smile, then exits, but doesn’t shut the door.
“Shut the door!” I throw a pillow at him.
“Fine.” He shuts the door, but I also lock myself into the closet just in case. It’s really cramped in here, but I make do. I finally squeeze into the dress, which is a little small on me, and say,
“You can come in now.” He walks back in, sits down on the bed, and pats the spot next to him.
“Come on, sit down, and let’s talk.”
“I really should get going.”
“Oh, come on. Can’t two friends chat?” He has a point. There’s no reason I can’t talk to him. We could be friends. But only friends. Nothing more. I plop down next to him.
“What do you want to talk about?” He asks.
“Well, I have a job interview tomorrow.”
“That’s cool, I hope it goes well. Is it for a super modeling gig?”“Haha, no. It’s for, umm, a waitress job.”
“Really?” I figured you would be rich by now, with how stunning you are.”
“You know, this really isn’t helping you get into my pants.” I say this as confidently as I can, but I feel something with him that I don’t feel with Talon. We just met, but he already has some hold on me that I can’t shake. It’s either that or his friendship reminds me of what me and Talon had the first few months of our relationship. Yeah, that’s probably it. I can’t just throw myself at every guy I see. Even though I would give anything for him to remove his shirt, and mine, and then⎯
“Lulu?”
I shake myself out of my thoughts.
“Huh?”
“I asked what you were thinking about. You were just zoning out, looking off into space.”
“Oh. Uhhh, I was busy thinking about my interview tomorrow,” I lied.
“Ok. Well, I was just saying that you have something on your face.”
I tried to wipe it away, but nothing came off of my face. I tried again, to no avail.
“Here, I got it.” He wipes it away, then looks down into my eyes. I feel a hand on the back of my neck, and he leans forward. I know myself and my control though. He is no good for me, just like Talon said. Plus, I’m in love with Talon. Just because this man is mysterious, and handsome, and charming, I can’t get involved. I pull away, and his brow furrows.
“What happened?”
“I told you, this is not happening.”
He looks hurt, but he should have known I’m not going to just fall all over him, although his reaction tells me that’s exactly what other girls do. It was good timing too, because just then, Allison bursts in, and if she saw me kissing this guy, I would never live it down.
“Lulu! Get downstairs, quick. He’s livid.”
“What happened? Did your dad get home or something?”
“Talon’s here.”
Well, shit.
