I looked around quickly, trying to spot Clay’s BMW in the throng of cars. I couldn’t find it, so I grudgingly followed my friend. “Hey, Maggie,” a guy slurred as I approached the crowd. I squinted in the darkness and made out Raymond Lewis, a kid in my year who was friends with Daniel and often hung in our circle. I was also friends with his girlfriend, Clare, who had been in French Club with me our freshman year.
It was obvious Ray had already had a lot to drink, as he hung on to me for support. Damn it, I had told Clay this wouldn’t be that kind of party. I had just been made a liar, and that pissed meoff.
“Get off, Ray.” I shook my arm, trying to get loose. Raymond awkwardly slung his arm around my waist; more in an effort to stay upright, it seemed, than with any kind of friendly affection.
“I think you need a drink, Maggie. Come on.” I wiggled out of his grasp and didn’t follow as he tottered off in the direction of Melissa’s house.
I found Rachel, red cup already in hand, who had been intercepted by Jeremiah Higgins and Lila Casteel. Rachel gave me a smile as I approached before turning back to her conversation with Jeremiah and Lila. They were apparently trying to recruit her for the Humanitarian Club or something equally boring. I stood there not really listening, tapping my foot, and scoping out the party.
People were really drunk. I could see a few girls throwing up in the bushes already. Couples were grinding against each other as they danced badly to the techno music blaring from the house, and people were sneaking off to do God knows what in the woods. Wow, this was seriously awful and I couldn’t believe I had actually wanted to come. I just hoped Clayton had decided to bail, even though I had asked him not to.
No such luck. Just as the thought crossed my mind, there he was. He had just started toward the bonfire when Kylie (Daniel’s now on-again girlfriend) and her bitch posse stopped him. I wasn’t sure whether Clay had spoken with any of them since their awkward introduction at Bubbles. But there they were, chatting it up like BFFs.
Grrr, that crazy jealousy knifed through me again. Dana and McKenna laughed at something Clayton said. Dana in her bleached-blond glory, tossing her stupid, perfect curls back and laying her hand onmyClay’s arm. Okay, I needed to check myself. He wasn’tmyClay. He was only my friend, who I’d thought might kiss me earlier today. That didn’t mean I had some sort of claim.
Despite my rationalizations, I was still beyond annoyed by the very obvious flirting happening on the other side of the bonfire. It was like watching a car wreck. My eyes were glued to the horror in front of me. After a few minutes, I was relieved that Kylie and the bimbettes moved back toward the house. Clayton stood there in the flickering shadow of the bonfire, looking like some sort of male model in his dark jeans and green Henley shirt. He was without his faded army jacket for once and he looked almost naked without it.
I nudged Rachel in the side and cocked my head in Clay’s direction, letting her know I was heading over to him. “I’ll be there in a sec,” she told me.
I walked over to Clay and I knew the exact moment he saw me. It was like one of those supercheesy movie scenes when the boy and girl spot each other across a crowded room, and their eyes lock. Each moves slowly toward the other, as if pulled by an invisible force. Then they rush into each other’s arms, kissing passionately and declaring their undying love.
Well, my scene didn’t quite go that way. Clay and I met halfway and he kept his hands firmly in his jeans pockets and nodded in my direction. But he did give me an awfully nice smile.
“Hey, Mags. Raging party. Not exactly what I was expecting,” he said jokingly as a junior stumbled past us to puke his guts out in the dirt not even ten feet behind me.
I cringed. “Yeah, I’m sorry, Clay, it’s not usually like this. Apparently Melissa’s parents are out of town, thus the massive kegger.” Clayton shrugged, trying to act as if the crazy debauchery around us wasn’t bothering him. I lightly touched his arm and he looked down at my fingers and then up into my eyes. “If this is too much for you, we can leave. You know, go get something to eat, go see a movie. Anything, really,” I said, hoping he’d say yes and we could get out of there.
Clay looked around, tossing his dark hair out of his eyes. “No, that’s cool. I mean, I’m already here, right?” I dropped my hand from his sleeve and it hung limply at my side. We fell into our normal silence as we watched kids from our school and the next town over partying like it was 1999.
“Hey, guys! Clay, it’s so cool that you made it!” Rachel gave Clay a big hug. Clayton looked over her shoulder at me, his surprise obvious, because he and Rachel were definitely not at the hugging stage of their acquaintance. I tried not to laugh. There was no way she’d had more than one drink, but here she was, acting like she had been mainlining vodka all night. She was such a lightweight. I gestured to Clay that Rachel had already been gulping up the happy sauce.
Clay smirked and mouthed sarcastically, “No kidding.” Rachel pulled away and then gave me the same boisterous hug. I couldn’t help but laugh at her. She definitely put thehappyinhappy drunk.Well, until she was forced to interact with Daniel, who had a habit of setting her off when she was like this. I was plotting ways of keeping them apart for the remainder of the evening when I saw him walking toward us with Kylie firmly attached to his side.
I sighed and prayed that Rachel wasn’t too tanked to keep a lid on the drama. “Mags! Rache! There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Daniel gave me a Polo Sport–scented hug and I nearly gagged. He wore way too much and the smell got stuck in my nose. He then turned and kissed Rachel on the forehead. Rachel scowled at him.
“I seriously doubt you were looking for us, Danny. You seem busy enough.” Kylie pulled herself up at Rachel’s biting comment and interlaced her fingers with Daniel’s in a territorial move.
Daniel frowned at Rachel but chose to ignore her words, which was probably smart on his part. He turned to Clay. “Hey, Clayton, good to see you made it out.” I couldn’t help but smile at Daniel’s efforts to be nice. They engaged in that weird guy fist-bump/handshake/half-hug thing boys do.
Clay gave him a small smile. “Hey, Daniel. How’s it going?” Daniel shrugged but gave a wary sideways glance at Rachel, who was now focused on anything besides him and Kylie. She was definitely failing in the subtlety department this evening.
“You know, same ol’, same ol’.” Rachel’s head whipped around and gave him a hateful smile.
“Yeah, itisthe same ol’, same ol’. Isn’t it, Danny? I can’t figure out why you’d keep coming back for the same old and tired thing instead of finding something new.” Kylie’s face turned red and I knew I had to intervene before there was an outright catfight.
“Rachel, enough,” I hissed under my breath. Daniel looked pissed.
“What the hell is your problem, Rachel? If I’ve done something to offend you, just tell me already.” Poor, delusional Daniel. He was seriously about to open up Pandora’s box and had no idea.
“Rachel’s just had a few too many drinks. She’ll be right as rain tomorrow. Don’t listen to her...” Rachel shoved me in the chest so that she could move past me. She got right in Daniel’s face, her expression murderous.
Clayton, thankfully, realized something was about to go down and moved deftly between them. “Rachel, could you help me find the keg? I’m pretty thirsty,” he asked her, shouldering Daniel out of the way.
Rachel blinked a few times, but the change in topic worked and she gave Clay a bleary smile. “Of course, Clayton. I’d be happy to show you. I need to get away from all this bullshit, anyway.” With a final look of death in Daniel’s direction, she led Clay toward the house.
Clayton looked at me as he started to follow her. “Come find us when you’re done here. I’ll probably need the help.” He looked at Rachel’s rapidly retreating form.
“Sure, just give me a minute,” I said. Clayton nodded before hurrying after Rachel.
