Three phones ping at the same time.
We get up to leave and make sure to tip the waitress extra. I’m looking forward to spending a night partying with my three guys, just like old times. Famous last words as I come to find out later that night.
Chapter 15
Elizabeth
Fallon’s parents’ house is huge. I mean mansion huge. Most of the kids that go to Highland High are from wealthy families, but good gracious, this house is a mini palace. We had to pass through a grand palisade before driving up a half mile private road to get to the house. A large five-tiered fountain cascades water into a lighted reflection pool that is about the size of a swimming pool and sits in the middle of a wide circular drive in front of the massive home. If this is what the driveway looks like, I’m afraid to see the inside.
Ryder, Julien, and Maria meet me and Jayson outside and we walk in together. The smell of beer and what I think is pot hangs thick and acrid in the air. I guess Fallon’s parents are out of town, but what little knowledge of Fallon I have from the boys, he probably wouldn’t care if his parents were here or not and would still throw a party like this. Once we enter the expansive foyer, we collide with guys and barely clothed girls, some dancing and others drinking from red plastic cups. I’m pretty sure the two people on the stairs are having sex and another girl is giving a blow job to some guy in the alcove underneath the staircase. What the hell have we walked into?
“This party is off the charts!” Maria bellows beside me. I have an utterly different opinion than my best friend. “Come on Ryder, let’s go get something to drink.” She tugs his arm and tries to pull him away from our group. I just stand there like a deer in headlights clinging to Jayson’s hand. I mean, I’m not a prude, but scenes like this just make me very uncomfortable. I will never understand why people my age think depravity equals fun. To each their own, I guess.
“I’m good here.”
“Ryder,” she whines. “Come on. This is a party. Let’s go have some fun.” She tugs on his arm again.
“Maria, I said I’m good,” he snaps at her. Her face contorts with a hurt expression and she looks between him and me then back to him.
“I’ll go with you, Mar,” Jayson says and lets go of my hand. “You guys want anything?” We shake our heads no.
“Hey, there you are!” Elijah shoves some drunk people out of his way to get to us.
“Hey E. Where’s the beer?” Jayson inquires.
“There’s a keg set up next to the bar and some coolers with other stuff beside it. Straight that way,” Elijah points the way to Jayson as he and Maria disappear into the sea of writhing bodies.
Tapping Julien’s shoulder, Elijah raises his voice so we can hear him over the music. “Follow me guys. We’ll head out back to the patio. It’s quieter and less crowded.” We follow Elijah through the throngs of moving people and one guy grabs my ass.
“Hey!”
“Fuck off, man,” Ryder shoves the guy away from me then pulls me in front of him and places his hands on my hips to walk us through the dining room and out the door to the patio. I try to find where Jayson and Maria are but don’t see them anywhere. I figure they’ll find us eventually.
“Thanks, Ryder.”
“Fucking douchebag.”
“You ok, Liz?” Julien sits down on the plush patio outdoor sofa and pulls me into his lap. Elijah and Ryder sit down next to us and Julien starts to rub my back up and down in soothing circles. There are groups scattered around on the patio and the backyard, but Elijah was right - it’s much quieter out here.
“Just a drunk guy getting grabby. I’m fine.”
Elijah grimaces. “I’m so sorry, Liz. I should have texted you or Julien after I got here to let you know how crazy it was. Fallon throws some big parties, but this is insane.”
“We’re here. It’s all good. I’ll just stick to staying outside. I promise I won’t ruin anyone’s good time.”
Julien squeezes my shoulder. “Liz, not possible. I’d rather be out here with you guys than in there.”
“Ditto what he said,” Ryder agrees.
I relax back into Julien and look up at the stars listening to the crickets, cicadas, and frogs as they sing their evening musicals. The guys talk but I zone them out as I search out different constellations in the night sky. I find Cassiopeia and the big and little dippers.
Conversation trails off and Julien checks his watch. “It’s been almost twenty minutes. I wonder what’s taking Jayson and Maria so long.”
“I can go in there and f-” Elijah is saying when a voice from the backyard interrupts him.
“Well, well, well. Look who the fuck we have here.” Marshall and three other guys approach, matching sneers on their faces.
“Shit, Marshall. Go bother someone else,” Elijah tells him. Marshall is the guy who messed up Julien’s leg during a soccer game, and whose ass Elijah allegedly kicked for it the next day.
