Tiffany furrowed her dark brows.
“That’s a little suspicious.”
“What do you mean?”
She didn’t answer, her attention captured by two figures who were going inside.
“Come on, let’s go,” she suggested, taking my hand.
I knew almost nobody at the party; there weren’t many people from my class and not a trace of Amelia, Brian, Ari, Blaze, or Poppy.
Tiffany led the way inside, where a wall of people prevented us from moving forward.
I couldn’t help but notice James’s group had moved into the living room.
“Who’s that?” I asked pointing at a girl sitting on his lap.
“Oh no! Connell’s sister. For Christ’s sake, why does he always have to get into trouble?” I heard her say, concerned.
“And why are you friends with someone like that?”
Tiffany tensed her neck and lifted her head to scan the crowd. She seemed to have caught a glimpse of someone more interesting than me.
“Tiff?” I called.
“James is trustworthy, honest, and smells good,” she answered absentmindedly. I soon noticed what caught her attention. It was the sight of a blonder than usual Taylor, who walked past us with a girl. Tiffany followed her with her eyes, seeming almost confused by the sight of her friend, who didn’t even acknowledge her.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
She backed away and I stood there, still until I heard other squeals.
“Jamie, no!”
Connell’s sister was still sitting on James’s lap, with a towel barely covering her backside while he talked with Sammy. And he always did it in that intimate and ambiguous way, the same way he’d talked with the tattooed guy, just before.
At some point James got up and grabbed Sammy, carrying her outside on his shoulder. She screamed at the top of her lungs as he threw her into the pool. He smiled smugly then turned around. Right then our gazes met like crazy marbles.
Busted.
Suddenly, I turned around.
What was I looking for? Why couldn’t I stop? Did I want to prove something to myself?
“Do you know what they say about curious girls?”
I crossed my arms when James came up to me.
“And do you know what they say about morons?”
James’s eyes drifted on my T-shirt, the skirt, and the boots.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. But tell me just one thing, Snow White. Why aren’t you in a swimsuit?”
“Cut the crap.”
“Answer me.”
“It’s full of girls,” I defended myself weakly.
