“Who said I thought you were wearing it for your boyfriend?” She cocks an eyebrow in challenge.
I shrug my shoulders, trying my best to appear casual. “Well, who else would it be for?”
“That’s a great question. I havenoidea.” Her eyes bore right through my own. She definitely knows I’m hiding someone.
Shit.
Thankfully, though, she drops the subject like a rock in a stream. “Anyway, the more important question right now is: how doIlook?”
She twirls in a circle for me. There’s no denying she looks great in her faux leather high-waisted skirt, crop top, and Doc Martens. She finishes off the ensemble with a cropped red leather jacket. “Well, we’d better get going or we’ll be late.”
I put on a coat and throw my phone and a few necessities into a small shoulder bag before following Iris out into the hall. When I get there, Emmy is waiting with her in a matching black set that’s giving off some serious girl boss vibes.
“Em, you look fantastic,” I say as I lock our door.
“Thanks, love,” she replies, flicking an icy blonde ringlet over her shoulder. “You’re looking hot too.”
I blush, grinning like an idiot.
“I still say she’s trying to impress someone,” Iris mutters under her breath, but I ignore her. As we make our way out of the building, my heart rate picks up.
By now, I have the route to the guy’s house memorized. Four quick rights, about a half mile straight, and then a left, and we’re there. The music is blaring inside, just like my first night at Lizbeth. I check my phone to see if Phantom’s texted yet, but my notification center is empty. So, I text them instead, letting them know I’m here. For a second, I worry they might stand me up. Parties like this definitely aren’t their scene. But I force thethought away. Phantom wouldn’t do that to me. I asked them—no, begged them—to come, and they said they would.
Phantom will be here.
We find Zayne and Franco right away, helping a group of guys carry a keg into the living room.
Franco releases a low whistle when he sees us approaching. “Damn.”
He loses his grip on the keg and we laugh as the others falter under the weight and drop it with a thud to the carpeted floor. They all curse at him, but Franco’s no longer listening.
“It’s a pleasure to be in your company tonight, ladies,” he schmoozes with a drunken smirk.
“Please, it’s always a pleasure to be in our company,” Emmy retorts, brushing him off.
“I can’t disagree with that, now, can I?”
Gesturing to the freshly tapped keg, Zayne asks, “Drink anyone?”
“Sure,” we say in unison after sharing an appreciative glance. Since we’ll be the first ones drinking from it, it’s bound to be safe.
After our red solo cups are full and handed out, Zayne lifts his up in a toast. “The first semester of our sophomore year is quickly coming to a close. May we revel in the memories we’ve made thus far, and honor them by living like tonight is our last.”
“I’ll cheers to that,” Franco enthuses, clinking his plastic cup against Zayne’s.
We all follow suit, and I drain half my cup in one gulp. That sounds like a wonderful plan to me.
The library’s been converted into a dance floor again, just like before, only this time all five of us dominate the space. As we move and sway to the upbeat rhythm, I feel lighter, as if I’ve been filled with helium and am no longer bound by the laws of gravity.
By the time I finish my second drink, I’m sweaty from dancingand my mind is buzzing. I check my phone again. No texts from Phantom. I look at the time. 11:30 PM. Despite knowing I’ll fail miserably, I try to douse the anger that burns within me.
They’re late.
Leaving the others behind on the dance floor, I head for the kitchen. When I get there, I grab a glass from one of the cabinets and fill it with water before drinking deeply. Once my thirst is properly sated, I wander around the party looking for Phantom, but that damn smiley face mask is nowhere to be found.
When I reenter the kitchen, Claire asks, “What’s wrong?”
“I—um, nothing.”
