Page 4 of Little Do You Know

I shrug noncommittally. It’s none of their business. “It was just a fight.”

“Thalia, don’t be lame,” Vera says, crossing her arms over her chest. Her dark eyes are trained on me, clearly expecting me to give in.

“It’s not a big deal. Don’t worry about it,” I persist, resisting the urge to rub my temples. At this point, I think it’s too late to undo the damage that’s already been done. Everyone already thinks there’s something going on here tonight, and if I tell them to cancel whatever they planned, the odds are high that everyone will still show up.

Jeremy distracts me as he cracks a can of beer, and it just now processes in my brain who he said he invited.“Wait, Jeremy, did you say you invited the swim team?” Please say no.

He nods slowly. “Yeah?”

Fuck.

Owen was dating this girl, Amelia, for over two years before she cheated on him last spring with Miles, our friend on the swim team. He’s obviously not our friend anymore, but Miles really cannot come tonight.

“Text whoever, and tell them that Miles isn’t welcome here.”

“Oh shit, I forgot,” he winces, quickly sending another message.

“Are you going to change?” Stacey asks, motioning to my outfit.

“I guess I will.”

I don’t want to change. This wasn’t my idea.

“I’ll help you find something.” Vera smiles, and I push a matching one on my face.

I wait until my bedroom door is closed behind us before I start asking questions. “Vera, Owen and Bash are going to kill me. It’s my first night back.”

“Exactly.” She rests her hands on my shoulders. “It’s one party on your first night back. They’ll get over it. No one throws a better party than you, remember? It’d be a tragedy if you didn’t have a welcome home party.”

Maybe no one will show up. I really hope no one shows up.

“Okay,” I relent slowly, but I have a bad feeling about this. After tonight, never again. “After this, I’m retired from throwing parties.”

“Relax, everything will be fine.”

~

“Responsible? Thalia told you she could be responsible, and you believed her?” I hear a deep voice over the sound of music, and the smile on Vera’s face fades from where we’re dancing in the living room. Everything is so not fine.

In my defense, it really wasn’t my idea to have a party. I had every intention of having a movie night with Vera.

I didn’t think returning from my year abroad would be such a big deal, but I apparently left quite the impression after my first year at Duke.

“Oh shit, I think you’re in trouble,” Vera giggles, pushing me in the direction of two very unhappy football players. The look on Owen’s face sobers me quickly.

“Everyone out!” Bash yells over the music, and it shuts off immediately. His presence is commanding, but I guess that comes from being the big man on campus.

Several friends and even some strangers pat me on the back on their way out the door. I wish I could go with them since I’m confident I’m a dead woman walking.The apartment is a good size, but I have no idea how all these people fit in here.

My head starts spinning as I gather the red plastic cups to clean up the party. At least it was a good way to go out—death by party. Penelope would be proud of me.

“Vera, you don’t need to stay. Thalia got herself into this mess, and she can clean it up herself,” Sebastian says firmly, but she ignores him and continues to help me.

“You’re not the boss of me,” she slurs, and I hear a sigh. It’s probably coming from Owen.

“Low-key movie night?”

Yeah, that was Owen sighing.

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