Page 20 of Spite

Chapter Nine

Jessie’s house was nice and huge and exactly what you’d expect when you imagined someone well off. A full two-story house with acres of land and an inground pool in the back. Everything looked well-kept and updated, and as I followed Sarah and her girlfriend to the front door, I half expected to get carded, or to have some fancy bouncer throw me out because I didn’t belong here. But as I stepped over the threshold and entered the house, absolutely nothing happened.

I was just in. Don’t know why I was expecting something else.

There were dozens of other people here already, and music pumping through the house. Most everyone had a red solo cup—such a cliché, it hurt my eyes to look at those damned cups—and I left Sarah and her friend to wander, getting the general layout of the house. It was always good to have an escape route planned, just in case things didn’t go the way I wanted.

I found Jessie with Christian in the kitchen. She was busy laughing at something he said, and he was smiling.

Fuck. His smile—his real, genuine smile was something out of a dream. Dimpled, cute, with perfect teeth to match. Anything anyone could ever want in a smile. I didn’t even know Christian could smile like that…and I couldn’t say why, but I was a little jealous Jessie was on the receiving end of it.

She was his girlfriend, I had to remind myself. If he was going to smile at anyone, of course it would be her.

Jessie spotted me, setting down her cup as she squealed—yes, the girl literally squealed when she saw me. She rushed over to me, throwing her arms around me in a hug. It took me a moment, a shocked moment, before I hugged her back, noticing that Christian’s amazing smile had been replaced with a sneer.

“Oh, my God,” Jessie spoke, ending the hug as she checked me out. I’d finished my sucker a little bit ago, and I desperately missed the sugar. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight! You look so good.”

I wasn’t the only one who looked good. Jessie wore a tight and obscenely short dress, hiked up to her thighs, all sparkly and silver. Her hair was half up and half down, most of it curled. She looked like a model going clubbing.

Jessie looked to Christian, who failed to lessen his scowl before she noticed. “What’s wrong? Doesn’t she look good?” She let out an annoyed sound, dragging me away from Christian and out of the kitchen, into the throngs of kids in the living room. Some of them were dancing, grinding on each other, only one step away from having sex in public. “Boys. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Do you want something to drink? They spiked the punch, but I can get you water if you want.”

Jessie was too nice. I hated what I was going to do to her.

“Water would be nice,” I said, sending her off, mostly so I could take in my surroundings. So far, I’d seen a lot of other jocks and cheerleaders, but no Alec. Hmm. Maybe I should’ve made sure he was going to come tonight before dolling myself up.

By the time Jessie came back, my spirits were low. What if Alec wasn’t coming? What if he was already upstairs with another girl? Again, that ugly beast called jealousy. I shouldn’t be jealous of anyone who was with Alec, just like I shouldn’t have felt those pangs when I watched Christian smile at Jessie. Neither boy was mine.

Which was good. Because I didn’t want them. Not unless it was under my heel, them being crushed like bugs.

I checked to make sure the seal was unbroken on the water bottle before taking a sip, watching Jessie, who lingered around me. She had something to say to me, but what?

“Can I ask you something?” she finally spoke. We both leaned on the windowsill in the front of the living room, the blinds drawn behind us. After I nodded, she went on, “What’s the deal between you and Christian?”

“Deal?” I echoed, surprised that she picked up on it. Although, I guess I shouldn’t be, given how much of a glarer Christian was. He didn’t exactly keep his disdain for me under wraps.

“Do you like him?”

I could not say “No” fast enough. And it was true. I think. It had to be true. His cute smile didn’t sway me that much—I definitely wasn’t crushing on him. Crushing on him and wanting to crush him were two very separate things. “Why do you ask?”

Jessie shrugged, trying to pretend it was nothing, but I could tell by her expression something was on her mind. “It’s probably nothing, and you’re going to think I’m stupid.” After being with her and Sarah during chemistry, a class I hardly understood, seeing how she handled all those equations and shit—the last thing I’d think of her was stupid.

She was smart, and nice, and she definitely didn’t deserve what I had planned for her and Christian.

“Ever since you came back, Christian’s been weird. He doesn’t talk as much, and he refuses to talk about you.” Jessie sighed. “I tried asking him about you, since you told me you guys were in the same class in elementary, but it’s like he just shuts down anytime someone brings up your name. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he has a thing for you.”

“Jessie, I would never—”

“I know,” she spoke quietly, a gentle smile forming on her lips. “I know.”

Just to put her mind at ease, I decided to tell her, “I’m here for Alec, actually. Do you know if he’s here?” I couldn’t have her spend all night thinking I liked her boyfriend. I needed her happy and preppy for now.

“Alec?” Jessie practically shouted his name, her giddiness making me wonder if I maybe shouldn’t have told her. She practically bounced up and down in her heels. Yes, she wore heels to her own party, heels which only made her legs look longer and slimmer, but she looked good. I couldn’t say anything mean about her. “He’s out by the pool. Come on!”

Before I knew what was happening, her slim hand found mine, dragging me through the house, past the gyrating bodies, and into the backyard, onto the giant stone patio that surrounded her inground pool. Alec was in the water, tossing a small, waterlogged ball back and forth with another guy, but when he saw us standing at the edge of the pool, his attention immediately fell on me.

“El,” he started, stopping only when he was smacked on the side of the head with the ball.

As he worked to heave himself out of the pool, Jessie said, “I forgot something inside.” Before she left, she shot me something of a wink, like she thought she was setting us up or something. She couldn’t have been more wrong, considering I would’ve found him eventually, and that tonight was Alec’s night.

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