Page 4 of The First Play

“This place is fucking awesome. Her parents must be so loaded.”

“I know, right?” Kyle breathed, his eyes bulging. “I swear her dad must shit money before breakfast every morning.”

Great, now I’m picturing Mr. Monroe taking a dump, his face straining as he pops out a roll of hundies.

“Classy,” I mutter.

“What?” Kyle laughs. “It’s true!”

I shake my head and move to the keg, pouring my friends a beer and handing them out until I’m left with one in my hand.

I sip the amber brew and remind my buddies that I can’t be out too late. Even though my parents are divorced, they still tell each other fuckingeverythingwhen it comes to their kids. My dad is riding me hard this year, and I’d rather avoid another nuclear meltdown. The guy has a short fuse. I appreciate his commitment, wanting to get me into the best college possible, but it’s kind of suffocating. Thank God it’s my week with Mom. If I was staying at his place, he probably wouldn’t have let me go out tonight. I mean, he couldn’t have really stopped me, but sometimes it’s just easier to give in and avoid the drama.

“So, which chicks am I hitting on at this party?” Kyle scans the room, and I can’t help joining him, taking in boobs in pretty tank tops and faces enhanced with perfectly applied makeup. The kinds of girls who attend these parties go all out. Who knows how many hours they spent preening before they got here, but I’m not complaining.

My eyes track past Giselle, then over to Amanda before she moves out of the way and I’m staring at a blonde goddess I don’t even recognize.

The air in my lungs turns soft and wispy as I drink her in.

She’s got a stunning smile, her blue eyes sparkling as she grins at Olivia, then takes another sip of beer. She’s wearing a skintight miniskirt with this pale pink tank top that shows off her belly button and toned stomach.

Holy shit, she’s fire.

“Who is that?” I end up whispering the words and no doubt sounding like a love-drunk moron.

“Who?” Noah leans in, trying to follow my line of sight.

“The blonde with the killer tits?” Kyle asks.

“Yeah.” I bob my head but frown at him. “Stop looking at her tits, man.”

“It’s hard not to. Look at them all snugged up in that top. Damn, I’d love to peel that thing right off her body and?—”

I slap his chest with the back of my hand and growl, “Stop talking.”

Noah laughs and cuts in. “I’ve seen her around this summer, but I can’t remember her name. She’s friends with Olivia.”

“How have I not seen her?” Because I can’t take my eyes off her right now, and I wouldremembera face that beautiful. “Does she go to our school?”

“Yeah, she will be. She starts next week. Junior, I think,” Kyle tells me.

“What’s her name?” Noah mutters.

“I think it’s a mountain range, isn’t it?”

“What?” I turn to look at Kyle.

“I’m serious. It’s like Andes or something.”

“It’s not Andes,” Noah scoffs, lightly whacking Kyle’s head. “It’s like Sarah or something.”

“No, it’s not,” Kyle argues, rubbing his head before landing a punch on Noah’s arm. “It’s like Sierra or something. That’s a mountain range, right?”

Noah rolls his eyes. “Her name is not a mountain range, you moron.”

Ignoring my idiot friends, I snag Jayne’s arm as she walks past. “Hey, who’s the new girl?” I lift my chin toward the blonde beauty.

She glances over her shoulder, then gives me a knowing smirk. “Pretty, isn’t she?”

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