Page 4 of The Inevitable Us

I’mofficiallyoverfratparties, and I’m not eventechnicallyin college yet. The interior of the frat house is illuminated only with black lights, making it difficult to make out anyone’s features. I can only recognize Andrea in the darkness by her glow stick necklace. One of the frat brothers spilled a drink on my white dress while playing beer pong on a table painted with glow-in-the-dark paint. That’s going to be fun to get the stain out.

Then there’s weirdo Justin. I’ve grown up looking out for people sneaking camera phone pictures out of necessity. While I’ve not caught him yet, I feel an uncomfortable prickle on the back of my neck.

I often feel that same sensation at these parties, as if someone is watching me. I’ve never caught anyone with their phones out or someone staring when I look around. Maybe it’s just my overactive imagination.

Opening the large bottle of water I brought with me, I unscrew the lid and start to drink. While I’m not downing alcohol with the enthusiasm of those around me, I’ve had a plastic cup or two of beer straight from the keg and I’ll have to drive us home.

Sometimes I think I take after my mother with parties. I prefer smaller groups with people I know, better than large raging keggers. The loud thump of the bass tends to give me a headache, and I don’t particularly care for the taste of the keg beer usually served.

I’d thought the party would be a smaller event, since the crowd was so thin when we arrived. But it’s slowly grown larger and larger in the last few minutes despite the late hour we arrived.

I yell at Andrea. “Are you having Chad take you home soon? Because my head’s pounding, and I’m just not feeling up to….”

“Noooo, don’t leave yet,” Justin bellows over the music. He gestures towards the dance floor with his neon plastic cup. “C’mon, let’s go dance.” He puts down my cup, grabs my hand, and leads me toward the dance floor.

“I’m not feeling up to it,” I answer back, pulling my hand from his. “I think I’m going to go….”

The crowd moves, and two large bodies move through the party towards me. I swallow, recognizing one of the dark forms immediately, even in the darkened room. Sawyer’s wearing a white Henley that peeks out from under his zip-up hoodie and a look of pure rage. At his right is a blonde man with an athletic build scanning the room. They’re using the flashlights on their phones to light up the room.

“Crap on a cracker,” I say, deadpan, to no one in particular.

“Billy, that one,” Sawyer yells at the man next to him, pointing towards Justin.

“You Justin?” Billy asks, gesturing towards him.

“Who wants to know?” Justin snarks back at him.Not a smart idea.

The man pulls back his jacket in a swift movement and rests his hand on his hips. Justin’s face drops when he notices the shiny silver badge on his hip in the light from his phone.

“Hand over the phones, both of you,” Billy commands Justin and Chad firmly.

“Hey dude, what are you doing?” Chad yells at the cop. “I’m reporting you.”

“You sure you want to do that?” Billy warns, “Because I saw some pretty explicit photos of her there that I’m pretty sure were taken when she wasn’t looking.”

Andrea’s face reddens with embarrassment. “I never let him take any pictures!” she protests.

Sawyer’s unzipping his hoodie and wrapping it around my body. “You said your family knows where you are,” he accuses low in my ear.

“I did tell someone. Just not you.” I explain indignantly. I was being honest….I’d told Josie. He was just upset that I didn’t tellhim.

Billy scrolls through Chad’s phone. “They’re wiped clean,” he announces.

“You got the backup? And the stuff he posted on social media?” Sawyer asks, reaching for one of the phones to check.

Billy nods in answer and hands the other phone back to Chad.

Sawyer rolls his eyes at Andrea and gestures toward her with his head. “She needs to come with us, too.”

“Why are you doing this?” I ask. “And how did you even know where I was?”

“Be quiet until we’re in the car,” Sawyer whispers low to me, leaning down to my ear. His tone is low, warning. The touch of Sawyer’s hand on the small of my back fizzles my skin as he guides me out of the frat house. Andrea’s walking ahead of us now crying quietly while Billy guides her towards the exit.

“Wait, our jackets!” I say, pointing to the room where they’ve been stored. Mine’s a whitewashed denim jacket that I adore. I’m not leaving it here.

“Did you have one?” Billy asks Andrea as she wipes her eyes. She nods and walks with me into the small, otherwise empty room where the jackets are stored to retrieve ours.

When I walk back into the foyer, I feel a zap of electricity when his fingers glide over my hip under the hoodie as he moves me towards the door, and I feel my nipples pucker in response.

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