“The paint run,” Lena’s friend Jax announced. “Wanna go?”
I glanced back to the shipping container. “Lena? I’m going to check that out while I finish my drink. Meet you after?”
She smiled and nodded, handing me her drink, and then joined the others while I headed towards the shipping container.
As soon as I entered, I realised my mistake when I recognised the people inside. Kian leaned against the wall, facing away from me, talking to Chris, another guy from the football team. This was where the popular people were. I took a couple of steps backwards, ready to flee, when I was stopped by a hand on my arm.
“Leaving already?” Looking up, I was met by a pair of sapphire eyes, blond hair, and a chiselled jawline. Preston Montgomery III, one of the football team strikers, recently moved here from the USA.
“Yeah. Sorry, I…”
“You don’t have to go.” He took a step closer. “Raine, right?” A smile curved across his lips at the surprise on my face.
“I don’t belong here,” I said softly.
His eyes darkened. “You do. Come with me.” He tugged my arm gently, and I let him lead me over to the side of the container. “First up, we need to give you your war paint.”
“War paint?” What was going on? Placing the bottles down next to me, I let him seat me on a stool, where he spun me to face him. He gestured to the smears of paint decorating his face and body.
“Kian’s idea.” His smile grew soft, and he glanced across to where Kian was standing. As if they were connected by an invisible thread, Kian’s gaze immediately went to Preston’s, a completely unexpected, huge smile appearing on his face, and I knew. Preston’s eyes flew to mine at my sharp intake of breath. He read my expression correctly and stiffened. “Please don’t tell anyone. We’re…I…”
“I would never. It’s not my place,” I assured him.
He relaxed at my words. “Thanks. I mean it. It’s…”
“If only we didn’t have to hide,” I murmured, and I didn’t know if I was referring to his situation or to mine. “If only we were free to be ourselves without judgement.”
“Yeah.” We both sighed, then laughed. I’d never spoken to Preston before, but there was something about him that made me feel comfortable around him. Dipping his fingers in the neon paint, he carefully smeared it across my cheeks, then took my hand and led me towards the back of the container. When we arrived, he directed me onto an inflatable sofa, handing me the bottle he’d been carrying for me, and sat down next to me, slinging his arm across the back of the sofa.
I finally gathered together the courage to look up and immediately wished I hadn’t. All eyes were on me, and most were hostile. Grouped on sofas, crates, and on the floor around a large, upturned crate that was serving as a table were half the football team plus Anastasia and her group of friends. I didn’t dare to look over at the sofa where Carter sat, Xavier on one side and Anastasia on the other.
“Are you lost?” The girl sitting across from me gave me a pointed glare, looking between me and Preston.
He bent his head close to my ear and spoke so low that there was no way anyone else would hear him. “Don’t let them scare you away. They just feel threatened by you.”
“She can stay.” Kian slumped down on the sofa perpendicular to mine, pulling his lip ring into his mouth. Wow, what was this? First Preston, now Kian? He stretched out his legs, his trainer nudging against Preston’s, and I saw a small smile play across his lips. “Spin the bottle, anyone?”
His words stopped everyone staring at me, thankfully. But spin the bottle, really? I had no idea people even played it. Of course, this was technically my first party.
“I don’t want her here.” Anastasia spoke low, but I still heard her. Giving me a disdainful look, she snuggled up to Carter like she had every right to. He hadn’t even acknowledged my presence yet, but he threw an arm around her neck and whispered something in her ear, making her laugh and glance over at me. This was so hard. If it wasn’t for Lena shouting “comfort zone” in my head, and Preston’s presence next to me, I would’ve bolted.
I watched, breathless, as the bottle was set on the coffee table, and Kian gave it an experimental spin. Looking around at the people playing, I knew that if I joined in, it was going to be awkward whoever I ended up kissing. Carter’s presence, and the fact I was an outsider here and none of them liked me very much…it had the potential to mess up all my progress so far. I downed the rest of my bottle quickly, catching Imogen’s eye in the process. She gave me a reassuring smile, which I returned shyly. Maybe not all of them were so bad.
“Chris. You wanna start?” Kian grinned. “Usual rules. Kiss whoever it lands on, or do a forfeit.”
This didn’t sound good. I had no desire to find out what the forfeits would consist of, and I didn’t want to know. I was pretty sure kissing anyone here had to be better than one of Kian’s forfeits.
Chris spun, landing on Carter. “Oh baby, pucker up.”
“Fuck off.” Carter’s mouth set in a flat line. “Do the forfeit.”
“Aren’t you dying to taste these sweet lips?” He pouted, and I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up.
“Who knows where that mouth has been.” Carter stared at him.
“On your mum’s pussy.”
“You’re fucking gross.”
“Hate to interrupt the chat, but some of us want to get on with the game,” Anastasia piped up. “Kiss or forfeit. It’s not difficult.” The boys glanced at each other, then both shrugged. Chris leaned forwards, placing a kiss on Carter’s lips, and then they both started cracking up.
“Do
