I remember last year’s, it was mental. Technically, Harley and I were too young to be invited but seeing as we were already JV cheerleaders, we managed to get our names on the guest list. Mom and Stephen weren’t all that impressed until I pointed out how they delight in telling me all about the parties they’d crashed when they were younger and reminded them what good girls Harley and I were. Of course, I was laughing on the inside as I said the words. I might be somewhat of a good girl, but Harley seriously has her moments.
As predicted, during lunch, Harley announces that I should get ready for the party at hers and then stay the night again. That is more than fine by me, so once cheer practice is over, I follow her back to her house to get the party started early.
She snatches a bottle of vodka that her brother Zayn had stashed in his den and we take turns taking a shot while we get ready.
“Here,” she says, walking into her bedroom with two huge pizza boxes in her hands. “I ordered food to soak up some of that.”
“Oh gimmie,” I say with grabby hands. My head is already spinning and we haven’t even left the house yet.
“Zayn,” she bellows out her bedroom door. “Dinner.”
I look down at myself wearing just a tank and a tiny pair of panties.
“Har,” I say in panic, pointing to myself as footsteps head our way.
“Oh shush. My brother’s such a dog, he’s probably immune to a pair of tits by now.”
“I heard that,” he calls as he steps into the doorway.
“You were supposed to, asswipe. Here.” She thrusts a box in his direction, but he doesn’t even notice.
“Hey, Ruby, baby. How’s it going?”
Nerves erupt in my belly. It’s no secret that I’ve crushed on Zayn for as long as I can remember. His dark eyes call to me in a way that a certain other pair don’t. While he who won’t even be thought about has terrifying dark eyes, Zayn’s are like melted chocolate that I just want to dive into. Add that to his warm bronze skin and I can’t help but want to discover more.
Sadly, he just sees me as his little sister’s friend. He might flirt, but I’d be stupid to think it was anything more than banter.
I curl myself into a ball in the hope of hiding what my minimal clothing isn’t.
“I-it’s good. You?” I stutter like an idiot.
“All the better after seeing you, baby.” He winks and my cheeks heat.
“Now you’ve got that, you can fuck off. We’ve got a party to get ready for,” Harley barks at him.
“Ugh, you’re really coming?”
“Um… of course we are. You’re not the only one to have all the fun.”
“You could wait until next year though, when I’m at college,” he grumbles.
“And what would be the fun in that? You wouldn’t get to disapprove of my outfit or the boys I choose to kiss.”
He takes a step toward her, his finger coming out to tell her off. “Harley, there will be no kis—”
“Oh, take a day off. I know for a fact that you were doing more than kissing when you were a junior, so you don’t get to comment. Unless you want me to tell Mom that I caught you fucking—”
“Enough.”
Harley bursts out laughing. “So I thought. Now off you fuck.”
“You’re a pain in my ass, Harley Hunter.”
“Yeah, yeah. The feeling is mutual, asswipe,” she calls as he heads off down the hall.
Their banter is what a brother and sister relationship should be like. I think about the past forty-eight hours with Ashton. There is no sibling bond between us. But then, why should there be? We’re strangers brought together by our parents. There’s no reason for us to have any kind of connection.
Although there is. There’s something that crackles between us every time we’re in touching distance. But it’s anything but fun banter. It’s pure hate.
I see it in his eyes. I feel it in his touch.
No matter how much I fight him, we both know that he holds all the power and I need to keep my guard up before he achieves his mission to break me.
“Whoa, calm down. I’d like to get to the party before you pass out,” Harley says, swiping the bottle that I was chugging from.
“Just letting go. It’s been a long week.”
“I knew it,” she announces, slapping her knee. “What did he do to make you run from your own house?”
“It’s just the music. We should get dressed.”
Pushing from the edge of her bed while she pulls out her first slice of steaming pizza, I rummage around in the bag I packed to get my outfit out. It consists of my cheer uniform and some face paint. Ashton was right, it’s not exactly creative but I hate costumes, or more specifically masks, so it’s as much as I’m willing to do.
“Fuck,” I mutter, rummaging to the bottom.
“What?”
“I didn’t pack a white bra.”
“So, just go without. Give the guys a free pass to second base tonight.”
Looking at her, I narrow my eyes in her direction. My boobs might not be massive, but I prefer to have them contained. At least I’m not actually cheering tonight, I guess.
“Or borrow one of mine,” she suggests with a shrug.
“That would probably be worse.” I glance down at her chest.
“All right, no need to point out what I’m missing.”
“Just put your top on. Any guy who’s lucky to get a hand under tonight will think all his Christmases have come at once.”
I think of the guys at school, of Zayn, and who I could end up with tonight, but every time I do, their faces merge into someone else’s.
I shake my head. I need more fucking vodka.
10
Ruby
Much like last year, the haunted house looks creepy as fuck as we walk
