Queen of Diamonds

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The moment we pulled into the colossal driveway of a front yard it was like we were transported onto a private party island estate. It felt as if there was an invisible sound proof dome that lifted as soon as we entered allowing booms and beats to flood the property. A white and grey checkered circle driveway stretched across almost the full length of the front of the house bordered by side yard of plush grass, bushels of pink, purple, and blue hydrangeas, and imported palm trees scattered throughout. I looked around from the inside of the car in amazement at only a portion of the grounds.

Through the window appeared a juvenile young boy, but not too young because he was clothed in a red vest suitable for a valet, escorting us out of the car. As we opened the doors I did a subtle 360 to fully take in all my topaz eyes could see in the partially star illuminated night. At the conclusion of my spin I noticed an obscenely tacky large fountain to the left of the car in the center of the chess board circle drive. With a snort I said to myself, "Of course there's a fountain, how could I miss that," slightly taking away from the cool grand ambiance. "You can take the richies out of the city but God forbid you take their fountains," I shook my head being all too acquainted with the type.

"Pretty dope isn't it?" the valet boy whispered to me clearly noticing my awestruck twirl.

"Mhm," I murmured not trying to appear as a total outsider.

"You look nice here," he piped in again. "But I'm sure you've been to dozens of houses just like this one," he said fiddling with the car keys to go park it, God knows where in this place. Probably a secret 50 car garage somewhere behind a tennis court.

I was puzzled at his assumption though, that I was a part of this world. Did I really look like or give off the air that this was my scene? Sure, I ran in similar circles to this in the city and I played my part in them but I never liked to consider myself a "richie" or anything close. When you are born into a life it can give you a reputation, but that doesn't have to make you who you are. Maybe I resembled the highclass houghty toughty city mongrels I semi loathed more than I cared to admit.

"Ava!" Kara called to me from in front of the gargantuan fountain. Seriously, how did I miss that. "C'mon! We are all going in together, no man left behind!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I hurried to catch up with my fancy-for-the-night squad. We strode up the dense pearl white long curved stairs to the porch where Derek opened the double basketball player sized glass doors, stepping over the point of no return and into the house of the richies.

It was definitely a party alright. In just the entry way alone there were dozens of kids huddled in little groups and sprinkled up and down the double stair case, giving me a flash back to entering Archbolt Manor, man this town really loved double staircases huh. We breezed through with a few head nods and glances but nothing too notable. As we kept walking toward the back of the house, we entered the kitchen, living room, sun porch trio. Now this, was the heart of the festivities.

There was easily 30 kids clustered around the island in the kitchen, mingling and swaying in the living room, sitting around what looked like a duel purpose circle pool table that they decided to use for black jack tonight. Who knew they made circle pool tables? All the while more kids poured in and out from the open back doors that spilled onto the elevated deck where all the red cup games were happening. I never imagined coming to a lake house, dressed to the nines, for a teenage party where I was undoubtedly going to get rosé splashed on me, or whatever pretentious alcohol they drink at these things. And just as I had predicted, I was in a sea of whites, pastels, and nudes not blending in just as I intended. Something I was actually lowkey questioning was the right move or not right now.