Kiss Cam

Ch. 4 - Creepy Manikin

"Well this can't be right."

I check the address again, not quite sure if this is the party Asher was talking about. He said it was him when he texted me with the address, but maybe it was some murderer.

I've seen all the movies and I've read all of the books. This is not the wild house party with drunk kids on the lawn and loud music blaring that I was expecting.

This just looks like a house. It could very well be my own house with Wren inside watching Soap Operas.

I make my way up the driveway, apprehensively ringing the doorbell. A boy, who I believe goes to my school, opens the door.

"Hey." That's all he says before walking away with the door wide open for me to enter. Alright then.

I step inside, even more lost than I was outside. The house is set up very much like my own. The foyer, dining room on the right and living room on the left. The kitchen was up ahead with the family room behind it. It's very small.

There's some noise like soft music or hushed talking coming from below me. Why do I feel like they're all plotting my death?

The first people I see- besides the kid who answered the door- are in the kitchen playing cards. Looks casual enough.

"Hey, are you Riley?" a mysterious-looking boy asks.

I stop like a deer in headlights. "Y-yeah."

"You're cute," a girl with bright red hair muses. "I'm Lainey." She points to the boy who had spoken before. "That's Ari." She places her hand on the boy next to her's shoulder. "This is Jedi."

"Hi." I glance around at all of them once again. They all have the same aura as Asher Westfield: mysterious, attractive, and cool.

"Asher has been talking about you a lot," Ari says with a smirk.

I blush, glancing down at me shoes.

"A lot is an understatement." Lainey laughs, clapping her hands together. "Oh, he'll hate us for telling you this."

"It's his fault for being so obsessive about it," Jedi laughs. Changing his voice slightly he goes, "Riley is so cute! Oh, can't wait until Riley comes to the party tonight! Do you think Riley would like this shirt?"

"Thanks for that."

I spin around to see Asher Westfield leaning against the wall behind me. Honestly, how does one manage to look that attractive?

Everything Sam and Zander taught me leaves my mind and I'm unable to say one word to him. I just stand with wide eyes like one of those creepy manikins in Old Navy.

"Hey." His eyes trail down my body as he licks his plump lips.

"Hi," I say meekly. "Hello. Hey. Hi."

He chuckles and steps forward to grab my hand. "Let's leave these freaks to their poker."

"We're not even playing poker," Lainey mutters.

Asher's hand is still in mine as we're walking downstairs. It kind of reminds me of the basement from Freaks and Geeks with dim lighting and cool wall decorations. There's more people downstairs, but still not as many as I had been expecting. I'd say there were about fifteen people tops.

"Do they go to our school?" I ask, nodding my head towards the stairwell to represent Lainey, Ari, and Jedi.

He shakes his head. "Nah, Lain's my older sister and Ari's her boyfriend. This is Jed's house. They're all high-school dropouts. But their band is pretty sick so maybe it'll be worth it."