It was finally the end of the week and Jessi, Jake and I were going to a party. After telling Jessi about how Lydia had been acting lately, we had decided not to invite her to go with us. That's why I loved Jessi, she was so loyal to me.
"So am I going to have to deal with you guys kissing all night or what?" Jessi giggled while checking on her phone. Jake let out a slight laugh. "I'll take that as a yes?" She smiled. I punched her on the arm. "Come on, Jess."
We could hear the music from whoever-it-was' party about a block away. Walking in was no different. There were strobe lights everywhere and the music was deafening.
"Dang," Jessi screamed. "It's really loud in here!" "No kidding!" I yelled back. Jake squeezed my hand, "I'm gonna go get some drinks!" "Alright!" Our hands slipped away and he walked towards the kitchen. "You two have fun!" Jessi winked and walked away and I was left in the entryway of a strangers house.
I stepped into the living room tentatively and felt an arm swing around me neck. "Heyyyyyy baby," some drunk dude slurred. "Ew," I muttered as I pushed his arm off me. A new song turned on and a swarm of people starting doing what some might consider dancing. I was closed off by a hoard of drunk twerkers, and I couldn't even see the hallway, let alone Jake. I figured, if I was stuck in this mass of BO and beer, why not make the best of it? I began laughing and dancing with some strangers.
"Great party, huh?" One of the girls called over the music. I nodded my head and continued dancing. The girl stuck out her hand and said, "I'm Macy Cho." "I'm Betha-" The girl cut me off with a laugh. "I know who you are, Bethany. You're the most popular girl in the school. Are you still dating Jake?" That's when I remembered. "Oh my gosh, Jake!" I gasped over the music. I checked my phone and I had been partying with these strangers for over an hour, he was probably looking everywhere for me. I handed Macy my cup and said, "I've got to go find Jake, see ya around!" I turned and squeezed in between the dozens of people.
The kitchen was much less crowded than the living room. It was mostly filled with couples whispering in eachother's ears and stealing kisses. I walked to the punch bowl to see if anybody had seen Jake, but nobody had. I glanced around the room once more, but I didn't see anybody familiar so I decided to look elsewhere in the house.
Once in the hallway again, I could hear Jenny by WALK THE MOON blasting over the speakers. This was one of my favorite party songs and usually I'd be all over it but I was beginning to worry about Jake.
I walked into the house's dining room and I saw Jessi chatting up some boy. "Jessi!" I called. Her eyes shot up at the sound of her name. I guess she saw the desperate look in my eye because she excused herself from whatever conversation she was having and walked over to me. "Have you seen Jake?" I asked. "Not for at least the last half hour, last I saw he was loading up at the snack table. But you'll never believe who I did see. Lydia." My eyebrows shot up. I wouldn't think Lydia would show her face without us. "Can you keep an eye out for him?" I asked her. "Sure thing. Have you tried calling him?" "He forgot his phone. remember?" "Right. Well I'll let you know if I see him." Jessi gave me a quick hug before returning to her conversation.
I went upstairs and decided to make the terrible decision of poking my head in some of the bedrooms just to make sure. After walking in on a couple kissing couples (but nothing much worse) I decided he wasn't upstairs either.
I walked out of the house to the backyard which was strung with tiki torches. It would have been really beautiful if I hadn't been so worried. I asked around to see if anybody had seen Jake. Nobody had. Then I got a text from a blocked number which read, "Tree house." I looked past a bushel and bushes and I saw it. There was the most beautiful tree house I'd ever seen. It was decorates with lanterns and sat high in a gorgeous oak tree. Maybe Jake wanted me to find him in there? Maybe he had sent the text from somebody else's phone? It looked really romantic. I smiled at the thought of my boyfriend sitting up there, patiently waiting for me to find him, so he could kiss me.
I ran over to the ladder and began to climb when I heard laughter inside. "Jake stop," I heard some girl giggle. I started climbing the lady quicker until I reached the entrance. I entered angrily to find the scene to be worse than I could have thought. "L-Lydia?" I stuttered. I could not believe this. My ex-best friend was all over my, as of now, ex-boyfriend. His shirt was laying on the floor and he was covered in lipstick. I would know that lipstick anywhere. It was the same bright red Chanel lipstick I had bought Lydia for her birthday. I told her she could get any guy with that shade. Apparently I was right.
"Oh hey, Bethany," Lydia snarled. "Beth, this... This isn't what it looks like," Jake plead. "Oh really?" I huffed. "I think its exactly what it looks like." I was fuming. How dare they?
I began my descent down the ladder and was followed by Jake's calls. I felt my face warm with tears. I jumped off the ladder to escape his voice. I landed with a hard thud that knocked the wind out of me, but I kept going.
Then, I started running.
This chapter was SOOOOO fun to write tbh. Guilty pleasure I suppose. Mwahaha! Love you all xx
