Summer in Love - Seasons with Sadie series

Always

Mrs Hunts voice speaks over the crowd as she thanks everyone for coming. I stand at the top of the stairs waiting for my queue to descend into the crowd and to be officllay stamped as a part of the Hunt family and all of it's businnes endevours. I hear the band playing the instrumental to a song that only me and Jackson know...because Jackson wrote it, oh my go-

"Here performing live for us tonight is an upcoming singer from the International School of Arts, Jackson Gallo!" 

He's singing 'icanteven' but he changed the lyrics. I hear them from downstairs and can't help but think they're about me, they echo through the room. 

"she's not my girl, she's not my babe

My stomach's in pain
I hope I don't throw up all over what you told
But it hurts me to know" 

I clutch my the silk of my dress in my hands, Noah is downstairs and he can hear this all too, I can't face Jackson and see his face as he sings right in my face while I act like a part of this family he has no idea about. He moved here because of me...and I've been gone. He hates me. First I ditch him at a party to grind on Noah to make some girl jealous, WHILE HE WATCHED and now he's gonna see me playing Happy House with the same guy. Not to mention that he hasn't returned any of my calls since the festival. My breathing is becoming heavy and my anxiety starts to kick in. I just have to focus. It's just one long night full of people from my school that I'm gonna be in class with in a couple of days, my best guy friend who I am also ferally attracted to and love as well as the boy who flew to Europe with me to live with me and a couple of investors I have to make an impression on so that they can put money into Hunter's Vodka. No biggy.

"I would love, to welcome you all to a new addtition to the Hunt Family, the International School of Arts and our home in Amsterdam, Allister Hunt!'' Noah's mom announced enthusiastically. 

The crowd cheered and the music went on as I descened down the stairs. To keep myself from falling I had to keep my eyes focused on something or on someone, and the only person I can think of right now is Jackson, he must be thinking about me too. He continues singing as he locks his eyes to mine. I hitch my breath at seeing his face for the first time in a long time. He looks different, even taller than he was before, his hair darker and his eyes are brighter. What happended to him? My brows furrow. I make it to the end of the staircase and see Noah at the foot of them, his arm is reaching out for and a wide smile plasters his pretty face. My worries immediately go away. I take his hand in mine.

He whispers in the nape of my neck, "Just stay with me. I promise you'll be safe with me tonight'' 

"Only tonight?" 

"Always." he breathes, leaving goosebumps on my exposed neck.

 He guides us to the party outside where a group of girls and a guy coming walking quickly towards us, he groans to me, "An incoming rise in volume in 3...2..."'

"Alli!" a girl yells from the lawn, it's no one other than...

"Stasi, oh my goodness," she pulls me in for a bear hug. Along her side are the girls from the apartment, Tess and the curly-haired girl. They all look regal and refined compared to the last time I saw them in the taxi cab. 

"From the princess of America, to the princess of Amsterdam." Tess greets coolly with a the rim of a champagen glass on her red lips. 

"Hi to you too, Tess, you need to stop calling me a princess." I laugh still hanging in Stasi's arms. Physical touch is really this girls love language. 

Tess returns a smile and reaches to unlock her phone. "Oh no, why would I stop calling you that now? Everyone in Amsterdam does anyways, at least behind your back." she scoffs playfully. What the hell is she talking about, nobody even knew me ten minutes ago, not even people from school, now people in the country have a pet name for me? She's joking. She has to be, right? 

"Tess, what are you talking about?" I try to stay calm. Stasi's arms are peeled off of me and are replaced with a scent I know all too well. Noah firmly conceals his hand pressed on the bottom of my back. I ease a little but am still puzzeled.

Tess finally scrolls through her phone to face her screen to me and Noah to reveal a photo of us leaving the store from earlier- with me half naked in Noah's arms. Shit. 

"You're trending all over Instagram and Twitter, hashtag princess of Academy royal. You've managed to bag one of the most sought and," she looks over at the house booming with music and lights, "richest guys Amsterdam has seen in a decade. Congratulations baby." she lifts her drink and swigs the rest.

The rest of the group joins and laughs, I look over to Stasi and all she does is shrug and place a half-lit cigarette in between her teeth. Noah's pressure on my back increases. He's mad. 

A short guy from the group, presumabley the drunkest, stumbles his way through everyone and steps a little too close to me, his extra warm sour breath wafts over my face, he slurs loudly, "so...are you guys together or not?" he reaches for my waist and squirm away into Noah's arm. He keeps reaching for me, our faces are now inches apart, "I mean a man needs to know, cause you're officially on the hottest-girls-to-fuck list this year.'' WHAT THE FUCK.

Noah aggressively shoves the guy into the grass leaving green stains on his white pants, I gasp loudly, "Noah!" 

The rest of the group stands and stares at Noah, making no move to save their friend.  Is this how things go down in Europe? Noah straightens himself and non-chalantly makes his way back to the rest of us. It seems as if I'm the only one confused by what just happened in the last couple of seconds. 

Tess breaks the silence. Shocker. "Well, we just came down here to tell you that Mrs Hunt called for everyone to be back for the official toast...love the side entertainment though.''

Stasi adds "Never a dull moment at a Hunt party." 

Noah completely ignores the group and guides me and himself back to the mansion without leaving them with the last words as he turns his head slightly, "see you on Monday, and do me a favor and not post about this on Twitter huh?" he says sternly but calmly. Like the most polite spanking. 

We make our way back into the mansion... and back to Jackson.

Round 2.