Perfect Student

Chapter 25

The house looked exactly like you would expect. Furniture was pushed to the side to make room for a dance floor and bodies were packed in like sardines. The lights were dim although rainbow lights flashed from speakers in the corner that blared electronic music and reverberated off the walls. It pounded in my ears like a headache that was already beginning to form, so I slid through groups of people to reach the kitchen. 

There were random glass bottles lining the counter along with solo cups and beer cans. I poured myself what I assumed was a shot of vodka and gulped it back before making a face. Tequila.

 A girl with long red hair and a full face of makeup walked up beside me and laughed.

"Is it your first time drinking?" she asked, grabbing the bottle from the counter and pouring us each some more. She had dark rims of eyeliner surrounding her light green eyes.

"No, I'll just never like how it tastes," I said with a laugh. I could feel my muscles relaxing as the alcohol worked its magic, and I began to rationalize what had happened with Hunter. It was an accident, and maybe I deserved it.

"Fair enough," she replied, as if in answer to my internal monologue. She swallowed her cupful without a blink.

"Do I know you from school or something?" I asked lightly, changing the subject.

"I don't think so," she replied, looking over my face. She scanned my body next, and her eyes lit up. "Are you with someone?"

I wasn't sure if she was asking who I came with or something more, so I answered decisively.

"My boyfriend Hunter brought me," I said, plastering a smile on my face.

She cocked her head to the side and gave me an incredulous look.

"You just got here. He abandoned you already?" she pressed, leaning close to me so I could hear her over the music.

I shrugged, letting the annoyance on my face show.

"Whatever, I'll just have a good time by myself," I said, raising my cup up in a cheers gesture and then polishing it off. I threw it in the garbage, and she smiled, green eyes glittering.

"That's the spirit!" she said, grabbing my good arm and pulling me out on the dance floor. We began jumping and moving together, grinding in place, and spinning around when we felt like it. Girls around us hopped in so we had a circle going and lost ourselves in the music.

A tap on my shoulder pulled me from my illusion. I squealed when I saw Trinity, smiling at me and looking around nervously.

I waved goodbye to the red-headed girl and walked Trinity to the kitchen before pouring us some drinks. I sipped mine but she shook her head, explaining that she didn't want any. I shrugged and dumped her cup into mine. She eyeballed the action quizzically.

"What are you doing?" she asked, nearly yelling to be heard in the now packed room.

"Trying to forget myself," I answered, making her frown. She nodded her head towards a glass door and walked us through the mayhem until we reached it. She slid it shut behind us and the cold night air countered the body heat inside that had made my body red.

 We found a group of lawn chairs on the side of the house filled with people smoking weed and cigarettes. Trinity grabbed an empty chair and I followed suit, dragging them away to a private corner of the backyard.

She sighed with exasperation at how hard it was just to talk somewhere quietly, and I laughed.

"You said you'd tell me what happened," she urged with a serious look. Her hair was pulled up into a curled ponytail that spread around her shoulders. I sobered up, setting my cup down on the grass beside me.

"Yeah...Do you remember the other day when Mr. Mason came over to my house?" I asked, trying to remember what I had told her last.

"Yes!" she said, eyes wide. A giggle burst out of her, and she jumped up from her seat. "You two did have sex!"

"No!" I said, pulling her back in close. She plopped back into her chair, disappointed.

"After he left," I emphasized, "I snuck out and Hunter and I drove to school really late..."

She took a wild gasp of breath, and I could tell she was prepared to ask more questions, so I cut her off quickly, stumbling over my words.

"We didn't do anything crazy! We just hopped the fence and went into a classroom that Hunter found the key to," I explained. "The school found out because I left my jacket there like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot," she defended automatically. "Is Hunter in trouble too? I didn't hear anything about him getting called into the office."

"No, they don't know he was there," I muttered, feeling sorry for him. He was so close to getting caught too.

"Oh, well that's really not fair," she said, sounding suspicious. She was all about morality and things being right in the world. I calmed her before she did something crazy like text him demanding he turn himself in.

"I'm glad it's not going to affect his football career though! I got off easy with detention because I'm a good student," I assuaged her.

"Right," Trinity said in a knowing voice. She licked her lips and bit down on the bottom one, then shot me a wink. "Detention with Mr. Mason."

"Yes, it was so boring. We just graded papers," I said, fighting the blush from coming to my cheeks.

"So boring," she teased in a flirtatious voice. "Mr. Mason, can you help me? This paper is so hard."

Her voice changed from seductive to deep: herimpression of our teacher. "Sure thing Ms. Johnson. I'll do everything I can tohelp."

 I slapped her arm to make her stop and we stared each other down before we burst out laughing. Tears rolled down her cheeks and I grabbed my stomach as she kept adding to the lame story.

"He does not like me!" I screeched, pushing my hand over my face.

"Who doesn't like you?" Hunter asked from behind me. He leaned down and put his face on my shoulder, sending a sharp alcohol scent in my direction.