After Everything

Chapter Two: The Party

It took Lola a few moments to process her surroundings. She was at Toby's house for the party - which she felt weird calling a house because it was actually a mansion. She had never seen a five car garage in person, only two story penthouses with a view.

Trap music was blasting from the speakers as the guests at the party all seemed to be dressed the same. The girls were wearing bikini tops and shorts as the boys were wearing swim trunks. She embarrassingly looked down at her preppy outfit consisting of white shorts, a floral shirt, and sandals. If she had known the dress code was beach casual, she wouldn't have arrived in designer clothing.

Not only was her outfit making her feel like an outcast, but also the people there. They were already drinking and talking amongst friends. Even though it was what she expected to see, it still made her feel like she didn't belong and would never find friends at her new school.

She slipped towards the back of the yard, standing behind the table of drinks which many guests were hovering over. The light blonde girl in front of her effortlessly washed down two shots of vodka. It startled Lola, as she was used to her and her friends classily drinking a glass of champagne. Never vodka. The acquired taste was ingested by those who clearly had no taste in drinking something a little fancier.

She could already tell this party was nothing like the parties in the city. There was no bartender, socialites in attendance, designer dresses on any of the girls, or thousands of dollars spent on props. It was something much more simple than she expected - a table of alcohol, a pool to swim in, casual attire, and music. Was this how they partied in Florida?

Lola figured it was best to go unnoticed until she spotted Jake, who she predicted would swoop in like her knight and shining armor and save her from this nightmare. She was blushing at the thought of him talking to her.

And just as she predicted, Jake approached her. "Hey," he said, meeting her eyes. She felt relieved that she finally saw a familiar face and had someone to talk to. "I'm glad you came," he told her, but his voice didn't sound so excited, "but I probably should have given you a warning the other day."

She furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding what he was talking about. She wasn't sure if she should be nervous after she had been so excited about attending the party and meeting new people. "Why?"

He sighed heavily, taking a step back. He paused to think, trying to find the best words to effectively, and nicely, tell her what he meant. "The crowd of people at this party are most likely going to be really slow to warm up to you."

She was confused. Was it because of her outfit? Or the way her hair was styled? Or the way she looked? She suddenly became extremely insecure and felt stupid that she was so excited to attend the party. "Why? Did I do something?"

"No!" He was quick to say, shaking his head back and forth. She felt a tiny bit better about herself and her presence at the party. "This is just a tough crowd," he explained as she nodded her head, trying to understand. "And I still want you to meet new people. All I'm doing is warning you about some of the people here. They aren't huge fans of newcomers."

Lola should have figured there would be a catch. She was in a new town with new people - conflict was bound to happen. She was just wondering who he was indirectly referring to. "Okay," she said as he looked relieved that she didn't take his warning offensively. "But who are you talking about? I want to know before I meet them so I can make the right impression and maybe things won't go so horribly."

"That's a good idea," he nodded his head before mentally running a list through his head of all the people Lola should be cautious of. "This one's a no brainer," he started as she was all ears. "Brittany Rivera," he informed her as she took a mental note. Pretty name, she thought. But clearly not a pretty personality. That made sense. "She's outgoing and can make a notable first impression, but she's someone you don't want on your bad side. Ever."