The Downside of Popularity

24|Saying the "S" word

Alina
✿___________✿

Sometimes, life decides to give you lemons, and then you've got to slice them up and make lemonade because what else can you do with lemons?

But you know what life is super stingy with? Second chances.

Second chances were hard to come by.
If they weren't, dilemmas wouldn't exist. Because then you could get a chance to choose one option before another to see what happens. And if dilemmas didn't exist, I wouldn't be torn right now, trying to decide whether hurrying off after Pablo was a better idea than spying on Leni and Connor.

Inhaling a deep breath, I ran two fingers across my head to clear up the slight ache I was feeling. Pablo seemed pretty mad after catching me and Jake kissing earlier on. So mad that he hadn't lasted two minutes, before storming out of Kaylee's living room like his pants were on fire. Even though it was silly of me to think Pablo would be concerned about who I did, or did not make out with, for some reason I wanted to catch up to him and make sure he wasn't mad at me. Things between us had to be okay, no matter what was going on between me and Jake.

On the second thought, maybe I should follow Connor and Leni to see what they're up to.

If there really was something scandalous going on with them, it would help me with my plans. After all, the best way of destroying someone was by making them lose trust in their friends. If Laurie's best friend Leni was screwing her boyfriend, and I got proof of it, I could use it to mess her up.

I glanced over at Leni, giggling as Connor whispered something in her ears. Yup, she would definitely do whatever I say to make sure I didn't spill her secret-if she had any.
I'd just keep my eyes on alert so they don't disappear before I realise.

"Why do you think Laurie didn't show up and her boyfriend did?" Ashley came up from behind me.

The corner of my lips curled in distaste as I slowly faced her. "Dunno," I said with a shrug. I had to ditch her before she ruined my plans, and not being interested in what she had to say would do the trick.

The strobe lights hanging down the ceiling bounced off the sequins of her top-turned-dress and she stared at me with wide, round eyes. "I'll bet you five bucks, that dude Connor's cheating on Laurie," she slurred, a bit unsteady on her feet.

A Tate McRae song came up on the stereo and the energy in the air increased with the pump of the beat. There was some sort of vibration when everyone sang the first lines in the chorus. I didn't join in; I kept my eyes fixed on Leni as she clinked glasses with Addie.

"Don't they look gross doing that?" Ashley squeezed her face like she was disgusted while pointing at a couple few feet across us.

A huge, bulky dude was pressed against the wall as Tricia Elman; cheerleading captain straddled his waist, her tongue already down his throat, and his big muscly arms groping her butt.

I rolled my eyes at Ash. Less than an hour ago, she and Bodie were doing the same gross thing. But I guess she was too drunk out of her mind to remember that.

I mumbled something to her under my breath and turned to watch Connor and Leni when I realised they were no longer where I'd last seen them.

My breathing paced and my heart pounded against my ribcage as I wondered where they poofed off to. Ashley said something-"that's just pathetic don't you think?"-but I ignored her and pushed my way through the mob of partying teens.

My eyes scanned the room. If only I could just spot Leni's blue sequin dress or platinum curls...

Some dude stumbled my way, holding a beer keg. I grabbed him by the shoulders. "Hey, have you seen Connor around here?" Maybe he was too drunk to remember what Connor looked like, I don't know, but I didn't have much of a choice.