Faking It

Chapter 9: The Trial Run

I'd been to house parties before, but never in a mansion. Thankfully, though, the only difference between Kingsbridge's rich kids and my old, suburban classmates was the quality of their clothes and the quantity of their alcohol. Back home, a couple 24s meant an awesome party. Here, they had a keg, and both a raucous beer pong tournament in the formal dining room and a flip cup game along the kitchen island.

Behind it, bottles of every liquor under the sun had shown up, and not the cheap stuff, either. When I'd sent Jake a snap asking about a brand of vodka I didn't recognize, he'd responded with a snap of him and his boyfriend side-eyeing their cheap bottle of Absolut and Where the hell are you? That stuff's EXPENSIVE.

The partygoers were pouring it into mixed drinks like it was water.

Tempting as it was to try something I'd probably never afford, though, I wasn't partaking. It was nerve-wracking enough to be attending a party as the new girl, and the zero-tolerance alcohol policy had been a pretty important clause for both my scholarship and the school's code of conduct. I wasn't about to mess with that. Not when I didn't have a trust fund to buy my way out of trouble.

Gyeong-Ja kept me company while I tried not to hover awkwardly as I figured out who was friends with who. She helpfully shared any worthwhile gossip about the partygoers, and pointed out who she and Audra liked and who they didn't. There weren't many in the latter group, but it definitely included Giselle, Emma, and their minions. Unfortunately, they all showed up with one of our midfielders, a pale brunette named Harper. Even more unfortunate was that Madeleine had appeared before I'd worked up the nerve to saunter over to William.

"I know he's cute," Gyeong-Ja leaned over to say into my ear, over the thumping bass. "But he's really not a good idea. He and his brother are notorious heartbreakers."

I ripped my eyes away from William and the way his hand had settled on Madeleine's waist. "I need the bathroom."

"Hey," Gyeong-Ja caught my arm. "I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just trying to look out for you."

I smiled, though I couldn't quite make it reach my eyes. "I know."

As I washed my hands, it was hard not to study my reflection and wonder what exactly it would take to compete with the likes of Madeleine. Because the more I stared longingly across the room at William, the more I realized that I wanted to. And why not? It's not like they were actually together yet. Though they did have a history, which wasn't going to be so easy for me to overcome.

That is, if I even should try to overcome it. Gyeong-Ja and Audra wouldn't have warned me away from him for no reason. But it didn't make any sense. The William I knew was nice and charming and friendly with everyone. He'd helped me on my first day, when I was the awkward new girl. He didn't seem like the trouble they were making him out to be. Unless the trouble was with me thinking that there was anything special about the way he treated me. Maybe he was like this with everyone, and they were just trying to spare me the heartache of pining over someone they didn't think I had a shot with.

I winced. I didn't like how it stung to think that I wasn't good enough for the likes of William Ellerby. If I wanted to date him, why shouldn't I try? Maybe it would prove them all wrong. Maybe there really was something special about the way he treated me. Or maybe I was just in denial about an unrequited crush on the first hot guy who'd been nice to me at my new school.

"Stop it," I growled at myself, scraping a hand through my hair as I unlocked the door. My worth wasn't based on whether or not some guy wanted to date me. And besides, I had my scholarship and my spot as a starter. That was all I was supposed to care about, let alone compete for.

I was almost at the end of the hallway that ran off to the bathroom, beside the back stairwell, when someone swung around the corner and braced their arms on the wall.