Bad Boy Vacation

5. Party in LA

Charlie's POV

The sun was setting and the party was only just beginning.

I could hear it from upstairs as I splayed myself across my bed, an open book in my hands.

Most of the party, though, was being held in the backyard and down on the beach, where they had built a bonfire.

I wasn't expecting anyone to show up, but this party was twice the size of any I had ever been to before.

Knock knock.

At the sound of someone knocking on my door, the book that I was holding in my hands plummeted into my face.

"Who is it?" I called out.

The door opened slightly and Tom's head peeked in. "Just me." He said.

I sat up, folding the corner of the page that I was on before closing the book and setting it aside. I then shifted to face Tom as he approached.

"What's up?" I wondered.

"Ella sent me to come get you." He said.

"Oh."

"Why aren't you downstairs with the rest of the party?" He asked, taking a seat on my bed.

"I don't know." I said.

"Is it because of how Ace introduced you to his friends?" Tom wondered.

"You heard that?" I started picking at my fingernails.

"Yeah..."

I sighed. "I guess, kind of? I don't know. I know it doesn't really mean anything. I just feel weird."

"You shouldn't stay up here, all alone and stuck in your own head. Come downstairs and have some fun." Tom said.

I rolled my eyes before sighing defeatedly. "Fine, but I have to get changed first."

"Awesome, see you downstairs." He took his exit.

I went over to the drawers where I had packed away my things and looked for an outfit to throw on.

Ryan's POV

"How do you know Ace?" Isaiah asked both Clayton and I as we were seated on a log by the bonfire.

Clayton and I both shared a look before stammering to answer.

"He started at our school last year." Clayton managed to say.

My answer would have been that he's dating my ex boyfriend, but given how Ace introduced Charlie as a 'friend', I didn't want to out Ace to his friend.

"What about you? How do you know him?" I asked, keeping the conversation alive.

"His family used to come out here every summer, and we live right next door. I also dated his sister." Isaiah explained. "When I got home from work and saw cars in the driveway, I was so surprised, they hadn't been out here in awhile."

I took a sip from my beer.

"This party is huge." Clayton stated, taking a swig from his beer.

"Yeah, throw the word party around and half of Los Angeles will show up." Isaiah chuckled. His face was illuminated by the bonfire.

I heard a text coming through on Clayton's phone and turned to face him.

"Is that Ella asking where we are?" I wondered.

"Nope." He said, finishing off his beer before standing up. "I'll be back."

I knitted my eyebrows together, curious as to what he was doing. He was acting strangely suspicious.

"So..." Isaiah said, standing up and moving to sit next to me. "How are you liking LA?"

My hands began sweating as anxiety flooded my insides. "It's nice." I responded, taking a sip of beer.

"What do you think of the girls? Or boys?" He pressed, making me feel uneasy.

"Boys.... And, they're not bad." I gave an awkward smile. "What about you?"

"What about me?" He clenched his jaw, his bonfire-lit eyes looking into mine.

"Girls or boys?" I asked, a sudden boost of confidence flowing through me, probably a side-effect of drinking beer.

"Both." He smirked, taking a sip from his drink.

Ella's POV

"Hey babe." Tom returned and gave me a kiss.

"Aw, you guys are totally adorable." Nevaeh commented.

"For real." Nora added.

"Hey baby, did you get Charlie to come down?" I wondered when our lips parted from each other's.

"He's just getting changed." Tom said.

"Oh, thank god. I would have ended up going upstairs and dragging him down." I took a sip from my alcoholic mixture of vodka and raspberry soda.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, turning to Nora and Nevaeh.

They both just shrugged as they took small and polite sips from their drinks. Charlie's upstairs getting ready, and I'm pretty sure I saw Clayton head upstairs just before, probably to use the bathroom, but Ace, Adelaide and Ryan were nowhere to be seen.

Maybe they're down on the beach?

"Should we go down to the bonfire?" Tom asked, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.

"That sounds amazing." I pulled out of his grasp and turned to kiss him.

Both of his hands travelled down to my waist as our tongues brushed against one another.

"Ugh, get a room you two." Nora grimaced.

"Agreed." Nevaeh added with a groan.

Tom pulled away, smiling down at me before taking my right hand in his left one, leading me down to the bonfire on the beach, Nora and Nevaeh following closely behind.

We arrived to the bonfire to find Ryan and Isaiah talking.

"Hi guys." I announced our arrival, breaking up whatever conversation they were having. They seemed to be getting along.

"Have you seen the others?" I asked Ryan as Tom and I took a seat by the bonfire.

"Uh, Clayton was here a moment ago but he went inside." Ryan said.

"We should totally play a drinking game." Nevaeh suggested, taking a seat next to her brother.

"I love that idea." A tipsy Nora said.

"Yes! Let's do it." I said excitedly.

"I'll be back, I'm just going to go and get another drink." Tom said, kissing me on the cheek before heading back up to the house.

"Love you." I called out.

"Love you too." He called back.

"Awwwww." Nora cooed.

"What uh, what game we playin?" Isaiah asked his sister, drinking from his beer.

"We should go back up to the house and play flip cup." Ryan suggested.

"I'm down." Isaiah said, throwing a wink Ryan's way.

Ohhh...