Blackmailing The Untouched

You Again?

My cold lasts a total of five days, but I don't return home immediately. I want to make sure the virus is completely out of my system before I am back with Dad.

Sally is off on Saturday and decides that she needs to have a party to celebrate the new waitress finally getting the hang of balancing trays. She wants to have a small get-together of her closest friends with drinks.

Anna is one of those "friends," and I'm not sure how she'll react to me when she sees me. After all, I saw the jealousy in her fierce black eyes when she saw me show up at Zach's house.

Will she confront me?

Will she make a scene?

Will she expose me?

And what if she shows up with a clueless Travis?

Can I just allow him to think that his girlfriend has been faithful to him?

Can I just keep my mouth shut and let him be fooled like that?

"It's not going to be a huge drunk party this time." Says Sally as she is coming out of the bathroom with a lavender towel wrapped around her petite body.

"I know that I'm not having anything to drink but water tonight," I state. I remember waking up the morning after I drank too much. The toilet was my best friend.

"I'm there with you." She laughs as she passes me by and walks into her room to get changed. "I've already called Anna, Shelby, Zach, and Zander."

I almost choke on the glass of water that I'm sipping from, "Zach?"

"Yeah, since I know he's after someone else, I figured I'd invite him for once." She shrugs and closes her door. "I can tell him not to come. If you'd prefer?" Her voice is muffled through the door.

"No, that's alright," I shout so that she can hear me clearly. I stand in the hallway for what feels like an eternity waiting for Sally to open the door. When she does, she is wearing a pair of tight red leather pants with a black tank top. Her hair is in a ponytail high on top of her head. I could never pull off something like that.

"I guess you really want to see Zander tonight, huh?" I tease with a chuckle.

"I know I shouldn't sleep with him again, but it's been a terrible week, and I need the release." She laughs right along. "Oh, he invited Tyler along. Cool with you?"

I smile, "Very cool with me."

There's a knock on the door of the apartment, and we both walk out into the living room. The first person to arrive is Shelby. She walks in with her perfect smile in place wearing a short cream colored knit sweater dress with a pair of brown boots that go all the way up to her thighs. Her platinum blond hair is styled like a bow on the crown of her head.

I look down at my dark jeans and black T-shirt. My boots are almost as high as hers, but I don't feel as though we are in the same league.

"Hollie. Where have you been?" She pulls me into a friendly embrace and squeezes me. "We've missed you here the past week."

"I've been busy at home." I shrug, feeling a little embarrassed, and put on the spot. "Is it possible that you've gotten hotter?"

She laughs and pats the air toward me, "Oh, come on."

"She'll be here permanently eventually." Sally nudges my shoulder with a wink. "Where's Anna?" She looks past Shelby and searches for Anna behind her.

"She and Travis started fighting when we were all getting ready to leave." Shelby shrugs with a careless nod. "They might be a little late."