Tainted Innocence

C H A P T E R 5

"I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying"

-Oscar Wilde

♪

Leilani

As I previously stated before, brave was never the word to describe me. So you can imagine my surprise when I finally managed to courage to jump two stories out of my house and land into a pile of bushes to go to a party. A party I have been explicitly told not to go to with a girl I had also been told to not hang out with.

Well, honestly it wasn't too scary to jump from two stories considering I had dumped all of my pillows down from my window to break my fall. I still had twigs in my hair though.

Zoé jumped out of her car with her hands covering her mouth, holding in a laugh with surprise etched onto her face, "Oh my god, Leilani are you ok?" She asked in between laughs while she was helping me up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said in between groans "I've never done anything like that!" I added with a smile as I dusted myself off.

"Who would've thought that the priest's daughter had a wild side," Zoé said while elbowing me playfully. I just shrugged my shoulders and opened the passenger door to her car. "Seatbelts," Zoé soon buckled in her seatbelt so I copied her.

"I'm surprised your parents let you come out tonight, especially your dad," Zoe stated.

"Well they didn't let me do anything I snuck out, hence why you saw me jumping out of my window," I responded. Zoé's eyes popped out of her head, "Omg, Leilani!" she laughed elbowing me "Who would've thought that you would be sneaking out and that I would be your accomplice? I never would've thought that Leilani Giovolvi would disobey her parents !"

I rolled my eyes and did a little shrug "Well there's a lot you don't know about considering that you don't know me and I don't know you."

"Well I can get to know you," a smirk appeared on her face, "As friends of course!" she added while glancing back at the road.

I just mumbled a small "Right" ending that conversation leaving us in an awkward silence.

"Oh my God this is my song," Zoé suddenly said out of nowhere and turned up the volume on the radio. "We fuck off and on, off and on, only ever really fuck off and on!" She exclaimed at the top of her lungs while moving her hand out of the window to the rhythm of the song.

"I never heard anyone curse like that before!" I said with a small laugh, looking at her with shock and admiration. Zoé was so different than anyone I had ever met.

"Honey I'm nearly 19, I'm grown" She responded, emphasizing the last part. "Of course, I'm going to "curse", we need to get you out more." She added.

"Yeah well, I'm trying to."

"No, I can't stay here and hold her. Tomorrow act like I don't know her," Zoé sang with her hair blowing in her face from the wind. Zoé was so pretty. So pretty that I forgot that she was talking, enchanted by her beauty. "See! This is why I don't date guys now, he's a total dick he's just gon  fuck and then act like she's a groupie! Total asshole move!" she exclaimed, talking with her hands to emphasize how absurd she thought this song was.

My father's words flashed in my head, she's interested in the same sex. "Hey Zoé, can I ask you a question?" she nodded her head, "Do you like girls?" I asked.

"Yeah." Was her breathless response.

Oh.

"So how did you know?" I asked, music blasting in the background.

"Huh?"

"Know that you... you know, like girls?" I said the last part with a whisper like it was forbidden.

"I've always known." was Zoé's curt response. Soon we pulled up to the house with kids dancing on the front lawn, bottles and wrappers everywhere.

"Here we are," Zoé said putting the car in park. We both got out of the car and this was the first time I noticed Zoé's attire. She wore a baggy graphic tee shirt with jorts and white Air Forces.

Zoé had an acquired sense of style but it suited her and although she looked good, she made me feel overdressed. "C'mon," snapping me out of my overthinking was Zoé's voice.

The next thing I knew Zoé had grabbed my arm and was dragging me closer to the front doors of the house. Upon opening the doors I was met with a foul smell, "Omg what is that smell?!", covering my nose. Zoé just laughed "Honey that's weed." She responded.

The weeds at my house never smell like that. I shrugged dismissing my thoughts and being led further into the house. Soon I noticed we were approaching a group of people.

"Zoé don't look now, but the priest's daughter is behind you!" Said a boy with a buzz cut and bleached hair. Zoé rolled her eyes before responding "Be quiet doofus, I invited her here," The boy just looked at me skeptically before saying "She looks like a prude."

"And you're being an asshole Javien she's my guest!" Zoé responded looking offended. Javien just rolled his eyes before standing up.

"I don't know how Celeste would feel about that," He said walking past Zoé.

Zoé called out while flipping Javien off "Fuck Celeste and fuck her feelings, I'm done with her! I'm going to go get a drink,"

I just stood there awkwardly after being abandoned, untill a girl with Raven hair cut into bangs and dressed in a distressed crop top sweater and ripped shorts came up to me. "Hi I'm Kaitlyn, sorry about Javien, he's just pissy," the girl added with an eye roll.

"Hi I'm Lei-"

"I know who you are," Kaitlyn said cutting me off before adding "You're the priest's daughter, not going to lie it's kind of weird seeing you here, I wouldn't take you as a party girl."

"Oh well I'm not, actually this my first party I'm so-"

"Omg! This is your first party?!" Kaitlyn asked cutting me off again "Aw that's so cute, we totally have to get you drunk!" Kaitlyn said dragging me with her along with her ponytail slightly hitting me in my face.

I'm tired of people pulling me everywhere. I observed the house as she was dragging me through it. I noticed people kissing, grinding on each other on the dance floor and even smoking some weird substance. Papá would die if he saw me here, I thought.

"Here we are the kitchen," Kaitlyn exclaimed before rummaging through different bottles. Soon enough she pushed a red solo cup to my face and said, "Try this."

Slowly I wrapped my lips around the cup and took a sip, I nearly threw up there.  "Kaitlyn!" I exclaimed, "What is this?!"

She just shrugged before giggling and taking another sip of her drink. I copied her, taking another sip of mine, hopping that'll taste better the second time.

Nope, just as disgusting. I spat it out and shook my head. I had no business drinking anyway.

"C'mon let's go dance" I heard as I was suddenly being dragged to dance floor.

Well this is going to be a long night.

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