"Tonight? No way!" Emma quickly shook her head, laughing nervously. She just wanted a nice, simple day with her friends. Was that too much to ask? Now was not the time for her to be around large groups of people.
She was still in high school anyways what did it look like her going to a college party?
Niki pouted, crossing her arms like a child who just heard they couldn't have their favorite candy. "Well, that's that. She said no. Anyway, you gonna call the guy?" Whitney said, opening her bag of chips, seemingly unbothered by Emma's refusal.
Niki let out a snide laugh, tossing the boy's number on the table. "Of course not. I'm not into guys shorter than me in heels. I just thought it would be fun to go to the party, so I took his number. He told me if I wanted to go, I should text him, and he'd give me the address. Apparently, it's some secret spot on campus or something."
Whitney shrugged as Emma's eyes drifted to the number on the table. Claire picked up the paper, lying back on the floor, holding it up. She let out a heavy sigh. "This could be our first college party. Come on, guys, don't you wanna go just to see what all the hype's about?" She held the paper high, waving it around before sitting up.
Whitney pushed a blonde braid behind her ear as she finished off her bag of chips. "I'm not the party type, and neither is Emma. If she goes, I'll go, but otherwise, I'm fine with staying here." She stood up to throw her empty bag away.
Claire's eyes turned to Emma's. She and Niki gave her the puppy-dog eyes. Claire held her hands together, whispering, "Please, please, please! Say we can go, just this once, Emma."
Emma sighed. She honestly didn't want to go. What was even the point of parties? Go to some dark, loud place full of drunk, horny strangers? She guessed the point was just to get drunk and dance. That didn't sound like fun to her. She looked down at the ring around her finger, fidgeting with it. She wondered if Blake would care if she went to the party. Sure, she wasn't planning on drinking or anything, but it would probably still be a bad idea. And she had a possible stalker out there waiting for her to slip up or something.
"Earth to Emma, you're thinking too much. Are we going or not? It's up to you," Niki said, snapping her fingers.
Why did it have to be her choice? Emma thought before playing with her necklace. "I don't even have anything to wear to a party, guys," she said, thinking she'd found the perfect loophole.
"I'm sure you can fit some of Whit's dresses," Claire said, looking over at Whitney, who had just sat back down.
Emma shut her eyes tight. It looked like she couldn't get out of this. "Fuck, fine. We'll go, but not for long, okay? I have to get back home before midnight."
Claire let out an excited squeak before standing up. Niki crossed her arms, whispering, "But that's when all the real parties get fun."
Whitney glared at her, shutting her up before she stood up. She took the number from Claire. "I mean, sounds like a plan. I'll text him on the way home. I'll go there to change and be back. Claire, you can go change, and Whitney can help Emma pick out an outfit." She walked toward the door.
Once she was gone, Claire skipped toward her room, clearly excited, leaving Whitney and Emma in the living room. "You sure about this?" Whitney asked Emma followed Whitney toward her room. "No... not really, but let's just try to have fun."
Whitney let out a soft laugh, patting her on the back before entering her room.
****
The music was blaring so loud that Emma couldn't understand how people could hear each other. The smell of alcohol and smoke filled the dimly lit room as the girls stumbled their way through the thick crowd, pushing people out of their way. The guy who invited Niki led the way. He told them this used to be one of the veterinary school's old buildings. They had closed it down when they built the new one on campus, but the dean must have forgotten about it because the power was still on. The college kids had turned it into a makeshift, unsupervised party house.
He led them into the kitchen, where his friends were already drinking and laughing. "These are my buddies. I'm hoping we can all have a chill night together." The guys smiled in their direction. Emma gave an awkward wave.
One of the guys with dark blonde hair ran his eyes over her body, making her feel very uncomfortable. She pulled at the hem of the little red dress Whitney had let her use. It was tight around the chest, making her breasts look even bigger than they already were. She'd gotten many looks on her way in, but his gaze, in particular, made her uneasy.
Multiple cases of beer lined up on the table. The guy who invited Niki grabbed four cans, handing one to each of the girls. "Here you go, ladies. Here's to a great night and a great start to the semester." He held up his beer can with a smile, gesturing for them to do the same.
The boys lifted their cans without question. The girls, however, looked at each other hesitantly. Niki looked at them before giving a shrug. "What the hell," she said, popping the tab and lifting her can. The boys cheered slightly. Claire followed, opening her own can and lifting it high.
They all took a drink, except for Whitney, who picked at the lid of her can, and Emma, who just clenched hers. Emma slipped backward, hoping no one would notice she didn't want to drink. Whitney noticed, stepping in front of her slightly.
"Aren't you gonna drink with us, pretty girl?" the blonde said, leaning against the countertop. Emma swallowed, and everyone's eyes turned to her. "She's our designated driver," Claire said, trying to defend Emma's standoffish behavior.
The guys whined, egging her on to take a drink. Whitney turned her head, looking over at Emma. "Just take a sip. I'll drive tonight," she whispered, sitting her unopened can back on the counter.
Emma had never had a drink before. She didn't think this was a good idea, drinking in a house full of strangers. All the boys kept egging her on to drink.
"Don't worry, Emma, I'll keep an eye on you to make sure nothing happens," Whitney said, taking the can from her hand, opening the top, and handing it back. Claire smiled, hitting Whitney's arm slightly. "We'll all keep an eye on each other. Nothing crazy will happen here tonight." Niki nodded, taking another sip from her can.
Emma looked around as the guys began chanting, "Do it! Do it! Do it!" The rest of the crowd in the kitchen soon joined in, clapping along with the chanting. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as she looked around, throwing her head back and chugging the can of alcohol. It burned the whole way down her throat. As she drank, the cheers only got louder, with pats on her back. But even with people celebrating, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. This night was going to take a turn, and rather quickly.
YOU ARE READING
It Started With Hello
Romance***** Emma Pear knew she wasn't the most popular girl in high school. Her nose was usually buried in a textbook, and her grades were as spotless as her reputation for always following the rules. "Nerd" was a label she'd long since embraced. Her pare...
