Against All Odds

CHAPTER - 3

CAMERON

The music was already pounding when I arrived at Jack's party, flashing disco balls were the first thing that caught my attention as I stepped inside. Jack knew how to throw these things, packed houses, drinks everywhere, and everyone acted like they didn't have a care in the world. It was the usual crowd, a mix of familiar faces, most of them just looking to get drunk.

I was just here for the drinks.

"Cam, over here!" A few of my teammates waved me over, standing in a circle near the bar, drinks already in hand. I grabbed a glass, nodded at them, and took a sip. It wasn't long before I spotted Lara weaving her way through the crowd, heading straight towards me. Typical.

Lara, the cheer captain, is always the centre of attention. And why wouldn't she be? Blonde, tall with legs for days. She was the kind of girl every guy at this party would kill to get with. But, honestly, it all felt a bit... predictable.

"Hey, Cam." She said, sliding up next to me, leaning in a little too close. Her voice was sugary sweet, but I wasn't in the mood for whatever she was about to pull.

"Lara." I greeted back, taking another sip from my drink. I kept my tone flat, but she either didn't notice or didn't care.

"So, you having fun yet?" She asked, playing with the ends of her hair. She glanced around. "You know, this party's kind of boring. Maybe we could liven it up a little."

I glanced at her. Lara loved attention, she thrived on it. Cheer captain and basketball captain, right? The perfect couple in every cheesy high school rom-com. Too bad I wasn't interested in living up to that script.

"I'm good." I said, giving her a quick smile. I could tell she wanted more from me, but I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.

She frowned, clearly not getting the hint. "Come on, Cam. It's like... written in the stars or something, don't you think? Us, together? Everyone's always talking about it"

I downed the rest of my drink and set the glass down. "I don't really believe in those kinds of cliches"

She pouted, but before she could say anything else, something, or rather someone, caught my attention.

Elle.

I blinked, my eyes locking on her as she walked into the room with her friends. She was wearing a short, blue dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, paired with heels that made her legs look... well, incredible. Her blonde hair was straightened, falling down her back, making her look taller. She was... stunning. No, more than that. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Lara's voice faded into the background. Whatever she was saying didn't matter anymore.

Elle walked in with this quiet confidence, her usual casual vibe completely changed. The party noise seemed to dull as she moved through the room, and it was like she had this spotlight on her that I couldn't ignore. She looked... wow.

I set my glass down and stood up straight. Without even thinking, I started moving towards her, completely disregarding Lara. My focus was locked on Elle.

As I got closer, her friends saw me coming, nudged her, and then smirked at each other. "This is our cue to leave." The redhead said, grinning at Elle before dragging the brunette away towards the dance floor.

Elle looked at me, her eyes widening slightly as I approached. She didn't say anything at first, just stood there, holding her drink and looking, if I wasn't mistaken, a little surprised to see me.

"Well, well," I said, smirking as I stopped in front of her. "Didn't peg you for a party person, Elle. But I'm glad you made it."

She raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a small, sarcastic smile. "Yeah, well, I got dragged here. Not really my scene."

I chuckled, taking a moment to really take her in. "Well, whatever the reason, you look amazing." My voice was smooth, maybe a little too smooth, but I didn't care. "I've gotta say, the whole 'quiet bookworm' vibe is nice, but this... this is something else."

Elle didn't miss a beat. "Thanks, I guess." She tilted her head, eyes sharp. "But I don't need the compliments, Cameron. I'm perfectly fine without them."

Ouch. She wasn't playing along. I liked that.

I grinned, undeterred. "Just being honest. But alright, I won't push it... yet." I leaned in a little, lowering my voice just enough so it felt like we were the only two in the room. "Though I have to say, I'm really glad you're here. It's not every day I get to see you..." I paused for a second, my eyes meeting hers, '...and it's definitely not every day a guy gets to see someone look as pretty and beautiful as you do right now."

Her jaw clenched, and for a second, I thought I'd pushed her too far. But then, she met my gaze, her expression unreadable. "Oh, so now you're playing the smooth guy?" She asked, voice laced with sarcasm. "Is that your plan? Compliment the dress, throw in some flirty lines, and hope it works?"

I chuckled, shrugging. "Depends. Is it working?"

She didn't answer, just gave me this look, half amused, half irritated, and then, without another word, she turned on her heel and started to walk away.

I stood there for a second, watching her move through the crowd, that dress clinging to her every step. Damn. She was good.

But she didn't know me well enough if she thought that was the end of it.

I was hooked now.

My eyes tracked her as she headed toward the dance floor, her friends probably waiting for her somewhere in the sea of bodies. The way she walked away, sharp and decisive, only made me want to chase her more.

She wanted to play hard to get? Fine by me.

Because now I was definitely interested.

"Alright, Elle," I muttered under my breath, watching her disappear into the crowd. "Let's see what you're really made of."