BANE OF HIS EXISTENCE

Chapter 22: PARTY LIFE (Continuation...)

MAYA.

"Hey! No need to be rude!" Stella shouted after me, her voice carrying across the room. I could sense her indignation, but I didn't bother turning around. "I just stated the obvious. No one asked you to sneak off with shady characters in the parking lot!"

I let out a derisive snort, loud enough for her to know I wasn't interested in her opinions. What was her problem, anyway?

"You should be nice to me, you know?"

Stella shouted once more, her voice rising in a bid to get my attention. This time, I froze, my feet rooted to the spot as I slowly turned to face her. She was caught off guard, nearly colliding with me before hastily taking a step back.

Her eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other. My glare was icy, a warning to her to back the hell off, while Stella's expression faltered, her bravado wavering in the face of my hostility.

I clenched my jaw, my words dripping with venom. "Oh, yeah? Why exactly should I be nice to you?" Stella's eyes widened, fear flickering across her face before she hastily masked it with a brittle veneer of courage.

Her attempt at bravado was laughable, and I couldn't help but think, You're not even good at pretending to be tough. Still, I have to admit, she wasn't completely useless.

Stella's voice trembled slightly as she replied, "Um...because I'm dating your cousin?" Her words hung in the air, a hesitant question rather than a confident statement.

My eyes narrowed. Bitch, is that a question or a fact? And for the love of all things holy, Andrew is not my real cousin!

I summoned my most withering glare, pinning her with a cold, hard stare. "So, what does that have to do with me?" I asked, my voice dripping with disdain. Stella's eyes darted nervously, and she swallowed hard, her composure wavering. Good, I thought, satisfied that I'd gotten under her skin.

"We're basically, like...family or something, right?" she stammered, as if that simplistic assertion would magically resolve the tension between us. I let out a mocking laugh, the sound dripping with sarcasm.

This girl's not just aesthetically challenged; she's also intellectually bankrupt. For a fleeting moment, I felt a pang of sympathy for Andrew. What does he see in this vacuous, stumbling mess of a person?

"I'm only going to say this once," I began, my voice laced with exhaustion and annoyance. "I don't care about your relationship with Andrew. It's none of my business, and frankly, I don't want to know." My gaze turned icy, my eyes bored into hers. "And let's get one thing straight: you and I will never be family. So, do us both a favor and stay out of my way." My tone dropped to a warning growl.

"This is your final warning. Back off, or face the consequences." I strode away, determined to leave the confrontation behind. The thought of explaining myself to someone like Stella was infuriating, especially when it was Andrew's lack of self-control that had landed me in this situation. (Sighs) Time to call it a night. The party had lost its appeal, and I'd had my fill of drama.

As I turned a corner, Sasha's voice rang out, her words slurred from excessive drinking. "There you are!" she exclaimed, her eyes glassy and unfocused. "I've been searching everywhere for you." I winced, taken aback by the pungent smell of alcohol wafting from her. How many drinks had she downed?