FINDING 12 | BOYS OF TOMMEN

'I don't do parties.'

"You're coming with us," Hughie insisted, plopping down on my bed with an unshakeable grin.

I groaned, my head leaning back against the headboard as if that might somehow make him disappear. "Hughie, I don't do parties. Especially not birthdays for people I don't even know. And especially not at some school I don't go to."

Hughie rolled his eyes, clearly undeterred. "That's exactly why you should come. It's good for you to get out of this room once in a while, lad. When was the last time you saw anything other than these walls?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off with that determined look. "And don't even think of saying it was last weekend's match. That doesn't count, and you know it."

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face, trying to get out of this. "Look, you know parties aren't my thing. Besides, who even invited us? It's some random girl's party from another school."

"It's not that random," he said, trying to sound casual, but he was clearly excited. "Some girl named Blair—it's her sixteenth. She's Connor's girlfriend and mates with his crowd, so of course, they're all going to be there. Johnny and Gibsie are already on their way, and I said we'd meet them."

"So Connor's gonna be there," I muttered, not particularly thrilled. "You know how his friends look at us. Different school, different crowd. Not really a recipe for a fun night."

Hughie just shook his head, laughing. "You're overthinking it, lad. It's a party, not some school turf war. It doesn't matter where we're from. We'll hang with Johnny and Gibsie, have a few drinks, let loose for once. Come on—you're acting like we're marching into enemy territory."

I couldn't help but smirk at his optimism, but the doubt still lingered. Going to a party with another school wasn't exactly something I looked forward to. I could already picture the awkward glances and territorial vibes. But Hughie was relentless, and the more he kept talking about Johnny, Gibsie, and the night ahead, the less my excuses seemed to matter.

"All right, fine," I relented finally, feeling the slightest twinge of excitement despite myself. "But I'm not there to impress anyone. Just there to hang out and leave as soon as it turns shit."

"Deal," Hughie said, grinning as he clapped me on the shoulder. "Just show up, have a drink, and if you're not having fun, you can leave. But I promise you—you'll be glad you came."

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Jesus Christ, I didn't know who this girl was, but she was beautiful. She looked... familiar somehow, though I couldn't quite place where I'd seen her before. She was sitting with another girl who looked almost identical—both of them blonde, both radiating that carefree energy. They were sharing a bowl of what looked like sausage rolls, laughing between bites, so caught up in whatever they were saying to each other that it seemed like no one else existed.

I hadn't stopped looking at her all night.

She must have felt my stare, because she suddenly turned, her gaze meeting mine, and she gave me a small smirk. That one, knowing look made my stomach flip.

Shit.

I quickly looked away, only to find Hughie grinning at me like a kid with a secret.

"Someone caught your eye?" he teased, nudging me in the ribs.

I forced a shrug, trying to act like I didn't care. "No. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," he replied, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Just thought it was interesting how you've been staring at the birthday girls all night. Or, should I say, one of them in particular?"

"Not true," I muttered, feeling my face get hot.

Hughie's smirk widened. "Yeah, sure. You're practically the color of a tomato, lad."

Johnny chuckled, joining in. "The one you're looking at? That's Blair, and the other one's her friend, Eloise. Heard it's their big birthday bash tonight."

"Blair!" Gibsie slurred, his head lolling against Johnny's shoulder. "She had that big pink bow back in the day—remember? I got Claire-Bear one just like it!"

Just then, Blair's voice rang out above the crowd. "Oh my god, I love this song!" She jumped up, pulling Eloise along as "Bills, Bills, Bills" started blasting over the speakers. The two of them dove into the chorus, belting out the lyrics, twirling and laughing like no one was watching. They were so full of energy it was impossible not to watch them.

And then the doors swung open with a loud bang, and the whole vibe shifted. Connor walked in, looking like he was about two seconds from punching a wall. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on Blair, and I could see his expression sour even more as he pushed his way through the crowd toward her.

Eloise's face turned to stone the second she saw him approach, her arms crossing tightly over her chest as she threw him a look of pure irritation. Blair's face flushed as she noticed him, clearly embarrassed, and I could see her struggling to keep up her carefree vibe. She muttered something to Connor, her tone low but firm.

"Connor, enough," Blair said, louder now, and I could hear the frustration in her voice. "You don't get to show up late, pick a fight, and act like you're doing me a favor. It's our birthday. I'm here with my friends. We're having fun. So if you can't get over whatever's bothering you, maybe you should leave."

Connor's face twisted, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in close, but Blair didn't flinch. She held her ground, chin raised, her expression set. He looked taken aback for a second, maybe even hurt, but he quickly masked it with anger.

"Fine," he spat, his voice low and seething. "Enjoy your party, Blair." Without another word, he spun on his heel and stormed off, his footsteps loud as they echoed down the hall.

As the doors swung shut behind him, Eloise burst out laughing, and Blair followed, the tension draining as quickly as it had appeared. The girls exchanged wide-eyed looks, then doubled over in laughter, clearly relieved to be rid of him. Their friends joined in, and soon they were all laughing like nothing had happened.

"Now that's a birthday memory," Johnny said with a chuckle, nudging me again.