Raj To The Max (Book #1 of Spice and Soliverse)

Chapter 11

What do I wear to a high school party? I thought, scratching my chin as I stared at my suitcase with all my clothes I brought to Yakutsk in it the next evening.

For my first ever party, possibly in college, I'd always envisioned wearing a chic black crop top and tight skinny jeans. Get my nails done either ombre or french tipped. Maybe throw in some eye makeup while I'm at it. My idea was so... ooh la la.

But I obviously own no crop tops, because whoop dee doo, I have to follow gender roles. How stupid the Earth is. So I just threw on an Abercrombie and fitch shirt and ripped jeans.

As I was fussing with my shirt in the mirror, Max waltzed in, wearing a fitted black T-shirt with a perfectly messy look to his hair, flaunting that tattoo along his arm. He had on ripped black skinny jeans that hugged him just right. Of course.

"If I was a girl, I'd simp for you," he said with a grin, all casual. Just ignorant straight boy talk.

My brain short-circuited for a second, cheeks going full red alert. "Uh...thanks," I managed, praying I didn't sound like a complete fool. Don't say it back, I told myself. You're dating Riyaj.

Max didn't seem to notice my internal meltdown as we pulled on our bulky winter jackets, gearing up against the icy outdoors. When his dad waved us off with a cheerful, "Have fun at Vlad's!" we both threw back a guilty, "Thanks!"

We hopped on the bike, and I wrapped my arms around Max's waist, still trying to figure out where he was taking me. He wound through the snow-laden streets, and before I knew it, he pulled into a deserted alleyway. I blinked as he led us toward a staircase that disappeared underground.

"Uh... won't the bike freeze if we don't tarp it?" I asked, still a little sketched out.

Max just smirked. "Yakutsk bikes are built different."

We made our way down the stairs, the air getting warmer the farther we went.

This is so not how American high school parties work, I thought. A part of me was ready to sprint, but curiosity was winning out.

After stashing our winter gear in a corner of the tunnel, Max nudged me forward. Somewhere ahead, thumping bass reverberated off the walls, some gangsta rap blasting about... questionable things. When we finally stepped inside, I was hit with neon lights, the strong smell of alcohol, and a cloud of perfume and cologne. Girls were in the most revealing outfits, people had drinks in hand, and everyone was dancing, some of them getting way too cozy.

"Are we... old enough for this?" I muttered, feeling about a decade too young for this scene. But I wasn't gonna chicken out now. I followed Max as we wove through the crowd, spotting Vlad and Alyssa in the corner, looking like they stepped off the set of some cool teen drama.

I greeted Vlad with a subtle "bro nod," doing my best imitation of a straight guy. Alyssa's eyes lit up when she saw me, and she stepped closer, doing a little twirl in her short, sparkling dress. "Raj! I didn't know you'd be here," she practically purred, putting a hand on my arm. "You look so good tonight, really handsome."

I could feel my face heating up as she leaned in, biting her lip a little. "Thanks," I mumbled, awkwardly.

She wasn't backing off. "You know, you look even better than most of the guys here," she added, twirling a strand of her hair. "Way better than Vlad," she whispered with a playful wink, glancing over her shoulder. "Don't you think we should... I dunno, dance a little?" She batted her eyelashes, leaning even closer.

Abort mission, my brain screamed. "Uh... actually... thanks, girlllll!" I said, letting my voice go up just enough to hit that stereotypical note and flashing her a subtle smirk, hoping she got the message loud and clear without me explicitly telling her: I'M GAY!