The Latterson List

Chapter Two - The Host

All I could do was stand and stare at the small pink envelope in my locker. I was fully aware of half of the school stood behind me, each of them as lost for words as me. Everyone who'd even heard of this school knew what that envelope meant.

No one dared move. Not even Mary had anything to say. We all just stared at the envelope, the...invitation.

This has be a joke. Someone had clearly put that invitation in my locker as a prank. They'd see my face light up and then laugh. And definitely take a picture and tweet it. #LattersonUninvited.

Finally. Someone broke the silence. "...are you going to open it?" Tom whispered. A few people murmured in agreement.

Hesitantly, like the invitation might catch aflame at any minute, I picked it up, and then turned to face the entire group, but really I was only searching for Tom's eyes. Mary's frown of confusion was etched deep in her face, and Jackson held one hand against his head like the idea of me being invited to this party was giving him a headache. It was giving me a headache.

I held up the invite, confused, like a cat when it catches something in its mouth that it doesn't understand. Heat prickled down the back of my neck. I fantasised about closing my eyes and appearing elsewhere, unencumbered by this foreign entity in my hand.

"Do you want me to open it for you, sugar?" Rosella asked softly. I nodded, slowly passing the pink envelope to her. The paper was as alien to me as this new found centre of attention. Every eye in the sports corridor watched the envelope. Rosella took it carefully, and unwrapped it. Unfolding the invite, she cleared her throat, prepared to read for the masses:

"Dear Paul," she read. "Be my Plus One for the upcoming Latterson Party. RSVP to Katie directly. See you there."

No one said a thing. Rosella watched me with a slight frown as if she was expecting me to deliver the punch line. Trust me, this was no joke I was in on. I was just praying I wasn't the butt of it.

"...does it say who it's from?" I whispered, my voice lost somewhere in the disbelief.

Rosella shook her head. "Only a couple of kisses. It just says, 'see you there'."

Mary yanked the invite from Rosella's hands. "This has got to be fake! The little queer must have forged one!"

"You'll have to forge yourself a new face if you speak to him like that again," Rosella seethed, snatching back the invite. She passed it to me. "And by the way, churchy. I know genuine when I see it."

Tom blinked and shook his head, every bit the picture of a dog drying off his fur. "Okay everyone, party's over. Back to your regular scheduled programming." He shooed everyone away, even making a point of blowing at Mary, like you would a bit of fluff that was attempting to stick to your face.

Steadily, the crowds dispersed, mobiles in hands. Before long, the hashtag #LattersonUninvited was trending. I don't think I exhaled until it was just me, Tom and Rosella left. I glanced up at Tom, wide eyed, hoping he had something to say.

He draped his arm over my shoulder. "Guess I'll be seeing you there."

Rosella shut my locker and pulled the key out. Passing it back to me, she placed her other hand on the side of my face. "Are you okay, honey?"

I nodded.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," Tom said.

***

The cafeteria was a massive converted chapel. Huge arched ceilings were held up by twisted columns that decorated the room. The once stained glass windows had since been replaced by thick clear glass which rewarded the room with a bright, clear light during the day and an excellent view of the sports fields that eventually dropped down into the river that circled most of the grounds.