Where We Should Be

Chapter 4

Zoe's P.O.V

The music is blaring and I feel kinda sorry for Ariana's parents hiding away upstairs but this is so much fun it's hard to think about that.

I see Ariana sip her cocktail innocently as a sixth former walks past, brushing against her and I totter over to her in my heels, "hey, want something to eat?" I ask, purposely blocking out the boy to protect my best friend. She smiles at me thankfully - I can tell when she doesn't want the attention - and she replies with a simple "I'm alright actually" which isn't like her but I forget about it and we link arms to head over to where Jess and Livvy are sitting on the white sofas. I hand them both a drink but Jess turns it down, "it took a month to persuade my parents to let me come tonight, they'd kill me if I drank too!" And we laugh because it seems crazy to me, Ariana and Livvy but I guess it's not a bad thing to be sensible. I used to be the same before I wanted more, before I got a taste of the high life and decided to live it.

All of a sudden I feel a pair of hands slither round my shoulders and spin round in time with Ariana to be greeted by a pair of lips immediately on mine. What the hell?! James? Ugh why can't he get the message that I'm not interested anymore. I spent ages loosing sleep over him and his games but now I'm officially over it and he just can't accept I don't want to have anything to do with him if he just wants a side chick. We were never together properly anyway so what makes him think he can just come up and kiss me?

"Get OFF her!" Ariana yells extra loudly over the thumping music and he steps away, raising his hands in a mocking gesture and laughing. He makes anger rush through me in record time and we never even invited him so word about the party must've spread pretty quick.

That should've shaken me up a bit but I don't really care when it comes to James now. He looked drunk anyway so he must've been drinking before the party - he's an idiot. He's only 17.

Forgetting about the incident, I gaze around the room and everyone is having just as much fun as us! There must be 200 people here, loads of guys too. I spot Vanessa in the corner with her boyfriend and hear Ariana giggle at them, causing me to join in. They've been together a few months and they're really cute. He clearly likes her and to be honest, me and Ariana are kinda jealous of what they have...

"Oh, Zoe" laughs my best friend, "The nasty boy smudged your lipstick! Let's pop upstairs and fix that for ya," and she grabs my hand and pulls me up the cream carpet stairs.

As we're walking past her parents bedroom we hear them chatting away about something.. "She won't be happy" we hear her mum state. What was that about?

Ariana throws me a look and I decide to steer away from any drama and lead her into her bedroom to sort out my makeup and to pop into the room where we are keeping the coats because one guy has a coat that smells sooo good haha we're so weird!