Playing Pretend

Wanna play truth or dare?

Oh, boy was I in trouble.

Huge trouble. Enormous trouble. The worst kind of trouble.

At least fifty of my classmates had invaded Kinsley's house - laughing, drinking, and dancing. I had to step over a girl - Gretta, I think her name was - vomiting into a pot plant when I walked through the door. And not gracefully, either.

Let's just say it wasn't the warm welcome that I expected.

The reason - or reasons - as to why I was in trouble didn't have anything to do with vomiting in pot plants. Not yet, anyways. My reasons were standing at either side of the living room, each with a red cup in hand and a deadly glare on their faces.

Josh was sat on the couch with an equally as beefy friend on either side of him. They were laughing loudly at something, but every couple of seconds Josh would pull he attention away to send another dirty look in August's direction. August was leaning against the wall, talking to a guy I didn't know. As soon as my eyes laid on him the music seemed to grow a million times louder - the heavy bass of the dance songs trying to desperately keep up with the beating of my racing heart.

An edgy leather jacket hung tightly around his arms and shoulders on top of a grey t-shirt, and once again I couldn't  help but appreciate how nicely those black jeans of his hung on his hips.

As if he could hear me drooling he looks up from his drink and finds me in the crowd. The music soars. It fills every inch of me, rushing through my veins, prickling across my skin, as he keeps his eyes firmly locked on mine. He's smiling at me, a lovely, melty sort of smile that burns me alive - and then the lights flash and he's talking to his friend as if it didn't happen.

Because nothing did happen, Elsie. I chide myself, shaking my head. He was just being civil.

Knowing he was looking at me I turn to Josh and smile, but don't go over. I wasn't prepared for that. Not yet. The bar across the room lights up like a neon sign and I don't waste any time darting over there and pouring myself a reasonable size drink.

"Hey babe."

I take an enormous sip before turning around.

"Josh, I've asked you not to call me that at least a million times. Give or take a couple million."

He laughs, looking as charming as ever. He runs a warm finger across my flushed cheek.

"You're so stubborn." He winks lazily. "It's kind of hot though."

I try and fight my blush but it comes anyways. I'd never been able to fight off his compliments. I was only human, after all. And he was really, really cute.  Although I was starting to feel slightly more godly with every sip of my drink. His lips quirk into a smirk when he realises he's caught me.

"Is it now?" I shrug my shoulders, grinning. I knew I was crossing into dangerous territory but I didn't care. Josh chuckles, reaches around my waist and presses me against him so quickly that my drink sloshes out of my cup. Pouting I stare at the ground, I was really enjoying that.

His breath fans my cheek, "Uh-huh. You're the sexiest girl in the room, and you know what's the best part?"

My breath hitches in my throat. "What?"

"You're all mine."

His mouth nips my cheek and then the side of my mouth, begging me to meet them, but there it is, right on queue. The niggling, sickly feeling, determined to push through my drunken haze. My eyes squeeze shut as he keeps searching my face with his lips.