First Term Love Story

Chapter 40: Barbecue

I leave the hall with a smile spread wide on my face as I walked over to Cameron's car. He was already standing there, leaning against the car with a smile on his face. Cameron put out his hand for a high five and I smacked it right down, feeling a little déjà vu as I walked past him to get into the car through the other door. This was the end of the term.

We got back to the mansion and streamed into the recreational room where a few of the others already were, with matching smiles on their faces as we rejoiced the end of the term. There was food laid out on the table as a lunch for whoever comes back from their last class of the term.

We turn up the music and all the consoles are on for the guys to play. There are cups of different sodas laid out on the table including, coke, sprite, ice lemon tea in the red plastic cups. The guys slowly stream in, dumping their bags, if any, by the door before rushing over to catch the match or grab a slice of pizza first. We have fun for the whole afternoon and early evening before we decided to chill for a bit and save the high for the party. Nowell orders us some Chinese and we eat the food while discussing our anticipation for the party.

"The party's going to be sick."

"Yeah, everyone is looking forward to it,"

"And pretty much everyone is going,"

"It's going to be awesome,"

"Yeah, I saw the place too, that place is huge,"

"I heard their giving access to pretty much the whole mansion too,"

"Woah, really?"

"Yeah, I heard that too,"

"How many bedrooms are there?"

"Obviously more than the number of bedrooms here,"

"But don't be so excited to get dirty, some of the rooms have been booked,"

"This party's going to be crazy,"

"So I guess we better look crazy good later,"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to get ready."

"We can all go get ready and meet here at 9:45, the party is quite a drive away," Nowell says and with that, we all go back to our rooms to get ready.

I look into my wardrobe and pull out a simple black tube dress and decide on that for my outfit, paired with a the bracelet Eugene gave me that I always wear. I get a quick shower and put on my makeup, mascara, eyeliner, concealer and bright red lipstick, much heavier make up compared to usual but it looks acceptable for a party as big as this. I bring my matching black purse for the night and throw in the necessities, including my lipstick to touch up. I leave my hair down with its natural curves with a few comb throughs to make sure that it is knot-free.

I check that I have everything, and that I look okay before I go out of the door to where some of them are already waiting. Luckily, some of them aren't here yet, if not I'd be the last one. Again. Soon enough, everyone has gathered and we got off in our cars, everyone looking dapper and the best they have since the start of the term with button down shirts and jeans or dress pants. I get in the car with Cameron and with the rest in, we start driving towards the party, a handful of cars on the road tonight, which is not common, especially since we are all driving in the same direction, undoubtedly going to the party.

Soon, the loud music blasting from the house can be heard and the car lines up behind the others and we all alight and make our walk to the house. The closer we are to the house, the louder the music and the partying and the more I see the house. It is definitely big, bigger than mansion Pearce and you can see the door open with people streaming in at a consistent pace. We walk up the path and the drive, past the gate and go up the stairs and past the door. The house is quite full of people and it has barely started, heck, we are early. We each go into different directions and I make it a point for me first to find Eugene. I look through the first floor, picking up a red cup and a pastry while I go looking for him. The music pounding through the house, after my search of the first floor, I decided it is no point to find him this way, especially since the house is so big and he might not even be here yet so I give him a quick text.

"Camilla," I hear.

I whizz around and see Emily, waving me over. I go over to her and realise that she isn't with Dave.

"Where's Dave?"

"He's not coming, going home first," she says as she sways sideways, an affect of already being drunk.

"Where's your man?" she asks.

"Not here-"

"That's sad but you can join me for the party."

I don't respond because in a second, she has taken me through the crowd to the back and gone to where the barbecue is.

"It smells good."

"Yeah, you want some?" I say as I take a paper plate.

"Yah," she says and we get some of the food on the grill, me placing some raw meat back on it for the others.

Emily is barely through half her plate when she puts her plate down, next to the pool.

"I wanna swim now," she says and starts taking of her dress.

"You're not done yet though." I say but she ignores me and jumps into the pool, splashing around in the water.

"Come in Camilla," she urges but I sit at the side, continuing with my food and shake my head.

"Fine. Pass me my food." She commands and I pass her her plate of food.

More people are starting to get in the pool too and I keep wondering where Eugene is when I check my phone and see that he hasn't given me a reply. I'm still thinking when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Rose.

"Hey, is the barbecue good?" Rose asks.

"Yeah, it's yummy," I reply.

"Yes, it's good." Emily shouts and tosses one of the shrimp kabobs to Rose, only for the stick of food to fall into the pool, causing everyone to erupt with laughter as Emily picks it up and shakes it off before putting it in her mouth.

"I'll get some myself," Rose says, laughing and I realise that maybe it isn't going to be so bad after all.