Star-Crossed Lovers

Chapter 9: The Social

Lucas, Gwen and I were on our way to the social. My parents let me go after I convinced them that it was a school event that was compulsory.

"Lucas are you sure you know where you're going?" Gwen asked with such concern in her voice.

"This is not my first social Gwen." Lucas said hostilely.

I sat in the backseat and left myself out of their conversations. The two of them bickered till we arrived safe and sound at the social. Lucas found parking by the open ground where most cars were parked and we all got out. There was a huge fire in the middle and everyone sat down around it. Quite a few students brought chairs along and others used Mother Nature's logs as seats. First thing we did was have a drink. Fortunately Gwen brought alcohol with because she asked her older sister to buy for us. We sat on the low wall and looked at the people. There were lights which were useful otherwise it would have been pitch black. My eyes searched for one person only...Hunter. I don't know why but I was curious to know if he was coming. Hunter had this mysterious persona to him and I found it intriguing.

"Who you looking for?" Gwen asked

"Uh...just Hunter"

Gwen and Lucas's eyes widened at the sound of his name. "What the hell?" Lucas exclaimed.

"What you doing looking for him? Do you like him?" Gwen asked

I shook my head. "No. Hell no. I don't like him at all. We are sort of friends I guess, I wanted to just see if he was here."

"You're friends with Hunter?" Gwen asked, sounding quite shocked.

"Yeah can't I be?"

"You can, of course you can but how did that happen?"

I took a sip of my drink that warmed my throat before answering. "Well he is my partner for my business project and then we sort of hung out at my house after we worked on the project."

"Be careful Emma, he uses girls. You don't want to be the school's slut then no one will hang out with you." Gwen joked, but her words hurt me.

"Gee thanks Gwen. Good to know that you'll bail out on our friendship if something had to happen."

Lucas chirped in with a bleak expression. "Emma I'm sure that's not what she meant."

"You're defending her?"

"Of course not." Lucas promised.

Gwen furrowed her brows. "Emma I didn't mean that. I just don't want you hanging out with him because he's bad news. All he does is use girls for sex and I don't want you to be one of his conquests."

"We're only friends"

Gwen sighed. "Hunter doesn't do friends. He probably only wants something from you."

"So you're saying that he couldn't like me as a friend. The only possible reason that he would ever hang out with me is because he wants something." My voice was shaky. I held back my tears for as long as I could but it soon filled my eyes.

"No, of course not. I hang out with you and I don't want anything."

"Are you sure Gwen?" I asked sarcastically.