Here's To The Hopeless

15: Coral Pools

The smell of body odor and deep heat filled the closet-sized room as we waited for Sebastian's boxer friend to wash the blood off himself.

He turned to us, a wide grin on his handsome face that made me instantly feel at ease. He opened the door for us to walk out, him following suit. The guy brushed his blonde hair back with his fingers. "I didn't think you were coming tonight, man," he paused for a moment and looked at me, then back to Sebastian. "You better be coming out tonight with me."

We stood outside the closed door to the room we had just previously been in, the guy leaning against it. Sebastian grinned back, slapping hands with him, "I'm in. I can't go to a party without my wingman, can I?"

He grinned and shook his head, before turning to me. "Who might this be?" I could tell by his tone and the way that he carried himself that he was lighthearted. "I'm Lucas, love."

"Aubrey," Lucas offered his hand out to take mine, and I hoped to dear God that he wasn't going to kiss it like the last guy.

"Tessel?" My eyebrowed furrowed at his question as he shook my hand. How'd he know my name?

I just nodded, and his lips tilted up, his brown eyes sparkling.

"Jack told me you were hot, but he didn't mention just how beautiful you are," his voice was low but I could tell he was joking. Of course, he wouldn't have told Lucas that. Why would he after all?

"I get that a lot," I joked, remember the man I met less than an hour ago saying the same thing to me, before looking between Lucas and Sebastian, "what party do you need to be a wingman for?"

"You'll see, come on." Lucas ushered me towards the same exit Sebastian and I came in through, and I followed both the boys towards Sebastian's car.

Sebastian soon hopped to the driver's seat, jumping in, clothes in his hands before he chucked them at me. "Wear them."

My nose wrinkled as I lifted up the black Adidas tracksuit pants and top, "I'm not wearing your clothes to a party."

He started the car, pulling out, before looking over to me, an annoyed look plastered on his face. "It's not a party, it's more like a gathering. You'll look fine." I looked at him like he's out of his mind and he focussed on the road again. "Apologies for not having a fucking shopping center in my back seat, but it's better than what you have on now."

I look back down to my clothes, realising he was right. "Don't look," I turned back to Lucas, "you either, close your eyes."

He sighed dramatically, closing his eyes and Sebastian just kept his glued to the road.

I pulled off the stockings, chucking Sebastian's pants on first, pulling the drawstrings tight. I looked around to make sure neither of them were looking before pulling off my jumper, chucking his top over as quickly as I could.

"Done."

The car slowed down as we pulled into a parking lot, I looked up at the giant Dan Murphey's sign. Sebastian turned to me, "Wait in here, what do you want?"

"Depends, are you paying?" I smirked when he nodded.

"Are you trying to take advantage of this poor impressionable girl, Sebby?" Lucas couldn't help himself from grinning at his own words.

Sebastian ignored his comment. "Hurry up and decide." He turned his head to look at the back seat before opening the door and getting out, "you're coming in Luke."

I thought about it long and hard just to annoy him. He glared at me before getting out, resulting in me calling out the window. "Smirnoff double blacks, thanks."

I'd always loved the serene sound of waves crashing, I didn't think there was anything that calmed me quite as much as the water halting.

Up on the highest cliff in Coral Pools, looking down, it was a sight to behold. Nature at it's best, crashing the crystal clear water among the edges of the rocks in the most tranquil manner it could, it was beautiful and left too much to the imagination. In just seconds I could be hurling into the cold water below, it gave me goosebumps at the thought, knowing the rush of adrenaline could be pumping through my veins at any given moment — yet I chose not to, because I could choose. Isn't that amazing?

Sebastian's legs dangled off the cliff as he sat down next to me, our bodies centimeters apart as I listened to a mix of the waves, chatter, and music blaring through my body thanks to the hefty portable speakers.

"You've been sitting here since we got here."

I took a swig out of my drink, "I'll start having fun when I'm drunk."

I glanced over to see him looking over his shoulder at just some of the people here. There'd have to be at least 150. "You told me it would be a gathering."

"It is." I rolled my eyes at his clearly false response.

A redhead I didn't know began walking in our direction from behind us, "you're supposed to be having fun, not just sitting here practically alone," she sat down next to Sebastian, speaking in a husky tone that screamed she wanted to take him home — or at least to the bushes that surrounded this place. Something told me she already didn't like me.

"It'll be right, Claire." He smirked as she wrapped an arm around him, using her other one to fetch into her pocket and pull out a small clear bag holding blue pills.

He took two and gave the bag back to her, taking them with no hesitation.

The girl turned to me, "Aubrey Tessel, right?"

I just offered a small smile and she handed me the bag. I looked at it before looking back up to her. "What are they?" She looked at me like I'm stupid.

"Blue Superman, princess." Princess?

"I'm good."

"Aubrey Tessel right?" For the second time that night someone had known my name without any introductions.

Claire stared at me for a moment, "you really don't live up to your name." She turned back to Sebastian and kissed his cheek before I had a chance to retaliate. She sent me a look before getting up and walking to the rest of her friends. "You know where to find me when you're done being boring."

"She doesn't like me much, does she?" I cracked a smile, and Sebastian just shrugged and turned his head to look at me, spitting something out down the cliff that I soon realised were the pills he'd taken.

"Not many people do, darlin." I rolled my eyes and thought about the possibility of pushing him off the cliff.