Time and Again

Chapter 1 - Part 3: A Whole New World

This is it. This is it. This is it.

My heart thudded dangerously in my chest as the looming mansion came into view.

It was a rule that every single attendee would be picked up by a sleek, black limousine. Shelley had waved goodbye from my front porch at 8pm - the exact time the invitation had encouraged its attendees to wait beside the curb. The chauffeur, dressed in a full tux with a red rose pinned to his lapel, walked around to the door in front of me, opening it with a flourish and indictating that I should enter. I tossed a half scared, half excited smile at Shelley over my shoulder and pulled the hem of my white dress up so as not to dirty it and stepped inside.

The dark interior smelled faintly of pine and a bottle of red liquid sat in a cupholder to my left. One elaborately carved glass kept it company. I adjusted my dress with fidgety hands and I carefully ran my hands along my updo to check if it was still in place. Thankfully, everything seemed perfect.

For thirty minutes, I'd been alone with my thoughts. I was tempted to drink the crimson beverage in front of me, but upon remembering my mom's talk about avoiding drinks offered by strangers, I decided to stay away from it. Besides, with all the nerves jumbled around in my stomach right now, I don't know if I'd be able to keep anything down.

The car slowed down as we turned down the lane, passing through the open wrought iron gates.

The Andersons were a withdrawn family inside the larger community of my town of Wallingford, Washington. Two lovely parents, a talented daughter, handsome son and a perfect, pristine stone mansion located within tall, foreboding gates. Everyone knew about them, but few were permitted access inside.

Their daughter, Alexis Anderson, was the focus of every boy within a 300-mile radius, impossibly spoiled, and a concert pianist at the young age of sixteen. In the few times that I'd spotted her around school, she'd been decked in the newest of fashions and surrounded by a posse of salivating guys and adoring fangirls.

Barrett Anderson was a part of my senior class. Although he and I had been in many of the same classes for the previous three years, I'd only spoken to him one time during free period. I doubted that he even remembered. He mainly kept to himself. Besides occupying a spot on the varsity basketball team, he didn't seem to get out much. Most of the details of his life were passed along in hushed conversations between schoolgirls. With short brown hair that had the tendency to flop into his eyes and soft honey brown eyes, he didn't go unnoticed.

The Anderson siblings were the talk of the school.

As the limousine came to a gradual stop in front of the marble steps leading up to the house, I couldn't help thinking that it was all a joke. There was no way that I was actually invited to this event. Someone must have made a mistake and sent the invite to the wrong address. I wasn't a social recluse; I'd attended several parties in high school and enjoyed them. But, no one cared about those gatherings. They were hosted by close friends of mine and usually ended in scattered red solo cups, embarassing drunk texts and the flashing lights of cop cars. I'd never been to a party as upscale as this one and I severely doubted that this one would end in disaster.

I craned my head to watch others step out of their limousines. All of them were dressed in the most dashing finery; the men sported tuxes and nearly all the women were wrapped in elegant dresses that barely skimmed the ground.

A few seconds after the car had stopped on the gravelled driveway, the door opened and soft light filtered through the limousine. I put my hand on the door's handle and stepped outside, praying that my heels would hold me up. I wasn't the most skilled in the heels' department. They'll have to do for the next six hours.

With the invitation clasped tightly in my hand, I thanked my driver who replied with a stiff nod of his head. Stickler. I joined the throng of teenagers lining up at the door and awaited my turn to enter. A few school acquaintances waved shyly at me and I nodded in return, but I preferred to keep my eyes trained on the ground.

I almost wished that I had stayed at home with Shelley or gone out with Liam to watch that horror movie. His warm, comforting arms were much needed at the moment. But, I had already come this far. This was the party of the year. And I was on the guest list.

There was absolutely no way I was going to back out now, despite the curious apprehension I felt in the pit of my stomach.