reputation //sweet pea//

//eight//

Jax Reacher's party was the only thing on my mind. Scratch that. Sweet Pea talking about Jax Reacher's party was the only thing on my mind. If I had an excuse to dress up and party with Sweets, I was all over it.

My feelings were out in the open and his were too, but nothing could ever happen. I was leaving and going to be trading in my tshirts for Chanel. I knew the greatest summer would have to end, but I needed this last wild night. Especially with him.

The days leading up to the party were filled with trips to Pops, pool matches, and the occasional swim in the river. Max, Toni and I spent all of Thursday in my room with take out, and a whole list of movies. Naturally the boys crashed, sneaking in through the window. I had never been happier.

Friday rolled around and Max insisted on getting ready early. She said it was the one night of the year that the South Side kids looked like a million bucks.

"What about this top?" Toni suggested holding up a blue crop top.

Both Max and I scrunched up our faces.

"It's cute but not with the skirt," Max finally said out loud. She was referring to the tight black mini skirt I was planning on wearing. A pair of ripped tights underneath, burgundy heeled boots on my feet.

A soft knock us brought us out of our dilemma and to my dad who had stuck his head in the doorway.

"Hey Dad, what's up?" I asked.

"Well I was walking by, and then had to walk by again. And I know you're struggling to find a shirt. So I did some digging and I found this."

He threw a gray Guns 'n' Roses shirt at me. I knew with the right tying, it'd be a really cute crop top.

"Uh, thanks Dad. It's actually perfect," I said giving my dad a reassuring smile.

"No problem kiddo. Stay safe tonight girls." He turned to leave.

"Dad wait!

He stopped and turned back around. "Yeah?"

"Where'd you get it?"

Toni and Max craned in to hear where on earth my dad got a small t-shirt. A faint smile curved on his mouth.

"It was your mom's." And with that he patted the door frame and disappeared down the hall.

My head spun. Did he still have feelings for my mom? It was all so strange. Maybe there was a chance they could be together. Maybe we could be a family again.

"Well that was intense. Who knew Cal had a heart," Max laughed pulling out her curling iron.

I shook off my daydream and let her start doing my hair. Within the next few hours the three of us were dressed head to toe, and looking amazing. My hair was pulled into a high curly ponytail and my makeup was smoked out.

"We ready?" Toni asked adjusting her jacket.

Max lifted her head from the spot on my floor in front of the mirror. She had just put on a nice coat of purple lipstick and nodded.

"Yep, let's do this ladies."

It wasn't hard to miss the Reacher house. It was far bigger than anything else on the south side. It was a massive two story. Beyond that the dozens and dozens of teenagers standing around, music pumping and lights flashing let me know we had arrived.

The way I carried myself into the house was nothing like I had ever felt. Confident and bad ass. I stood in the doorway and strutted in, Max and Toni not far behind.

"C'mon Grace, lets get drinks," Toni sgouted over the crowd. Max had already disappeared into the sea of leather clad teenagers.

A massive table was set up, bottles upon bottles of liquor were stacked on top. Toni's nimble fingers quickly dumped the contents of the a jack bottle into two cups, swiftly shoving one of them into my hand.