Raven

Chapter 17 - The Dinner Party

***WARNING*** this chapter gets a bit graphic

My mother's car pulls up to a large white house with a grand glowing fountain in the front. There are large pillars at the front of the house and cleanly cut rose bushes surrounding the exterior. I get out of the car, waving to my mother as she drives back home. The black converse that I had borrowed from Aidan are pressing tightly around my feet as I make my way up the cobblestoned path to Lucas' enormous house. I climb up the front steps and ring the doorbell with my index finger, causing a bell to sound somewhere from within the residency. An older woman with a short curled doo opens the door and allows me to step inside. She is dressed in a long white dress hanging to her feet which are covered in shiny white sandals. The completely blank outfit makes her orange hair and green eyes stand out brilliantly against her dress and skin.

"Lucas and his friends are upstairs, darling. Make yourself at home!" She informs me cheerily. Her eyes crease as she smiles and I nod, thanking her. I go up the steps and stand in the hallway, looking over several pictures of Lucas and his sister. She looks very much like Lucas, her short cut brown hair smoothed over her head and brown eyes gleaming. I smile at their similarity in appearance, the brown picture frames fitting aesthetically against the clear white wall. As I make my way down the hall, I begin to hear chatting and laughing coming from a nearby room which i assume to be Lucas's room. I push open the door and find three eyes quickly darting up at me. Lucas is sitting at wooden desk while Amanda and Ezra are sitting on the carpeted floor.

"That dress looks great on you," Amanda compliments, causing me to cast a brilliant smile.

"Yeah," Lucas agrees, as awkward as usual. The room remains quiet until Ezra interrupts.

"Oh, I didn't know you were coming," Ezra comments.

"Yeah, I invited her because she's my friend," Lucas defends. I move to sit on Lucas's bed, near the desk where he is rotating back and forth on his desk chair. Soon a large figure is seen at the door and is immediately recognized as Alex and he moves forward to sit across from Amanda on the carpet, obviously making her uncomfortable.

"What were you guys talking about?" He asks gruffly.

"Nothing much," Ezra replies casually.

"We should probably head downstairs now," Lucas suggests. We follow this request by standing up and clamoring out of the room, down the hardwood stairs. The immediate sound of adult chatter fills our ears as we enter the large dining area. There are groups of dolled up ladies and gentlemen sitting around white clothed tables. We all make our way over to our designated table and sit. I am beside Amanda and Lucas while Ezra, who is beside Amanda, sits by Alex. As soon as we all take our seats, Ashley and Johnny make their entrance into the dining room. Ashley is wearing a dark purple dress that is about knee length, matching Johnny's tie. They sit across the table from us, Johnny beside Alex and Ashley by Lucas. Huh, dejavu.

We mindlessly talk amongst ourselves, the air filled with awkwardness until the food is placed on the buffet table across the room, that awkwardness being replaced with the sweet smell of fine cuisine. Like two mangy dogs, Johnny and Alex follow their noses to the buffet and Lucas meanders behind them, waiting in line. As we wait for the line to disperse, I notice Ezra take Amanda's hand in his and scoots his chair closer to her. She leans her head on his shoulder and he slips his arm around her waist, claiming her as his. I roll my eyes slightly at their romantic gestures and force myself to look away towards Ashley who is clearly irritated by them as well.

"Ezra, I need to talk to you," Ashley states gravely, getting up from her chair and walking to the  back door, leading to a stunning patio. She opens the glass door and steps outside as Ezra follows with a smirk stitched onto his face. After a few minutes, Ashley suddenly opens the back door and accosts me, grabbing my arm forcefully, and dragging me outside.