The Player Next Door ✓

54 | Song for You

Chapter 54: Song for You

The poster of Luke's half naked body was quickly disappearing from the school grounds. Girls were ripping it off the walls to take home. He looked so hot.

And by lunchtime, new photos were up.

This time it was of Jamie in a bra with a $1 bill tucked inside. She had the number 4 painted on her stomach and the words $1 Entry on the corner of the poster.

A few hours later, a poster of Austin came up. Number 3 emblazoned across his strong chest and a smirk on his fake-sleeping face.

Chad came next. He flooded the school with photos of himself. Instead of $1, he put a $100 bill in his boxers, though the slogan remained $1 Entry.

Last but definitely not least, came the photo of Jake. Shirtless and every inch of his body molded to perfection. His tattoos on full display; the ink carving around his perfect skin.

The fanfare went wild at this one. Girls had stuffed their lockers full of these posters by now. People had begun trading for their favorite, like they were Pokemon cards back in the day. 

Everyone was asking what it meant. "$1 Entry? For what? How do we get in?"

It was the hottest ticket in school, and no one even knew what it was for.

People thought I did. They kept asking me. Everyone believed that my photo was the beginning of a marketing campaign. They thought this was part of the plan all along. 

I tried not to get emotional.  

I had taken a stand when I posted my picture in the first place.  But now, I didn't have to face the humiliation alone.  In fact, they'd turned the humiliation into something everyone wanted to take part in.

"Grotto party," Austin said to me, when no one could overhear, "It's $1 to enter."

Grotto party.  

That's what this was?  I remembered the last one... and felt a trickle run down my spine.

They had turned the dirty '$1 entry' joke about me into an actual paid party.  They had quite literally changed my image, from suggesting that I was a hooker to making it an ad for a clandestine party. 

Geniuses.

Before Austin walked away, I asked, "Will Luke be there?"

He hadn't come back to school yet.

Austin hid his smile, "Don't worry Millie. He's coming back tonight."

** 

What a difference a few months can make.

(1) Invited to Austin Taylor's house party; (2) Luke Dawson has fought over me; (3) My half naked photo has gone viral.

I sound kinda bad ass...

But reality is far from it.

I've spent so long being left out, that when I did get included, I didn't want to close the door on others. I opened it... and invited Flora, Julia and Cearra.

They screamed at the invitation. My eardrums literally popped.

Before telling the girls, I had asked Luke for Austin's number.  I wanted to be polite.  Luke sent me Austin's number without any questions.  And I asked Austin's permission for a +3.

It was that simple. The boys were very chill.

Considering how worked up people get over being invited to this party, I was surprised to see how relaxed the host was.