Exception

*Chapter 7*

Gabby's party was lit. Unlike most high school parties, it was really classy and neat. By neat I mean there were no red and blue plastic cups scattered outside along with vomiting teenagers at the entrance.

"This is amazing," Amelia whispered in my ear as we walked to the entrance of the mansion that was Gabby's house.

"I know right," I replied with a smile giving the house another once over.

It was contemporary home overlooking the city while in direct view of the sun's orientation. Solid volumes of street façade graced the place making it look transparent but obscured at the same time. A concrete column and beam extended over the pool making it frame the landscape with the infinity pool emphasizing the idea of the interior space extending out. Wood, steel and stone seemed to have been handy in the architecture of the house giving the mansion its 3 dimensional figure.

At the door we were all handed headphones so that everyone could listen to their own music instead of it blaring through loud speakers. I inwardly squealed; this was definitely the party of the semester. After carefully wearing the headphones so that they wouldn't ruin the hair Linda had labored to straighten the three of us walked in adjusting the volume to our satisfaction.

Linda had dressed me in a black silk dress, a faded blue leather jacket which hung around my shoulders and knee high heeled boots. My hair was styled so that it all fell back and Linda had kindly given me her long gold earrings which reached my shoulders.

My favourite song started playing and I grinned at my best friends who immediately started dancing with me.

A vibration in my jacket pocket made me take out my phone and there was a text from Linda.

I'm going to get us drinks

I nodded with a smile and I continued to sway to my song with Amelia while occasionally lip singing the song.

Linda soon returned with three blue cups which she distributed to all of us. Amelia gulped hers in one go before scrunching up her face which made Linda and I laugh at her.

I decided to slowly sip mine which didn't make it taste as bitter as it actually was. My eyes slowly scanned the place for Leo who had promised to meet me here but he didn't seem anywhere in sight.

"You're looking for Leo?" Amelia asked me after removing her headphones and making me removing mine.

"Yeah, he's nowhere in sight," I replied looking around for him before sipping my drink.

"He will be here, in the mean time let's have fun," she told me and I nodded before putting on my headphones.

Amelia was right, I needed to have fun and that was what I was going to do. I gulped the rest of my bitter sweet drink before scrunching my face and I let myself get lost in the music.

I felt a tap on my shoulder a few minutes later and my heart skipped thinking that it was Leo but it was Chris and Ben and I smiled to hide my disappointment. They smiled back before Chris typed something on his phone before turning it to face me and I smiled as I read what he'd written.

You look (insert fire emoji)

"Thank you," I mouthed to him and he nodded before going to dance with Linda while Ben was dancing with Amelia.

I sighed feeling disappoint wash over me before deciding to get another drink. I couldn't believe Leo was standing me up at a party that I hadn't even wanted to go to. As soon as I entered the kitchen I poured myself a drink before throwing the bitter sweet liquid to the back of my throat.