𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄| 𝐉.𝐅.

31: House party

"Hey, baby girl. Sorry I missed dinner." My dad says and I peer my head down, spitting some toothpaste into the sink.

"That's alright. I was out." I tell him, wiping the corner of my mouth, then rinsing my toothbrush under the sink.

"With Diego?" He asks me and I turn to him.

"God, no." I shake my head. "Jessica is going out with him. Besides, he's the one who beat up Clay at the fair." I say, drinking some water to rinse out my mouth.

"Right, right." My dad nods. "He's the football player, right?" He says and I nod. "Sounds like a charmer." He comments as he crosses his arms and leans against the wall. "Guess she's texting you night and day, though."

"Not really, no." I tell him as I rub some lotion on my hands.

"Yeah, well, I'd love to have her over." He says. "Hey, what about, uh, Saturday night? I mean, I'd rather have you home than at that...what's it called?" The Find Your Drink Party?"

"How do you know there's a party?" I ask.

"Air Force intelligence." My dad tells me. "Sleep well, my love." He says, then walks off.

"You're in logistics." I call out. "Fuck." I then say under my breath.

                                        ||

"My dad knew how much Jessica and I have been texting, and he knew what was on the texts." I say.

"He probably tracks your GPS, too." Clay tells me as I wrap my hand around my coffee mug.

"But that is crazy, right?" Alex says.

"I mean, I bet it's not a coincidence." Clay says.

"But it's not just us. It's why Beecher canceled his party." I say.

"We have more to lose than Beecher." Clay tells me and I nod. "Isn't your dad on you all the time?" He asks Alex.

"Yeah, he's been watching me closely, but he doesn't track my phone." Alex says.

"That you know of." I tell him and Clay looks at me.

"He trusts me." Alex states. "Yes, I get the irony."

"Tony, I mean...this isn't crazy, right?" Clay says to him.

"Your folks don't seem like the type to track you." Tony shakes his head.

"How else have they known everything?" Clay says and Tony shakes his head once again.

"Where's Justin?" I ask. "Why isn't he here?" I shrug and Clay looks at me once again.

                                           ||

"So, I hear the party's back on." I hear a voice say and Estela and I look up to meet Winston's face, my stomach instantly turns.

"Um...hi." I nod. "We're working." I tell him.

"So sorry to bother you." He says, eyeing me for a second. "I just wanted to introduce myself to Estela. I'm Winston." He states and Estela shakes his hand.

"Hi." She says, pulling away from his hand.

"I knew your brother a little bit. We met at a couple Hillcrest parties last year." Winston tells her.

"Oh." Estela says. "Cool, you friends with Steph?" She asks, quickly glancing at me.

"No." I shake my head.