Don't give up on me ✓

[53] Fruit Punch, with emphasis on the punch

'Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does' - William James

Chapter 53: Fruit Punch, with emphasis on the punch 

Everyone likes a nice party, right? Fruit punch on one side, disco lights on another... this was the lamest party I'd ever been to.

And yet, somehow, they were loving it.

The Winter Gala was decorated with snow-like features and I looked around at the stunning gowns and suits. People really made an effort tonight. And then there was Nathaniel.

Wearing jeans and a t-shirt. And somehow making it look like everyone else overdressed.  

He took my hand and led me through the crowd. 

"Uh... Nate?" I slipped my hand out of his, "People are staring."

"So what?"

"You're giving me mixed signals," I added bluntly. 

If I remember correctly, he had wanted to tell the family about us and then when I finally agreed to it, he decided that we should be friends.  As friends, I didn't want mixed signals.  

He said, "We're deep in trouble but I swear, if it wasn't for that, there would be nothing mixed about my signals."

Ah yes. The group trying to smoke us out. Minor details.

And I didn't miss out that other part.  The part where he kinda confessed to liking me.

I didn't know how to answer that.  I didn't really know what to do so I said, "OK.  Well in that case, let's go."

Nate didn't move with me. He watched me for a moment, wondering what I thought about what he had just said. Maybe he expected me to respond and I wasn't sure how. 

Then we went in search of the group trying to find us.  I was the only who could identify them.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

My stealth plan was in full motion. I was keeping all my senses on full alert, watching every face, every shady movement.

There were a lot of them.

"GEORGIE!"

I looked over and saw Hugo waving me over, with a big grin on his face. Could he come up with any more awful nicknames for me?

I tried to come up with a nickname for Hugo, but 'Huge' only flatters his ego even more.

Isla grinned next to me, waiting for me to get closer so she could give me a hug. She looked beautiful in a red dress. Jesper and Holly were there. Zander and Brianna. I was the odd one out. Fourth wheeling for life.

"Are you here with Nate?!" she gasped as he came over, "That would be insane!!"

Nate interrupted us and ordered everyone, "Family chat."

Holly looked reluctant to let go of Jesper, especially when she saw Brianna walk over to join Nate.

"Who's she?" Holly asked, "Why can she be part of the family chat and not me?"

"She's a cousin," I heard Jesper explain, before I intentionally stopped listening.

What a terrible move Jesper had just made. Calling Brianna 'a cousin' meant Zane and her relationship were off-limits. He'd just blocked Zane.

"Georgia said a group is here tonight to smoke us out. We don't know what they look like, what they're planning and so we are very much in the dark," Nate summarized.

"I thought you were the rescue mission," Zane said.

"No. I have no plan," Nate said, "We just need to keep an eye out until we figure out."

"Did you even try putting an effort into your outfit?" Hugo asked, looking appalled at the jeans and t-shirt combination.

"Let's just stay alert," I brought the conversation back on topic, "Don't do anything that draws attention to yourselves, stay clear of people you don't know, don't touch the fruit punch-"

"You think they spiked our drink?"

"Everyone knows not to touch punch."

"I think our intense group huddle is drawing attention so let's break this up until we have something useful to go by."

"Good idea."

And we broke up. Everyone went their separate ways, joining their different groups and returning to their dates. I kept walking around, trying to find something off about this place. 

I stared up at the lights, wondering if it was something in there. Maybe it would happen during the band's performance. They hadn't come on yet, it was just the DJ.

Then I saw Mrs Halliday as chaperone. She was talking with the very group I had seen outside the cleaners. The ones looking for us.

I slinked over, trying to blend in with everyone. I tried to listen to what they were saying. I noticed one of the people within the group had a ring on their wedding finger, matching Mrs Halliday's.

My English Lit teacher's husband is trying to kill us. I'm so failing that class.

"Thank you for helping out tonight. Your idea is wonderful. I think the kids will love it. Definitely a wonderful souvenir," Mrs Halliday said.

"Of course, we wanted to help out. You work so hard for them."

A wonderful souvenir.

What could that be? What souvenir would smoke us out? I turned around, scanning the place for something out of the ordinary. Something... wonderful?  

So it wasn't the fruit punch.

And unless there was a light show it wouldn't be the lights.

Cleo grabbed me over, "Come on, let's get the girls together and take a photo. They set up a photo booth in the back."

"Now's not the time," I apologized.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" she said and screamed out Sid's name when she saw her in the crowd, "Sid! Photo!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

There was a line for the photo-booth. Beckett joined us, handing us all glasses of something.

"What's in this?" I smelt it, "Doesn't look like punch."

"We bring our own stash," he said.

The line moved a bit in front of us and we shuffled forwards. There was a little archway that led into the 'photo booth'. It was less a booth and more a room. The room was decorated with artificial snow and fun accessories. A camera-lady had set up a professional camera and tripod.

I saw Hugo and Isla up ahead. I was about to call up to them when I froze. The camera-lady changed lens and when she did, I saw that she was one of the group members.

The photo-booth.

Something about the photo-booth.

This is the trap.

But what part?

"Next!"

Hugo and Isla walked in.

A/N: Is Hugo about to be exposed??  I'll post the next chapter tomorrow so I don't leave any suspense for too long :)  Please vote if you liked the chapter!