For Real? ✅

Chapter 4

TESS

"ONE!"

People run towards Adam, cheering and yelling, and I feel myself being drawn into the whirlpool-like crowd. The punch which I've been drinking makes me slightly dizzy, and I cling to Leah's hand to stay steady.

"Leah," I say urgently, "Let's get out of here."

"Okay," Leah says, but she doesn't move. She's staring at the guy of the moment, Adam White, as he's hoisted upon the shoulders of his many friends.

I pull Leah's hand and walk away to escape the swarm around us. A few moments pass, and we're finally free.

"Phew, that was something," I tell Leah, who barely nods. Her eyes are still glued to Adam, falling on his hair, his face, his broad shoulders.

I clear my throat, hoping she finally looks at me. She does, but she also looks a little dazed, her eyes filled with emotions I can't decipher.

"That guy," She gestures towards him, "He's Adam White, isn't he?"

"Yes, that's him. Is this the first time you're seeing him?" I ask her.
We reach the punch table, and I fill my cup again. The stuff was amazing.

"Yes," Leah breathes. "Tess, he's so..."

"Hot?" I smirk. "Yeah, he is, Leah. That's why all the girls in college want him."

"Really?" Leah asks, her tone suddenly changing.

I look at her, surprised at the change.
"That's why he has a new girlfriend every week."

Leah fills her cup with the punch, staring at the pink liquid. She doesn't say anything.

"Leah," I say slowly, and she looks at me.
"Do you like Adam?" I ask.

Leah just stares, looking as though she didn't know what to say. I refill my cup with the punch and finish drinking it.
Leah still hasn't answered.

"He's a player, Leah. A huge self-obsessed idiot, if you ask me. You don't need a guy like him in your life." I gulp my punch and feel the alcohol finally hitting in.

"How do you know this, Tess?" She asks, her brows furrowing. She looks angry, but I don't know why.

Because Adam was the worst thing that happened to me.

"Because I know," I say simply, nodding my head in an all-knowing manner.

Leah can't know. No one ever did.

Somehow, she finally breaks into a smile.

"What?" I ask her, as her silhouette turns blurry. I blink my eyes, but the alcohol has taken over.

"You're drunk, Tess." She giggles and grabs the cup from my hand.

I turn around to see Greg approaching us.

"Guys, I think Andy left the party, I can't find him anywhere..." He says tiredly, running his hands through his fluffy hair.

"His dad had called him up," Leah says, taking a sip of the punch.

"Oh," Greg says, his eyes widening. However, he doesn't elaborate.

Leah takes another sip from her cup, and I stare longingly at the punch.
The one I wanted so badly.

"Greg," I grab the front of his shirt and point at Leah's cup, too tired to speak.

"No, Tess," He says gently, his fingers on my wrist against his shirt.
"What happened to her?" He adds, looking at Leah.

"I'm fine", I try to say, but it sounds more like, "Meh."

"She's had too much of the punch." Leah laughs.

"The punch? I heard that it was spiked." He glances at me, "No wonder she's like this."

"Ahh, I-I knew it," I slur, earning a laugh from Greg.

Meanwhile, Leah's eyes widen as she glances at her cup. She gets up immediately and chucks it into a bin.

"Hey, Tess." Greg stands in front of me suddenly, grinning widely. "Say Cheese!"

I see a flash. The idiot has taken my picture!

"Hey!" I shout, but it's a squeak. Greg laughs at me.

"Alright Greg, that's enough." Leah rolls her eyes.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's my best friend for you.

"But she looks so cute... Aww, Tess, you want another picture?" Greg asks, before taking another one.

Cute? More like meme material.

"Tess is going to kill you," Leah stifles her laughter. "But send me the pics too."

Okay, I take back what I said about Leah.

I try to protest by aiming to punch Greg's face. He is so going to pay for this...

"Aww, my little racoon." Greg coos at me, swatting away my punches like they were merely a fly.

Is my make-up destroyed?

"Yeah, that is a good nickname. Especially since her eyeliner is smudged around her eyes." Leah says, confirming my worst fears at the moment.
"This is such good blackmailing material, though."

Well, thanks a lot, Leah.

Then again, she adds, "But, Gregory Park, if Tess remembers this, you're dead meat."

"I know, Leah. But what's life without a little risk?" Greg asks, still smiling down at me.

Honestly, he looks so adorable, it makes my heart melt.

What did I do to deserve a guy who loves me this much?

"Let's take her somewhere more comfortable. It's too loud here." Greg states.

"Okay," Leah nods. "Get up, Tess." She puts her hand over my shoulder and lifts me.

I walk weakly, with Greg and Leah shouldering me. The world seems to be spinning, everything feels so confusing.

We reach a couch where another drunk girl is passed out. She moves to make space, as Leah and Greg heave me onto the couch.

As soon as I sit on the couch, a wave of comfort washes over me. I feel the tendrils of sleep inching closer with every passing second.

"I'm going to watch what's going on over there, okay?" Leah says to Greg.

Her footsteps are the last thing I hear before passing out into a set of vivid, meaningless dreams.

*****

I don't know how much time has passed.
All I know is that I am comfortably curled on the couch, absolutely alone in the world.

Maybe, I'm not alone, because I hear footsteps. Someone is nearby.

"Tess", I hear a gentle yet urgent whisper.
I feel a hand caress my cheek.

"Tess, we need to leave now, okay?" I hear a voice. It's him, Greg.

"Hmm", I say something incoherent.
Greg lifts me and leans me against him.
I open my eyes slightly, just so much that I can see where I'm walking too.

We reach his car.
I fall into the back seat, passing out immediately.

Not noticing that Leah was nowhere to be seen.

Or the fact that Greg was crying silently, his face wet with tears.

Or that Andy had completely disappeared from the party.

My vivid dreams engulf me again.