The Pieces of Me

chapter two

Imogen, Claudia and Rosie are already in the spare room when Cassie and I walk in, makeup bags, curling irons and straighteners lay across the pale wooden floors. It's already ten past seven and I had been so busy pouring drinks and snacking while talking to Sam that the time hadn't even occurred to me.

The floor vibrates slightly as the boys turn on the music downstairs, no doubt locking all the valuable or breakable things in one of their bedrooms. One by one they will all get changed and hopefully by the time we are ready a few people will have already arrived; the party starts at seven but only freshmen's would come that early. 

At least this way we can try and flush them out, it is never fun being the party that gets all the new ones. We aren't the only party on tonight, but we are only juniors so the likelihood of them coming here rather than a senior party is high. Though I do think Jack Wilson is having a party and he is a sophomore, even last year he didn't hesitate in throwing some large parties and they weren't even half bad. It took a while for the juniors to come around to the idea but when they did, well let's just leave it as the cops had to be called multiple times for fights, drugs and underage drinking. We all had the sense to flee before then.

"Did you hear the boys talking about how many people they are expecting, over a hundred apparently" Imogen muses, tilting her mirror for me to look into as well. Sitting on the cold floor and pulling my blonde hair out of the braids it had been in since yesterday.

"Cam always overestimates, especially when it comes to the back to school parties" Cassie laughs, a curling iron working swiftly in revamping her black curls.

"Did you see how much alcohol they bought though, I think they are pretty certain in the size" I explain, remembering the crates of drinks they had brought in; that didn't include what I used to make the punches.

"Alfie was saying the same thing, apparently all the boys have had this planned since the end of the year and have been talking it up all summer. I have my reserves about a big party, but they seem pretty convinced" Rosie details, adding green shimmer to her eyelids.

"You have some reserves until you have a shot and then all of a sudden dancing is your life calling and we have to drag you home" Claudia says, amusement clear in her voice as Rosie's cheeks redden, prompting all of us to laugh lightly.

"Would you prefer that I stay in the corner and sip one drink the entire time?" she smiles back.

"No but I am sure that Alfie would, especially if it meant he didn't have to watch over you and every guy that walks up" I point out, her cheeks only reddening more as she tries to cover it with foundation.

"I don't ask him to do any of that" she mutters.

"Maybe you should let him know" Claudia giggles, digging through her bag to retrieve the skirt she brought for me. A short, black and white skater skirt being thrust into my open hand; I don't know if it is necessarily my style, but I don't point that out as I clip the two front pieces of my wavy hair out of my face.

"I think it's cute, how protective he is of her" Cassie offers, her black sequined dress hugging her figure and making her boobs look even bigger than normal. I don't know if the party needs a dress of that calibre but none of us would share that opinion with her, I know that she only does it for Mark.

"When you think about it, they are all like that. Never wanting something bad to happen to any of us, we are family and there are plenty of not so pleasant guys attending any of the parties" I explain.

Thinking back on the many times Hugo has scared a particularly handsy man away from me. Not that I was bothered by him leaving, sometimes the sad fact is you need a scary and very tall man to step in when no isn't enough. Horrid as that is.