A year to remember

17. Scarlett

Tyler decided to throw a frat party for Halloween, even though the community college he attended didn't have a frat house. He and his friends thought it would be fun, so self-appointed their house as a fraternity and drank most weekends and watched a lot of sport. I guess I understood how he was feeling; it seemed like he didn't want miss out on the whole college experience, but there was no way in hell I would be joining a sorority next year when I went off to college. My whole high school experience had been an exclusive sorority and it felt so fake to me. I met these three beautiful people who wanted to be my friend on the first day of Freshman year. Not knowing anyone else, I was more than happy to be accepted by an already formed group. I quickly discovered they were rich and snobby, but Alyssa made it clear from the start that anyone who wasn't one of us was a social pariah. So out of fear, I stayed, but I kept my distance as much as was socially acceptable and my family kept me sane and grounded. 

Only recently had I discovered a whole other side to Jared, and only since Alyssa's attack had she become more grounded herself. I think Mila started to feel threatened by Jake's arrival to our group; although Alyssa softening was a blessing to the rest of us, I think Mila didn't know how to take it. I wondered if there would be a usurping of power between herself and Alyssa before senior year was out. I hoped not, I just wanted peace and quiet. 

When I told Jared I wouldn't be going to Alyssa's halloween party this year, that I was planning on driving three hours to see Tyler at his party, he had insisted on driving me. He said he had a friend he wanted to catch up in the area and was keen to skip the huge Halloween party. Part of me wondered who this friend was. I assumed it was some girl he liked if he was willing to skip Alyssa's party for her. Jared was always at every social event; he was the life of every party. 

The three hour ride to Tyler's party had been easy and enjoyable. Jared and I had grown close over the past month, ever since he had shown up at my house after his parents fight. On Wednesday's, we studied for the SAT's, which we had both registered to sit in early December. My parents always went out of their way to ensure Jared stayed for dinner with the family on those study nights. On Thursday's we watched movies with Carl while my parents were out on date night. My whole family were charmed by him, and I think he was quite charmed by them. I wondered if he truly liked spending time with me, or if it were just that we represented the ideal family that he so badly craved. 

"Why don't you come in?" I asked, turning towards him as he pulled up out the front of Tyler's place. It was decorated with carved pumpkins and fake cobwebs. It actually looked kind of cool, if not a bit cheesy.

"I should probably keep on going," he said slowly. 

"Come on." I pleaded with my puppy dog eyes that always seemed to get Tyler to soften, "just one drink."

He glanced at his watch, I could tell he was impatient to go and meet his friend. But I selfishly wanted Tyler to spend a little time with Jared, so he could see he wasn't a threat and didn't have to be weird about my friendship with him. That way, I could continue having movie nights and study nights with him and be able to tell Tyler about it without fear of an argument erupting. Our phone calls had become much shorter and I had to watch what I said, because Tyler became very prickly whenever I mentioned Jared. So I did my best not to mention him.

"Okay," he finally agreed and my stomach fluttered a little bit when he smiled at me. There was no denying, even as a devoted girlfriend, I wasn't blind, nor was I immune to the incredibly handsome and charming Jared Lennox.  

I turned away quickly, breaking eye contact. It was weird to think of Jared that way, especially when I knew Tyler hated him so much because of his looks. It wasn't Jared's fault that he looked the way he did and girls fell over themselves to get with him. But it was my fault that I let myself look at him that way, even if I didn't mean to. He was just a friend. Besides, I had Tyler, who was sweet and treated me fairly well- when he wasn't trying to tell me who I could and couldn't be friends with, of course.