From Me to Us

Chapter Seven

OLIVIA

The house Ronnie and I pull up to is huge. Like three stories, huge. There seems to be a lot of people here and I'm starting to regret my decision of not staying home and doing nothing.

Ronnie tries to squeeze her Mini Cooper in a spot that's at least seven houses down from the jock house and I see even more people making their way towards the house with all different sorts of alcohol and kegs in their hands.

Girls dressed skimpily and guys with wandering eyes surround us as we make our way towards the side gate entrance of the house. The back yard is surprisingly beautiful with fairy lights circled around the fence and above the pool that's at the very back of the yard as well as tiki torches placed randomly around the lot. The in-ground pool is alight with different changing colours and the party seems to have already started considering how people are already in the pool, chugging kegs and making out.

The music blares and Blackbear – Hot girl bummer comes on. I look to Ronnie and she winks at me with her signature mischievous smile and walks further into the yard. There's a deck placed right off the back door of the house and someone is grilling on the barbeque but the table filled with lettermen jackets pique my interest more.

"This place is nice, isn't it?" Ronnie chucks over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting this." I mumble, letting my gaze sweep past everyone.

I look back at the table of guys.

Most of the Football team seem to reside on the it, playing cards, laughing and drinking. Most with one or two girls in short, revealing skirts or dresses on their lap. The one of the few guys that I can see who doesn't have someone hanging off him is a blonde guy that I come to realise is Luke. I subconsciously smile and follow Ronnie.

She leads us past the guys and into the house to get us drinks. I didn't want to interrupt the guys 'intense' looking game so I don't bother with a hello just yet.

"Here." Ronnie passes me a red cup.

"What is it?" I stare wearily at the liquid in the solo cup.

"It's vodka cranberry, baby. Time to let loose."

"I'm not going to drink tonight," I reply.

"What? But you have to." She whines.

"No, Ronnie. I have to drive us home later."

She waits a minute, seeming to think It over but then responds. "Okay, I guess so."

"Plus, I'm not a big drinker," I add.

"Well, are you a dancer? Because I'm making you do it anyways," she giggles and grabs my arms, forcing our way through the crowd.

I let her dance with me for a while but once the room starts to get all foggy and hot, and guys start rubbing themselves on me and a tipsy Ronnie, I decide to grab her arm and pull her to the back door.

"Where we going?" She asks, shuffling along to keep up with my large strides.

"Outside for a bit. We should go say hello to Luke before he starts to think we never showed."

Once I side the door open, there's a bunch of cheering and boos coming from the table on the patio. The game seems to have finished because guys chuck their cards in the middle.

"Olivia!"

My eyes whip to the end of the table where Luke stands from his seat, piles of money in both hands and an excited smile evident on his face.

"Hey, Luke!" I move toward the table with Ronnie in tow.

The guys at the table are still laughing and bantering with one another. One guy with broad shoulders who I remember seeing earlier today on the field, Bradman I think his name is, talking about how Luke's hand was pure luck and not 'skill' while others disagreed.

"I just wiped these fuckers clean, didn't I, East?" Luke looks to the other end of the table to a smirking Daniel. Savannah is on his lap, sucking on his neck.

I make eye contact with him and his smirk grows while winking at me. Ignore him, Olivia. He's trying to get a rise out of you.

I turn my attention to Luke when he gestures for me and Ronnie to sit. I let Ronnie sit in the only seat but she pushes me down so we both squish in it.

Blonde hair wisps in my peripheral and I turn to it. Savannah is shamelessly grinding on him and his hands lay firmly on her ass, slowly pulling her dress up to touch her thong covered ass.

I look around the rest of the party and notice it's not anything out of the norm so I just shrug it off and try to keep my attention on Luke.

"Olivia, I'm so happy you came tonight," he chuckles. I have a feeling he's a little tipsy and I giggle at his swaying.

"Thanks for inviting us, Luke." I manage to say through my laughs.

Because I'm sitting squished between both Ronnie and Luke, I rub elbows with both of them. Ronnie seems to be in a conversation with the guy to her left that I've never seen before. So, I turn to Luke.

"Oh, shit I didn't introduce you," he stands abruptly before I can oppose.

"Everyone at this table right now. Yes. My loving friends and hoes. Just kidding, you girls are my lovely hoes, 'cause my mama told me to respect women—" he gets interrupted by one of the girls denying that she's a hoe but only laughter follows her. "Oh, sure you're not Sarah. Uh where was I? Oh right, this is the beautiful Olivia Clarke and her friend Ronnie!" He does a bow in our direction and everyone at the table laughs even more.

We get a few 'heys' and 'what's up?' from the guys at the table and even some 'hellos' from the girls as well which I'm surprised about.

I hear a scoff from the end of the table that I'm pretty sure came from either Savannah or Daniel.

I don't bother looking at either of them.

"These are my boys, with the exception of Eric Manning as he is indisposed upstairs with a blonde," he winks so I know exactly what he's referring to. He goes around the table clockwise, pointing at each guy. "David, Mathew, Bradman, Shawn—" Ronnie coughs a little under her breath and diverts her eyes because Shawn is looking her way. Paying no attention to the redhead on his lap. "—East, Beckham and Jameson. Some of the guys go by their last names so don't be confused if they are called something else." Makes sense. I've heard the other guys referring to Daniel as 'East' a couple of times.

The last guy, Jameson is the one trying to talk with Ronnie over the sound of 'do ri me – by Blackbear' playing through the speakers.

"Nice to meet you guys." I offer them a warm smile so they don't think I'm rude.

"Play a game with us, Olivia." Bradman voices.

"Oh, that's a definite no, but thanks." I use to play poker with the guys from high school while waiting for Zoey when she was upstairs with a guy so I've had my fair share of experience with the game but it's best if I don't start it back up again.

"Come on, we will go easy on you, baby girl." Okay, maybe I should wipe this cocky motherfucker clean.

"Okay, I don't really know what to do though. Maybe I should watch first and then play." My innocent act is spot on, and I temporarily think about perusing a career in acting. Ha, imagine it. Me an actress.

"Sure thing, gorgeous." Luke says as he shuffles a deck of cards and deals everyone in.

I look up to survey the party again while Luke hands everyone their cards and Daniels eyes shift from Savannah to me. Still making out with the girl. I internally cringe but I don't break eye contact. I can see the mischief in his eyes and he grasps her ass tighter all the while his eyes remain on me. Taunting me.