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Chapter Twenty-Five
Tonight there’s a party off-campus to celebrate the start of the exams. Yes it’s weird to party at the start of the exams, but I think everyone just needs to let off some steam and ease the tension before the exams kick off next week. I’m incredibly nervous for tonight, partly because the guys are all taking me as their date, and partly because I’m planning something dangerous to take care of Tilly. I try to calm my nerves as I get ready and wait for the guys to collect me.
The house that the party’s at is enormous. It’s the most opulent and ornate place I’ve ever set foot in and, considering who my grandmother is, that’s saying something. But it’s all a bit much, too showy like it’s trying too hard. This is the house of someone who desperately wants to belong, but doesn’t quite. That said, the party’s actually pretty decent. I don’t know who’s technically hosting it, or whose house we’re in, but it’s widely considered to be Tilly’s party. It doesn’t bother me, because I stay away from her, and she mostly ignores me.
To begin with the guys and I head out to the garden where there’s a pool and take up residence on the sofas out on the terrace. It’s just the five of us with the music from the house in the background and a small fire pit that’s been lit next to us. Thorn managed to score some marshmallows from somewhere inside the house, so he’s got those toasting on sticks while we sit and chat. It’s kind of my idea of a perfect party - just us. Eventually though the other partygoers realise there’s a pool and they all come out and disturb our peace. I watch as half-drunk girls strip down to their underwear and dive into the pool shrieking and giggling. I wonder idly how much they want to swim, and how much they just wanted to have all eyes on them by getting naked.
“Damn, why didn’t we think of that?” Rebel moans as he watches them. I smack him on the arm for looking. “Ow! Not like that, I meant the five of us should’ve gone for a swim when it was quiet.”
“Couldn’t,” I tell him with a wink. “Not wearing any underwear to swim in.”
“Damn Princess. I’m down for skinny dipping.”
“You’re such a SoCal Guy.” I laugh and hit his arm again, but in a much more playful way.
“Guilty as charged.” He winks back.
Thorn grabs my hand and spins me around, pulling me into his arms and dancing with me on the terrace. I snuggle into his chest and let him lead me around our impromptu dance floor. After a while, Ace cuts in for a dance. My guys and I dance loads, not caring who sees us, and have a laugh together. It’s the most fun I’ve had in ages, and there’s no drama. It’s easy being around them, and somehow the five of us just click and fit together like the pieces of a perfect jigsaw puzzle.
We move inside when it gets cooler, and squirrel ourselves away in a quiet corner of the kitchen. “Pop, Princess?” Ace holds a drink out to me in a tall glass. I take it gratefully, appreciating both his thoughtfulness and that this party is boycotting single-use plastics. I hate needless waste, and I’d made a point of buying reusable hot chocolate cups for all the guys earlier in the year.
I smile at him and give my thanks, taking a drink. “Another dance?” he asks me, and I nod, passing my bottle to Rebel and putting my hand in Ace’s outstretched one so that he can lead me to the dance floor. It feels like we dance for hours, swapping partners out every few songs, bouncing all together to the upbeat tunes. It’s even more fun inside in the centre of the action because the party atmosphere’s infectious.
After a while I excuse myself to go to the loo and get another coke. I stand in a quiet corner catching my breath. My hands are shaking, my palms sweaty. I can’t believe I’m about to do this, but I’m putting all my trust into the princes. They don’t know it, but my life could very well be in their hands shortly. I slowly raise my cup to my lips and take a drink of my coke. Holding the liquid in my mouth, I slip the small pill between my lips and swallow the whole lot together. It’ll work fast, and things’ll go to shit quickly. Tilly smacks into me as she passes, hissing“Slut” at me under her breath. Her blow glances off me, and I ignore her in search of one of the guys, but she seems to have other ideas.
She reaches out and grabs my hair, yanking my head back hard. “Fuck off Tilly,” I bite out through clenched teeth. When she pulls my hair again, my patience snaps. I spin around and elbow her in the gut. Then I quickly down the rest of my drink - which tastes odd but I put that down to the residue of the tablet I just took - so that my hands are free to defend myself.
“Whore!” she spits. Like, she actually spits in my face. It’s fucking gross.
“Green really isn’t your colour, love,” I tell her with a smirk. She’s wearing pink, so she knows exactly what I mean. She gives a wild scream and lunges at me, her talon-like fingernails coming for my face, which I quickly block. Instead of making contact with my cheeks, her nails rake down my exposed arms, and I feel that she breaks the skin. She’s fucking savage. I need to get myself out of this situation because I can already feel my head spinning. Is it my imagination, or am I swaying slightly on my feet? Fuck.
I step back and look for a way out. I can’t believe that the guys have all vanished. Tilly steps in close and snarls at me, “Run away, slag. You’ll get what’s coming to you.” She shoves me hard, and I stumble backwards, barely managing to keep my footing. She looks at me like I’m absolutely pathetic - and right now I am - before she flounces off.
It takes a few minutes for me to recover and find my feet, and when I do, I go off in search of the guys. I bump into Michael who takes me by the elbow and tries to guide me upstairs - to the loo I think - but I manage to shrug him off and tell him I’m looking for the guys. Once again he takes my elbow and pulls me towards the stairs, saying he’ll take me to them, but why would they be upstairs at a party?
I tell Michael this, freeing myself from his grip, and quickly move back towards the lounge. I push through the crowds, a little unsteady on my feet now, searching for any of the guys. It’s Rebel I find first, and he’s quick to notice that I’m already feeling funny. “Princess are you okay?” he asks, placing a concerned hand on my clammy forehead.
“Yeah, just hot,” I tell him. Even I can tell I’m slurring my words.
“Have you been drinking?”
“No. I hardly ever drink. I think I’m just hot. Dance with me?” He agrees and sweeps me into his arms for a slow dance, but he keeps a close eye on me. It doesn’t take long before I’m burning up and swaying on my feet. Rebel tugs me outside, grabbing Ace on the way past.
Once we’re outside Rebel gets me to sit next to Ace on a bench, instructing him to keep me awake, then disappears in search of Thorn and Jax. Ace notices that I’m bleeding where Tilly has scratched me, but when he asks me what happened, I can’t get any words out. I’m shaking so hard my teeth rattle.
I don’t know when Rebel returns with Thorn and Jax; I’m pretty out of it by then, barely able to keep my eyes open. I’m vaguely aware of being lifted and carried to a car, and of Rebel stroking my hair and telling me to stay with them, while Thorn yells at Jax to drive faster. I like Rebel stroking my hair, it makes me sleepy, but all the yelling’s hurting my head. I want to tell them to stop, but my tongue feels thick but loose, and I can’t control it at all. Shit. My head’s pounding, and there are so many lights spinning and flashing.
“Stop.” I just about manage to get out and then I’m vomiting. Someone holds my hair back and rubs my back, but I just keep being sick. I have griping stomach pains with every heave. “Oh God,” I groan. I’ve never felt pain like this. Something doesn’t feel right.
“Fuck guys, I think we need to get her to a hospital.”
“No! Snowkay ‘mmmmmfiiiiine.” Fuck, I don’t even know what I’m saying.
Then the ground’s suddenly rushing towards me, and I’m going down. Hard. I think someone catches me before I face plant, but then there’s only darkness.
It’s scary, but also something of a relief.
***
