Odessa’s POV
I just stepped out of the shower when my door opened and Havana walked in and headed straight to my closet.
“What are you doing?” I asked
“Finding you something to wear.” She said
“No Havana, thank you but I don’t need your help.”
She gasped Like I offended her and I laughed
“Aren’t you meant to be the adult here and say, no parties on a school night, stay home and study” I teased her
She scoffed
“Im not a nerd like your brother, I want you to go out and have so much fun and besides you’re not a child”
I rolled my eyes at her and she started pulling clothes from the hangers.
I watched her in horror.
“Put those back.”
“No.”
“Found it!” She screeched and I looked up and felt like peeling off my eyes
“What is that?” I asked
Havana was holding something pink and shimmery, like a little disco ball, and the back was practically open.
“There is a hundred percent chance of my tits spilling out of that dress” I told her
“That’s why you need to wear it” she said in a singsong voice and dropped it on the bed
“Don’t be a nerd like your brother”
The dress was actually beautiful, Havana had good taste, it was a gift from my mum during my sixteenth birthday, she said she thought it was a shiny top and not a dress.
I grabbed the dress.
“Fine.”
Her face lit up and I glared at her “But I’m only trying it on.”
“Of course.”
“And if I hate it, I’m not wearing it.”
“Of course.”
“And if I don’t want to go, I’m staying home.”
“Of course.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Why do I feel like you’re not listening to me?”
“Because you’re being paranoid.”
I rolled my eyes and walked toward the bathroom.
Behind me, Havana laughed.
“You’re going to look gorgeous!”
“Stop talking!”
I shut the door and stared at myself in the mirror.
This was ridiculous, I didn’t need a party or new friends.
I didn’t need to dress up.
I had enough problems already.
My parents were still in prison and I was living in a completely different state.
I’d been forced to leave behind everything I’d ever known and now I was tutoring the most infuriating person I’d ever met.
Landon Harlway.
My stomach twisted and I frowned at my reflection.
Why was I thinking about him?
I changed into the dress and fixed my hair and then I looked in the mirror and froze, I barely recognized myself, the person staring at me in the mirror was not me.
The dress hugged my figure perfectly, stopping high above my knees.
The soft pink shimmer made my skin glow, and my hair fell around my shoulders in loose waves.
I looked pretty and cute and definitely not the carefully styled version of me people had photographed at charity galas.
I stared at myself for another moment then Havana knocked on the door.
“Odessa?”
I opened it and her eyes widened.
“Oh.”
“You look stunning” She stepped back and looked me over.
“Wow.”
I glanced down at myself.
“Is it bad?”
“Bad?” She looked offended.
“Girl, you look gorgeous.”
“It’s just a dress.”
“Exactly.
And you look like a girl going to a party.”
“I am a girl going to a party.”
“Finally!”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.
I laughed “Wait!”
“What?”
I grabbed my purse and Havana smiled
“Take care, and make sure to be safe, don’t take drinks ftom strangers and stay with your friends at all time”
I nodded and she kissed my cheeks
“Bye”
I went downstairs and saw Maya and Naomi, they looked beautiful as well, Maya was wearing a leopard print short dress while Naomi was wearing a red short jumpsuit and her hair in ponytail.
“Wow Odessa you look fab” Maya said and I chuckled
“You both look hot”
“Let’s go” Naomi said and pulled us to the cab
The party was already in full swing by the time we arrived.
Music thumped through the walls of the huge house, and the sound of people laughing echoed into the night.
I stopped at the entrance.
“Maybe we should go home.”
Maya grabbed my hand.
“Absolutely not.”
“I’ve changed my mind.” I said and looked at all the crowd
“You haven’t even gone inside.” Naomi said
“Exactly and I don’t like it already.”
She laughed and pulled me through the door.
The moment we stepped inside, I regretted agreeing to come.
There were people everywhere.
Students I’d never seen before crowded the living room, some dancing, others sitting on couches with drinks in their hands.
I suddenly felt very out of place here, back home, I’d attended parties all the time but those had been different.
It was rich kids events and nothing like this and there I knew everyone and I knew exactly how to behave.
Here, I was just another new girl and judging by the number of people staring at me, apparently one who stood out.
“Relax,” Maya whispered.
“I’m relaxed.”
“You’re gripping my hand like I’m about to abandon you.” I immediately let go and she laughed.
“Come on.
Let’s find where to sit.”
We made our way through the crowd and found a spot, we were just getting comfortable when someone stepped beside us.
“Well, this is a surprise.”
I turned and saw Paxton and his friends
“Why are you here Paxton” Maya said
He chuckled
“Relax were not here to fight, the new girl looks amazing and I just want to say hi”
“Well I don’t want to say hi” I said and his friends made choking noises and Paxton glared at them
Paxton reached for a cup from the table beside him.
“How about we put the past behind us and dance, don’t tell me you’re here to sit all day with these nerds” he said
“How dare you call them nerds, they’re better than you” I snapped at him
His friend Jarret turned to Ian and they both chuckled
“The new girl is fiesty” Ian said
Paxton sighed
“Im sorry okay, just have a drink” he said and handed a red cup to me
I shook my head.
“No, thank you.”
“Come on.”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s your first party at Blackridge.
You have to have at least one.”
“I don’t have to do anything.” The source of this chapter is g.com.
His smile widened.
“Okay.”
He held the cup out again and I stared at it, it was probably nothing, just a drink.
And I had a feeling if I didn’t take it he was going to stay here till I do, and my friends and I came to have fun.
Naomi touched my arm and I shook my head and I reached for the drink.
“Fine.”
Paxton smiled.
“That’s better.”
I took the cup from him.
“See?
Not so difficult.” He said
I looked down at it and it looked strange, I didn’t know what was inside.
I raised my eyes to look at him “What is it?”
Paxton laughed.
“Just a drink.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Before he could reply, Ian spoke.
“Don’t tell me the new girl is scared.”
I turned toward him.
“I’m not scared.”
“Then drink it.”
I frowned and Paxton glanced at his friend.
“Leave her alone.”
He laughed.
“I’m just saying.”
“Don’t say anything dummy” Maya told him and he flipped her off
Another person joined in.
“Yeah, new girl .
It’s a party.”
I looked around and suddenly, I had everyone’s attention.
What the hell?
My fingers tightened around the cup, I hated being the centre of attention especially when I didn’t know these people.
Paxton stepped closer.
“Ignore them.”
I looked at him.
“You don’t have to drink if you don’t want to.” He said
I relaxed slightly.
Maybe I had misjudged him a little and then his other friend Jarret laughed.
“Come on, Paxton.
Don’t ruin the fun.”
Paxton’s eyes flickered toward me.
“Just one sip.”
I stared at the cup.
One sip, that couldn’t hurt and it would take the attention away from me.
I raised it slowly to my lips and then I felt it, like goosebumps on my skin, someone was watching me.
I froze and looked around the room, searching for the source.
Across the crowded room, a familiar pair of hooded blue eyes were fixed directly on me.
My heart stopped.
No.
It couldn’t be but there he was.
Landon Harlway.
He was leaning against the wall with two cups in hand, he looked hot in his leather jacket and his hair looked like he just ran his fingers through them.
His eyes were locked on me or more specifically on the drink in my hand.
I lowered the cup and for some reason, I couldn’t look away.
And suddenly, I wasn’t thinking about Paxton or the party anymore.
I was only thinking about one question.
What the hell was Landon Harlway doing here?
And why is he glaring at me ?