揑 know. It抯 going to be amazing.?She twirls around the big ballroom. She looks so happy.
My face must not meet her enthusiasm because she stops and asks, 揇o you not like it??
揘o, it抯 going to be great.?
揃ut??
揇on抰 kill me, but I sort of liked it last year when it was more casual.?
揝ays the girl who spent last night at the biggest party on campus.?
揟hat was just one night.?
揝o is this.?She plants a hand on her hip. 揧ou抮e fine with a big production if it抯 with Liam and his jock bros but not with your friends. Is that it??
I don抰 point out that the guest list is now well beyond our friend group. 揟hat isn抰 what I meant. This just doesn抰 feel like us.?
揈xactly.?
I give her the big smile she抯 waiting for. 揑t抯 going to be a blast. The best party of the year.?
揧ou bet your ass.?
We get back in her car to head home. She sings along with the song on the radio while I stare out the window.
揇o you ever miss it??
She stops her singing to glance over at me. 揗iss what??
揋oing to the big parties and hanging out with the jocks.?
揘o.?
揈ven excluding Gavin and the awful roommate??
揘ot for a second.?
揑t was that bad??I had fun last night. Sure, I was happily drunk for most of the night, but the more time I spend with Jordan and Liam, the less I understand why she hates 搕hem?so much.
揘o, it was a blast until it wasn抰。？
揥hat does that mean??
I抳e never pressed her on the topic, and I don抰 expect her to divulge any more information.
揑 was so na飗e. I took everyone at their word and was genuinely surprised when they went against it. I guess that抯 on me, but I knew myself well enough to know I couldn抰 play the game.?
揥hat game??
揧ou know, it抯 like a guy says he likes you and that you抮e different, spits all these sweet words at you, but really what he means is he wants to have sex with you. And I抦 cool with that, but just say that instead.?
揋avin??I ask.
揘o.?She shakes her head. 揑 mean, yes, I thought he liked me, and I still can抰 believe he hooked up with Bailey. He always acted like he couldn抰 stand her.?
I only met Violet抯 roommate, Bailey, once, but she was pretty unbearable. She抯 one of those people who抯 always been pretty and popular, and treats it like it抯 the most important part of her personality.
揃ut in this instance, I抦 generalizing. We抎 go to these parties, and it was so much fun, but then the next day, I was playing it all back to decipher what was real and what was drunken fun.?
My stomach dips. Was Jordan kissing me just drunken fun, or was it real?
揑 know I抳e said it before, but I抦 so sorry.?
揑t抯 fine. I抦 fine. Obviously, I dodged a bullet.?She stares straight ahead but mutters quietly, 揙r an STD.?
I snort a laugh. 揂re you really okay? You seemed pretty stressed over the blocked car situation last night.?
揕iving next to him has not been as easy as I thought. Stupid me. I thought we抎 continue never seeing each other as long as I stayed on my side of the fence. Instead, I抦 running into him everywhere I go.?
揝orry about that.?
揧ou抮e not sorry at all.?She smiles.
揑 really love that tree house, but I love you more. We could move.?It抯 a weak offer, but if she really needed that, I抎 do it.
揘o way. He抯 not running me off.?She pulls into the driveway and turns off the engine. 揑 know you like Liam and think he抯 different, but just be careful. Okay??
I get it. She doesn抰 want to be hurt again, but I抳e been hurt by plenty of unpopular people before. Being a dick isn抰 an exclusive trait to just jocks. In fact, it抯 probably more like ninety percent of the population.
揑 will. And one last time, I抦 really sorry that happened to you.?
揟hank you.?
Jane is still in her room when we get inside.
揑 think I抦 going to nap, too,?Violet says. 揇ahlia should be back this afternoon. Jane and I thought we could have a night in, just the four of us. Or are you going to hang with your new boyfriend??
揝top it.?I laugh nervously. 揕iam is so not my boyfriend.?
揙kay then, Darcy and dress up??
揟hat sounds perfect.?
Hours later, after Mister Darcy and Elizabeth have confessed their love, I still haven抰 figured out how to confess to my friends that my crush is no longer on the guy they think it is. Crushing on Liam was one thing, but Jordan? He抯 the epitome of everything Vi hates about that crowd.
But the real reason I can抰 bring myself to say the words is fear. I like Jordan. Really like him. Not like how I had a crush on Liam from afar. I抳e spent time with Jordan, I抳e kissed him?and I don抰 know if it means anything or if I抦 just setting myself up for heartbreak.
What I do know is that it抯 just getting more awkward every time they mention Liam.
揇id he walk you home??Dahlia asks as she helps me into one of Violet抯 old dresses. This one is my favorite. It抯 a pale yellow with a big, poofy skirt like a princess.
All the girls look to me for an answer.
揘o. Jordan did.?I laugh nervously. 揌e was afraid Violet would cut off his nipples if he didn抰。？
揌a!?she says. 揋ood. I抦 glad he didn抰 ditch you.?
揘o. He was great, actually. We hung out a little before Liam got to the party.?I run my hand down the lace skirt.
揌ung out??Jane asks. 揗eaning he showed you his beer pong skills or let you observe him pick up other girls??
揥e played century club, but someone did try to get him to sign her boobs.?
They all laugh. It might not sound like it was a good time, but it was. I think it was the best night of my life.
Jordan comes over Sunday evening. I抦 in the tree house sketching when he calls up from the ground. 揇aisy??
揙ne sec.?My heart races. I lost track of time, which isn抰 all that unusual when I抦 really into it, but I抳e been anxious about seeing Jordan again all day, and I wanted time to prepare before he showed up.
揑抦 coming up.?His voice is closer this time, and I freeze because there抯 no other exit route and nothing to do now but wait for him to get to the top. His dark head covered by a black backward hat pops into view. He looks around and then continues up, so he抯 hunched over in the entryway. 揧ou really do have a tree house.?
揧ep.?I wring my hands in front of me.
He shrugs out of his backpack and takes a seat with his long legs stretched out in front of him. 揟his is kind of badass, Daisy.?
揑t抯 my favorite spot. I come out here to sketch or think.?Or to watch parties across the fence.
Jordan抯 gaze roams around the walls of the tree house. Some of my sketches are hung up with tacks, and he smiles as he gives each one attention. 揂ll of these are yours??
揧eah.?Several are from parties where I watched him and his friends hang out. They抮e just figures梑acks of heads, broad shoulders, girls with small waists and big hair. He takes it all in.
揟hey抮e good. Really good.?
揟hanks. How was the rest of your weekend??
揊ine.?We抮e crammed together in a tight spot where there抯 basically no way to avoid being close. He taps his shoe against my thigh lightly. 揥hat抎 you do yesterday??
揘ot much. We stayed in. You??
揚retty chill. We went over to my buddy Brad McCallum抯 apartment.?
My gaze zooms in on his lips. So many questions. Why did he kiss me? And more importantly, is he going to do it again? And do I want him to?
That last one isn抰 a real question. Kissing him again is everything I want. I need to confirm that those sparks I was feeling Friday night weren抰 because I was at a party I抎 dreamed of attending.