C6 Greyson

“Do I look like I need a ride?”

“Of course you do. It’s getting dark.” West barked.

Like that was going to make her get in the car with him. Grey had less than ten minutes to call her mom. Each direction she looked at for solace was an eerie shadow staring at her. Maybe the forest behind the castle wasn’t the best place to be alone at night. Especially after a body turned up on the other side of university grounds.

“I can make it back on my own.” Grey ran a hand down her arm.

West prompted his arm on the window frame. “Scared I’m going to convince you to do more work?”

“Please,” Grey chuckled.

The air grew colder and the wind whipped like a midnight horse.

“Fine,” Grey said, she walked round the car and climbed into the passenger seat. She had half a mind to get into the back just to irritate West.

“Now was that so hard?” West started the car.

Grey resisted the urge to stick her tongue out. He would think she was a complete child.

“What were you doing out here anyway?” West asked.

“I…uh, I wanted to make a phone call.”

“A phone call? All the way out here?” West took his eyes off the road to stare at her.

Grey shrugged, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. “It was an important call.”

“That you couldn’t make in your dorm?”

She should have lied now he was suspicious. She bit her bottom lip and looked out the window to avoid the question. The dorm was barely five minutes away by car.

“I’m assuming you’ll be at Connor’s party with your wild bunch.” West said.

Grey scrawled. First of all, who was Connor? Secondly, her friends were not wild at least sometimes they were well behaved. And they were most likely getting ready for the party.

“Who’s Connor?” Grey asked.

West smirked. “A senior. His parents have lodge near the lake.”

“Why threw a party on a school night?”

West laughed, “I can’t wrap my head around you Greyson.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

West stopped the car at the dorm entrance the same place he left Grey last time they road together. Grey contemplated bursting out the door before West could respond, but she was too slow.

“You’re clearly trouble, yet you need to work because it’s obvious you got in trouble yet you care about staying in on school nights? Seriously?”

“You don’t know a thing West. I suggest you stop trying.” Really, or else he’d find out the person behind the façade.

Grey turned to exit the car, but West pulled her back. “The party?”

She shrugged, “I’ll probably go, the girls are. You should stay in considering all the work you have to do tomorrow.”

West sucked on his lip then slowly released it. “Tomorrow’s a public holiday.”

“What for?!”

West shifted back in his seat and brought the engine to life. “Local heroes.”

“Of course.” Grey muttered.

It was a senior’s party. They were a secluded bunch at time maybe they wouldn’t even freshmen and juniors in. West was going that was his crowd. When Grey entered the dorm she half expected to find her friends curled up in their pajamas painting their nails.

“Connor’s party?” Grey sighed when her half expectations were crushed.

“Duh, you should hurry up we don’t want to be late.” Mia said, stuffing tubes and brushes into a pink toilet bag.

“We’re thirty minutes late Mia,” Porsha laughed.

Ela pranced into the room wearing a black lace top that showed off the blue brace she picked up at the store today. “How do I look!” Ela beamed.

“Like a slut,” Porsha quipped.

Ela scrawled, “You’re just jealous you didn’t get to go shopping.”

This was the perfect opportunity for Grey to try out one of her new outfits. She was about to turn into her room when she noticed Patricia on the couch staring at a blank tv screen in a massive black hoodie.

“Patty, are you coming?” Grey asked.

Patty looked over at her. Her eyes had dark rings under them and the normal milky white of her eyes appeared pink.

“Patty’s got homework to do.” Mia teased.

“No,” Patty’s voice came out horse. “I don’t feel like partying.”

“Oh, then I’ll stay behind keep you company.” Grey was starting to look forward to the party, but the thought of her friend staying in the dorm by herself hit her.

“Come on Grey, I need you there.” Ela frowned.

Grey chuckled, “Lewis will take care of you just fine.”

“No, I don’t need anyone to keep me company I’d rather be alone.” Patty dragged herself off the couch and retreated to her room.

“Do you wanna check on her?” Mia asked Porsha.

Porsha made no indication she was remotely interested in her twin’s issues. She packed up the rest of her make up which made her look like a goth goddess instead.

“No. Hurry up Grey if you’re coming.” Porsha said.

***

Thirty minutes late turned into an hour after a last ditch attempt from Ela and Grey to do Grey’s hair.

“I hope there’s still decent booze left.” Porsha grumbled in the front seat.

“You know that’s never an issue at Connor’s parties.” Mia said, driving into the lodge.

Had West said it was a lodge? It was a freaking empire. Tiny buildings were positions bellow the hill the lodge (that resembled a billion-dollar mansion) was built on. Cars parked right on the top of the hill outside the lodge. It was a two story building with an open balcony that stretched as wide as the whole house. As they drove up Grey could see people dancing on the balcony and a glimpse of others chilling in the courtyard.

“This place is beautiful.” Grey muttered.

“I guess you should see my summer house.” Ela said.

Grey sighed. Of course she should.

Once Mia parked Grey scanned the rows and rows of cars for West’s vehicle, but it was impossible with so many cars. Ela and Porsha climbed out of the car before Grey realized she was staring.

“Looking for someone Grey?” Mia who had been touching up her baby pink lipstick asked.

Grey shook her head and chuckled, “No… no one. No one at all.”

“I’m starting to think he has a girlfriend.”

Grey’s heart slammed forward. “Mia, there isn’t anyone. I’m totally single. Alone.”

Mia narrowed her eyes at Grey through the rearview mirror. “You’ll slip up eventually.” Mia grinned.

Grey groaned.

“Come on,” Mia said.

The guy was Sky but little did that last. He embarrassed her and she embarrassed herself. The guy could be West, but he judged her by the basis of her lies and came to conclusions that were wrong. She thought he was a half decent guy, but nothing would ever work between them. Grey quickly came to the conclusion as she walked up the paved walk way that money town wasn’t good for relationships just fun.

“So if you’re single you wouldn’t mind me introducing you to a couple of hot guys?” Mia teased.

Grey rolled her eyes playfully. “I’m not looking for anything serious.”

“Please, who is?”

The door dragged inwards before they reached it. A six foot giant held the door open. He grind at the girls revealing his two sets of dimples.

“You girls take fashionably late to new heights.” He said.

“We’re not that late Connor.” Mia stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Who’s your friend?” Connor nodded at Grey.

Mia shook her head, “How have you not seen Greyson around the castle.”

“Maybe because I’m never there.” Connor smirked, at Grey in particular.

Mia folded her arms over her chest and tilted her head. “Are you going to let us in or what?”

Connor opened the door wider. He motioned Mia towards the inside. Grey didn’t understand the silent language, but it made Mia abandon her. Grey attempted to walk through the door, she saw Porsha next to Lewis chugging down liquor. Connor stuck his hand across the frame, keeping Grey out.

“You’re not going to make me say some dumb password are you?”

Connor laughed, “Do I look like some love-struck teenager?”

Grey gave him a pressed smile. Connor was all man. He had to be over twenty-two at least like West. His muscles were close to perfect definition. She was sure if she looked under his shirt she could find a soft six pack. His blond hair and blue eyes made him look the sweet boy next door. His gaze on her made her blush, thankfully the light outside wasn’t bright enough her to see.

“Love-struck’s pushing it. Horny college boy maybe.”

Connor laughed and stood in the middle of the door, his frame blocking her view from the house.

“That does it you’ll have to earn your way in.”

Grey placed her hand on her jeans. He resisted the urge to roll her eyes a naughty smile spread on her lips instead.

“How’s that?”

“A couple of us are playing beer pong in the courtyard and strip poker later.”

“I’ll have to pass on strip poker… I’ll gladly whoop your ass at beer pong.”

“You sure we won’t be carrying you out?” Connor raised his brow.

Grey smirked, he didn’t know she’d mastered beer pong before her sweet sixteenth birthday.

“You’ll have to wait and see. You’re not going to make me wait, are you?”

“No, I’ll come get you as soon as I’m done refilling the beer.”

“Great. You’ll regret this.”

Connor laughed and stood aside. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Porsha wasn’t in sight anymore neither was Ela or Mia, but the most common thing at the party were red plastic cups and there was only one place to get those. The kitchen. Grey should have asked for directions, but Connor was gone. She landed in the dining then at a set of stairs leading up the top floor before she made it to the kitchen.

She froze at the entrance. The stack of red cups was on the counter beside an arsenal of alcohol. Also she’d stumbled onto a kissing fest. A cascade of blonde hair in familiar black jeans pressing a tall man against the counter and she pressed her face into his and made their tongues dance made Grey cringe. She didn’t care to look at the other couples, but she could have sworn one of them was Porsha. She backed out of the kitchen.

“Not again.” Grey said. Brandon would accuse her of spying this time.

“Hey Grey.”

“Oh, what now?”

Sky caught her on her escape from the kitchen. All he had to do was look back and he would see his girlfriend sucking on another man. Grey shuffling away to draw Sky from the scene.

“You need West to be your body guard now?” Sky asked.

Grey looked at his dark sunglasses and black baseball cap. She thought he looked ridiculous.

“What are you wearing? Did someone give you a black eye?”

Sky snatched his glass off his face. “Of course not! I want to talk.”

“Talk about what? We’ve got nothing to talk about.”

“We do… I was an ass, but the truth is I really like you.”

“Isn’t that it works around here? Anyway, you’re an ass for cheating on your girlfriend and I’m an ass for… making out with you.” Grey mumbled.

“You think your friend’s a saint? She’s the one that cheated on me first. You’re the only person I’ve even touched that’s because I actually like you.”

Grey eyed him from his black cap to his black sneakers. She couldn’t face his eyes. She couldn’t fall for his lies. “What happened between us won’t happen again Skye.” She said softly.

Skye ran a hand through his hair, “I’m sorry, I was fucking drunk. Let me try again.”

“It doesn’t matter! Can we drop this?”

“Why? Are you so worried about Mia? She doesn’t give a fuck, she’s probably with the other man right now.”

“I just don’t want to talk about this here. Someone will hear us.” Grey whispered.

“Let them here I want to be with you and my girlfriend’s cheating on me. I think we should tell Mia too.”

Grey’s eyes widened, “Are you crazy?!”

Skye shrugged. “Mia!”

Grey shoved him aside. Her heart rate spiked and eyes darted across the room for the nearest exit. All the while Skye was yelling for Mia. He was drunk! She found a storage closet and dove right in. She hit cardboard and boxes came crushing down on her.