"Thank you very much for the pie. I can't get enough of it," I express gratefully.

"You're welcome. I actually followed a British cooking YouTube channel," Auntie Laura tells Mum.

"Is that so? You must be quite attentive. I've tried learning some Asian dishes from TV numerous times, but I couldn't grasp anything. I could barely concentrate," Mum admits.

"Maybe you should try cookbooks. I have some that I would love to share with you," Auntie Laura suggests.

"That'd be nice. Thank you, Laura," Mum replies.

"It's my pleasure. Ava, how are you enjoying the pie?" Auntie Laura asks, prompting me to briefly lift my head. I glance at the two expectant women staring at me.

"It's good," I remark, lowering my eyes back to my mobile phone, my foot tapping eagerly on the wooden floor.

"Good?" They both inquire simultaneously, clearly unsatisfied with my simple answer. I raise my eyes to meet theirs just as the front door swings open, and my terror arrives.

"Lilith?" Auntie Laura exclaims.

"Yeah, Auntie," the girl who came for me reluctantly replies.

"Do you just barge in without knocking? That's disrespectful," Auntie Laura asks, clearly confused.

"I have a key, Auntie Laura. And I'm using it to fetch the girl hiding under the table," Lilith frustratingly announces before swiftly getting on her knees and crawling beneath the table to retrieve me.

I try to find my escape, but she's quick. Her fingers encircle my wrist, pulling me out of my hiding place. "Lilith, I'm serious. I'm sick," I insist, confirming the text message I sent her.

"What's wrong with you, honey?" Great! And Mum just heard. She hurries over, crosses the table, and cups my face with her hands, examining me with curious eyes.

I have to confess. "Mum, I'm fine..."

"Ha!" Lilith exclaims with a sneer.

Suspicion is etched into Mum's and Auntie Laura's faces.

I glance over at the girl who's probably going to win this argument. "I have a different sickness."

"What kind? Rabies?" Lilith amusingly raises a single eyebrow.

"God forbid, Lilith!" Auntie Laura warns her niece.

"Excuse my language, but all I see is a healthy person who devoured the whole pie," Lilith sassily throws at me, her eyes darting to the table.

"What's happening here?" Mum questions both of us.

"I'm sick!" I quickly defend, just as Lilith explains, "We have a decent gathering at the mountain house, which Dad agreed to since homecoming, and Ava is part of the plan, so she's coming with me."

"Lilith!" Mum starts cautiously, and for once, I appreciate her overprotectiveness.

Lilith pouts at my mum and begins, "Susan, please... I need her. She's the closest I have to a sister."

"What if I don't want to go?" I ask at the same time Auntie Laura decides to get involved in my situation. "It actually isn't that bad, Susan. I think Ava should have some fun like any other teenager."

Mom exhales softly. I know she's trying to calm herself, leaving Lilith and her auntie in anticipation of her response.

"I am not going," I blurt out before Mum can say a word that might deceive me.

"Ooo, you're definitely going," Lilith tugs my arm and pulls me with her. "Susan, I hope your silence means yes because we're leaving in the next two seconds," she declares and drags me out of the house to her parked Range Rover.

"You know you technically kidnapped me, right?" I sarcastically say as she drives away from my street.

"Yup, I know," she proudly states.

"Wow!" I roll my eyes and look ahead through the windscreen.

"Ava, stop overthinking things. You need to have fun, just like Auntie Laura says."

This is so exciting, isn't it? I should be thrilled to have fun at some public gathering. "Fun? How? Tell me how exactly I'm going to have fun when..." With everything I have, I stop myself from completing the words that hurt in my throat.

I rest my head against the window and allow myself to breathe in the uncomfortable silence. "Did Embry say something to you?" she asks after a few moments.

"No!" I quickly respond.

I feel her eyes on me for a while before she falls completely silent for the rest of the drive to Eagle Hills Drive.

***

Ping*

I retrieve my mobile phone from the pocket of my romper as we enter the mansion that used to be my home.

Leigh: Are you at home?

I quickly type a reply.

"No! I'm at your home."

Ping*

Leigh: What are you doing there?

"Your sister is having a party at the mountain house. Where are you?"

Just as my phone buzzes, Lilith snatches it away.

"No phones; we're only focused on girly stuff," she says, shoving the device into her small bag. "Do you want to eat something?"

Pressing my lips into a thin line, I follow her into the familiar, tidy kitchen. "No, I had two pieces of Auntie Laura's pie."

"Alright, then come, let's do your hair, and we can get going. Our ride is on the way," she says and swiftly ascends the staircase.

"Is your dad around?" I inquire, trailing behind her like a lost puppy.

"No, he has a business meeting in New York. He left today," she answers.

"What about Leigh?" I ask curiously, as she prevented me from reading my messages.

"He's probably far away. He took the helicopter. I think he's either with the boys or with that witch," she opens her disorganized bedroom, and we step inside.

"You know she isn't that bad," I say and sit properly on the bed bench.

"She is," Lilith rolls her eyes and walks into her walk-in wardrobe.

"She's nice."

"She's controlling and rude," her disembodied voice filled the room.

I scoff at her description. "That's so Embry."

After a minute, she came out wearing a pretty red bikini. "Look, I'm so sorry about Embry, but I promise you I won't let her get in your way. I promise."

"I know." I look down at my hands and nod.

"Come, let's get ourselves ready. I picked out some bikinis for you."

I immediately look up at her, wearing a stunned expression. "We're wearing bikinis?"

"Bikini party, baby!" she cheerfully announces, and my eyes widen. "At least this is what we get since Dad is only granting freedom to those with two college acceptance letters," she sarcastically remarks and urges me to stand and head to the mirror.

Surprise is an understatement. With my mouth agape, I manage to voice my thoughts. "What?"

"Yes, Leigh got admitted to Princeton and Yale. I'm really excited for him. He's been researching the two opportunities for over a month now, but I'm sure he's going to Princeton. They have a great football squad and everything he wanted. They're even more excited to have him join their schools after the impressive finals..." She continues to explain. I'm certain she has no idea how her words have emotionally crushed me and left me feeling paralyzed, facing my damaged reflection in the mirror.

Why would he keep that information from me?

We are fully ready by the time a shiny black Escalade parks in the driveway. We both wear some see-through kimonos to cover our half-naked bodies.

The ride is longer than I expected; I spend most of the time questioning myself mentally about why Leigh didn't tell me about the acceptance letters. When we arrive and head towards the front door, I have to excuse myself and step back to take in the luxurious facade.

I inhale sharply at the view before me. Christian owns all this?

I stand on a polished marbled driveway of an immense mansion behind a massive black gate. Cars are parked in curves, much like at a ceremonial event. There's a huge water fountain in the middle of the grand circular driveway, cascading at the foot of the sumptuous mansion—or should I say castle. On each side of the driveway, there is healthy, trimmed green grass and tall palm trees. The atmosphere smells like money raining down. Luxurious tall light poles and floor lighting illuminate everywhere.

I freeze at the double-tall oval-shaped mahogany entrance door.

What on earth?

This place is like a world of its own. It's like paradise. Definitely large enough to be a city hotel and casino. The house is a three-story building made of stonemasonry and glass, where one could easily get lost.

The floor vibrates from the beats of music playing from the holy building situated in the middle of nowhere, indicating an active teenage party.

From behind the mini-fencing, the only thing I can spot in the dark mountainside landscape around us is another equally luxurious building off in the distance. Although it seems that the owners aren't visiting their place tonight, as it appears pitch black and lacks the zest and liveliness of the one before me.

"You like it?" Lilith's confident voice breaks my reverie, but I can't even nod. "Come, let's go in." She pushes open the door and drags me into a warm, majestic foyer with dark shades and touches of brick walls. Two curved staircases lead to the upper floor. The floors are remarkably polished with textured brickwork and elegant wainscoting. A beautiful chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and there are sconces and spotlights everywhere, providing brilliant light.

What is it with these people? Everything is so extravagant.

The insane creativity that beautifies the surroundings is shaking from the flow of extremely loud disco music saturating the atmosphere. Familiar faces of teenagers roam around in nothing but their underwear, holding glass cups filled with liquor. I'm astounded by everything and fail to notice that my kimono has come off, leaving me too exposed.

"Where's my kimono?" I yell over the music as we move through different kids waving and nodding at Lilith.

"You told me to take it off," she responds equally loudly, looking confused. "You're not covering yourself today," she firmly states and continues to navigate corners and turns through different sections of the building.

I bring my hands to my stomach, hoping they would provide some coverage. I've never felt so exposed in my life.

"I can't believe the party boss just walked in," some fancy juniors quip when they stop to hug Lilith.

"Something's got me running late..." Those are the only words from Lilith's moving lips towards the group of girls that register in my head.

My mind is distant from Leigh and the university thing. I see fingers waving in my face, snapping me back to reality. "You okay?" Lilith worriedly asks, and I nod.

"Come, let's get some drinks and have some actual fun." Her lips widen into a grin, and once again, she tugs at my arm, dragging us further into the mountain palace.

In the room Lilith calls the kitchen, we grab some soft drinks and head towards the door when Sofia and two of her friends, wearing black matching bikinis and elaborate hairstyles, stop in front of us.

"Hey, Ava! You came. I thought you graduated from high school gatherings," she playfully imitates, and I smile.

"Well, not this one. It's a family thing," Lilith interjects, beating me to my intended polite response.

"Lilith, darling, your parents aren't together anymore," Sofia says, emitting confusion in her well-polished manner.

"Don't worry; they're reuniting very soon. Ava and I will be full sisters, won't we?" Lilith smirks, wrapping her arms around me and raising her eyebrows challengingly at the cheer captain.

"Yes," I agree hopefully, reminding myself that Mom and Christian's breakup should be among my lesser worries today, even though I am the reason behind it.

"Cool, then." Sofia offers a sincere smile.

"Yes, cool. Don't think you and I are okay. I still don't like you," Lilith retorts.

"That's why I never made it easy for you during practice."

"That's straightforward," Lilith scrunches her face.

"Isn't it better than backstabbing, don't you think?" Sofia throws an innocent smile at Lilith, as they both know what they mean.

"Okay, we're going up. See you later. Nice bikini, by the way," Lilith sighs and turns towards the entrance corner.

"Thanks, the two of you too, and have a great party!" Sofia says and starts grabbing some drinks for themselves.

"See you later," I yell and follow behind Lilith.

"I can't believe she made it to my guest list. Who the fuck wrote her name on the guest list?" Lilith exasperatedly blurts as soon as we leave the kitchen and head up a grand staircase.

"Stop exaggerating. It doesn't matter," I tell her.

"You should see how she was looking at me. And for the record, her bikini is cheaper."

Trying to stop my lips from twitching as I suppress the laughter in my throat, I reply, "But you said you liked it."

"I lied." Lilith huffs and continues down the busy hall.

"How many guests are there for this party?" I ask, as the house is filled with partygoers.

"Two hundred and seventy," she answers, heading for another staircase.

"Where are we going?" I ask, trying to avoid the sets of eyes ogling me.

She mumbles something I don't quite catch.

"What?"

"Third floor," she yells over the loud music. "That's where Leigh and our bedrooms are located. Upstairs is for the elders."

When we ascend to the less crowded floor and pass three boys seated on resting chairs, Lilith collects her hair and swiftly puts it into a bun.

She gulps down her drink and places the cup on a brown Italian wooden table. "What are you doing?" I ask, dumbfounded, just as three girls in probable celebrity bikinis approach us.

"Who invited her here?" Embry sneers, getting right in my face.

"The house owner did, so back away from her. And if any of you try to mess with her, you're going to regret it." I had to contain my smile. Lilith is here, and she meant her words when she promised to help deal with her friends.

Embry, in a white lace bikini with red nails, scowls. "Whoa... what are you two now, lovers? I would say I'm not very surprised, Lilith, but Ava? I thought you were after dicks?"

"I'm not kidding, Embry. Either you learn to talk to Ava, or you get out of here," Lilith clarifies, enraged.

"You don't mean it," Embry's eyes shot at Lilith.

"Try me," Lilith sneers and gives her friend a challenging look.

"Okay. Whatever," Embry rolls her eyes and turns away.

"What are you girls doing?" someone among the three athletic boys asks.

"What do you think we're about to do?" Suri retorts.

"Giving us a private show," he cockily says, approaching Embry.

"You're right about the show part, only it isn't private. It's for the people, dumbass," Embry rolls her eyes and shoves a glass cup into his bare chest.

Suri waves at me. "Hey Ava, I like your outfit," causing not only the others but also me, to laugh. I hug myself, feeling uneasy with all the eyes on me.

"Bikini, dumb bitch," Quinn playfully chastises Suri and she frowns sadly. "Come here." She pulls pouting Suri into a hug.

Embry rolls her eyes while Lilith walks over to the wall and presses some computerized buttons, causing the entire glass wall to slide open.

"What the fuck, bro?" someone among the boys exclaims, amused.

The exposure from the now-open glass intensifies the loudness of the beats and the external clamour from the guests.

Lilith sticks out her tongue and winks. "Funtime, bitches."

And for a moment, it feels as if time stands still. Not only do I freeze, but the whole house falls quiet, letting the music spread chills of terror with each beat.

Lilith jumps off from the highest floor. Oh my God!

With my heart thumping rapidly against my ribcage and my throat constricted, I can barely breathe. Fear takes over me as I make my way to the edge, where I witness the most insane sight ever.

Lilith was right! There are three pools.

Where did she land? I guess that's exactly what's going through everyone's mind right now. My chest rises and falls as my impossibly wide eyes eagerly scan each pool on every floor, resembling water fountains. I fix my gaze on the ground floor, which is exceptionally large for a pool and more fitting for a steaming sky-blue stream with small decorative rocks creating artificial waterfalls.

I almost lose my balance when applause and cheers startle me, and I finally spot Lilith jumping into the water with some partygoers. And just like that, others begin making their way up here for the same experience.

Embry exhales loudly. "Oh my gosh."

"Hell, here I come," Suri excitedly says.