Chapter 7

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"Hey, Elyse!" I sprinted up the stairs to my room without so much as a greeting the instant I set foot in the house. Throwing my back on the floor, I quickly called Reece on Skype, and waited for her to answer.

"The party's today huh? Step one of operation Play The Player!" She answered me excitedly with a smile. I had told Reece about our plan and she was ecstatic about it. "So what are you gonna wear?" I felt really sad that this was going to be the first party I go to without Reece.

I pulled out the strapless, sparkly gold top, which I had bought the other night along with a matching purse, and a pair of black skinny jeans. I changed my clothes in front of Reece before looking in the mirror. The outfit hugged my curves and the pants complimented my long legs.

"So? What do you think?" I turned to face my laptop that was on my desk to see Reece beaming and wiggling her eyebrows.

"That Ryder better enjoy you while he can," she winked, looking me up and down.

   I frowned at the thought of him. I did agree to Bex's plan, but I wasn't going to make him manipulate me. If that bit-- touches me in any way that I don't like, he might just a loose a finger or two. Yes, I do realize that he's a guy, but he's still a bit--.

After several minutes of rummaging through what seemed to be the world's messiest closet, I finally pulled out the black heels that I had planned on wearing. I once lost my hamster in my messier closet in Arizona. Gilly, that was his name. Come to think about it, I forgot how I lost him again for the second time. Or did he die? Whatever.

"I'm pretty sure Ryder'll have to look up to you with those heels and your height." She laughed which and I groaned. It was times like these that made me hate my height; I could never wear heels.

"Don't worry, he's very tall. And muscular," I added quietly, but Reece heard and burst out laughing.

"You're not supposed to fall for him. It's supposed to be the other way around," she said with warning.

"Oh, don't worry, there's no way I'll fall for him. It will be the other way around," I said before winking. I looked at the clock above my desk. 15 minutes till 3, I thought and started putting on accessories: a simple gold necklace that had a heart in it, dangling golden earrings, and a black, diamond-shaped ring.

"I think I'm ready," I said to Reece, running a hand through my hair that I curled earlier. She smiled approvingly, and I smiled back.

    "Well then, go and make his jaw drop," she said winking before hanging up.

You can do this, she sent a message before going offline, and I took a deep breath. I can do this.

"Oh, Ash! You made it! And Bex, is it?" Emma hugged me the second she opened the door before greeting Bex nicely. I could see that the pleasure she showed in meeting us wasn't faked. The music was very loud making me feel every beat in my heart. 

I had picked up Bex with me before coming, and she was wearing what we bought yesterday. Again, she was reluctant to come to the party, but with I my special persuading skills, she was convinced to come.

"C'mon in!" She showed me inside, and I scanned the crowded room for familiar faces. There were quite a few; all of them whom I had met in some very awkward circumstances. There was this guy who slipped on a smoothie on the floor that I spilled by accident, and once he saw me he turned the smile that was on his face into a frown. I quickly looked away and noted not to get close to him, then walked over to where the appetizers were, in the corner of the room.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Bex said before leaving.

Not bothering to grab a plate, I picked up a mini pizza and took a bite, my eyes scanning in search of Ryder.

"Looking for someone?" A deep familiar voice whispered in my ear. Ryder. I noticed when he was checking me out, and I cleared my throat with a raise of my brow.

   "Yeah, but it definitely wasn't you," I said, turning around with a smile.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night princess." Ryder smirked and grabbed a bottle of alcohol before opening it. I handed him my cup and he poured some in.

"I didn't know you were coming to the party." He drank from his cup, making his Adam's apple bob.

"Well, here I am. Emma invited me after soccer yesterday." I winced as the liquid slightly burned my throat.

"Is our name short for Ashley?" He looked at me from the corner of his eye.

"No, I hate that name," I said.

"Do you want to dance?" He asked.

"No." I deadpanned.

His face fell at the rejection, but he quickly collected himself. "And why's that?"

"Because I don't dance," I said as I finished the full cup. His eyebrows rose impressed before drinking his cup too.

"Of course you dance. No one doesn't dance."

I was playing hard to get and he noticed that. I suddenly felt the urge to fart but I resisted. Now is not the time.

"I'll make you a bet, if you dance, I'll do whatever you want. Anything," he said, and crossed his arms with a smirk.

I smirked back at him. "Anything?"

"Anything," he said, unsurely now.

I walked to the dance floor and he followed me. We started dancing stiffly at first, but then I let loose after a while. I let my body follow the beat and closed my eyes, shaking my hips to the beat. It was very fun, actually. I decided that what I'll be making him to do was for later. It'd be very amusing. Maybe I should make him run the halls naked.

The song ended and I was snapped out of my haze. Opening my eyes, I saw him giving me a funny look. No smirking, no nothing.

"What?" I asked confusedly. Did I rip my pants? Only someone like me would do that whilst dancing. I looked behind me but there wasn't anything wrong.

"N-nothing, uhh," he cleared his throat before grabbing my hand and leading me to a group of people sitting down in a large circle. It consisted of Emma, Drake, surprisingly, Bex, Celeste, Damon, and couple of other people that I've seen around school.

I noticed that they were playing truth or dare. I sat down across Ryder and between Drake and a pretty redhead named Bonnie.

"So, rules are simple, but for every truth you choose, you have to have a shot of tequila," Drake explained with a grin.

   I knew at the end that everyone'd end up being wasted because the dares will most probably also include tequila.

Emma started by spinning the bottle and the other end landed on Celeste.

   "Dare," Celeste said automatically.

"Okay, I dare you to make out with anyone in this room," she said with a giggle.

Obviously, we thought it was Damon she was going to make out with. But she did it with Ryder. Apparently she wanted to make Damon jealous.

That barnacle, I thought reciting Spongebob's words.

I felt a small pang of jealousy in the pit of my stomach? but I ignored it. I couldn't be jealous, because we weren't dating and it was supposed to be the other way around. There was no reason for me to be jealous.

Damon on the other hand was grinding his jaw together and looked pissed off. I told him to stay away from her but, my heart really went out for Damon. I wanted to punch Celeste in that pretty face of hers, but I'll get her back later.

After her make out session, Ryder seemed satisfied and had a smirk on his face. Is that the way he wanted it to be? Two can play at that game.

The bottle was spun twice before it landed on me. "Truth or Dare?" Bonnie asked.

"Dare."

"I dare you to drink a body shot from someone here."

I felt everyone look at me excitedly. My eyes roamed the circle and stopped for a second on an expectant Ryder. Skipping him, I went over to a cute guy with brown hair and green eyes.

"How's it going?" I asked him with a wink.

After taking the body shot while some people whistled, I went back to my place with a smirk at the annoyed and very angry Ryder.

After a few more rounds, I got bored and left the group of people to get more alcohol. After drinking two cups I felt really giddy and found Ryder talking with some of his friends. As if feeling my gaze on him, he stared back at me with something that I couldn't pinpoint in his eyes.

I maneuvered my way through the mass of people, until I was standing in front of him.

"I love getting drunk," I said giggling, "everything's simpler, happier, easier. Until that ugly green monster decided to join me."

"You mean jealousy?" He asked with a laugh at my description.

I cut him short of laughing when I said, "Yeah, he also joined you today. I bet he liked your abs just as much as I do." I giggled even more, touching his rock hard abs.

His smirk popped out. "Is that what you think? Then, why'd you go with that walking clichéd boy next door?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion before saying, "I don't know, he was really hot." Even drunk Ash was smart enough to hide my jealousy from him with Celeste.

Ryder's smirk dropped at the mentioning of him being hot which made me laugh. "Is someone jealous again?" I asked with a laugh.

"Why would I be jealous? He has nothing on me," he scoffed.

"You'd be jealous," I said, my finger on his chest, "because I'm hot, and he's hot, and I was with him."

"Well I can't argue you that you look pretty amazing, but I'm pretty confident with myself."

I couldn't help the blush that colored my cheeks when he complimented me. "Confident about what?" I asked.

"Confident that you'd fall in love with me by the end of the semester."

   I giggled at his statement. "You're cute Ryder."

   I touched his nose with a 'pop' before leaving him to go to the dance floor again.

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Author's Note:

Hey guys! So here's a drama filled chapter and the song of the chapter is: Starboy by The Weeknd. I just really love this song for some unknown reason lol

The picture in the media bar is Ash's and Bex's outfits. Obviously the dress is for Bex and the other outfit is for Ash. Please know that we are very open to criticism, so feel free to point any grammatical mistakes :)

Much love,

MD & SD ❤️