Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 129110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
"So I've heard," I roll my eyes. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's just because he can't take anyone not liking him."
"Then why did he go to Ben's school?"
"He did what?"
"He never told you, did he?"
I swallow hard.
"A bunch of kids were making fun of Ben because after the barbeque Ben said he was friends with Asher Montgomery... Ben answered one day when Asher called. He told him about it. Then one Friday Asher showed up at his school. It was the week before the last day. Signed autographs for everyone. Gave Ben a ride home too. I invited him in for a late lunch but he said he had to get back to the City to meet you."
I clear my throat and shake my head.
"Sounds like he cares about Ben. And padding his ego."
"From a bunch of ten year olds?"
Ugh.
Can't she see I'm too mad to think this is at all any way endearing?
"Fair enough, Elle," she sighs. "If you go to Jess's leave the light on for when you come home."
"Fine."
Maybe a quick hello will take my mind off things.
By the time I reach the end of the driveway the music is deafening. It's that annoying pumping sound too. The kind that's so loud you can't hear if there are actually any lyrics or if it's just a bunch of beats mixed together.
I wonder if the cops have showed up yet. I heard they pull straws to see who gets to come because it's always a fight. They always end up staying for a bit too. Last time they sent Chris Matteo. He graduated the year before us. He stayed for three hours.
It's so packed I can barely move. It feels like our entire high school graduating class and then some came out tonight. Jess probably knows each and every one of them. That's one of the best things about her, her willingness to get to know everyone. She'll never not give someone a chance. Doesn't matter the rumor. She forms her own opinions.
Squeezing through bodies to find her only proves once again how wrong I was.
Being here doesn't take my mind off anything. Except remind me what a shit friend I've been. I basically ignored my only real friend this whole time.
Ugh where is she?!
Everyone is either drunk or close to it. They've reached the point of overly friendly, especially considering I haven’t seen or spoken to any of them in a while. I'm not sure they even remember my name, other than Jess's friend.
“Elle!” Jess spots me first. I rush up and give her a hug. “I called you like five times today!” she squeezes.
“I’m sorry,” I sigh. "I'm so sorry."
"Hey, it's just a phone call."
"No, I should have called you. I let all this time-"
"Whoa, what's gotten into you?" She pulls me to the other side of the room, nodding to a group of guys on the way. "I could have called you too."
"Yeah, but-"
“I saw your mom at the store today. She said you broke up with Travis. I can't believe you actually did it!" She breaks into a huge grin. “Soooo are you with Asher now?”
There it is.
I swallow hard and shake my head, wanting nothing more than to forget all about him right now.
"I don't believe you."
"It's the truth," I shrug.
"No. You were both so into each other! I saw it. At the club. From what I remember he annoyed the shit out of me talking about you."
"He did?"
"Uh, yeah!" she implores. "I kept trying to make a move. I was a complete whore and he shot me down at every turn. Eventually he came out and said it. Made me promise I wouldn't say- oops." She smiles wide.
“It doesn't matter anymore," I roll my eyes. "We could never work. Plus he's dating someone else."
Her face falls. "Oh."
"I'm fine," I force a smile.
"You're not."
She turns around and grabs two beers from some random person walking by.
“You need to get drunk,” she hands me a bottle. “Tell me everything.”
I open the bottle and down a sip in one fast gulp.
It feels like high school all over again, sitting on the back patio at Jess’s, making out with some guy from my junior year math class.
In my defense I'm really drunk. And Jess somehow convinced me it's what I needed. And he got really good looking.
I know he’s taking advantage of my state of mind. I don’t care. He keeps going for my lips but my stupid mouth is busy rambling on about some guy I like who’s still living with his ex-girlfriend.
He mumbles something about how I deserve better. I don't put any weight into it. Then we go back to kissing until I decide I've had enough and stumble home.
It's not until the following evening that I get out of bed again.