“Breeze, I didn’t see you there,” Celeste said in a sickly sweet tone while adjusting her dress. None of the girls were ever openly mean to me. Violet made it very clear that she would cut a bitch if they so much as looked at me wrong. Instead, everyone at school toed the line, hiding behind passive-aggressive actions and petty digs to get their point across: I didn’t belong. Violet was too cool for me.
“You look nice, Celeste,” I complimented. Celeste Borns was the type to get distracted easily by compliments. She befriended Violet last year as some shady attempt to get closer to Chase. It wasn’t the first time some hopeful girl attempted that, but it was the first time one succeeded. Violet was hurt, rightfully so. What happened with Celeste was the key reason I never told Violet how I felt about Chase. It was also why I started insisting Violet come to my house instead of me going to hers and risk running into him. My best friend was more important than some stupid crush.
“Thanks,” Celeste replied while looking down at her short red halter dress. Her slender fingers trailed up and down the fabric, and I noticed how Chase watched her slow, teasing movements. “You look...comfortable,” she added while wrinkling her nose and looking me up and down with disdain.
“That’s my best friend. She always prefers comfort over high fashion,” Violet’s bright voice said as her willowy arm wrapped around my shoulder. I turned my head to smile at my best friend, noting the rosy glow to her cheeks and the shine in her blue eyes. Her inky hair was curled to perfection, and she was wearing a beautiful white halter top with sleek skinny jeans. She had a Miss America style sash that said Birthday Girl draped over her shoulder. “Some people just don’t have to try hard to look good,” Vi added while looking pointedly at Celeste. “Breeze is effortlessly beautiful.” To stress her point, Violet kissed my cheek and squeezed me tighter. I could smell the alcohol on her breath and made a mental note to watch her drinks for the rest of the night.
Celeste looked annoyed, but Chase snorted while giving my legs another lingering stare that made my heart flutter. I didn’t quite understand their relationship. I knew they were fucking; Celeste had bragged about his cock enough times to prove that. But Chase was quick to say that they weren’t exclusive. He’d had plenty of girls on his arm to disrupt rumors of exclusivity, but Celeste seemed to be the one girl he slipped his dick in on the regular.
“Violet, I’m ready to fucking leave,” a wicked voice said from behind, making every hair on my head stand up. I knew who it was immediately. Kai Lewis was a dangerous enigma. With black hair, tattoos covering his arms, and a hardened expression, everything about him screamed run away. So naturally, my best friend made him her boyfriend. Chase wrinkled his brow in annoyance.
Chase was overprotective. I guess having absentee parents made him feel responsible for his baby sister. I couldn’t tell you how many times he’d texted me over the years, making sure she arrived at my house safely or requested updates on our whereabouts. Sometimes I wondered if he let her host parties at their house because he felt more comfortable watching over her in their own home.
“It’s my birthday party,” Violet giggled before tapping his chest with her perfectly manicured hand. “I can’t just leave whenever I want.”
Kai gave me a haughty glance before turning to look at Violet again. “Fuck, I’m over this. You don’t let anything stand in the way of a good time, huh?”
“You’re welcome to leave, Kai,” Chase said in a sinister tone, eyeing Kai with barely contained anger as Celeste clutched his arm. “I’m not sure why you’re at a high school party, anyway. What are you, thirty?”
“I’m nineteen, dumbass; I doubt you could even count to thirty.”
Chase looked like he wanted to punch Kai in the jaw. “Why don’t you do everyone a favor and leave? I don’t know what my sister sees in you.”
Kai and Chase have been in the competitive surfing circuits since Chase could walk. Their rivalry was a decade old and bone-deep. “I don’t think you want to know just what your sister likes about me. Your girlfriend might get ideas and decide she wants a real man.”
“Kai,” Violet warned with a hiss.
“Come on. Your brother is right, for once. I can’t just stand here watching you get drunk.”
“I’m not leaving,” Violet argued while crossing her arms over her chest and stomping her foot. I noticed a bright blush on her cheeks. “I haven’t even danced with my best friend. If you want to go, just go. There’s nothing stopping you. I just wanted a night to let loose. I’m not letting you ruin this for me.” Violet gave Kai a pointed look, as if there was more to this conversation I wasn’t picking up on. They were always fucking fighting.
“Fine. Have another drink then, babe. I don’t have a reason to fucking care anymore,” Kai growled before looking at her with a scowl.
Violet let out a huff and grabbed my wrist, tugging me toward the living room where they had set up a makeshift dance floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chase grab Celeste and lead her upstairs.
The last thing I wanted to do was dance, but I gave in, eager to avoid witnessing another showdown between Kai and Violet. They went through this continuous and predictable cycle. Fight. Fuck. Burn the world down. Repeat. They’ve only been together for six months, but I’d heard more about their glorious angry makeup sex to wonder if Violet pissed him off just because she enjoyed the reconciliation.
Violet spun me around, then started shaking her hips, pressing her tight body against mine as she tossed her head back and laughed. I did the awkward shuffling side-to-side dance with a smile, feeling self-conscious. I’d never been much of a dancer, and watching us move on the dance floor created a chasm of distance between our personalities. My best friend was always the life of the party, but I wasn’t sure what exactly I was.
Someone handed Violet another drink, and she lost herself in guzzling the burning liquid. Once the cup was empty, she tossed it on the ground and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Thank you for coming tonight. I know you’d rather break your leg, but I’m glad you’re here. I just needed this.”
“You know I’d do anything you asked me to,” I replied with a grin before doing an awkward spin. Violet laughed at my lame attempt at dancing, then wrapped her arms around my waist.
“That’s ’cause you’re the best,” she slurred. “My bestest friend in the entire world. No matter what.” I was about to ask her how much she’d had to drink when a crash sounded to my right. We both turned to stare at the commotion as two guys on the football team started throwing punches. “Shit!” Violet screamed as another guy joined in. “Can you go get Chase? I will find Kai.” I eagerly nodded, desperate to get away from the violence.
She went off toward the kitchen, and I made my way to the stairs, taking the steps two at a time to get away from the commotion. Once at the top, I started shouting Chase’s name while heading toward his bedroom at the end of the hall. Another shattering of glass echoed from downstairs, accompanied by a scream. My feet moved faster to get to him, and I was so eager to get out of there and feel safe that I didn’t knock. I just barged in his room without a second thought.