The Hijinks War

21. Glitterati party

"That ass won't let us leave!" Kellen bellowed as he slammed through the door to residence not ten minutes after he left. People on their way out, stopped to stare at him and the people who were returning behind him. "There's a gate set up at the edge of Waterbridge property and we aren't allowed to leave without a travel pass from Corbis himself."

Jess and I escaped the complaining in the common room and headed back to our room; so much for weekend privileges.

"Some birthday..." Jess mumbled under her breath, crashing into the mess of clothes on her bed..

"It's not your birthday."

"It's Kellen's. They were going to celebrate at Giordelli's"

"Fancy!" I rolled my eyes. It was a hole in the wall pizza shack, where we got free pizza on our birthdays. Thunderbirds had won the rights to Giordelli's last year.

Jess sat up quickly, and dug her hand into her bag. "The bakery, the bakery... what's the name again?"

I scrolled through my phone. "Dulce. Here, it's ringing."

Knowing what she was thinking, I headed down to the guard's office and found out that we were only banned us from leaving, not from getting food delivered.

By the time I returned to our room Jess was wearing a sparkly blue dress and long dangling earrings. "Get dressed, Babe, we're bringing the party." She said in response to my questioning look.

I couldn't help the smile that cracked across my face at Jess' new attitude. I was used to a Jess who, though spunky, lived in her brother's shadow. I was kind of glad that Kellen hadn't sidelined her, because the two of us got to do this together, and I got to watch her grow more confident. Her attitude was infectious and I even allowed her to put me in the outfit she'd already picked out for me that I'd normally never be caught in.

A plain, loose-fitting burgundy camisole, with a back cut so low it covered nothing. The front sat in a V, not as plunging as something Jess would normally wear, so I was thankful. It was long enough that half the black mid-thigh length skirt I wore was covered, and Jess tucked one side into the waistband. I felt too bare and complained till she handed me my black leather bomber jacket and a pair of black stay-ups; at least I wouldn't be doing that God-awful sliding leggings dance that made some girls look like they had itches in unmentionable places.

I'd forgotten that we would have to go back out into the cold, but we'd be in the car so at the very least we'd be warm. But, unsure about leaving my room dressed like that, I tugged a thick baggy cardigan and scarf around myself and we left.

-.-

Jess was a genius. A secret genius. She'd called Giordelli's and ordered several unbaked pizzas, and asked them to please, please, pretty please, pick up the cake from Dulce and bring that over too. While the pizzas baked in the ovens of the common cooking area in the residence building, Jess texted back and forth with Jackson who was with the rest of the Thunderbirds Elite in the lounge.

Armed with pizzas and our party outfits we headed up to Kellen's room. Jess turned the corner into the boy's wing ahead of me, and grinned. "Oh, they're right there. Someone wrapped his door."

It was a silly birthday tradition, in which well wishes were written on birthday wrapping paper on the doors. Someone had done an elaborate job of decorating Kellen's door. From the looks on the Core's faces it wasn't any of them. It had to have been a girl, that's for sure.

Kellen opened the door and stepped in just as Jess and I reached the group. There was a loud pop, followed by a startled yelp and an awkward silence. "No! Nope! That's it. I'm done." Kellen sounded a touch below livid. "Cole, Jess... This wasn't you, was it?"