Pretending (Westshore Series #1)

Chapter Five: Warner and His Stupid Muscles

The first week of class hasn't even happened yet and I am already behind on my assigned readings. I wasn't used to having to balance a social life and school. It is way harder than I thought it would be.

The only time I have fallen this far behind in homework was in high school when I first discovered the Sims 3 and got totally addicted. I played it for a month straight and embarrassingly created Warner on it and had us 'woohoo' a lot. Honestly, it is times like those I look back and think I totally deserved to be bullied. I was way too weird.

Thinking about Sims kind of makes me want to play so I start up my laptop and start creating a family. I am interrupted from my game because Abby barges through my door. I slam my laptop shut immediately.

"God you look guilty, what were you looking at? Porn?" she asks me, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, totally lots of porn" I laugh knowing the truth was way worse to a girl like Abby. Maybe she was a closet Sims fan too but I couldn't risk asking.

"It's Friday night. I don't care how you celebrate! But I do care that we look HOT for tonight. We have been here a week and neither of us has even kissed a boy...I consider us failures. I mean look at us! We are too hot for our lips to be this lonely" she dramatically flops onto my bed and I flop next to her.

The soccer team's annual freshman party Warner banned me from is tonight and Abby is dying to go. The entire cheer team was going and it was the night that all the freshmen would be hunted by some upperclassman athletes. 

 Should I tell her that Warner told me not to go? 

I want to have a friend that I can tell these things to but I am scared it might be used against me. Lying seems easier for now.

"You are right! We need to put on some hot outfits and get us some hot men." I grin at her and we start tearing through my wardrobe. 

I want to kiss boys. In fact, I am desperate to kiss a boy! I did not go through this whole transformation to stay a virgin. I was just scared...scared that I would be a bad kisser and still scared of a boy seeing my body. But I would not let stupid Warner succeed in casting me out here like he did in high school.

I mastered the art of hair and makeup over the summer so Abby has me do hers for the night. She even borrows one of my red crop tops before complaining she doesn't have the boobs to fill it out. That was a plus size of being an ex-fat girl, I had boobs and miraculously they stayed pretty big even after my weight loss.

I decide on a low-cut v bodysuit and a black skirt. It is quite revealing and after body checking in the mirror ten times, I want to change.

"Are you sure I don't look...wide?" I ask Abby and I regret it immediately because she looks shocked.

"Are you kidding me Juliet you were gifted with a goddamn Victoria secret model's body type please shut up." Her response makes me shut up. If only she knew that this body was not gifted, it has been abused and starved to get here.

"Here last time you were way too nervous you need a drink to loosen yourself up." Abby opens a bottle of tequila and hands me the bottle. I am not a drinker, I wasn't against it, I just haven't had many opportunities to drink prior to college.

I take a huge gulp and it burns going down my throat but a few minutes later I am already feeling better...looser. I think less about what I look like with the more drinks I have. I also think less about the fact that Warner went out of his way to tell me not to go to his team's party and I'm going anyways. Not only was I going but I was attending in the lowest cut top I could find.

We take an Uber to the soccer party but right when we get to the house luck is not on my side because Warner's car pulls onto the street right in front of us. He looks hot like always. He exits the car smoothly and runs his fingers through his hair. It falls messily over his forehead, making him look breathtakingly handsome. His muscles flex closing the car door and I notice a few girls step out from the backseat of his car. I tell myself I don't care but I find myself scanning his face for any sign of attraction toward these girls that aren't me.