My Sister's Best Friend

15

Jennifer wasn't kidding when she said she smoked. She already had three rolled joints in her purse, and we smoked two of them in the parking lot prior to heading over to Jackson's house for the after party. You'd think after two blunts that I'd forget that my problems even existed. You'd think I'd be relaxed, stoned out of my mind, but instead I can't seem to focus on anything but the fact that I didn't feel half a fraction as good after smoking two blunts than I did at Five Guys with Maya.

I'm miserable. Jennifer has been a good date for the most part, but she's not who I truly wanted to be with tonight, and I think she knows that too. She can sense that I'm being stand offish, but rather than leave me alone, it seems to make her want me that much more.

As the driver pulls up to the curb by Jackson's house, I didn't realize he was so rich. It's like a freaking mansion— huge and daunting as I step out of the Uber and glance up at it. Maybe it just looks so big because I'm high as hell, but damn.

"Come on." Jennifer grabs onto my hand and giggles, her eyes glossy and red before she turns around and tugs me around the side of the house. There's a big gated fence that she knows how to unlock, and I'm assuming that's because she's been to parties here before.

The music is thumping loudly, and I'm not sure how long it took for us to smoke those blunts, but the party is already crowded with people. Prom must be done with.

Tons of people are in Jackson's in ground pool, tiki torches lighting the entire patio before us. Almost ten coolers are filled with beer, and Jennifer passes one over to me as she says hello to a few people that I don't know. Honestly, I don't know many people at our school aside from who I play football with. People just assume I'm well-known because I'm friends with Cameron.

Once we're inside, it gets to be about ten degrees hotter. There's a game of beer pong being played to the left of the kitchen, but Jennifer pulls me away from it and stops at the bottom of the staircase. "Stay here." She pleads. "I just have to pee, and then I'll find out which room is ours, okay?"

I nod and watch her walk away, her backside looking fine as hell in that dress. I'm not blind, and although I'm completely infatuated with Maya, I'm not naive to the fact that Jennifer is down right gorgeous.

"No way!" Jackson exclaims when he sees me, coming over to give me a weird version that he seems to think is a handshake. "I didn't expect to see you here! Where's Cameron?"

I hold back an eye roll. Typical response.

"Uh, I'm not sure..." I trail off, but I'm honestly too high to pull out my phone and text him. "He'll probably be here soon. Kelsey never misses a party."

"Kelsey's here though." Jackson says. "I saw her with Jennifer by the bathroom."

What?

Wasn't she supposed to be Cameron's date?

"And where are the bathrooms?" I ask.

He points down the hallway to the left of the staircase. "Go down that hallway and make a right. It's the first door on the left. But hey, if Cameron makes an appearance, I need a round of beer pong, okay? I'm going to beat you guys if it's the last thing I do."

"Doubtful!" I call over my shoulder, and just as I'm about to round the corner, I hear Jennifer laughing harder than I think I've ever heard her.

"Be quiet!" She says. "He's probably waiting for me. I feel so bad, but he's been so boring. He hasn't mentioned one thing to me about fucking, so I don't even know if he's down for it. I'm just trying to make Mark jealous. I mean, come on, how long is it going to be before he notices me? He took Ethan's sister for crying out loud over me! Is he blind?"