Secret Admirer

Chapter 23

"Love is a complicated thing."

Elise Williams

The next weekend, Ethan texted me saying that there was a party at his friend's place and asked if I wanted to join. Usually, I would've said no. This time however, I thought why not? I asked if Christopher could come along as well and Ethan said yes.

I dressed pretty casually - a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a white ruffled-layer skirt and brown ankle boots. My wavy brown hair hung by my face. I made my way downstairs once I was ready. It was then that the doorbell rang. Perfect timing. I opened the door to see Christopher standing there. He too was dressed casually, his medium-length golden hair flopping in the wind. "Ready?" he asked. "Yup."

Chris parked towards the end of the street. Cars were lined up everywhere. One thing I knew for sure was that this wasn't going to be any ordinary get together. The two of us got out of the car and walked up the street. When we arrived at the address that Ethan had given me, I struggled to keep my mouth from falling open. The house was massive and three-storeys high. So many people stood around, laughing, chatting, drinking from red cups. Just to top it all off, girls were walking around in showy bikini's. With everything that was going on before my eyes, you'd think that it was the 4th of July. Christopher grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd. All the while, I was scanning my eyes around the place, searching for Ethan. We walked into the house, bumping past people and muttering small apologies. Finally, we came to a stop in a large room and Christopher stepped to the side. When he did, I was greeted with a smile on Ethan's face - a smile that made my insides turn. No matter how hard I tried, I still couldn't shake the way I felt about him. My eyes drifted to his side where I saw Olivia standing. She had a tight smile plastered on her face, making her look like someone who had been constipated for days. Wow, you are just so imaginative, aren't you Elise?

"Hey guys, glad you could make it," Ethan said. "No problem," I replied, trying not to show my resentment towards the environment I was in. I knew Ethan would know anyway since I'd never agreed to come to one of these parties before. Plus, we'd known each other for so long that he knew everything about me - everything except the fact that I had feelings for him. I looked around the room. Empty red cups were scattered around and a puddle of what smelt like beer stood a few feet away from where the four of us were standing.

Olivia excused herself, saying she had to go to the bathroom. Before I knew it, it was like she had disappeared into thin air. Ethan asked if we wanted a drink. I happily declined, although Christopher friendly took a red cup from Ethan. "Whose house is this anyway?" I said, examining the room again. "One of my mate's from football. His parent's are out of town for the week," Ethan said in reply. I scrunched my nose up in disapproval as a tall guy rounded a corner and walked towards us, red cup in hand and the pungent scent of beer rolling off of him. He and Ethan did an awkward man hug and Ethan introduced him to us. "Guys, this is Matson. He's the one hosting this party," Ethan said, patting his friend heavily on the back, both of them smiling. Matson gave a small wave before walking out of the room. Ethan said he'd see us later before heading off with Matson to a large group of guys who I assumed to be his friends from the football team.

Christopher and I headed outside. As soon as we did, our bodies were smashed between a large crowd of people. I shovelled my way through, not bothering to apologise to the people whose shoulders I had collided with. The smell of beer and sweat infiltrated my nostrils. After pushing past dozens of both drunk and sober people, I entered a clearing near the pool. I stopped to take a few breaths. Fresh air was finally able to engulf me in place of the scent of beer and sweat. It took me a moment to realise that Chris wasn't with me. I turned around and skimmed my eyes over the crowd of people. When I couldn't see him, I decided that I'd just call him afterwards. For now, I had to go to the bathroom.

When Olivia mentioned going to the bathroom, I saw her climb the stairs to the second floor of the house. When I reached the second floor, I noticed that it was a large space with about half a dozen doors. Not knowing where the bathroom specifically was, I opened the nearest door to me. It was merely a storage cupboard. The next one was what I understood to be a spare bedroom. So was the one after that.

Only two doors were left. I walked to the end of the large space to a door identical to the others. I turned the handle carelessly, running out of patience. When I walked in, it was clear that this room was not the bathroom. Two figures lay on a bed in the centre of the room, one on top of the other. "Oh! Sorry to disturb you!" I exclaimed in shock. The two figures turned to look at me, their faces struck with surprise as I was sure mine was. The one on top was only too familiar. Olivia.

And below her was a girl with long red hair, a purple spot forming on the side of her neck.