Temptations (#Wattys2017)

Ten

Caleb lunged for Evan again, the latter deftly moving out of the way as Jack caught Caleb's shirt, preventing him from doing something he might regret. A few of the students were now bobbing their heads like meerkats, trying to get a better view.

"Lets go, Caleb..." Jack said, lightly tugging him in the direction of the huge oak doors that led out of the dining hall. Caleb twisted out of his grip, before turning back to Evan.

"Stay away," he repeated before stalking from the room, his friend hot on his heels as he shoved the doors open so violently they looked at risk of breaking free of the hinges.

Turning to Saskia, Lucy's expression was a mask of confusion as she asked, "What the hell was that all about?"

Saskia merely shrugged and plucked a piece of toast from Jack's abandoned plate. "I honestly don't know," she sighed, before taking a bite.

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Sat on the plush carpet in front of the full-length mirror in her room, Saskia slicked on some deep wine-red lipstick to complete her look. She'd also slapped on enough concealer that you could no longer see the ugly bruise on her cheekbone. A few days had passed since the near-incident in the dining hall, and she was still none the wiser as to what the issue was between Caleb and Evan.

The curiosity was starting to drive her insane, but she drove the thought out of her mind—the weekend was finally here, and Jack had informed her that there would be a party happening tonight, courtesy of some ex-student who used to be on the football team, if she recalled correctly.

"So... you and Caleb..?" Lucy questioned from where she was perched on a chair by the desk, spraying some sort of product through her long blonde hair.

"What about me and Caleb?" Saskia responded innocently, blotting her lips with some tissue paper and swiping away the excess she had managed to get on her front tooth.

"Is there something going on between you two...?" Lucy trailed off, with a mischievious expression lighting up her face.

"No! Nothing like that... we haven't known each other long," she insisted, not entirely convincingly. Screwing the tissue up into a ball, she tossed it into the bin before walking over to her wardrobe to rifle through possible outfit choices. Lucy rose from her chair to join her in surveying the clothes rack while Saskia pulled out various items to scrutinize them.

"Sure, I believe you," she said, in a tone that conveyed she absolutely did not believe her. "This one," Lucy instructed, yanking a black slip dress from its hanger. Saskia scanned it before deciding that she approved, stripping out of the oversized grey t-shirt she always wore to bed. Sam had given it to her a while back, and it was the comfiest top she'd ever worn. Why was men's clothing so much better?

"Do you find him attractive?" Lucy continued, watching as Saskia sauntered over to the mirror to inspect her appearance. The dress fit like a glove, with small cut-outs above each hip to showcase her slight curves, before stopping mid-thigh. Thin straps rested snugly against her shouders, obscured by the loosely curled dark hair that was tumbling down to just below her breasts.

"Now that would be telling," Saskia teased, before turning away from the mirror to hunt for a pair of heels that would match.

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"That isn't a house, it's a bloody mansion," Saskia remarked, staring up at the modern building sprawled in front of them. Some of the walls were made up entirely of glass, the others of a light grey stone. It spanned at least three levels, with a large veranda on the first floor.

Peering through the wrought-iron fence, she spied a swimming pool illuminated in the increasing darkness of the late evening, surrounded by an impressive looking garden with hidden alcoves. Perfect for a game of hide and seek, she thought. A light breeze ruffled her hair, and she pulled the oversized denim jacket tighter around her. It wasn't exactly cold, but it wasn't yet warm enough to forego an extra layer.

"You haven't seen the inside yet," Caleb laughed from where he stood beside her.

Saskia stopped gawping at the house to smile sweetly at him as she took in the grey shirt he was wearing, along with some ripped jeans. He looked good—though she wouldn't tell him that in case he grew anymore big-headed.

"You look amazing, by the way," Caleb said, molten eyes roaming her dress and the long legs it revealed. "It goes without saying that I do, too," he added with a grin. Saskia rolled her eyes at him and smacked his shoulder.

"You're so in love with yourself," she snorted, yet Saskia couldn't seem to stop herself from smiling up at him.

"So are we just going to stand here all night or are we going in?" Lucy inquired, standing with her hands on her hips as Saskia just stared at Caleb. Lucy had opted for a short white dress with silver tribal print patterns adorned all over. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, some of the strands falling loose to frame her heart-shaped face.

Saskia laughed, before taking Lucy's hand and guiding her toward the glass front doors. "Come on then. You clearly need a drink."

Crossing the threshold, the three of them beheld the interior of the mansion. A vast skylight in the center of the ceiling lit up a generously-sized pond set into the marble floor of the foyer, a curved staircase ascending on either side. Large wooden archways led off into other areas of the house, illuminated by dim spotlights. People were everywhere, some couples already writhing on each other as music blasted through the air from a sound system nearby. Lucy was already flouncing along to where people were emerging with red cups filled with various drinks—that had to be where the kitchen was.

"Hey guys!" Saskia whirled to find Jack approaching, before he clasped Caleb's forearm in a typical guy embrace. He was wearing a tight-fit white jersey top that showcased his muscles, which she tried to prevent herself from gawking at. Lucy stopped flouncing and smiled broadly at him.

"Hi Jack," she said, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. Saskia glanced between the two, sensing some sort of unspoken conversation. Jack pushed his short brown hair out of his face, his dark eyes slowly taking in both of their outfits.

Clearing her throat, Saskia asked, "Where can we get drinks? This one is in need." She gestured to Lucy, who pouted in indignation.

"I'll show you, follow me," Jack grinned, leading them through the hallways into a kitchen equipped with its own bar. Of course it had a bar. The surfaces were all black marble accented with chrome, and a large island covered with a whole manner of bottles and discarded cups was situated in the middle of the laminated floor. People were perched atop bar stools, or lounging against the sides. One girl was stumbling precariously towards a massive sliding door leading into what she assumed would be the garden.

"I'll make you one, what do you want?" Caleb offered, grabbing them both new cups as she trailed her eyes over the bottles available. There was plenty to choose from, which always made her very happy.

"Vodka orange, please," she answered, watching the muscles flex in his arm as he poured the drinks. She raised her eyes to scan the room, searching for any other familiar faces from the school. As she did so, she noticed a guy leaning against the wall, on the edge of what she assumed was a group of his friends. He was fairly handsome, with light brown hair partially covering his eyes. She couldn't tell much about his eye colour from here, even as he stared intensely at her for an uncomfortable amount of time. She dragged her gaze away, trying to continue her casual sweep of the room, but could still feel him staring at her.

"Earth to Saskia... you okay?" Caleb asked, nudging her to take the drink he was holding. She jumped with a start and took it, smiling more to reassure herself than anything else.

"Yeah, I'm fine... thanks for the drink," Saskia purred as she sidled up against him and glanced back over her shoulder, slightly unnerved to find that the mysterious stranger was nowhere to be seen.

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Note:

This is a bit longer than other parts, but I didn't upload two weeks ago so it makes up for it! There will be some action in the next part, promise ;)