The Good Girls Secret

Chapter 18- Party!

The tires screech to a halt behind a blue punch-bug as Alice parks near the house. There are cars lined up for probably three blocks down the road leading up to it. It's similar to hers, with large columns outside except there's a giant pool right in the front yard.

"Whoa." My mouth hangs open as we stand in front of the building.

"I know!" Alice squeals, "Now let's get inside, I can hear the music from here."

We make our way to the party only to be met by blaring music and strobe lights flashing inside the house. When we go inside there are tons of people, a lot of them I don't recognize. One of the first things that hits me is the strong smell of alcohol and sweat, along with teenagers grinding on each other.

Why people like these things and go to them is beyond me. I mean who thinks that getting drunk out of their minds and doing god knows what with God knows who is 'fun'?"

"What do you think so far?" Claire shouts into my ear with a huge smile on her face.

"Um, it's... interesting."

"Hell yeah it is!" She shouts back, pumping her fist in the air.

Okay then, I guess she misunderstood my enthusiasm, or lack there of. As she parades away Stella appears at my side with a beer already in hand.

"You want a drink?" She thrusts it at me, causing some to splash over the cup and hit me in the face.

This is getting worse by the second and we've been here all but ten minutes.

"Nope." I reply bluntly, forcing a smile.

"Okay, I'm going to go party!" She stumbles off into the crowd and once again I'm left alone.

So much for going to a party with my friends when they just left me anyways. I guess this gives me some time to look around and scope out any suspicious activity for the mission. It's pretty hard to see what's going on from the floor level, so I make my way up the winding staircase.

The people thin out drastically up here and the music is no longer blowing out my eardrums. There are a couple rooms with large, wooden doors leading into them, but all of them are closed. I'm not going to go in them either, especially when they have pairs of underwear hanging on the doorknob.

It's like a maze up here and somehow I find myself going down a long, dark hallway. To say it's creepy is an understatement and for some reason I can't shake the feeling that someone is following me.

What if they want to murder me? What if it isn't even a person, but a ghost! My thoughts are driving me nuts, causing me to become paranoid.

A hand on my shoulder stops me dead in my tracks.

"Where are you going, Bailey?"

"Riley, is that you?" I whisper into the darkness with wide eyes.

"Yup, and I came to visit the guest of honor! You look, like so hot tonight." He slurs, tripping over his own feet and stumbling into me.

This guy is we beyond drunk, and obviously not thinking straight, along with everyone else here.

"Woah buddy, I think we should cut back on this." I remove the cup of vodka from his hands and try to push him off me.

Riley seems to have other ideas, because instead of backing away he comes closer and corners me against the wall.

"Hey," he growls, "I decide when I've had enough."

Immediately memories of my father flash into my mind, causing my heart to pick up speed.

"Whatever Riley, you're drunk. Now get off me!" I shove him again, harder than last time.