Labyrinth: A Jeremiah Valeska Story *COMPLETED*

Chapter 3: The Cafe

Over the next few months, Xander and I became friends. He was a genius, probably the smartest person I had ever met. But just because he was gifted that didn't mean he slacked off. In fact, it was Xander Wilde's drive that I found so compelling. He was constantly pushing himself and I admired that. Ella, Xander, and I became something of a trio, which was mostly a result of Ella clinging to me and insisting that she tag along whenever I went out. Xander didn't mind though, he was a very inviting individual. On Fridays, no one at St. Ignatius had classes so it was a free day to study or hang out with friends. Xander, Ella and I always met at Mark's for lunch on these days. I walked into the cafe, a small ding signaling my arrival. The staff welcomed me and started making my usual as I sat down at the table where my two friends were sitting. Xander and Ella stopped their conversation to greet me. "Hey Lilly!" Ella squealed. "Xander and I were just talking about you..." she said raising her eyebrows suggestively. Xander's face turned red and he nudged her. "Stop it Ella, we were just talking about going to Casandra's party." He rushed and I looked at him incredulously. I had heard the rumors in class that she was throwing a huge party but I would have never thought any of us would go or let alone be invited. "And why would you want to go to that snob's party?" I asked and he put his hands up in defense. "Hear me out Lilly, she is just the host of the party but there will be so many people there you won't even see her. Practically the whole school is going, which is why I feel that we, the outcasts, should crash it." He explained and the idea became more compelling. Ever since Xander and Ella started hanging out with me, our peers now classified them to be of lower financial status like me. Despite my protesting, they insisted that they didn't mind what the others thought. Attending Casandra's party would certainly drive her and her circle of rich prisses crazy. Xander and Ella were both looking at me pleadingly, clearly having thought through the consequences of attending. "Fine, I'll go." I give in, and they both cheer in victory. After lunch, we bid Xander goodbye and Ella and I retreated to our dorm to work on our global studies project. The time passed quickly and just when we finished our project it was time to get ready for the party. I had never been to a party before so I was pretty much clueless on what to wear. Thankfully Ella had plenty of experience and helped me every step of the way. She lended me a denim miniskirt and a white ruffle crop top with gold jewelry to adorn it. She then put my wavy hair back into a half up hairstyle as I put my makeup on. Ella then grabbed a trunk from under her bed and pulled out an array of glittery makeup and gave me an innocent smile. "Don't even think about it..." I shake my head backing up from her. In less than 10 minutes I had gold glitter under my eyes dripping onto my cheeks and despite my protesting, I had to applaud Ella for a job well done. There was then a knock at the door and I opened it to find Xander. He was wearing a black button down shirt and dark denim jeans and his hair was gelled back. His glasses were gone, presumably due to contacts, and I became acutely aware of how attractive he was. He stared at me in awe before clearing his throat. "You-um... You look really nice Lilly." He stuttered and I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "Thanks... You don't look too bad yourself." I said before bitting my lip to keep myself from saying anything stupid. Xander became fixated on my lips and I could feel the heat in his gaze. It was as if there was a string between us pulled so tight that the only way to relieve the tension would be to get closer. He was about to take a step forward when Ella's voice chimed in. "You guys ready to go?" Ella came barging between us, fixing her bun. I was thankful for her intrusion and quickly turned to grab my bag off my bed before exiting the room. "I'm ready. Let's go." I rush out as we all headed out of the dorm building. There was a strict no-party policy in the dorm building so Casandra was having her party in one of the abandoned buildings near the school. Once we stepped outside there was no question where the party was, the pounding music could be heard from down the street. What were we getting ourselves into?