"My intentions would be simple," he says with a deep, heated gaze, his warm breath fanning across my face.
He slowly moves himself even closer to me so that our bodies are mere millimeters away from touching, causing breathing to become a chore. "M...
Layla Wright always has the best birthday parties.
Or, at least, so I've heard. I've never been invited to one before, so I wouldn't know.
At the end of March, Layla had invited everyone she deemed worthy from the junior and senior class to her 17th birthday bash. And let me tell you, standing in the backyard of Layla's family mansion, it definitely deserves the title "bash."
The theme was Alice In Wonderland and the Wrights had gone all out.
At the front door, Jayce and I had been welcomed by a man dressed as the White Rabbit, who had informed us that later in the night, not only would there be a costume contest, but also, we were to come up with an answer to the Mad Hatter's classic unanswered conundrum, "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?"
Apparently, whoever came up with the answer Layla liked the most would receive a "once-in-a-lifetime invitation" to go on a vacation with her this summer.
Somehow, I don't think the winner would be chosen based on the cleverness of their answer, but more so on whether or not they have a penis, a six pack and a handsome face.
Inside, it was clear that no expense had been spared. From waiters dressed in red tailcoat tuxedos serving "Eat Me" and clock-face cookies, to trippy optical illusions everywhere you look, to a hookah lounge and a place to make your own Mad Hatter-inspired hat. Everything is on point. Ten-foot tall mushrooms look like they're sprouting throughout the yard and house. Frog and mice figurines dot the tables. The party planner must have raided every thrift store in a 100 mile radius to procure all the old-fashioned clocks. There's even a handful of magicians wandering about, delighting guests with card tricks, and every drink is served in an oddly shaped glass vial with a tag that reads, "Drink Me".
Further out in the yard, handfuls of my classmates are attempting to play croquet. There's multi-colored lights dancing across the guests, as well as a fog machine. I spot bouquets of white roses, all splattered with red paint. For some reason, a chill runs down my spine.
An insane party for an insane girl.
I did not receive an invitation. Jayce, however, did. There were specific instructions that a plus-one was not allowed. Imagine that.
The invitation had been attached to a large chocolate key covered in edible gold dust, of course. The entire Wright family must live and breathe extra. I wonder what their family gatherings are like.
Anyway, here I stand, in the middle of the Wright's backyard - uninvited - with Jayce next to me.
Originally, he hadn't planned to go. And then, last week I'd expressed to him that I wished I knew why Layla hated me so much... which resulted in me convincing myself that it was a good idea to crash her party and confront her. After all, earlier this year she'd shown up to my home completely uninvited and been nasty to me. Might as well give her a taste of her own medicine, right?
I take in a deep breath as I scan the crowd, looking for Layla. I'm not exactly sure what I should be looking for. The invitation hadn't explicitly mentioned costumes, but apparently everyone knew that Layla's birthday was practically Halloween in April.
I had managed to dig up a light blue dress with a scalloped hem that reminded me of Alice in the classic Disney cartoon. I'd paired it with some simple silver heels and a chunky necklace. I'd tied a black ribbon in my hair and decided that if anyone asked I'd just say I was high school Alice. Surprisingly, I'd never had to make an Alice In Wonderland costume for Party Princess.
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