A Guide To Not Falling For The Bad Boy

5.

#5 Be able to handle yourself.

You could hear the music booming from Zander's house about a mile away. My mouth dropped as Raine pulled into his drive. 

"Wow the bad boy has rich parents." I commented, sliding out of the car. His house looked like a mansion from the outside. The house had off white walls. It had to be two or three stories. Cars flooded his front yard.

"Um...yeah that's why the school has parties here." Raine said, slamming the car door. 

"What does his parents' say?" Otto asked. He followed behind Raine like a little duckling. 

"His parents' don't know. They are rarely home." Raine explained. She led us through the front door revealing a house from a magazine. The high ceilings held a chandelier and a huge staircase. A sliding door was wide open revealing he had a pool. 

"You two have fun. I am going to find a drink." Raine said, disappearing into the crowd. 

"I didn't know this was a pool party. Were we supposed to bring a swimsuit?" Otto whispered.

"They don't swim in swimsuits." I told him. 

"Oh," he replied. 

People jumped to the music chugging can of beer. Some held cups of what I figured was vodka. I looked around seeing some people with their tongue down another person's throat. My nose scrunched. 

"Oh punch." Otto smiled, reaching for a cup. 

"Otto, don't drink that." I pulled his hand away from the stack. 

"Why? It's just punch." He said, looking down at the red liquid. 

"You have so much to learn." I said, patting his shoulder. 

A guy with blonde hair smiled at me. He started to come my way so I grabbed Otto's arm. "Maybe we should go outside." I yell over the music. 

"Oh a strawberry." Otto said, taking one from the fruit tray.

"No, put that back." I commanded, dragging my naive friend out the door. 

It was even more gross outside, girls only wore a bra and underwear as their hair dripped with water. Their expensive dresses were tossed on the ground.

"Is this what parties are like? Why do people do this for fun." Otto said, shaking his head. 

Not wanting to watch the show, we decided to continue the search for a decent place. This is why Raine insisted on taking her car, so we would be stuck here. I turned to see that Otto was no longer following me. 

"Otto?" I said, but my voice was carried away with the music. Panic rose through me as I looked through the crowd trying to find my curly hair friend. 

The stairs squeaked under me as I tried to get a vantage point. Maybe he went to try to find a bathroom. I knew I needed to find him fast before his little innocent butt got him into trouble. 

"Hey pretty thing." A guy smirked at me. 

I rolled my eyes ignoring him. Maybe Otto was safe with Raine. 

The guy came closer and the smell of alcohol grew stronger. 

"I am not interested." I sneered. 

"I didn't ask." His hand curled around my waist as he tried to bury his head into my neck. 

"I am not going to repeat myself." I said, giving him a second to consider his options. When he didn't falter. I moved quickly. Before he knew it his arm was twisted around the back up his head. 

He licked his plump lips, squinting his eyes trying to focus on me. "I said no, and I suggest you learn what that means." 

The guy tried to move from the position in which I held him. His eyes grew wider when he realized I was trapped. 

I rolled my eyes again giving him a little push. Thankfully he got the idea and started to leave. He tried to walk down the stairs, focusing his eyes on each one, but unfortunately he missed a couple and went rolling down the stairs barrelling into a couple. 

I smiled watching their disgusted faces before they continued where they left off. 

"Was he bothering you?" Another deeper voice came. 

I jumped, seeing Zander nodding to the guy sitting at the bottom of the stairs. "I can handle myself." 

Zander shrugged. "I know that much." 

I looked at him and he smiled referring to the moment in the halls. "I'm busy." I said, beginning my search again. 

He moved beside me, even now in the midst of all the alcohol and drugs he smelled of Axe, which was refreshing this time. "I don't know why you came, but thank you," he said. 

I looked up meeting his genuine eyes. I cannot figure him out. "You're not drunk." I stated. I could have said anything, but for some reason that is what came out of my mouth. 

"Nah, it's more fun when you can remember everything. Drinking is for drowning your sorrows." He smirked, swiping the hair from his eyes. 

I sighed, giving him a dirty look, before gazing back to the crowd. 

"Zander," A voice echoed, coming from the stairs. A girl appeared, with a tight white dress. She wobbled in her heels, almost falling. 

Zander rushed over to catch her. "Oh, there you are babe." She giggled, her gaze undressed him, of his leather jacket and dark jeans in her mind. 

Zander's composter changed as if he was drunk too.  She started to kiss Zander's neck and he buried his head into her blonde hair. Then he guided her to a free room, giving me a wink as the door closed. 

Typical. I rolled my eyes, stepping over couples on the search for Otto again.