There was a fight, which annoyed me more than anything else. And Claire was in the middle of it. When she disappeared, I texted her to make sure she was okay and then I just left it alone. This party really sucked for me, even the semi pleasant buzz that had built from the drink in my hand wasn't enough to make it enjoyable.
"Are you gonna stay here with Sawyer?" I asked Emma, and she nodded. I didn't want to leave her alone but at the same time I really wanted to go. Badly.
I turned to him, "If I don't see her at school tomorrow in one piece, you're dead meat." he was drunk but he managed to agree to those terms somewhat solemnly and then I left it alone. Emma was a big girl, she could take care of herself.
Then I just had to find Declan.
I started wading through the crowd, my heeled chanel boots deftly navigating the gyrating bodies and litter of solo cups on the ground. A sheen of sweat soaked my skin and I briefly thanked the make-up gods for creating waterproof foundation.
"Hey big red," said a voice in my ear. I could smell the alcohol laced in his breath as he exhaled down the back of my neck.
"Don't call me that," I ordered, spinning around.
"Come on, doesn't a real woman want to know what it's like to be with a real man? I guarantee you I'm better than any of the others who have graced your bed," he told me with the right corner of his lip tugging into a cocky and slightly sinister smile.
"According to whom?" I asked, "the ladies you hired to give you a good time? You know they'll say anything to get their nightly paycheck. Or cash, if you prefer." I was trying to distract him. You're a virgin, I thought to myself, But that's not necessarily something I'd like everyone to know.
"Laugh now, but the Upper East Side is a completely different world from Lincolnwood," he scoffed.
"How do you know what school I went to?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"You should really look at your Gossip Girl profile," he said, "But regardless. You may find yourself participating in activities," the way he said the word 'activities' made it sound almost dirty, "You never thought you would before." I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes. Regret? Sorrow? I quickly brushed that aside, it was just the buzz of the alcohol wearing off. And then August was back to his normal self.
"I'm afraid I must bid you farewell," he said, giving me a sly grin, "I'll see you around," he paused, "Big Red." And then he vanished, swallowed up by the crowd.
I turned away and continued pushing my way through the rich, drunk teenagers to find my brother. A thought occurred to me, and I started opening doors.
I finally came upon a small library filled floor to ceiling with volumes of books. Declan was perched on a window seat with a small reading lamp turned on next to him, engrossed in the secrets kept within the pages. Figures, my brother was exactly the type to go to a party and find the nearest book.
I cleared my throat and he looked up. "Oh hey, sorry, my twin-sense hasn't been working properly tonight. I can't read your mind," he joked.
"Oh boo," I said sarcastically and walked over to sit next to him.
"You good? You didn't drink a lot did you?" he asked.
"I had half a solo cup of beer," I informed him, "I wouldn't be rushing to get behind the wheel or anything but I'm also not drunk off my ass."
"Good. I just like making sure you're okay. You get that, right?" he said, patting my arm. I nodded.
"Come on, nerd, this party was a bust. Let's go home." Declan looked from his book to the gap in the bookshelf where he'd undoubtedly found it.
"Is it a first edition?" I asked. Declan held up the cover, it was a brand new copy of The Beautiful and the Damned.
"I seriously doubt anybody is going to care about an 8 dollar book missing in a library full of 8,000 dollar first editions." I reached up on the shelf and evened out the gap between the books. "Let's go." I pulled Declan out of the library and he shrugged, shoving his prize in his jacket.
Declan and I pushed ourselves through the crowd and out of the house, stepping into the cool, autumn air. I shivered a little and was glad I'd opted for tights and boots. It was one of those perfect nights with a few stars glimmering in the sky through all the smog and the crisp feeling of cool air on your skin after you've been sweating.
Declan helped me down the steps in my heeled boots and made sure I got in the town car. I leaned against the door, staring out the tinted window at the glittering lights of the house as we pulled away from the chaos and headed back home.
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