Chapter 2

JESSIE After we ate, Tamara took me to her room, determined to figure out a dress for the party. "I thought you said it's just a simple party, why do we have to be so dressed up?" I asked Tamara who was rummaging through her overflowing closet trying to pick a dress for the both of us. According to her, I have no dress worthy of a party. Which is absolutely wrong. "I need you to look like you are getting it tonight, even though you are not. Can't believe you are still a virgin." She replied. "My dresses make me look that way." I argued. "Yeah, not really. Anyways, found one." She held up a silver sparkling dress. "Hmm." I said. "Don't even think of refusing it." She said. "I wasn't!". "Yeah. I believe that." She sassed and turned back to the closet to pick her own dress. After doing our makeup while belting out some of Ariana Grande, The weekend and Taylor Swift songs, we were ready to go. "Mama, you looking hot." Tamara said to me. Tamara helped me to curl my hair and I did the same to her. Wearing a white heel that is not so high, and placed my phone into a clutch purse. Tamara's phone is also tucked inside, since she refused to carry her own purse. We went down the stairs and saw Tamara's parent sitting in the living room, Olivia was sitting sideways with her legs draped on Cal's laps. "We are ready." Tamara said excitedly. Maybe I was seeing things but Cal and Olivia were checking me out, raking their eyes down my whole body that it felt like they were trying to undress me with their eyes. "Have fun, and don't forget about my flowers." Olivia said smiling. Tamara rolled her eyes but nodded and we walked out the door into the cool night air, ready for the party. The party was already in full swing when Tamara and I arrived. The house was packed, the music was loud, and the energy in the air was undeniable. Tamara, of course, dove right into the chaos, pulling me along until we reached the kitchen. "Drink?" she asked, grabbing a bottle of something pink and fizzy. "No, I’m good," I replied, scanning the table for something nonalcoholic. I finally found a can of soda and cracked it open, grateful for the cold, familiar taste. "Suit yourself," Tamara said with a shrug before disappearing into the throng of dancers. I found a quiet spot near the wall, sipping my soda and watching the party unfold. Tamara was already in the middle of the living room, dancing like she owned the place. Her wild, carefree movements made me smile despite myself. She was in her element, and honestly, I envied her for it. Every few minutes, someone would ask me out to dance but I refused, politely and luckily most of them were not pushy. I continued to watch Tamara who was still dancing in the middle of the crowd, some people were hyping her up as she danced. I laughed as I watched her dancing some weird moves. My thoughts kept drifting back to earlier that evening—to Cal and Olivia. The way they’d looked at me before we left, their eyes lingering a little too long, left a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t shake the image of them sitting together on the couch, Olivia’s legs draped casually over Cal’s lap. There was something about their dynamic that I couldn’t quite put my finger on—something that made me feel… I could not help but think about how it would be if I was a part of it. I took another sip of my soda, trying to push those thoughts aside. But even with the blaring music and the lively crowd around me, I could not forget it all. I took out my phone and looked at the time, 11:45 pm. Tamara was still dancing, and I did not want to take my eyes off her before she wanders and I will spend eternity looking for her, speaking from experience. With a better idea, I went to meet her. "Tammy?!" She turned around still dancing. "Going somewhere?! " She asked. I nodded. "By the pool, don't wander off or I'm not looking for you!" She rolled her eyes with an okay sign and continued to dance. I hope her eyes does not stick up there with how many times she has rolled them this evening alone. I stepped out onto the pool deck, grateful for the cool breeze and the relative quiet compared to the chaos inside. The moonlight shimmered on the water, creating a serene contrast to the party's frenzy. I found a lounge chair and sat down, clutching my soda can and staring into the stillness of the pool. The night was supposed to be a distraction, a chance to loosen up and have fun. But instead, I found myself unable to escape my thoughts—thoughts of Cal and Olivia. Why had they looked at me like that? It wasn’t just casual or friendly. Their eyes had lingered, studying me in a way that sent a chill down my spine and left a flutter in my chest. It was not unsettling, it made me feel......wanted. But that is impossible, they are a couple, there is no way. By one in the morning, Tamara finally stumbled out to meet me by the pool. I was surprised she hadn’t fallen into it with how drunk she looked, her movements were so wobbly and unsteady. I stood up, grabbing my purse, and slung her arm over my shoulder to keep her balanced. “Alright, party animal, time to get you home,” I said, more to myself than to her. Together, we managed to walk out of the house, though it felt more like I was dragging her than anything else. Even though her house wasn’t far, the thought of pulling Tamara down the street in this state was something I did not feel like doing. I pulled out my phone and called an Uber. Thankfully, the car arrived five minutes later. I opened the door, guiding Tamara into the back seat. She plopped down with a dramatic sigh, leaning heavily against me as I slid in beside her. “Why didn’t you dance?” she whined, her voice slurring slightly as she rubbed her cheek against my bare arm. She looked up at me with bleary, half-lidded eyes, her expression resembling that of a spoiled kitten seeking attention. “Because I’m not much of a dancer,” I replied, trying not to laugh at her antics. “And no matter how many parties you drag me to, they’ll never really be my thing.” Tamara groaned in protest. “You were supposed to get loose tonight, Jessie. Live a little! Have some fun!” I smiled faintly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “I’ll leave the wild partying to you. You’re much better at it.” The driver pulled up in front of Tamara’s house, and I paid him quickly. To my relief, he kindly helped me get her out of the car, sparing me the struggle of doing it alone. “Thank you,” I said, genuinely grateful for the help. “No problem,” he replied with a polite smile before driving off into the night. I shifted Tamara’s weight against me as we approached the front door. She hummed softly to herself, her head resting on my shoulder. As challenging as it was to handle her in this state, I couldn’t help but smile. Tamara might be a handful, but she was my best friend, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. The walk up to the door felt like forever, just then Tamara heaved, like she was about to throw up. She leaned forward in front of Olivia's flowers but I remembered the warning she gave. "Tamara, no." I said pulling her away from the flowers. "I'm gonna throw up." She mumbled. "Hold it in, let's get inside and into a toilet." I kept my grip firm on her and walked towards the door. The front door opened and I looked up to see Cal, only in a grey sweatpants, his chest bare. "Knew I heard something." He said, his voice tinged with amusement as he took in the sight of the two of us. I gave him a small smile trying to keep my eyes from wandering all over his sculpted chest. The awkward moment between us was cut short when Tamara bent over and puked all over the skirt of my gown, some of it getting to my bare legs. "Oh my goodness Tammy, I'm so killing you." I muttered. Cal came to us and carried his daughter up in his arm, his muscles flexing. "You should clean up." He said. I nodded,embarrassed and quickly followed him inside, Olivia was in the hallway, wearing a nightie that can pass as lingerie, I could see her bare stomach. And it was so short, ending far too high on her thighs. I adverted my gaze and went up to my room, with my face burning. Once I was in the room, I peeled the soiled clothes off my body, I got into the shower. What the hell is with the two of being being so effortlessly seductive, and why am I getting affected. I wore a big shirt and underwear before going to bed.I didn’t understand what was happening, but one thing was clear—I was being drawn into something far more complicated than I’d ever imagined.