Despicable Arrogance

Chapter 10

I stared at the house in front of me, slightly confused. Isn’t this a house party? Why doesn’t it look like the ones in the movies? You know, with the red solo cups everywhere and the drunken girls giggling as they ran around. I turned to the girls who just smirked at each other before getting out of the car. They grabbed my hand and yanked me out as I stared at the house in confusion. What did I get myself into?

I stumbled out of the car even though I don’t have heels on nor am I drunk. I looked around and saw only two cars. I frowned. What kind of party is this? Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t looking forward to watching teenagers make out or people dancing on each other- it’s just what I expected. The two girls giggled as they watched me while I struggled to put two and two together, whatever those twos were.

As we reached the large house’s porch, I looked back towards the cars and noticed a large black motorcycle beside them, it was hidden from my view a few meters ago but now that I’m noticing it, I’m putting the pieces together. Before I could speak, the door was opened and Shane was standing there with a smile on his face. “Glad you could make it.”

I turned around, flabbergasted; as I watched my friends walk around me and enter the house. I slowly entered the house as Shane held open the door patiently. “What’s going on?”

He smiled at me as he walked beside me. “Well...in the lunch line on Friday, Grayson thought that it’d be a great idea to have a party and your friends were smiling…a bit creepily, might I add. They offered to help set it up if they could come, not that they wouldn’t be able to come, but it’d be nice to have some extra help. So after deciding that the party would be at my place, we agreed to meet here. I gave them the address earlier today, around 11 o’clock,” he replied casually.

“So that’s why they were acting so suspicious,” I muttered. I heard a familiar voice singing and I groaned. “Does he ever shut up?”

“Unfortunately not,” Shane laughed as we entered the kitchen, where Grayson stood unpacking the drinks. I caught a glimpse of beer and I wanted to protest but I realized that it wouldn’t have been cool; besides, it’s not my party to interfere.

“Don’t act like you don’t like my voice, Audrey, I sing like an angel,” he proceeded to harmonize in an angel like manner. I groaned again and covered my ears.

“The horror, the pain, the agony,” I complained and I saw Shane laughing. I uncovered my ears and listened to his laughter as it resounded throughout the room.

Grayson was glaring at me. “You know what, how about we tell my good old pal Sha-?” I immediately cut him off, punching his shoulder lightly, pretending to be playful.

“Oh, Grayson, you know I was only joking,” I punched his shoulder again and he let out a pained laugh. Shane smiled at me.

“Well, Audrey, since you’re here to help- why don’t you help Grayson unpack the drinks?” Shane asked and I nodded.

“Okay Shane,” I responded as he walked into the living room.

Grayson started to mock me. “Okay, Shane,” His voice was falsetto. I glared at him as I ripped a package of twelve nonalcoholic drinks from the cooler. “I totally love you, Shane, but you’re so oblivious.”

I glared at him and lowered my voice a few octaves. “I’m Grayson and I can sing. La-la-la-la-la. But I’m really bad at it,” this caused Grayson to glare at me. “I also like to dance,” I started spinning around like a ballerina with my eyes closed as I frolicked around, spinning around on the tiled floor. “Tee-hee-hee, I’m Grayson the ballerina and I like to dance and sing.”

I opened my eyes and realized I was standing a bit too close to two guys. I slowly dropped my leg from the ballerina pose and backed up a bit. I recognized them as Kyle and Carson. I blew out a breath of air from the corner of my mouth. “Sorry about that.”

Instead of beating me to a b****y pulp, which they looked like they were going to do, they bent over in fits of laughter. Kyle looked up and pointed at Grayson. “That’s… so true.”

Grayson was fuming now as he glared at me. Carson was red faced and breathless. “’Tee-hee-hee’… priceless.”

I slowly found myself laughing at Grayson’s expense as he glared at the three of us. His hands were crossed across his chest, his muscles were bulging but I ignored them because the look on his face was completely hilarious. His mouth was formed into a scowl and his blue eyes were narrowed.

“You’re stupid,” he snapped angrily and I smirked at him as I recovered from my laughter.

Instead of having some cruel retort like he was expecting, I decided to say the first thing that came to mind. “Tee-hee-hee.”

His angry facade deteriorated quickly as the corners of his mouth quirked upwards. He bit the inside of his mouth to stop from laughing and he quickly exited the room. I couldn’t help but smile at the fact that I made him laugh. “You’re funny, Audrey.”

I turned to look at the two boys who were still chuckling lightly. “How do you know my name?”

“Well, for one, we’ve been in the same school for all of these years and two, you work with Grayson, so we hear several stories about you, and we've been to the library before. Don't you remember?” Kyle explained as he smirked at the latter.

I internally panicked. “Stories? What kind of stories?” Okay, so maybe the panic wasn’t only internal.

Carson leaned forward onto the island, scooting closer with every word “Oh, only how you like-,” he was cut off by Shane’s voice. My eyes were the size of saucers.

“Kyle! Carson! Get in here,” Shane called from, what I presume to be, the living room. Carson stood up and smiled at me.

“No, no, continue what you were saying, please,” I pleaded, nearly crawling across the island. He smirked and thumped the tip of my nose, causing me to retract my head.

“No, I think you know what I was going to say," he smirked and followed after his brother who left the room.

Grayson walked into the room while I was sprawled out on the island, head hanging low from aggravation. He sucked his teeth a few times while shaking his head. “Audrey, the party didn’t even start yet and you’re already drunk.”

I sat up quickly and glared at him. “I’m not drunk, you imbecile.”

Grayson winced and placed his hand on his chest. “That hurts, Audrey, that really hurts.”

~~~

“Where’s the bathroom?” I asked Grayson after 30 minutes of working. We’ve been here for forty five minutes and I’ve been waiting to go to the bathroom for more than half of it.

Grayson turned to look at me. “Go down the hall, up the stairs, take a right; it’s the first door to your left.”

I replayed the instructions in my head as I walked down the hallway. I walked up the stairs, took the right and turned to the door on my left. I knocked lightly and I heard the sink turn on. I waited patiently outside of it, leaning against the wall.

When Sandra exited, she turned and saw me. A smile found its way onto her face. “Audrey, guess what happened?”

I could tell by her voice that it was something good. “What?”

I was expected her to say something Carson did that she found cute. “Shane said you were cute.”

“Cute?” I asked her, leaning in slightly. “As in, little sibling cute, or 'I'd date you' cute?”

She grinned even wider. “'I'd date you' cute!”

I entered the bathroom and smiled to myself. I don’t like him as much as I did back in sophomore year but I might start liking him a lot more, now. I held back a squeal as I walked down the stairs and entered the kitchen, a grin on my face.

“Why are you so happy?” Grayson asked me as he sat on the kitchen island, his eyes staring at my face. He narrowed his eyes. “Are you… are you wearing makeup?”

I felt my face warm up as I shrugged. “Yeah, so?”

Grayson’s lips curled into a smirk. “I never thought I’d see the day when Audrey Peters wears make up,” I wanted to scoff. I wore makeup to the game the other day. He was probably more focused on killing me than the decorations on my face.

I glared at him. ”Shut up.”

He just continued smirking. “Will do.”