Someone Else

Chapter 17

The music is too loud and the booze too weak but f**k, I'm having the best time.

The boys show me around and introduce me to everyone. Important people, popular people, rich people,... Everyone I need to win over is here.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom." I yelled over the music.

"Alright, we'll be playing pool over there." Ash said. "Don't get lost!"

I nod and go explore the penthouse. People are dancing and drinking all around me and I weave through them with being minimally groped.

I go upstairs where there aren't any people and sit on the stairs. Something is telling me to go visit Giovanni and Matteo but I don't even know where they live! I really miss them...

Matt would probably turn me out of his house if I showed up probably and Gio lives in Italy but goes to New York sometimes for business. He's got many private jets surely.

Someone clears their throat and I jolt.

"So you're Ash's new friend." A deep voice said.

I turn around to see the one and only, Damien Hargreaves, staring down at me. "Should I know who you are?" I asked.

"What does he see in you? You're nothing special." He continues, looking at me like I was a chonky bee that flew into his pot of honey.

Is he trying to intimidate me or annoy me? Because only the latter is working. "And you're a creep with small d**k syndrome." I fired back.

He arches an eyebrow. "You really don't know who I am?"

"I know you're an asshole, and that's enough for me." I said, standing up to leave.

"Wait. I'm Damien."

And you've fallen into my mousetrap. "An immense misfortune to meet you, Damien." I said, smiling. "The name's Amelia Shackler, at your service."

"Do you always talk weird like that?"

"No, it just pops up, like Tourette's or something." I said, making him laugh. "Why are you up here anyways?"

He shrugs. "It was better than down there."

"Oh, sorry, I'll leave your hiding spot then." I said, blushing.

"No, you're fine. Do you want to get some air or something?" He asked.

Air? Isn't there enough air in here? "Yeah, sure." I said instead.

It's for the Cause. I follow him back down and into the elevator, as a side thought, I text Ash that I'm going to go for a walk inside the building.

"Who owns that penthouse anyways?" I asked Damien.

"Some guy, I have no idea."

I frown. "Why were you there then?"

He looks at me and then chuckles. "So the people could see me."

"You're not the Queen of England." I said, laughing.

"To them, I might as well be."

So the student council really holds that much power, huh? I weigh what my next move would be. I need to get this guy to like me, to trust me so I can usurp his power.

We go for a nice stroll around the block and I admire the skyscrapers licking the the dark musty looking gray sky. Light pollution, sound pollution, almost every kind of pollution really. But it's still beautiful.

"Have I seen you on campus before? You look familiar." He asked.

Doubt it, I'm in STEM and he's a business major, we're on opposite sides of campus. "I'm sure we've never crossed paths before."

"But you look so familiar. Maybe I've seen you on the internet or something?"

I cringe. "Yeah, that's a possibility. I'm an author."

"Oh! You're the Amelia Shackler!" He said, suddenly realizing why I looked so familiar. He literally said I wasn't anything special and now he's realized I'm internet famous. "I just didn't recognize you in those clothes."

I was wearing a long sleeved navy blue dress stopping mid thigh paired with black heels. Yes, I don't like homeless anymore but it's not like I had some major transformation.

"Clothes do change a person, I guess." I said, trailing off.

A tall dark figure just turned the corner in front of us, across the street. Matteo?

"Are you okay?" Damien asked.

I squint at the figure but he's walking away pretty quickly. "Excuse me for a second." I mumbled, running after him.

These heels almost break my ankle when it gives and I almost fall over. Luckily, I manage to catch up to the figure and I reach for his shoulder.

"Matteo?"

He turns around and my eyes are met by green ones instead of blue. He's not Matteo.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I said, blushing fiercely.

He looks at me skeptically. "It's fine."

I sigh as he turns and walks away.

Damien catches up to me and his hand is on my back. "Is there anything wrong? Why'd you bolt through traffic like that?" He scolded me.

I ran through traffic? Well, I guess I didn't look at the street when crossing. "Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew." I said bashfully. "Turns out it was the wrong person."

"Okay, do you want to go back now?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's kind of cold out here."

He drapes his jacket over my shoulders and I let him walk me back to the apartment building.

I notice I have a few texts from the boys asking me where I am and I smile. "I'd better get to them before they call for a search party." I said lightly.

We go up the elevator and I give him his jacket back. "You should have my number." He said suddenly.

I look at him questioningly and he smiles. "You already have everyone else's."

A very fine point. I hand him my phone and he saves his contact information. "See you around, Damien."

I go back to the guys who are playing a game of pool with five people. Which gazillionaire's son lives here?

"Did you get enough air?" Sam asks.

"Yup. Who's winning?" I say, quickly changing the subject.

"Me, of course." Charles says.

When it's his turn again, I sneak up and tickle him from behind, making him botch the shot.

"And now it's me who is winning." Archie says smugly.

"You are going to pay for that!" Charles says but his eyes are smiling.

"How about I get us some drinks? Anyone up for shots?"