Toni
Tonight was.. not going as planned. Sawyer's friends were looking at me like I was an alien. Worse even, an alien with yellow skin--and everyone knew that aliens were suppose to be green or gray. Not yellow. What was I thinking, coming here? Maybe I should have listened when he'd tried to warn me against coming here.
Penelope--as I'd come to learn was her name, looked back and forth between Sawyer and I. She looked like she was dressed for a night out at the club, rather than a casual get-together with friends. That aside, she was beautiful. Her dirty blond hair fell in curls over her bare shoulders. Her eyes were scrutinizing me, assessing me. I tried not to take offence or become uncomfortable. This was one of Sawyer's friends, I'm sure she was just looking out for him. If the roles were reversed, I'd want to make sure my friends new girlfriend was a good match.
I was seated on the couch between him and Kaylee. His arm was draped over my shoulders in a show of affection, but even now, there was a fair amount of distance between us.
"How long have the two of you been dating?" Penelope asked curiously.
I exchanged a look with him before answering. "Almost three months."
She seemed more disturbed by my answer than I would have expected. "And.. how did you meet?"
Kaylee shooed off Fletcher, who was shamelessly trying to flirt with her. She turned away from him to narrow her eyes at Penelope. "How did you meet Sawyer?"
My stomach twisted into knots when an arrogant smile made an appearance on Penelope's face. I tried to convince myself that it was nothing. They were just friends. Even if they'd been something more, Sawyer was with me now. Not her. If he'd wanted to be with her, he would be.
"Oh," she waved her hand nonchalantly. "We go way back to high school."
"Interesting."
"Which reminds me, you must not be from around here." Fletcher said to Kaylee. He inched closer to her on the couch. "I would have remembered a face like yours."
She outright ignored him.
Penelope's gaze swept over my figure. "Forgive me for staring, it's just.. you're not really his type, sweetie."
Both Sawyer and my best friend tensed on either side of me. Whereas I tried not to take offence to what she was saying, Kaylee took full offence. Her protectiveness over me was starting to come out.
"And I suppose you'rehis type?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm. The claws were about to be unleashed.
Wait.. was she insinuating that Penelope and Sawyer had dated? Was I wrong to ignore all the signs?
"Well," Penelope sent Sawyer a self satisfied grin. "I'm not one to brag, but I'd say I fit that description perfectly."
When Kaylee laughed, it was my turn to freeze up. Oh no.. this is not going to end well.
Despite the cooling of my insides, I tried to pull it together long enough to grab my best friend before she could start something.
She started to laugh. It was demeaning and by the looks of it, Penelope didn't appreciate it. "You mean, a mean girl made of plastic that wouldn't know the difference between love, lust and infatuation if it hit her in the face?"
All of Sawyer's friends laughed, even him.
Penelope's face turned red with anger and maybe even embarrassment. "Those are some strong proclamations coming from someone who doesn't know me."
Kaylee's signature smirk was aimed in her direction. That smirk could only mean one thing. Trouble.
"I can see right through that whole act you've got going on, sweetie," her grin widened with false sincerity.
"Okay!" I said nervously. All eyes were suddenly on me. I'd meant to stop the fight before it could escalate, but now that I had everyone's attention, I wasn't sure what to do with it. So I said the first thing that came to mind. "How about we play a game?"
Games were good.
They brought people closer together and promised lots of laughing and bonding moments.
"Never have I ever!" Greg shouted.
"I'll get the alcohol," Orion said as he got up from one of the arm chairs.
I shot Sawyer a nervous look.
He tried to smile, it was faint, but it was genuine. He removed his arm from around me to entwine our fingers. As the plastic cups and bottle of alcohol was being placed on the table, he squeezed my hand.
"I'll start," Fletcher said with a meaningful look in Kaylee's direction. "Never have I ever.. hooked up with someone on the first day meeting them."
He watched with a satisfied smirk as Kaylee drank from one of the cups. I watched with horror as Sawyer and nearly everyone else took a drink. Thankfully, Weston's girlfriend and Orion's adopted sister didn't leave me the odd ball out.
"Never have I ever, made out with someone in the library." Hanna said.
I was the only one that didn't drink.
"Never have I ever woken up next to a person whose name I couldn't remember." Maya said. She was Fletcher's on--again off--again girl that Sawyer had mentioned.
Again, I was the only one who didn't drink. This time, I didn't bother trying to hide my distaste. I wrinkled my nose and focused my gaze on my hands. I've gotten drunk plenty of times before, but I'd never had a one night stand. I'd never had meaningless sex. I'd never forgotten the name of the person I was with.
"Never have I ever had sex in a janitors closet." Sawyer said.
And they drank.
"Never have I ever regretted ending a relationship." Penelope said. She was twirling a strand of her hair, eyes trained intensely on Sawyer.
At the back of my mind, I wished I regretted ending a relationship, if only it meant I could drink. I hated this. Hated being on the sidelines, watching everyone participate but me.
When Sawyer didn't drink, she snorted and pushed a glass towards him. "Drink up, Sawyer."
He shook his head. "I don't regret breaking up with you."
So they had been together..
Before their conversation could go on, I leapt to my feet, tugging on his hand to force him along. "I have to use the restroom, will you show me where it's at?"
I didn't know what I planned to say or do, just that I needed to get away from her. When I did come back, I wanted to show her that he was mine. Without a doubt. He didn't want her anymore and she couldn't have him.
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