“You’re So Last Summer” by Taking Back Sunday blasted from the sick surround system. People cannonballed into the Olympic-sized pool and did shots from bikini clad cleavage. Arabella, Alice, Stacee, and a guy named Soren were sitting in a circle outside, drinking pink champagne from colorful sand buckets.
Arabella sneered as soon as she looked up and caught sight of me.
“I thought your kind can only enter when invited?” She arched a microbladed eyebrow, comparing me to a vampire.
“That’s just a rumor. We’re actually perfectly able to barge into your house unannounced and drink your blood like it’s happy hour.” I helped myself to one of the buckets, pretending to take a sip. I wasn’t so dumb as to actually drink their alcohol.
“All we can hope is for you to burn under the sun, then. It’s not like anyone is going to miss you.” Arabella batted her lashes, unwrapping a Popsicle and sucking on it with the enthusiasm of a porn star.
This earned her a chuckle from everyone around.
I bit my tongue. I couldn’t exactly compliment her on her literary knowledge about vampires, which she’d probably learned from Twilight (the movie, not, God forbid, the book) and only because Robert Pattinson was, like, “super-freaking-hot.” It was her house.
“Be nice.” Poppy sighed at Arabella, plopping on a lounger next to them.
“Sorry, dude, but you don’t get to tell us what to do now that Knight Cole is no longer banging you.” Alice started braiding Poppy’s hair, while Soren checked out my sister’s generous rack.
I made myself comfortable on the end of the lounger next to my sister, blocking out the gossip about the cheer squad and texting with Pope.
Lenny: At a pool party with Poppy and I hate everything about this place. Only a couple more months till I’m back.
Pope: You’re missed.
Lenny: I’m going to be in a sour mood working for Vaughn Spencer. He put the twat in the word twat.
Pope: So…basically, he is a twat?
Lenny: Precisely. You get me on another level, Raff.
Pope: I won’t let him be a twat to you while I’m there. Now please tell me there’s a token villain cheerleader and at least two nominal sidekicks at the party, plus a one-dimensional meathead who is their soldier.
I looked up, catching a glimpse of Arabella yelling at Alice and Stacee for blocking the sun, while Soren stared at all of them, tongue lolling out of his horn-dog mouth.
Lenny: Yup. And I’m the awkward girl they compare to a vampire.
Pope: Can’t wait for Freddie Prinze Jr. to finally notice that underneath the glasses and the awkwardness, you’re all that.
Pope: He’ll whisk you off to the sunset.
Pope: Slap a close-mouthed, PG-13 kiss on your lips.
Pope: Sometimes when you open up to people, you let the bad in with the good.
I rolled my eyes, feeling a goofy grin stretching across my lips.
Lenny: I feel like that was an actual quote from the movie.
Pope: Don’t be so scandalized. Took me three seconds to Google that shit.
Lenny: Turning Goth was a mistake. Should’ve practiced my cheer moves.
Pope: You’re no dancing puppet, Lenora Astalis. You’re an innovative artist through and through, and fuck the fakers. <3
A herd of guys swaggered by. They stopped and saluted Alice and Arabella, their fists curled around cans of Bud Light. “America without her soldiers would be like God without his angels. We salute you veterans for your invaluable contribution to our society.”
The hell?
The confusion must’ve showed on my face, because Arabella flicked her dark extensions over her shoulder and scowled.
“Your sister doesn’t even know what’s up. Jesus, Poppy, can she be any lamer?”
Poppy turned to me, hitching up a shoulder.
“There’s a system. Every time a girl at All Saints High hooks up with seven guys or more from any of the sports teams, she gets veteran status. Veterans are saluted at parties. They also get free drinks and dibs on new guys.”
“That is literally the stupidest thing in the world,” I said, trying to recover from the amount of inanity crammed into a one-paragraph explanation.
“Ever looked in the mirror?” Soren deadpanned, tilting his Ray-Bans down and giving me a degrading once-over.
“Vampires can’t be seen in the mirror, eejit.” I tapped the Kindle app on my phone, getting ready to read. “But before you spoil it for me, I know, I know. I look like a cross between Drusilla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Edward Cullen, and a bottle of lube. Very funny.”
The afternoon snailed by. No one paid attention to me, but that meant the girls weren’t actively in bully mode. I drank bottled beer I opened myself and read a book. In between, I provided Pope with a live feed of what was happening. I wished I could see him as boyfriend material, but after growing up with him, he felt more like a stepbrother. When the party began to die down, most people retired to Arabella’s living room. (Her parents were on a mysterious vacation in Europe, and her sister, according to the rumors, basically lived at her nanny’s house.)
Arabella ordered pizza, and everyone napped on the couches and floors, sunburned and drunk. I stayed outside and enjoyed the breeze, watched the sun descending into the ocean like an elusive temptress teasing her lover.
I was sitting on the edge of a swing, hidden by palm trees, away from the pool, when I heard low voices behind me.
“…an outsider. You really thought you could date Knight Cole with little to no consequences? He never had a girlfriend. Then you showed up and just took him. You think people don’t talk? That they don’t hate you for it?” Alice accused in a nasal voice, slurring. The words dragged, twisting in her mouth. “Arabella almost had sex with him before senior year, you know. At Vaughn’s house party. You ruined her progress.”
Progress? Christ. As a feminist, hearing that word in Alice’s mouth made me want to slap her with a lawsuit.
“I…I…” my sister stuttered behind the palm trees.
Poppy had also had a few drinks. I didn’t nag her about it, because I was here to look after her, and I understood she needed to unwind after the shitty few weeks she’d had.
“I didn’t know there were codes and such. He was fit and single, so I went for him. I never imagined it’d offend anyone.” She sounded weak, apologetic.
I felt my nostrils flaring, but I didn’t move from my hidden spot on the swing.
Fight back, Poppy.
“Well, you did. God, you’re almost as stupid as your freakshow of a sister.” Arabella chuckled. “Payback’s a bitch, girl.”
“Payback?” Poppy mumbled, her voice sobering at once. “What are you talking about?”
“We know your sister has something going on with Vaughn Spencer.”
I could practically envision the disapproving glower on Arabella’s face.
“Call her now and force her to tell us what’s up. Are they screwing, or what?”
“What?” Poppy snorted. “Have you even met my sister? You can’t get her to do anything, much less talk about Spencer.”
“Make her,” Soren said, the threat thick in his voice.
“No! I will do no such thing. She’s her own person. And a bloody stubborn one at that.”
“Oh, you will,” Arabella whispered with conviction. “Unless you want to be punished. See, there’s a hierarchy in this town. Anywhere, really. Even in your gray little kingdom, right? And here, Alice and I have birthright to Knight and Vaughn. We went to kindergarten with them. Now Knight is out of the race. Luna Rexroth has him, and honestly, he’s too far gone for her, so there isn’t much point in making an effort. But Vaughn is still fair game, and you and your sister are newbies. You screwed up, and now you’re going to pay up.”
Poppy said nothing.
“We promise not to touch her lily ass if she tells us whether she’s bangin’ Vaughn or not.”
I’d gladly confirm to anyone else that I’d shag a hedgehog before touching Vaughn Spencer. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing the truth. They obviously wanted to hear that, and apparently, my lily arse was also a vindictive one.
“No,” Poppy said with conviction that filled my heart with joy. My sister was not faultless, but she was loyal to a fault. “You can’t mess with my sister. I won’t allow it.”
“Well, well, well,” Soren drawled, amusement dancing in his voice. “If we don’t have your little lapdog to keep us entertained, I guess that leaves you as the main show.”
I heard a huge splash, and the hiss of bubbles surfacing above water. I darted up from the swing, rounding the palm trees and running toward the pool. I found Soren crouching down at the edge, holding Poppy’s head underwater. Her arms flung wildly, trying to claw at his hand. She was desperate for air.
I was going to kill him. That much I was sure of.
Soren jerked Poppy back up by her hair. She gasped, water dripping down her blue face.
“Is she fucking Vaughn?” Arabella growled in my sister’s ear, baring her teeth.
“Eat shit!” Poppy screamed.