As much as I didn't want to be at Grey's house, Mindy somehow managed to rope me back in. She could sense my apprehension as we walked down the block to his house.
"It's going to be fun. Trust me. And, everybody is going to be here this time!"
Whoopie. I rolled my eyes.
There were never mobs of kids around the front entrance like they were in the makeshift stage room. The people left in the front were drunk or getting hot and heavy with whoever they were hooking up. I averted my eyes as we entered the mansion.
"Andy said they're in the big party room. Let's go!" I followed Mindy, and we emerged into the loud, hectic space filled with drunk teenagers. The crew was already pressed against a wall, yelling over the music.
"Hey, guys!" Mindy shouted, pulling me over to them. "Did we miss anything?"
"Besides people dancing and drinking, no, not much," Andy joked.
"Yeup," Blake said. "But we have some things to be nervous about, according to Arnold."
"I'm serious! Last time he chose random people in the crowd to dance with! I was terrified!" Arnold's wide eyes and horrified expression made me chuckle.
"Well, it seems like there's no dancing going on on stage tonight," Ana concluded. "Let's all relax and enjoy this party!"
"I'm not putting my guard down," Arnold said. "I won't be caught lackin'."
"'You enjoying the party so far?" Andy asked me. I laughed and wrote, I just got here, so I can't say.
"All right, smarty pants," he teased.
"She would enjoy it more if she'd drink," Mindy said. "But she never wants to."
"And you're not going to pressure her to do so," Andy stated firmly.
"Of course not!" Mindy snapped. Their tension made me uncomfortable, and Mindy looked like she was on the verge of tears, so I pulled her away from the crowd to dance. Although I couldn't dance, I felt much better doing it while surrounded by drunk people who couldn't care less about me.
The song ended a few minutes later, and the music stopped playing. We all looked around, confused.
"Hello, everybody!" Sasha said, standing up on the stage. "Thank you all for coming. We have quite a show to put on tonight." We all looked around, confused. A show?
"As you may know, we have a mute girl in our school," she said, "and she decided to show her true colors and be super rude. She's written awful stuff about Grey and me on her social media pages, and honestly, enough's enough."
Mute girl? I was the only girl who didn't speak in our school. And I had written nothing about them on social media pages. I hardly even used social media! And the fact that she even said Mute Girl. Hurt and anger shot through my body.
"I'll post the receipts on Instagram later tonight," Sasha said. "But for now, how about we read an excerpt from her poem on Wattpad?"
My stomach sank in dread and blistering anger. I felt rooted to the spot as Sasha began to read my poem. It was one about my father. I closed my eyes, my body starting to shake.
"Daddy, I miss your voice," Sasha said dramatically. "You gave me life/ brought me up from my worst moments/ and now you're gone, and we're alone/ it's no longer the same without you at home." Then, she began laughing, stabbing me right in my chest. "Somebody's kinky, isn't she?"
People scoffed and laughed all around me. The humiliation I felt draped over me like a spiderweb. I felt tangled and intertwined with my shame. Mercilessly, Sasha continued.
"Daddy, I'm all grown up now./ You missed me blossom into a young woman/ My mind-expanding alongside my body/ writing, like you/ which is now my favorite hobby." Laughter erupted around the room. Tears washed over my face and down my cheeks. I wiped them away quickly, even though they kept flowing out. "Was this poem written by a five-year-old? It's honestly trash, guys. Guess she needs a better hobby—"
"You think this is okay?!" Blake shouted, causing everybody to turn around and look at him. "Her father was murdered right in front of her. So you think it's 'cool' to make fun of her poem coping with her grief?!"
The room went quiet until Sasha said, "Hah! Well, maybe next time she shouldn't mess with us. She deserves it." She shrugged with an ugly smile on her face. "But I think I proved my point since people are so sensitive. The party can resume. Remember to check my Instagram page later today, loves!" Then, she turned the music back on, and everybody slowly started dancing again.
I pushed past the throngs of people, some laughing at me until I got lost in one of the various rooms of Grey's house. I collapsed onto the floor, sobs wracking my body as my chest ached. I was completely and utterly humiliated.
My phone blew up in my back pocket, but I ignored every message. These emotions cluttered my mind and body, and I wanted to cry it all out.
I missed my dad more than ever. I felt like he'd have something encouraging to say, more than the bland things I offered myself in my mind. But he was dead, and nearly a thousand students from two grades combined knew my poem and believed I was bullying Sasha and Grey.
A knock on the door startled me, and I silenced my sobs, listening. I heard nothing from the other side underneath the dull lull of the music pumping through the house's walls. Then, when I thought the coast was clear, I silently started crying again, burying my face in my arms.
YOU ARE READING
Little Sweet Dreamer - Wattys Edition
Teen Fiction"Oh," he said, as my back hit the wooden wall. Damn it, of course. With nowhere to go, his arms locked me in between him and the wall. He stared down at me as he said, "So you're trying to piss me off?" His lips were surprisingly close to mine. No g...
