Chapter 151 The invitation
Chapter 151 The invitation
Chapter 152: The Invitation (Elena’s POV)
I was standing by my locker after third period, adjusting the straps on my backpack, when the smell of expensive perfume hit me.
I turned around and saw Amber and Jessica walking down the corridor. They were the top tier of the varsity dance team, the girls who usually didn't look at anyone outside their own small circle of wealthy friends. Ever since Maya’s suspension and Chloe’s social decline, the entire hierarchy of the senior class had been open.
Amber stopped right in front of my locker, crossing her arms and looking me up and down. She wasn't sneering; she was evaluating me like a new student board candidate.
"Elena," Amber said, her voice smooth. "We were just talking about you in the lounge. Your outfit today is actually really cute. Where did you get that sweater?"
"Online," I said, keeping my language plain and direct. "Do you guys need something? I have to get to the administration office."
"We’re throwing a pre-graduation party tonight," Jessica stepped forward, flashing a bright, perfectly white smile. "At my house up on the north ridge. It’s strictly seniors, mostly the athletic department and the dance team. We think you should come. And bring Liam, obviously."
I looked at them, completely surprised. Two weeks ago, these same girls would have walked right past me without blinking.
"Why the sudden invite?" I asked flatly. "You guys haven't spoken to me since junior year."
Amber shrugged, adjusting her gold bracelet. "Let’s be real, Elena. You completely cleared out Maya and broke Chloe’s grip on the student council in eight days flat. Everyone saw the computer logs. You’re basically the smartest girl in this building, and you have the top tier hockey captain under your roof. You’re a ten out of ten right now. We want you there."
"I'll talk to Liam about it," I said, zipping my bag.
"Don't just talk to him, make him come," Jessica laughed, turning around as the warning bell rang. "The address is on the senior group chat. See you at nine!"
By 9:30 PM, Jessica’s house was completely packed with seniors. The music was loud, bass vibrating through the hardwood floors of the massive living room, and the air smelled like cheap punch and expensive body spray. Half the hockey team was already by the kitchen island, cheering as Miller tried to balance a plastic cup on his chin.
I was wearing a dark denim jacket and a fitted black top. The second Liam and I walked through the double front doors, the room went quiet for a fraction of a second.
"Elena! Over here!" Amber shouted from the suede couch. She was sitting with three other varsity cheerleaders. They immediately shifted over, making a space for me on the cushions. "Sit down. Let’s get you a drink."
Liam wrapped his hand around my wrist, leaning down so his mouth was right next to my ear. "Are you going to be okay here? Mason and I are going to grab some sodas from the kitchen."
"I'm fine," I told him, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Go hang out with the guys. I'll be right here."
I sat down between Amber and Jessica. Within five minutes, they were rating every single guy who walked through the door, completely ignoring the drama from the previous week. It was typical high school behavior—they only cared about who was currently at the top of the social ladder.
"Look at Jax," Jessica whispered, pointing toward the back patio doors. "He looks like he’s about to cry into his cup. His state scholarship got downgraded to a partial text-book allowance because of the board hearing."
"Serves him right," Amber said, sipping her drink. "He was Maya’s lapdog for two terms."
Suddenly, the front door of the house swung open, and the loud music seemed to drop in volume.
Chloe walked in first. She wasn't wearing her cheer uniform tonight; she was wearing a tight red dress and heavy makeup. Her face was completely set in a cold, confident expression. Right behind her was Maya.
The entire living room went completely silent. Miller stopped his cup trick, and Mason lowered his soda can. Maya had been officially suspended from school grounds until graduation week, and Chloe’s father had promised the administration that she was focusing entirely on her moving logistics to Chicago. Yet, here they were, walking into the party like they still owned the building.
Maya didn't look at the hockey guys. She walked straight toward the couch where I was sitting with the dance team. Chloe followed right at her heel, her arms crossed.
"What are they doing here?" Amber muttered under her breath, pulling her legs back onto the couch. "This is a private senior event."
Maya stopped two feet away from me. She looked down at my outfit, a slow, malicious smile spreading across her lips.
"Did you think you won, Elena?" Maya asked, her voice loud enough to carry over the background music. "Did you honestly think a few computer timestamps were going to keep me out of the graduation line next Friday?"
I stood up from the couch, facing her directly. "You're suspended, Maya. If the principal finds out you're at a student-hosted event, your transcript gets flagged permanently."
"The suspension was lifted an hour ago," Chloe chimed in, stepping forward with a sharp laugh. "My dad spent the entire afternoon at the district board office with Julian’s legal representatives. The school administration doesn't have the legal authority to hold a student back based on unverified server files that didn't go through a formal police analysis."
"We're back, Elena," Maya said, her eyes narrowing as she stepped even closer to my face. "We’re coming back to school on Tuesday morning. I’m walking across that stage right next to Liam, and there isn't a single thing your little AP notebooks can do about it."
"You lied to the police, Maya," I said, keeping my voice completely steady and my English plain. "The entire senior class knows you forged those documents. Coming back to the building isn't going to change the fact that everyone knows what you did."
"I don't care what these idiots think," Maya hissed, waving her hand toward the crowd of students staring at us. "The board cleared my name for graduation. And Julian just bought out the lease on the athletic storage block behind the rink. We have four days left in that building, and we're going to make sure your final week is an absolute nightmare."
Before I could answer, a heavy hand dropped onto my shoulder.
Liam was standing right beside me, his blue eyes completely dark with anger as he stared at Maya and Chloe. Mason and Miller were right behind him, their large frames completely crowding the space around the couch.
"Get out of this house," Liam said, his voice low and dangerous. "Now."
Chloe looked at Liam's grip on my shoulder, her jaw tightening. "Don't get too comfortable, Liam. Tuesday morning is coming, and Julian has a surprise for your little Boston contract before the final clearance is signed."
Maya gave me one last cold look, turned on her heel, and walked out the front door with Chloe following close behind. The heavy door slammed shut, leaving the entire living room in a stunned, silent shock. The high school drama wasn't finished. They were coming back for the final week, and the punishment we had planned for them was going to have to happen right inside the school walls.