Scoring Wilder(3)
“I thought you were ditching us,” I said, reaching out to wrap my arm around her shoulder.
“Nope. I had to run over to the Rookie house to grab something.” She patted her purse with a proud grin.
“Ahhh,” I nodded as we reached the SUV.
The plan was to cram into a single vehicle so that only one person had to be the designated driver. It wasn't the safest form of transportation, but it’d have to work.
"Emily, keep your hands where I can see them," I joked as I laid across the laps of the three girls in the middle row.
"Ew, Kinsley!" Emily protested, and the entire car cracked up. Just to calm her nerves, I reached down and pulled the hem of my tight dress down so that it covered everything.
"Are you having a good birthday so far, Kinsley?" Tara asked from the passenger seat. Funny how we were piled in the back like sardines, yet somehow she managed to get the front seat all to herself.
"Yeah. It's been really great," I lied, tacking on a smile to prove how much I was willing to play the game. I really didn't want to be on her bad side.
"Oh really? Sofie saw you eating a piece of cake all by yourself in that cafe near campus." She shot me a piteous look complete with sad eyes and a small frown. I didn't even glance toward Sofie, the designated driver and co-captain of our team.
"Oh weird… I was there with Leonardo DiCaprio. He must have been in the bathroom when Sofie was spying on me," I quipped, making everyone in the SUV laugh, except, of course, Sofie and Tara. I knew the "spying on me" comment was a tad aggressive, but what kind of bully picks on someone on their birthday?
"Spying on you? We have better things to do, Bryant," she scoffed, and then turned back toward the front window. I didn't mind when teammates called me by my last name but with her, it was almost a little dig, like calling someone "kid" when you're the same age as they are.
"We'll sing you happy birthday when we get to the party!" Becca suggested as she supported the middle of my body on top of her lap. Everyone agreed and promised to sing as soon as we arrived. Their support felt good in that moment and I let Tara's comments roll off my back. It was too early in the season to have an enemy like her.
A popular club mix came on the radio and Tara reached forward to turn it on full blast so that everyone started dancing. Becca gyrated her hips beneath me, making my body bounce up and down. In my inebriated state I couldn't keep my balance. One quite aggressive dance move knocked me forward so that my cheek collided with the middle console.
"Jesus, Becca—your hips should have their own warning label," I laughed, holding my hand to my cheek. I could already feel a bruise forming.
"Oh, crap! Sorry, Kinsley, we'll get some ice at the party," she giggled and helped pull me back up onto her lap. Even though my cheek was throbbing I couldn’t stop laughing with Becca. Yup, we’d be a dynamic duo in no time.
When we finally arrived at the house party, we stumbled out of the car and attempted to piece ourselves together. I adjusted my black dress and tried to stand confidently on my heels that were too tall even before taking five shots.
"How does your cheek feel?" Emily asked as we made our way up the modern concrete stairs.
"Now it feels kind of numb from the alcohol, I think… My face hasn't fallen off, has it?"
Emily laughed and tugged me toward the front door. "No, you just have a big red spot on your cheek."
Oh perfect, the first time I see Josh since the break-up and I probably look like I got punched in the face. I moaned and tried to shake out my nerves.
I'd never actually been to one of these legendary parties. I'd heard about them, of course. Every year a few of the guys from the professional soccer team in LA, the LA Stars, rent a giant house together. It was a "work hard, play harder" situation. This year, when Josh had been signed to the professional team, he'd moved into the house— which is why I knew he'd be at the party.
The LA Stars were the top soccer team in the US. Last year, five of their team members competed for the US in the World Cup only to lose in the last few minutes to Portugal. Needless to say, they were some of the top athletes in the world, with sponsorships and frequent spots on the talk-show circuit.
When we stepped into the house, my vision was bombarded with a plethora of beautiful people. Groupies, celebrities, soccer stars. It was hard to see through all the dancing bodies, but at least the chances of seeing Josh were pretty slim.
"Don't go too crazy, girls. Remember that you're representing our team now," Tara warned before she and Sofie took off and left us in the entryway.
"This is crazy," Emily murmured. I looked over to see her gulping down the scene with quick darting glances. I guess it was a lot to process, especially since LA was already an over the top town to begin with.
"Let's go find some ice for my cheek." I grabbed her hand and started tugging her through the crowd with Becca in tow.
It was hardly 10:00 P.M. and the party was already in full swing. People were mingling everywhere. Girls were wrapped around guys on the couches. Three tables were set up for beer pong in the living room and there was a mass of people crowded around them. I waved to some girls I recognized from club teams. Some of them tried to get us to stop and talk, but I pointed to my cheek and told them I'd be back in a bit.