Fallen Crest High(116)

Miranda saw me first and waved us over by a pool table. She stood in a tight black dress with a red belt around her midriff. The rest of the girls were dressed in similar dresses, all tight and in different colors. I wondered if they planned it. They looked cliquey and expensive. Each of them wore dangling diamond earrings that matched their dress color.

"Hi, guys!" Miranda gave me a big hug. "I'm so glad you could come. The rest were disappointed you didn't come to the dinner."

Mason gave her one of his unreadable looks and she shifted on her feet. Her hand twitched for a second. It was the only movement I caught that made me wonder if she was uncomfortable. I would be.

"Mason, thanks for coming." She was so formal and gracious.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and went to the bar.

As he did, she laughed and touched the base of her neck. "I'm not going to take that personal. I shouldn't, right?"

I shrugged. "I told you. They're *s."

"He certainly must like you. Mason Kade has never come to one of my get-togethers."

"I thought he showed up at the one last weekend?"

She peeled out another burst of laughter. It was high pitched enough to make me pause. Was she being fake or was she drunk? Something wasn't fitting with her. She giggled into her hand. "That wasn't him coming as a guest. We all thought he had come for his brother, but instead he came to lay into that girl."

Her eyes lingered on my bruise again. "You remember—the one I heard you got into a fight with."

Miranda seemed to be waiting for me to say something, but I wasn't sure what it was. When I started to ask something stupid, I was picked up and thrown over someone's shoulders. Logan's hyena laugh sounded as he twirled me around, bent over with my rear on display. I felt him patting it and he whistled under his breath. "You've got a tight ass, Sam. No wonder your quarterback wants to bang you so hard."

Someone gasped and someone else choked on their drink.

"Put me down, Logan." I tried to be fierce.

He laughed some more, but lowered me down. As he sat me on my feet, he lifted back up, but was close enough to brush against my body. When his eyes met mine, I saw a dark humor in them. I tensed and got ready.

I didn't want to be friends with these guys, but I wasn't sure what to do about it. Mason asked in the ride over if I wanted to piss them off now or wait for the perfect moment. I didn't have an answer and I still didn't. Still, whatever Logan was doing I knew he wanted to piss someone off.

As I caught a jerking movement from the corner of my eye, I wondered if he'd come for Adam. I watched as my former friend had a scowl on his face and he downed the rest of his drink in a savage motion. Cassandra was beside him with his arm around her waist. She wore a frown as she watched him. I thought I saw some concern in her depths as well.

Miranda gutted out a laugh and stepped forward again. "Logan, you've come as well."

He curved an arm around my waist and raised an eyebrow. "Weren't we invited?" His tone was too confident, too smooth.

She visibly swallowed and looked around. "Uh, of course you guys were invited. I assumed Samantha told you. You're both here."

Logan shot Adam a look. "I thought about bringing Tanya, but she thought it would be awkward. Plus, she needed an hour to get ready…"

Adam's scowl grew darker, but he didn't respond. Peter Glasburg and Mark Decraw stood between the two. They tried to look casual as they stood with their pool-sticks, but each couldn't contain their frowns. They threw Mason looks as he remained at the bar, who had a drink in hand and looked relaxed.