5(Ada)

My father told me that I must get to know Brandon. I know him enough. He's a jerk. Complete maniac. What else is there to know about him?

It's good that he's on a trip for a week so I can feel at ease at home at least. Joie always gives updates on me to him, but it's still better when he's away.

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. How can you wish something like this? He's your father.

But he never treated me as his daughter. A substitute for his temper suppressants, yes. But a daughter, never.

If it weren't for him, I would've never done that. Because for some reason, I don't like how Brandon always makes me feel when I'm around him.

Uncomfortable.

Weird.

Confused.

"Does this look good?" Elie asked.

"Huh?"

"This dress," she repeated, twirling around to show me the back of the dress.

"It's nice." She then proceeded to pick out some more dresses and passed them to me. This was the first time I was shopping other than with any of my family or staff.

I tried one by one and showed her. "Yes, this looks perfect for tonight," she announced.

"Tonight?" I asked, checking myself out in the mirror. The dress looked pretty good. Pink and halter.

"You'll know." I couldn't pinpoint what her smile was meant for. After shopping, we ate out and did some more shopping for books and shoes. It was already past six when we got to her place.

My phone chimed with a call—probably Joie or my father because I didn't get to catch it before my phone turned off.

I don't usually go around ignoring their calls, but today could be an exception, I guess.

She dragged me with her just a few minutes down the street. The music could be heard from outside itself. "Elie, this—"

"Let's go already!"

Everything I was expecting from a party was the last thing out of it. And it doesn't even look like a party. More like a club? Or karaoke? Not like I've been to one anyway.

As we got deeper into the crowd, I smelled the intoxication in the air. Alcohol. People making out here and there shamelessly. The music beating on my skin.

It's like I've stepped into some other world.

Elie plopped on a high chair when we reached the bar, and I took the other chair. "What do you think?" She asked me, cocking a brow.

I glanced over at the crowd. "This is crazy."

"Over-the-top madness." She chuckled, passing me a glass of what I suppose is juice, and she took a beer bottle for herself.

I sipped my drink, and as a guy approached Elie, she stepped into the crowd with him to dance. I shook my head in disbelief.

Getting up, I walked around. I didn't know anybody, but I did see many faces from school. Many looked older and probably not from this school.

I could see that on the other side of the hallway, another pool party was going on as well. And also, I saw people dragging each other into rooms. Honestly, I'm not interested in knowing what they're doing inside.

A light tap on my shoulder caught me off guard, and I jumped slightly, turning to face the familiar blonde guy.

"Jordan?" I frowned.

"Ah, so you do know my name. Glad to know." He smiled, showing off his pretty painted face.

I know him because we're in the same class. Or you could say because he's always together with Brandon.

" You're alone?" He asked, eyeing around me and stopped when I nodded.

"I came with Elie, but she left me for some guy."

"Yeah?" Maybe it's my imagination or the illumination of light, but I saw his expression shift for a microsecond before he smiled again. "Let's have some drinks then." He winked and started moving.

Left with nothing else, I followed him. I thought we'd be going to the bar from where Elie showed me, but instead, he walked in the opposite direction.

He stopped in front of a room and threw the door open. "Look who I found!" He shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

I blinked.

Took a step forward and halted immediately. They were all fixed on something, but all eyes fell onto me when I entered. The room was filled with much heavier intoxication. Full of boys and girls. There had to be at least ten of each.

But I was fixed on one. Who was sitting at the center of the couch, his eyes narrowed, shifting from my shoe to my shoulder before he met my gaze. I almost felt the need to turn and run out immediately, but Jordan opened his mouth again, "What do you think, Bran?"

I took a step forward as he shut the door behind me.

Wait! I need to get out of here! I screamed in my head.

"Who is she?" A girl asked. Her dress is so tiny I'm sure if she uncross her legs I can see her underwear—if she's wearing one. Gosh. 

"Jordan, you cannot bring here just anyone, don't you know that?" This was Alice. I know her. She's called to be the most beautiful girl in the school, She was beautiful no doubt."Hey, you, do you have a badge?" She eyed me. 

I looked from one end to the other end of the room. "What badge?"

She sighed, shifting just enough so her arm brushed against Brandon's. I walked deeper, ignoring the curious and weird looks thrown my way from other members.

"You need to have this badge if you want to be part of this private group," a girl from over the billiard game said, pointing to her jacket where I saw a black and golden badge with a dragon on it.

I looked from her to Alice and then the guy next to her.

The room was almost big enough to fit a house in it. There were games, a pool, a theater, and a staircase which I supposed led to rooms for each member, like a private club. So places like this do exist?

"Okay, enough peeking, you can leave now." Alice's voice reached my ears. When I looked back at the room, some people were laughing, and some were whispering something to each other.

Heat rose to my face in embarrassment.

"I brought her here, who gave you the right to tell her to leave?" Jordan retorted.

"So what? Are you saying we break the rules for her? Who the heck is she?!"

"Damn you—"

"Come here." Brandon's voice sliced through the noise, silencing it all. "Come. Here." He repeated more calmly when I didn't move, and my legs moved on their own.

I looked down at his face, standing in front of him. "What?"

The 't' was barely out when he grabbed my arm and yanked me down. I couldn't process anything. A gasp slipped out of my mouth when my ass hit the hard and muscline thighs of his. 

I went still.

I don't know how long I stayed unmoving in that state. "She's with me." He said in a voice that sent a shiver down my spine. His hand came down my dress and stopped on my hand. "She doesn't need a badge." 

"What do you mean?" Alice asked, I look down at her face. 

"Ada is official member of the group. Every member can bring one partner, remember?" Jordan answered on Brandon's behalf. Amusement dripping out of his voice. 

Alice's eyes glared with utter hate, "You're saying she's joined as your partner?" 

He chuckled. 

"She joined as my partner." Brandon's said in calm yet bored voice.

As if that was enough the whole whispers and glaring stopped immediately and everyone retracted to their business. 

I signed. "Why did you come here?" He asked, my head tilted back to meet his gaze. And I immediately regretted that. Were we this close all this while? My gaze fell from his eyes to the seductive curve of his lips. 

When I meet his gaze again something darker passed through his eyes. Something that made me shift and swallow the thickness in my throat. 

"I came for the party." I finally made to say. 

"Hm. You like these kind of parties?" 

Music was faint in this room but from the corner of eyes I watch some people swaying and some showering themselves into alcohol. On the other side few are making out and some are dragging people upstairs. 

The kind of parties I've been to were decent ones. Business parties. Dinner. Charitable society unions but this was something I've never seen or felt before. 

The buzz into my vines. This is all new to me. His feet knocked against my sandle snapped me out of my head, "I'm not sure." 

His throat works as he swallowed the liquid for the glass he was holding. 

"I'm not surprised." 

I frowned, "What is that supposed to mean?" 

"You're not sure about anything in you life. Isn't that right?" I know where he's pointing it to. I don't have choices in many things like the marriage thing but I don't see any use in explaining that to him. 

The discomfort made me shift again. His breath hit my earlobe. I shifted again. Suddenly all the air was knocked out of my lungs. I look up, "I-I think I feel something...." Hard. 

"You should've thought that before bouncing on my lap." 

My eyes widen. He's hard. That's his...thing. 

Jesus Christ. 

His eyes jumped from my face to my neck like before and then down, "Then I better sit find another seat." I said, proceed to get up. 

His hold tight on my waist. "Don't you dare move." He snarled into my ear.

The air around me crackled with anticipation, sending goosebumps racing down my neck and along my spine. 

My palm, clammy with nerves, fidgeted unconsciously as I sat in such proximity to him that I could practically feel the warmth of his breath with each sip he took from his drink. My throat felt like dessert and I grabbed the first thing in my reach that can help me calm down. 

I snatched the glass in his hand and finished the bitter liquid. 

"Fuck." Brandon cursed. 

Desperate to distract myself from the intensity of the moment, I turned my attention to the bustling scene around us. People engaged in games, others swayed to the rhythm of music, and glasses clinking in celebratory toasts.

Yet, despite the lively atmosphere, my mind remained fixated on him, unable to escape the magnetic pull of his presence. 

Lightweightly I calmed down. The liquid taking complete hold on my head and body.