Girl Seduced (The Girl Interrupted Trilogy Book #1) (3 page)

As we got closer, I could see the party. 
The house was amazing – a pale yellow colonial, two story classic home with pillars, spectacular gardens and cars parked all over the yard, the street and anywhere there was an empty place. People were stumbling all over, falling, bumping into each other and into random trees and bushes, jumping out from behind trees, and trash was already piling up all over the grounds. All I could think about was the people who owned that beautiful home and what they must think – or did they even care?  There were so many rich college kids that it didn’t surprise me at all to think that this was, perhaps, a simple “college house” that someone’s dad had purchased for his precious son to allow him to attend college while daddy could continue with his money-making ventures with no worries.  But it was the house that every little girl dreams of – the one that you move into with your husband, 2.5 kids and a dog…

“God, Sabrina – this looks pretty wild.  Do you know any of these people?” I elbowed her and she was already waving to two guys. 

“Of course, Jasmine – you’re going to love this.  Come on – this is going to be great!”  She started walking faster and towards the crowd and I just followed.

Police in college towns tended to overlook college parties
that weren’t directly within the boundaries of the college most of the time and college kids really didn’t seem to care anyway. The police saved most of their energy for serious emergencies – college kids who got into fights, missing students, break-ins, and other such events which were unfortunately, common in a college town. 

Three guys
that I didn’t recognize stopped in front of us.  “Hello, ladies…” they were eyeing Sabrina and I from head to toe.  I suddenly felt incredibly naked, for lack of a better word.  “You ready to party?”  One handed us both plastic cups with drinks in them and Sabrina took hers without a thought and chugged it down.

“This is great!  Thanks – I’m Sabrina and this is,” she motioned towards me, “Jazz.” 

I corrected her.  “I’m Jasmine.  What are we drinking?”

They laughed and one answered, “Christmas cheer, sweetheart.  You both look amazing tonight – are you here alone or can we give you the tour?” 
 

One of them came closer to me and held out his hand, as if to touch my shoulder.  As his hand was about two inches from my shoulder, I moved away and turned, as if looking for someone. 

“My name is Jake.  I’m a sophomore.  Who are you
again, beautiful?”  He started to touch my hair.  I looked over at Sabrina for some sort of direction.  She was already too busy and too occupied chatting with the other two guys.

“Look,
I’m sorry…” I hesitated.  “ – we’re actually meeting someone here.” I swished his hand away from my hair.  “Maybe next time.”

I turned in the other direction and grabbed Sabrina with me.  I heard one of the guys behind us mumbling
…”bitch” and they kept walking.  I looked back to make sure they weren’t following us, but they were already talking to two girls who were wearing matching mini-dresses and who were more interested and less choiceful than we were. 

“Whatever – can you believe those guys?  I mean…” Sabrina looked aggravated.

She stopped walking and faced me.  “Jasmine, we have to talk.” 

She took me by the shoulders.  “I’ve known you all your life.  You are the kindest, most decent person I’ve ever known.  You’re the girl that everybody wanted to grow up to be
, including me.  But we’re here! We’re in college. All of our dreams are coming true.  You are going to be an amazing journalist one day and who knows what I will end up being, but you have GOT to loosen up.  There isn’t anything that says you can’t be an amazing journalist and have fun while you’re doing it, you know?” I could not believe that I had agreed to this.  I had never felt so out of place in my entire life.  I so did not want to be at this party.

“Sabrina – are you sure about this?  I mean, is this really important to you because I…”

“JASMINE!!  Those guys were totally hot and you just blew them off.  No one says that we had to hook up with them or anything like that, but we could have talked, maybe had a drink…”

“Sabrina, this just isn’t my thing.  I don’t belong around people like this.  I mean, how can you just come on to guys like that?  They don’t even know you and you don’t know them – what’s gotten into you??”  I paused, but couldn’t stop.

“Sabrina – you promised that this was going to be fun.  I’m not stupid and I’m not trying to be a bummer.  But I’m totally not into this weird, drug-using, kinky sex gig that is going on at this school.  It’s everywhere.  The teachers are snorting with their students between classes!  I’ve seen them right in the classrooms, like no one is even looking.  Girls are like laying on top of each other on the Green and making out in the middle of the morning and people just walk by like there ‘s nothing to it.  And, that’s totally their business – but it just isn’t who I am, you know?  YOU DO know – so please try to help OK?  Let’s try to compromise just a little.  I’ll loosen up and talk a little more, but let’s try to keep it clean, OK?  I’m not interested in meeting any guys or leaving with anyone – I just want to have a drink or two and then let’s go, OK?” 

“Jasmine, how about
one more drink…” I was already shaking my head.

“No – not right now. 
I just got this one!”  I knew I was ruining her night, but I just wanted to go home.  “Look, let’s just go in and see what’s going on inside, OK??”

Sabrina grinned, locked her arm in mine and said,
“Perfect.  On one condition.”  I was afraid to ask.

“What?” 

She popped her hair back, held her shoulders back and said, “Work it” and grinned. Meaning, start shaking my butt, acting like I was not myself and just entertain Sabrina.  I knew there couldn’t really any harm in it, so I took a breath and we walked into the front door. Or should I say, I walked – Sabrina cat-walked into the door. 

Being as gorgeous as she was, she automatically commanded attention whenever she walked into a room.  She was dressed the part and guys started coming out of every room, out of the woodwork,  just to get into her personal space and hopefully, get in a word edgewise.  I just stood back behind her and stayed quiet.
She was one of those people who everyone just wanted to be near.  I loved her because I knew her when she was a kid – she was as close to a sister as I had ever had.  But, as she grew up, she became more than just a pretty girl.  She knew she was beautiful and she used it to get whatever she wanted.  I felt very uncomfortable sometimes watching her play a room.  But she was my best friend. 

The enormous front room had five giant flat screen televisions surrounding the walls. 
I was right outside - this home was obviously not someone’s actual residence, but a home that had been purchased for a college student to use while attending college.  GOD – where do people get money like that?

The
televisions were all blasting live video – from Madonna oldies to Miley Cyrus swinging nude on a wrecking ball – straight to her fabulous twirking debut, played over and over.  In front of two of the televisions were at least thirty girls, in their underwear, twirking right along with her, and no one was even paying attention. They had taken off their jeans, pants or whatever they had worn and had thrown them all over the room.

Three girls were making out on the piano bench inside the left side of the room, one had already taken off her blouse, down to her strapless bra, and no one was paying attention to them either.
  They were as close to having sex in front of a room full of people as they could be without actually doing it. 

I
looked at Sabrina and started shaking my head ‘no’ – “Sabrina – are you sure this is such a …” I turned to find her, but she was already gone. 

“Sabrina?” I called louder. “Sabrina?”
NO SHE DIDN’T.  She had already ditched me.  Who did she leave with?  I didn’t even see her talking to anyone.  But it didn’t take her long and she wasn’t really choosy about her company these days.  In fact she fit in perfectly with this crowd and now I was alone.

 
I was so angry that I started looking for my bag and for the front door.  Completely ready to go home, I remembered that we had no way to get home.  She had my credit card because we had stopped at the store on the way, I had no cash, and my only other choice was to walk home, through that front yard again, alone, and then in the dark.  I could have killed her.  I started towards the door and I accidentally dropped my bag.  I bent to get it and bumped into someone.  Thinking it was her, I started griping as loud as I could…

“Where have you…” and then
I looked up and realized it wasn’t her.  It was a young, very handsome guy. In fact, the most handsome guy I had seen in Memphis, maybe in my life.  I was tongue tied for a moment and just stood there.    My first rational thought was ‘Remember you’re at what could basically be considered a straight up sex party and this is a guy who’s looking at your chest’.    But then he spoke and I was intrigued, just by the sound of his voice. 

“Hey, are you alright?” 
He helped me with my bag and patted my shoulder.  “You look really upset.  Did something happen?”  I still didn’t answer, but finally gathered my thoughts enough to answer.

“I’m fine.  I’m leaving.  Thank you.” 

“Whoa – just stop for a minute,”.   I couldn’t help but notice – I don’t know if it was the smell of the room, the beat of the music, the unfamiliarity of this place, but for a moment, all I could notice was his eyes.  As blue as crystal and an honesty or trustworthiness or some quality that I had never seen.  He had brown wavy hair, a plain T-shirt and jeans and nothing that was fake or trying to impress, which automatically impressed me.  He wasn’t calling me ‘beautiful’ or ‘honey’ or anything artificial.  He seemed truly concerned about me.

“My name is Jonathan.” 
And there it was.  Jonathan.  I couldn’t stop staring at him and I couldn’t get my words to come out right.  I couldn’t believe that I was actually star-struck for the first time, but now I knew what they meant by that phrase because here I was.  One of those girls who was stopped in my tracks by a guy.  Five minutes and now Jonathan was a person who I would never be able to forget.

“Of course it is.”  For a moment, my guard went back up. 
“And I bet I’m the first girl you’ve met tonight and you don’t have a girlfriend and you’re only here to help.” Let’s see if bitch-mode runs him off.  I waited for him to waive me off and walk away, but he didn’t.

“Whoa- what’s got you so uptight?  Who are you here with?”
I got mad again.  Here he was, unpredictable and charming.  I started to feel like I should go. 

“
Well, I WAS here with my best friend, but she’s ditched me.”  I looked around and felt embarrassed for a moment, realizing that most people would automatically judge you by the kind of people you hang out with and I was feeling very vulnerable and alone.

“
Look, I’m not just some chick that’s here to get picked up.  I don’t even know why I let her talk me into coming but I just want to get out of here… I didn’t want to come to this party anyway and I don’t know anyone here and…”

“Well you do now.  And, no I didn’t come with anyone and I will keep my hands right here” he put his hands in his pockets “if you’ll just sit down and let’s wait for a few minutes.  Maybe she just went to the bathroom or something and she’s on her way back. OK?  No harm – just chatting.”

Before I realized it, I was smiling.  I didn’t see any other options at that point.  Standing frozen, still completely furious that I had agreed to come and that she had disappeared with a guy, I was sure, Jonathan spoke.

“There’ a couch right there.  We’ll just sit – you can tell me what you’re studying, I will tell you the same and we’ll see if she shows up, OK?  If she doesn’t, I’ll call a cab for you, OK?”
We walked to the couch and sat down.  “What does she look like?”

“Well, she’s the most gorgeous girl here, for starters.  Thin, blonde and very barely dressed, if she’s still dressed at all…”

“Oh, I don’t know about that….”

“About what?”  I looked at him, brow furrowed.

“About her being the most gorgeous girl here.  Am I allowed to complement you or is that going too far?” 

“Thanks.  I’m sorry I’m being so difficult.”  I took a really deep breath.  “Thank you for the complement.  But, I can’t compare with Sabrina.”

“So her name is Sabrina and she’s blonde.  At least I know what we’re looking for.”

“OK. 
Thank you.  I suppose there’s no harm in that.”

“Was that a grin?” He smiled and pointed.  “I’m sure I saw a grin.”  We both laughed and
started talking.  We talked about classes, where we were from, what he liked to do, what I liked to do, and very quickly, I was automatically crushing on gorgeous Jonathan, the pre-law student who had stepped up and saved me at this party.

“Can I get you something to drink?”  I started to
refuse, still on the defense and thinking that he was trying to give me something I didn’t want, but I said, “Sure, how about a diet coke?  Just a little bit of ice, OK?” 

“No problem – be right back.”  I watched him walk off, still looking for Sabrina.  I don’t know why I was surprised – with her behavior like it had been for the last several months, it was just like her to meet some stranger or two and probably find a nice quiet place to get to know them – real well.