Robbie hooks his arm with mine. “All right. Introductions were made. I’m going to show Chiara around now.”
He steers me away from his mothers faster than a speeding train, surprising me.
“Where’s the fire?” I ask.
“I had to get away from them. They were getting on my nerves.”
“About what?”
“Stuff.” He waves his hand dismissively. “Let’s find the rest of the DuBose gang.”
“We saw Phillip, Harold, and Josh earlier,” Valerie pipes up, trailing behind us.
A raven-haired girl steps in our way with a bright smile on her face. Robbie has to stop suddenly to avoid barreling into her.
“Hi, Robbie,” she says in an overly sweet tone.
“Hey, Jillian. What’s up?”
There’s no mistaking the coldness in his voice. She’s our age, but I haven’t seen her at DuBose.
“Not much. I just got here.” She glances at me and Valerie. “I see you invited some people from school. I’m raging mad that you didn’t invite me.”
She says it with a grin on her face, but her eyes are shining with annoyance.
God. Who the hell is this chick?
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
She pouts. “Yeah, I came with Dad.”
He shrugs. “I figured I didn’t need to bother inviting you since Principal Forrester was on the guest list.”
Her phony smile wilts, and then she turns to me. “You’re the new student from Italy, right?”
“Yep. That’s me.”
“Good job catching the eye of our QB. I could have sworn he was gay because I’ve never seen him with anyone. I mean, with any girl.”
What the hell is she implying? If Phillip is gay, so what? I just met this girl, and I already don’t like her.
Robbie scoffs. “Really, Jillian? You’ve been at this party for five seconds and you’re already talking shit. And you wonder why I didn’t invite you. Come on, Chiara. Let’s continue the tour.”
He walks around her, taking me with him.
“That was so rude, Robbie,” Jillian complains behind us.
“So, that’s the principal’s daughter?” I ask after we’re out of earshot.
“Yep. The biggest gossipy bitch in school. I hate her.”
“I just met her and I’m with you on that.”
“No one really likes her, not even her friends. They stay close out of fear. The bitch has destroyed more lives with her forked tongue than Daenerys Targaryen with her dragon.”
We finally find the guys, who greet us with overexaggerated cheers. They look drunk already, even Josh. And here I thought he was so serious and responsible.
With a goofy smile, he hugs me. “Chiara, glad you made it.”
I hug him back while looking wide-eyed at Robbie over Josh’s shoulder. He gives me a boyish shrug and then whispers something in Phillip’s ear. The guy throws his head back and laughs. Josh is still glued to me, so I have to push him back to break free. He staggers, and I notice his eyes are bloodshot. Is he drunk or high? Or maybe both? After getting judged by him when I accidentally ate Harold’s brownie, I’m annoyed to see him in this state.
“Ooh, look who’s here, Chiara,” Robbie says, looking over my head. “Our favorite teacher.”
My chest becomes tight suddenly. No, Alistair can’t possibly be here.
I turn around slowly, and sure as shit, there he is, across the swimming pool talking to Robbie’s parents.
“I didn’t know he was friends with your mothers,” I say.
“Oh yeah, through my uncle Caio, my mother’s younger brother. He and Alistair are tight, went to college together.”
“Small world,” I mumble.
“LA is a village. Come on, let me get you something to drink.”
I should pry my gaze from Alistair. If I stare at him too long, I’ll give away that I’m hot for teacher. But knowing I should and doing it are completely different things.
As if sensing my stare, Alistair turns to me and, in a plot twist, curls his lips into a crooked grin. I didn’t tell him I’d be here tonight, but he probably guessed since I’m friends with Robbie. Why the hell didn’t he tell me he was coming too so I’d be prepared?
