Say Anything You Want, I'll Turn the Music Up
Chapter 13: Big Time Delay
"Here we go, skanks!"
"Are you sure they're not gonna ask to see invitations or something?" I asked nervously. Truthfully I was still dreading going because of James, despite our (forced) confrontation.
Rain glanced at me as if I was stupid. “Pretty sure we've been over this like a million times. It's not like it's exclusive. Brie wants this to be like the biggest party ever, so she could care less who's there as long as there's like a thousand people.”
Not helping, I thought, wishing she could be remotely nice tonight. I should be the one annoyed. She was the one who invited freaking James Diamond over here and forced me to talk to him.
We were just about to start heading out through the garage when the doorbell rang. Faith and I both glanced at Rain. “Is someone else riding with us?” Faith asked her.
“No...” Rain said. “Must be someone for Mom or a Jehovah's Witness or something...”
We all went to the door; our masks weren't on yet, not until we just before we got out of the car to walk into the party—Rain's was so extravagant (she got the one with the feathers going literally all the way to the ground) that it would have gotten ruined sitting down in the cramped car, and anyway they made seeing difficult (for me anyway). My mask was gorgeous but simple, black to match my formal sleek dress with blue undertones to give more color. http://www.polyvore.com/harpers_masquerade_look/set?id=64798883
Rain looked out the peephole, then turned around quickly. “Let's go,” she whispered. “Come on.” She tried to steer us toward the back way again.
“Who was it? Why are you acting so weird?” I pushed past her, hard as it was in my heels, and went to the door.
“Shhhhh, just pretend we're already gone,” she whispered again. She sighed. “Never mind, he's probably heard you already.”
“He wh—?” I looked out the peephole. I should have known. He was super super super annoying, like stalker annoying. James Diamond was standing outside, waiting for the door to be answered.
I turned around quickly. “We're gone already.” I started pushing them.
“Harper? I can hear you. I know you haven't left yet.”
“Shoot me,” I mumbled. I drew in a breath and opened the door. “What do you want?” I asked. “I thought we established everything already.” He looked absolutely amazing in a suit. I wanted to slam the door in his face.
“You look... amazing,” he said quietly.
I didn't want to, but I said, “Thank you,” anyway. I prayed I wasn't blushing, but my face felt hot so I knew I probably was betraying myself. “Now, what did you come here for?”
“I just... wanted to say that I will not be crashing that party. I know you don't really want me there even though you said... it's the least I could do, considering how I've treated you.”
“No, James, you can go to the party.” This was stupid. Was he just looking for an excuse to come here or something, because that's what it seemed like to me. “I don't care. I thought we already had this conversation. I really am just so tired of always fighting with you. Just go to the freaking party and have fun with your friends. You live at the Palm Woods and you'll be bored out of your mind sitting in your apartment knowing there's a masquerade ball going on downstairs.”
He didn't reply. I didn't feel like waiting for him to. I started to close the door. Then I opened it back up. “Come on. We'll give you a ride back to the Palm Woods.”
"Are you sure they're not gonna ask to see invitations or something?" I asked nervously. Truthfully I was still dreading going because of James, despite our (forced) confrontation.
Rain glanced at me as if I was stupid. “Pretty sure we've been over this like a million times. It's not like it's exclusive. Brie wants this to be like the biggest party ever, so she could care less who's there as long as there's like a thousand people.”
Not helping, I thought, wishing she could be remotely nice tonight. I should be the one annoyed. She was the one who invited freaking James Diamond over here and forced me to talk to him.
We were just about to start heading out through the garage when the doorbell rang. Faith and I both glanced at Rain. “Is someone else riding with us?” Faith asked her.
“No...” Rain said. “Must be someone for Mom or a Jehovah's Witness or something...”
We all went to the door; our masks weren't on yet, not until we just before we got out of the car to walk into the party—Rain's was so extravagant (she got the one with the feathers going literally all the way to the ground) that it would have gotten ruined sitting down in the cramped car, and anyway they made seeing difficult (for me anyway). My mask was gorgeous but simple, black to match my formal sleek dress with blue undertones to give more color. http://www.polyvore.com/harpers_masquerade_look/set?id=64798883
Rain looked out the peephole, then turned around quickly. “Let's go,” she whispered. “Come on.” She tried to steer us toward the back way again.
“Who was it? Why are you acting so weird?” I pushed past her, hard as it was in my heels, and went to the door.
“Shhhhh, just pretend we're already gone,” she whispered again. She sighed. “Never mind, he's probably heard you already.”
“He wh—?” I looked out the peephole. I should have known. He was super super super annoying, like stalker annoying. James Diamond was standing outside, waiting for the door to be answered.
I turned around quickly. “We're gone already.” I started pushing them.
“Harper? I can hear you. I know you haven't left yet.”
“Shoot me,” I mumbled. I drew in a breath and opened the door. “What do you want?” I asked. “I thought we established everything already.” He looked absolutely amazing in a suit. I wanted to slam the door in his face.
“You look... amazing,” he said quietly.
I didn't want to, but I said, “Thank you,” anyway. I prayed I wasn't blushing, but my face felt hot so I knew I probably was betraying myself. “Now, what did you come here for?”
“I just... wanted to say that I will not be crashing that party. I know you don't really want me there even though you said... it's the least I could do, considering how I've treated you.”
“No, James, you can go to the party.” This was stupid. Was he just looking for an excuse to come here or something, because that's what it seemed like to me. “I don't care. I thought we already had this conversation. I really am just so tired of always fighting with you. Just go to the freaking party and have fun with your friends. You live at the Palm Woods and you'll be bored out of your mind sitting in your apartment knowing there's a masquerade ball going on downstairs.”
He didn't reply. I didn't feel like waiting for him to. I started to close the door. Then I opened it back up. “Come on. We'll give you a ride back to the Palm Woods.”