Blythe Tatum expected her freshman year at university to be nerve-wracking, though nothing out of the ordinary. The beginning of her school year starts off as averagely as possible, though Blythe soon finds herself caught up in an unexpected and ine...
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The party at Will's feels familiar and eerie all at once.
It's the same scene it has always been, with loud music and people drinking while talking over each other all at once. And yet everything is different, considering what I know now that I had been oblivious to before. Every corner I face unleashes a different memory, including those that don't belong to me. I can't look at the staircase without picturing Jacob leading a drunken—and more than likely drugged—Naomi up to the second floor, the thought making me ill. I recall going up those same steps with him, the reminder only adding to my nausea. I think of all the moments Jacob and I shared in his room, closing my eyes and being brought back to the lakebed and witnessing Naomi having the air forced from her lungs. I had been at a party exactly like this the night the police released a suspect demographic—one I attended with Jacob. My chest burns with rage as I think back to the innocence he had feigned that night, acting as if he didn't know what happened to Naomi; pretending to be as clueless as the rest of us. It had been his hands that brought the poor girl to her death. At least all of his cagey behavior at having Naomi's name brought up makes sense now.
Tuning back into reality, I glance over my shoulder to study Jacob. He's talking with Will by the bar, speaking animatedly with his hands, grinning as he comes dangerously close to spilling his drink all over himself. I eye him with disgust, wondering how he can possibly act so neutral when he knows exactly what he did. It takes all of the strength I can muster not to march up to him and slap him as hard as I can—as well as not to burst into tears.
I wonder to myself if he feels any ounce of remorse for what he did to Naomi, or Daya even. Does attending parties like this one bring memories of either girl to his mind, or does he merely think back to the torment he brought upon the two with nothing but a lack of empathy and selfish greed? Is it really possible for someone to be so cold-hearted?
I catch sight of Zach standing in the corner, bordering the edge of the living room. He's talking to a boy I don't recognize, though his eyes are on me. He offers the slightest of nods, reassuring me that he is keeping a careful watch on things. His presence offers me faint solace. It's nice, not feeling completely alone.
I stiffen as Kehlani approaches me, reminding myself to act natural. She offers a wide grin as she heads toward my direction, standing before me in seconds.
"Hey!" she greets cheerily. "I thought I spotted you, Blythe."
"Hi," I reply, forcing a smile of my own. "Yeah, I tagged along." I point over to where Jacob is standing a little ways behind me, watching Kehlani's gaze follow my gesture.
"I see," she says with faint laughter. "You must be excited! About the game tomorrow and all. I know the first was kind of a let down. You're so lucky though, Blythe. What's it like to date a football superstar? I overheard that Jacob has tons of recruiter's eyes on him right now. Everyone thinks he's going to go pro."
