Where We Began

chapter forty-nine

Brooke's POV

"I'm assuming you liked the slutty virgin," I heard Evan say as I shot him a bird, not able to see the smirk I knew was on his face through the blindfold.

Rebecca had decided all the girls should be blindfolded after a few guys complained it wouldn't be fair if they got a girl that didn't like them and tried to spill their shots. We all agreed for the sake of the party and keeping the light fun mood with loud music and alcohol. After Evan I'm not sure who went next but by the smell of the weed in their pocket I assumed it was Eli followed by Zane whose laugh gave him away. The fourth contestant was Cole. Between his smell and the butterflies that erupted in my stomach as I felt his eyes looking at my body exposed to hold shot glasses I didn't even feel the glasses leave my body as he replaced each of them with a teasing kiss. Little did he know I planned to be stealing more of his kisses later and planting some of my own.

"I'm running to pee," Rebecca said tapping my arm before she ran off, "there's only one group left but I can't wait."

"Go," I laughed at the thought of her trying to hold all the shots we had taken between rounds, "I don't think anything crazy will happen while you're gone."

I waited as someone placed another shot glass in my mouth and filled the rest as she called up the final group. One last group, then the final round for the winners and I would be free to take the blindfold off and do the wet t-shirt contest then warm up with Cole beside the bonfire before going inside to bed. I felt someone step beside me as I breathed in their vaguely familiar scent I couldn't place. The girl blew the whistle and I felt the shots leave my body as the scent finally connected to a name in my brain. I sat up as someone crashed into the person in front of me before I could get the blindfold off my face.

"Who the fuck do you think you are to show your face here?" I heard Zane yell as my eyes adjusted to the light shift from the blindfold.

"I was coming to celebrate my bro's birthday," Juan said as he laughed even though Zane had him pinned to the side of the house.

"I'm not your bro anymore," Cole spat at him as I felt him appear beside me slipping his shirt over my head, "as far as I'm concerned you're dead to me."

"Aw man you don't mean that," Juan looked sad then immediately shifted back to smiling when he seen me, " Aw Brookey bear is up. Good morning, gorgeous!"

"Are you fucking high?" I said stepping beside Zanewho had loosened his grip enough to let Juan's feet touch the ground. Cole was on my other side ready to throw him over the railing.

"High on my love for you sexy girl," he said looking me up and down as I held my arm out to catch Cole who was about to punch him in the face, "I should've made a move on you when we were playing freeze out on the bus. Remember that Zane? Fuck you have a beautiful body."

"She never had on less than a tank top you perv," Zane said disgusted at what Juan was insinuating.

"She didn't? Well fuck," Juan smirked eyeing me again, "must've been my imagination then."

"Let him go Zane," I said, feeling my rage glow red hot, "Drop him and step back. Cole, go find Kacen now."

"I'm not leaving you," Cole said before I shot him a look, "okay fine but Zane stays with you."

"See I knew you'd chose me over him," Juan said as Zane let him go and stepped behind me, "now how about we go find a nice quiet room."

"I sent Cole away because I don't want him to kill you," I snapped glaring at him, "and I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Aw come on baby. You know you want me," Juan said, closing the short distance between us and putting his hand on my shoulder, "besides I've already seen what you did with Henley so I know what you like."

The smoldering embers that were in my head from everything that involved Henley erupted in a bright red flame as I finally let my rage go. I let the storm of animosity engulf me as I connected my knee with Juan's face as I pulled his hand down from my shoulder making him fall forward. He stumbled a bit before regaining his balance and coming at me full force. I ducked under his punch as I tripped him and shoved him into the wall where he hit his face again. He was high out of his mind on something because, even with the blood gushing from his obviously broken nose, he laughed and lunged at me again. This time I didn't move as his body hit mine. Instead I took the hit and fell back onto the deck and used my feet to launch him over the railing and on to the grass below where he was finally still.

"Holy fuck Brooke," Zane said helping me up, "where did you learn that shit?"

"Don't worry about it," I said as I went down the steps to check on the heap that was Juan sprawled on the ground, "where's Co-"

"What the fuck?" Kacen cut me off as I looked up to see him and Cole, "Brooke what happened?"

"He came at me and I decided he needed a temporary dirt nap," I smiled at Kacen trying to lighten the mood as everyone gathered around, "He is high on something. He's out right now."

"I'll pull my car up," Kacen said as he pulled his phone out to call someone, "get him out front and break up this party."

"Okay everyone change of plans," Zane yelled trying to be louder than the music Eli walked over to turn off, "thanks man. Listen up people. This dumbass showed up and fucked us all so it's time to go before the cops show up!"

Everyone looked at eachother then began to grab their shit and make a run for it to their cars. No one wanted to get busted, much less get stopped on their way out of here. Juan had fucked everyone out of a great night and I was sure no one would forget it. Whether he remembered tonight or not no one would ever invite him to a party again. I nudged his unmoving body with my foot making a baggie of white powder fall out of his pocket. Cocaine. I was right he was high out of his mind. I put my hand in my shirt and flicked the bag back into his pocket as the guys grabbed him to carry him out to Kacen's car.

"I called dad and he's calling the sheriff," Kacen said as he pulled pink fuzzy handcuffs out of his glove box, "I'm taking him to the jail to meet the ambulance. I suggest y'all clean this place up then get some sleep. Oh and I was never here."

"Who are you?" I joked as Kacen rolled his eyes and got in his car to haul an unconscious Juan away.

"That's one way to sober up," Eli joked as Rebecca came out of the house, "Babe you missed so much."

"I would say so," she laughed as we all began to pick the mess up and light the fire to burn trash.

"I'm sorry your birthday got ruined," I said to Cole when we were alone picking up the makeshift judges cards by the t-shirt table, "It was supposed to be an amazing night."

"It's fine," Cole said, not looking at me as he folded up the chairs and stacked them against the fence.

"Are you okay?" I asked and he laid the table over and folded the legs in ignoring me, "Cole?"

"It's whatever," he said, laying the table against the chairs and walking over to throw trash into the fire before turning back to me, "I'm just ready to get out of this town and away from all of this."