Chapter 8 - Game On

"Tough girl in the fast lane

No time for love, no time for hate

No drama, no time for games

Tough girl whose soul aches"

I hated to admit it, but I actually had fun dancing with Matthew. Well, it was more like a dance battle, really, but still... it was fun. At one point I stopped thinking about what I was doing and just let myself go, doing crazy moves and just relaxing. 

Everything was going fine until a brunette girl came towards us, leaned over Matthew and looked at me with disdain. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. 

"Matty, dear, what are you doing with this..." She stopped for a moment and finally added "girl?"

"We were just dancing, Nicole." Matthew stated.

"Well, come and dance with me instead! I'm much better!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him with her, until he stopped her.

"Look, Nic, right now is not a good time. Maybe, later, ok?"

"Matthew, it's fine." I said "Go dance with her. She'll probably die if you won't."

The blonde boy smiled a little and finally agreed with me, making his way towards Nicole. I looked around the room, but there was no sight of Dylan or Janice. 

"Ok, everyone, let's go outside and sing Lia a happy birthday!" Shouted a red-haired boy, probably Lia's boyfriend, who was on top of a table.

Everyone started to go outside and I followed the crow. Lia's garden was filled with tables of food, such as chips, cakes, cookies, drinks, etc, but the major attention was centred in a huge birthday cake that was a little weird. It consisted in three layers, the middle one wrapped with a big red bow. There were also a lot of stars pierced into the cake.

The crowd gathered around the table, where a tall girl with dirty-blonde hair stood. So that was Lia. The red-haired boy who I had presumed to be her boyfriend put a hand around her waist and gave her a peck on the cheek. Lia smiled happily and I rolled my eyes. People started to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song and after that they grabbed plates with slices of what seemed to be a delicious cake. Someone handed me a plate, which I gladly accepted. 

"Are you that hungry?" I heard someone ask. My head started beating fast when I heard that voice.

"Dylan! I thought you were..."

"With Janice? She's more interested in things that I'm not." He confessed while we walked away from the crowd. We sat under the shade of a oak.

"You seemed pretty interested in those things as well, the other day..." I muttered under my breath, but Dylan heard it anyway.

"Look..." Dylan paused, thinking about something, but then decided to change the subject. "How about your plan? Have you decided how to discover what they're up to?"

"Yup. I'm gonna make them drunk." I answered, like it was no big deal.

Dylan looked widely at me. 

"That's the stupidest plan I have ever heard."

"Of course you heard a lot of plans in your life, right?" I sarcastically replied. 

"Look, Kiara, I don't think that's the best of the plans. Guys are dangerous when they're drunk. Not that they aren't dangerous when they're not, but you get it."

"What do you suggest then? Asking them when they're sober? Threaten them?" 

"I don't know." He thought for a second before saying "Let me do it instead. I'll get them drunk and I'll get them to talk."

I sighed.

"It won't work. They don't know you, they are not going to listen or trust you. I have to do it. That's why I accepted coming a at this party droven by Aiden and danced with Matthew and--"

"What? You danced with Clarke?" Dylan's face went from worried to angry.

"It was just--"

"How far are you willing to go for this plan?" Dylan interrupted me again. "What kind of dance was?"

"What do you mean by what kind of dance was?" I questioned, confused.

He sighed.

"Never mind. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I don't want to, Dylan. I have to."

"Fine. I'm not going to argue with you again, I know how persistent you are. But I'm going to help you."

I smiled. 

"Thanks, Dylan."

"Aiden's coming. Try to make him drunk. I'm going to be watching so if there's any problem just shout or something, ok?" Dylan asked.

"Yes, father." I chuckled and got up. What I didn't expect was Aiden being already so close to me, which made me fall against his chest. Quickly, he grabbed me by my waist and whispered in my ear "I'm happy to see you too, love."

I saw Dylan frown a little but I quickly got away from Aiden's embrace. I made my way towards a drink table and Aiden followed me. 

"Where were you?" He asked in a tone too overbearing for my liking.

"I could ask you the same question, but apart from me not wanting to know, I bet it will envolve girls and disgusting movements with your tongue."

Aiden smirked.

"Aren't you smart, little Kiara? You're definitely a Ravenclaw." He chuckled, making me roll my eyes at his Harry Potter joke mixed with my name.

"I didn't know you were into Harry Potter." I said.

"Dah, Emma Watson is hot!" He replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, Emma Watson truly was beautiful. 

"That's kinda of gross considering she was young in most of the movies." I stated grabbing a beer and handing it to him. 

"Thanks!" He smiled, happily grabbing it. I wasn't really sure if he was thanking me for my statement or for the drink.

I probably just needed to get one of the guys drunk, but I wanted to hear both versions. So, Aiden first, Matthew after. 

I spent the next two hours (yes, it took me that much to get Mr. Bad Boy drunk) giving Aiden drinks and pretending to drink too, yet everytime he wasn't looking I dumped them on the grass. The sun set and the moon appeared on the dark sky. At night there were even more people at the party then before. Once in a while I saw Dylan observing us. Matthew had also stared at us once or twice, and even tried to come to us, but as the popular guy he was, he was constantly interrupted by his friends. Calm down, Matthew, you're next. 

At one point Aiden started giggling and talking nonsense, which made me realize he was finally drunk. The grass around us was already wet because all the drinks I had dumped there. 

"And then I..." Aiden giggled "startedddd to..." He giggled again.

"Ok, Aiden, that's a good story." I said in a smooth voice. I tried to think of a way of bringing Matthew to the conversation. Good thing he was talking with some guys not very far way from us. "Uff, don't you hate that Matty-boy?"

"Of courrrse..." He giggled once more. "He's justt stupid and hick!" He sobbed and stumbled on his feet. With some difficulties, I grabbed him and made him sit with me on the dry grass.

"You know.. he's just so full of himself that I..." another giggle "even made a bet with him about this girrrrl..."

My eyes widen once he said that, but I kept myself cool so that he would continue. He was obviously talking about me, but he obviously didn't realize that.

"... We have to hang out with her so she will like uuus." He progressed. "And then we have to share a kissss but she has to waaant it.. and then the first oooone to break her heart... wiiiins!"

To say that I was completely disgusted was an understatement. I was crushed. I honestly didn't know what I was expecting to hear, but not this. I probably just thought that they wanted to be the first one to make me go to a party or something, but break my heart? How could they? Didn't they have feelings? Didn't they expect me to realize? Thinking about it, it actually made sense. The sudden attention, all the smirks and invitations and all that bullshit!

Dylan was right about being worried. 

"Hey, where you goiiing?" Aiden asked when I got up. I tried to fight the tears that stubbornly wanted to fall of my eyes. Why was I being so emotional about this? I should be expecting it! After all, they were jerks and we were in high school! But maybe, just for a moment, I wanted to believe that they were different. 

Of course I had no intentions on making Matthew drunk now that I knew what they were really up to. I just wanted to go home. I wandered around the house trying to think rationally, and I hated how I was letting myself being affected by two stupid idiots.

"Kiara?" A concerned voice filled my ears. 

I looked up to see Dylan, his eyes widening when he saw a tear falling down my face.

"What happened?" He interrogated. "Did he hurt you? I swear to God I'll kill him!"

"No, Dylan, I..." I forced myself to speak despite how I was feeling. "Can you please take me home?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Of course." He pulled me closer to him and hugged me tightly, making sure I knew he was there for me, but I could feel the tension he was feeling. "But I need to know, Kiara, did he hurt you?"

"No... not physically at least."

Dylan and I quickly made our way towards his car. He drove slowly and silently, but I knew he was about to explode with questions. If I were him I'd be too. I rarely cried, so he knew this had to be something big. But then again, was it? I could simply let go... ignore them, never talk to them again... but yet deep down I knew I couldn't. I wouldn't. I didn't want to. I wanted to make them suffer. What right did they have to break someone's heart? And only because of a stupid bet! Who knew how many girls had been fooled like this before! No, I wasn't going to let this go just like that. They had to learn a lesson. And I was going to be the one teaching it. It didn't matter what I needed to do, to say or how I needed to act, I was going to make them wish that they never made that stupid bet about me. 

I mean, they were players, weren't they?

So why not play a game?

Get ready, bastards. 

The game is on.

"Tough girl, I'm in pain

It's lonely at the dark

Black outs and airplanes

I still pour you a glass of champagne

A tough girl

Whose soul aches."

Picture on the side is Lia's birthday cake and the song for this chapter is "Big Girls Cry" by Sia.