Walking up to the front door with the party's host by her side, Emily could feel her palms and pits start to sweat at the looks the girls on the front steps were giving her.
"Em?"
The ambassador's daughter gave a small smile to the blond she had invited with her. "I'll be right in."
James sent his new friend an uncomfortable look before heading into the house with Penelope, knowing his girlfriend and her posse wanted to pull Emily to the side.
"Cute outfit," JJ complimented the brunette, her back against the side of her friend's doorway. "Dressing up for a special someone?"
The brunette immediately shook her head. "I haven't been to many parties before," she shrugged, trying to ignore the looks she was getting from James' girlfriend. "I just wanted to look nice."
"Well you do."
Emily sent Teresa a small smile.
"So do you want to come with us later?" JJ asked, forcing the new girl's attention to turn back to her. Holding her cup close to her chest, the blond smiled. "We're heading over to another party in about an hour. Free booze, a lot more guys."
The brunette blushed at the look she was getting from the soccer star. "I'll think about it," she nodded. "Thanks."
"Emily!"
Emily turned and smiled at the cheerleader, letting the friendly girl take her into a hug. "Hey Haley," she smiled, letting her new friend pull her away from the soccer players and into the house. "I thought you weren't going to be here until later."
Haley shook her head, taking her friend far enough away from the front door so the soccer shrews. "Why are you talking to them?"
The brunette bit her lip. "I don't want to get on their bad side."
"Whether you're nice to them or not, you'll be on their bad side. You're pretty and super smart, do you think they want that competition?" Seeing the look of discomfort on the ambassador's daughter's face, Haley reached out and fingered one of her curls. "Love your hair, by the way."
"Thanks," she answered softly.
"Did you invite Penelope?"
Emily quickly nodded her head, her eyes searching for her tech savy friend in the house. "Yeah, she and James came in without me."
The blond took Emily by the hand and led her through the groups of people. "Ok, let's go dance."
Watching the cheerleader who had been dating her crush on and off for a few years pull the new girl along with her, JJ felt herself smile. "How sweet," she commenting, laughing as she friends took a look inside. "It's like she's her mother." Protecting the new bait.
Grace frowned, glaring at the now dancing girl. "James didn't even acknowledge me."
"James does that a lot."
"Not true," the soccer player said quickly, the hold on her solo cup tightening. "He's always paid attention to me, he loves me. Except for when he's around Emily, he's normal."
Teresa gave a shrug of the shoulders. "She's pretty." Seeing the glares from both of her friends, the brunette's jaw dropped. "What? She is!"
Peeking into the house, JJ slapped at her friend's arm to get her attention. She and Grace watched as James came up behind the new girl and scared her, immediately pulling her into a hug when she turned to see it was him. "Looks like you've got some competition."
"Emily Prentiss as competition?"
The soccer star shrugged. "She's pretty, even though I hate to admit it, she's taking advanced classes so she's obviously smart, and she's going to be spending a lot of time with your boyfriend now because she's the assistant coach to the football team." Turning to send a condescending smile to her friend, JJ sipped her beer. "Wouldn't be surprised if they got together."
Grace's face erupted in a red flame, watching as her boyfriend started to dance with the new girl and her friend. "Fuck off, JJ," she spit out, throwing her cup to the other girl's' feet.
Rolling her eyes at the other girl's antics, JJ took her friend by the hand. "Relax," she huffed. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
The blond could have hit her head against the dry wall. Was everyone but her this dense? "To get your boyfriend away from that slut."
Emily's brow furrowed as she stood on her tip toes, leaning into the older boy as he tried to whisper something in her ear. "What?"
"Can you hear me?"
Pulling back, the brunette laughed and pointed to her ear. "I can't hear you!"
The football player grinned and gestured to the cheerleader and techy teen that he was taking the new girl over to the kitchen. Taking her hand, James led his new friend through the mobs of people who he'd either invited or those who had invited themselves and moved her over to the quietest corner of his kitchen. "Can you hear me now?"
"Yeah," she snorted, her head falling back as she laughed. "I think my ears are bleeding."
James bent his head, his fingers pulling at the lobe of Emily's right ear. "I think you're clear."
Laughing, Emily pushed the older boy away.
"Drink?"
The ambassador's daughter looked to the counter flooded with booze and she gave a nod. "Sure." She had never been a drinker but tonight was one of her only nights out. "What do you suggest?"
"Something that won't make her puke," Haley called, dragging her boyfriend to the kitchen.
"Man!" James laughed, high fiving his friend.
Emily felt herself blushing as Aaron turned his attention to her and smiled. "Hey," she grinned, not wanting to seem to meek or embarrassed. "How was your dinner?"
"Long."
Haley snapped her fingers in front of the new girl's face to get the attention away from her boyfriend. "I know," she nodded, "he's cute, right?"
Emily's face immediately flushed.
"Relax," she said, reaching forward and taking the brunette's hand. "Don't sweat it." Waiting until the two football players had moved to the other side of the kitchen to get them some drinks, Haley smiled. "He's handsome, I get it. I'm not mad if you think so."
The ambassador's daughter felt her throat starting to close up. "I don't want to date him or anything," she spit out quickly, afraid the cheerleader was angry with her.
Haley rolled her eyes, turning and pointing out the three soccer players over by their few other friends. "She's the only one who would try and steal him," the blond huffed, turning back to her new friend. "I'm not mad, I swear. You're not evil like she is."
"Evil?"
The cheerleader was quick to nod her head. "Three months ago Aaron invited her to a party and when we were dancing, she spilled her drink on me." Watching as Emily's jaw dropped to the floor, she nodded. "At least it was vodka and didn't stain."
Emily's eyes moved to the soccer players. "All to get a boy?"
"She's used to winning," Haley shrugged. Looking over to her boyfriend and his best friend, the blond gave a smile. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure someone else is into you."
The brunette girl turned to look over to the football players, her eyes meeting those of James and widening when he smiled at her. "No!" The denial was immediate, her head shaking. "No, he has a girlfriend."
Haley made a face. "That means he can't like you?"
"He doesn't like me."
Walking over to the girls, James handed his new friend a solo cup. "My own concoction," he grinned, laughing when Emily peeked inside the cup. "It's not too strong, I promise. You'll love it."
Grace watched as her boyfriend continued moving closer to the new girl as she took the first few sips of her drink, and the red solo cup in her hand was crushed in seconds.
"Grace," JJ called, trying to pull her friend back. "Grace!" The plan wasn't finished yet!
Emily's eyes shot over to the soccer player who threw her purse down on the kitchen floor. "Grace?" She watched as the other girl took the bottle of vodka from the counter and charged toward her. "Grace!"
Haley pushed the soccer player out of her friend's way, knowing James had quickly run to shield the ambassador's daughter from the splash of vodka which had landed on the kitchen cabinets. "Bitch!"
The brunette's eyes widened, feeling James' arms around her to stop her from falling to the floor. "Grace what the hell?"
"Get away from my boyfriend!"
Penelope watched the scene from behind another football player, scared to get involved.
"What?"
Grace tried to claw her way around the cheerlead before her, only to be pushed back against the counter. "Get away from him!"
James took his arms from around his friend and turned to the soccer player. "Grace what the fuck are you doing?"
"Her hands are all over her you!" Grace hissed. "Such a slut."
"Hey!" James' loud tone quieted the entire house, and all of a sudden he could feel all eyes on him. "Don't talk about her like that."
"Talk about who? You're new girlfriend?"
"You're being ridiculous." He watched her try and wipe the vodka off her face that had slashed back at her, and he sighed. "You have to leave."
Grace's eyes widened. "What?"
"You and you're friends need to go. We're done."
Emily watched with her lips sealed shut, afraid to speak up, when Grace's eyes moved back to her. Hiding behind Haley, the brunette grabbed the cheerleader's arms. "Protect me," she whispered.
"Out," James said again, watching as the soccer player's eyes filled with tears. "OUT! NOW!"
