Chapter 9: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody
The remainder of the school week goes pretty smoothly. Charity doesn't return and the students gossip about how bad her face must be. Delphine has her moment of feeling remorse, but then remembers the nasty things that girl said, which alleviates her guilt.
At lunch on Friday, most of the gang is super excited about the party happening later that night, although Cosima is a little nervous about it. Tony insists it will be totally chill.
After school, Delphine helps Cosima tidy up the house. They make sure to lock up all breakables and expensive items in the hall closet. Cosima also ensures that the door to her dad's lab is locked. Last thing she needs tonight is anyone messing around down there.
At 9 o'clock, the doorbell rings. Cosima takes a deep breath and opens the door. Tony is standing there holding a keg, behind him are Sarah, Felix, Helena, Beth, Alison, Scott, and Art. Cosima extends her arm, showing them all in. As she closes the door behind them, she feels resistance. She glances around the other side of the door to find what looks like their entire senior class. The rowdy teens push their way inside, chanting "Party! Party!"
"I am going to fucking murder Tony," Cosima murmurs to herself, looking around to find the object of her ire. She spots him at the stereo and marches over there. Tony fiddles with the knobs and soon music booms from the speakers.
"Tony!" Cosima shouts, but he can't hear her. "Tony!" She forcefully turns him around and pulls him by the hand to the porch. Once they're outside, she starts yelling. "Dude, what the fuck? You invited the whole senior class? You said it would be chill. This," she points to the masses inside, "is definitely not chill."
"Relax, Dreads, did you think the party would just be our little group? We are about to graduate, it's time we did something epic. Let's show 'em we aren't the losers those they think we are."
"I don't care if people think we're losers, I care that they don't trash my house. I care that my parents don't come home to a disaster and then ground me until it's time for me to leave for college. I figured you'd invite some of your stoner friends and whatnot, but not this. I hate most of those assholes."
"Look, Cosima, it's one night. Our last night to have a party in high school with zero supervision. Come on. You're usually so up for fun shit like this, but lately you've been super uptight. What's the deal?"
He's right, Cosima thinks. She'd normally be excited about a party, albeit a party not in her home, but still, he's right, she has been tense lately. And while she realizes that tension is all due to the houseguest who used to be her freakin' doll, she can't exactly tell Tony that. So instead she just decides to let it go and enjoy the party.
"Sorry, sorry, you're right. I don't know what came over me. Let's party!" Cosima shouts.
Tony gives her a high five and leads her back inside towards the keg. He fills up two red solo cup, hands one to her and takes one for himself. He holds his cup up. "To having fun!"
"To having fun!" She repeats and they crash their cups together before knocking them back.
Tony dances off and Cosima glances around the room. She spots Delphine chatting with Scott in the hall. She refills her cup along two more and heads over to them.
"Hey you two, drinks?"
"Thanks," Scott says as he takes one.
"Delphine?" Cosima holds the other cup up. "You want?"
"I, uh, I don't know. Should we be drinking beer?"
"No, we shouldn't, but that's why we're doing it," Cosima says with an eyebrow wiggle. "You don't have to drink if you're not comfortable though, no pressure."
"No, I think I'll try it. When in Rome, right?" Delphine tentatively accepts the cup from Cosima's hand and drinks a little.
"So?" Cosima asks.
"It's, um, different. Not the most pleasant taste," Delphine remarks.
Just then Alison appears. "Cosima, why would you give Delphine beer? She's French, she obviously has a much more refined palette. Here, Delphine, I brought Merlot." She hands Delphine a plastic wine glass in exchange for her cup of beer, handing it off to some football player passing by.
Delphine takes a sip. Three sets of eyes are watching her the whole time. She looks up. "Mmm, Alison, this is divine. Merci."
A proud smile forms on Alison's lips. "You are very welcome. So, Delphine, I have a little situation I was hoping you could help me with."
"Sure, what can I do for you?" Delphine asks.
"Well, as you may or may not know, I am playing Fantine in our school's production of Les Misérables. At rehearsal today, our director, Alexander, informed us that Charity's mother called Principal Hardcastle to say she will not be back at school for a few weeks. I've heard through the grapevine it's because she's having a nose job. Anyway, Charity was our Cosette, and we certainly cannot perform without a Cosette."
"What are you getting at, Alison?" Cosima asks impatiently.
Alison glances at Cosima, then back at Delphine. "Well, Delphine, since you accidentally broke Charity's nose, and being that you're French and would bring our show some authenticity, I was hoping you would agree to take on the role."
"Whoa, whoa, you can't expect Delphine to take on that responsibility. Didn't Charity have an understudy?" Cosima interrupts.
"Yes. Maggie Chen. But she seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth, so now we don't. Look, Delphine, I know I'm asking a lot, but I will help you learn your lines and the songs -"
"Um, the songs?" Delphine asks.
"Yeah, you know, Les Miz is a musical after all and Cosette has quite a few numbers like Castle on a Cloud and A Heart Full of Love."
The prospect of acting and singing in front of an audience terrifies Delphine, but she feels that this predicament really is her fault, especially as the damage to Charity was not actually an accident. She feels as though she owes it to Alison and everyone else involved in the production to help them out. "Ok, I'll do it."
"Great!" Alison exclaims. "Thank you so much. We meet after school everyday from 3-5 in the auditorium. I don't have your email, so I'll send Cosima your script and music. Oh, and we open two weeks from tomorrow."
"Two weeks?" Delphine gasps.
Yeah, I know, that doesn't seem like a lot of time, but it'll be fine" She then spots Donnie and rushes off yelling, "Donnie, what did I tell you about doing keg stands? You'll hurt yourself."
"Delphine, do you just realize you just sold your soul to the hell that is the high school musical?" Cosima asks.
"Come on, Cosima, the musical is actually coming along quite nicely," Scott interjects.
"Oh, are you in it also, Scott?" Delphine inquires.
"No, no acting for me, I'm part of the tech crew. I'll be the one shining a spotlight on you."
"Oh, I see. Well I'm sure it'll be fun."
"Yeah, sure," Cosima laughs.
"Oh, hey guys, look who it is, Mr. Can't Get a Date Smith." Chad grunts as he and three other drunk football players approach Scott. "Man, I heard Charity rejected you, that's gotta sting. But hey, maybe you should try again now that she's got a busted face."
"Shut up, Chad," Cosima says angrily.
He ignores her and continues. "But, if she still won't date you, I hear there are some fine bitches at the pound that would love to call you their stud."
"That's enough. Get out of my house!" Cosima yells.
"Relax, I'm just messing around." He then turns his attention to Delphine. "Hey sweet cheeks, what are you doing hanging around with these dorks, come hang with us. You know, you and I should really go out some night, I can show you a real good time."
Delphine looks over at a forlorn Scott, then back at drunk Chad and his friends. "Why would I ever go out with someone as thoroughly deplorable as you? Especially when I am already dating Scott, a true gentleman."
Scotts eyes go wide and Cosima whips her head around in shock.
"Come on, you're kidding. A 10 like you cannot be dating a 1 like him," Chad laughs.
"I assure you I am not kidding. I was fortunate that Charity made the foolish decision to turn him down, it gave me the opportunity to make my move and ask him out." She then cozies up to Scott and takes his hand. Scott looks at their intwined hands, then looks up at her face, he's dumbfounded.
"Alright, Chad, you've been rejected, now get out and take these goons with you," Cosima yells once more, which gets Tony's attention.
He saunters over. "Is something wrong, Dreads?"
"I was just politely asking these morons to leave my house."
"You heard the lady, beat it." Tony points to the front door.
"Fine. Whatever. Let's go guys, this party sucks anyway." Chad and his friends take off.
"Thanks Tony."
"No prob. Uh, what's with the hand-holding, you two?" He asks Delphine and Scott.
"Oh, didn't you hear, they're dating now," Cosima replies.
"What? Wow. Way to go, dude." Tony fist pumps Scott, then heads back to dance with Sarah and Felix.
"Um, Delphine. What was that about? Since when are we, uh, dating?" Scott asks.
"Yeah, I'd like to know the answer to that as well," Cosima says.
"That boy and his friends were just so rude and, well, I figure if they thought you couldn't get a date, I'd show them just how wrong they are."
"Thanks Delphine. Well, I think we can stop holding hands and pretending to be an item now that they're gone."
"Why?" Delphine aks.
"What do you mean why?" Cosima asks.
"Why should we stop pretending?"
"Um, cause you're not really dating," Cosima responds.
"Yes, but nobody else needs to know that."
"Huh?" Scott asks.
"I think it's time everybody else sees you for the wonderful young man you are. If those morons, as Cosima calls them, think I'm a 10, well then let's make them jealous of the stud you are." She winks, causing Scott to blush. "Come on, let's dance." Delphine takes Scott's hand and drags him to the center of the living room.
Cosima watches as they dance. She's so focussed on them, she doesn't notice that Sarah has sidled beside her until she's nudged in her hip. "Hey Cos."
"Hey Sarah." Cosima doesn't turn her head, her eyes still squarely on Delphine.
"She's got some nice moves there, huh?"
"Yeah."
"So, Tony tells me Delphine and Scott are together?"
Cosima finally turns to look at Sarah. "Kinda."
"Kinda? What do you mean kinda?"
"Look, you can't repeat this, but they're just faking it. Delphine thought it would show up all those assholes who pick on Scott. Give him a studly rep or something."
"Well that's nice of her. But not so nice for you, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Cos, you gonna keep denying you have a thing for Blondie over there? Be straight with me, or, you know, as straight as you can be under the circumstances." Sarah laughs. "Weren't you the first person I confided in about me and Cal?"
Cosima considers Sarah's question, then decides to go for it, she needs to admit her feelings to someone. "Yeah. Fine, fine, you're right, I like her."
"Finally!" Sarah shouts.
"Keep it down, jeez. It doesn't matter anyhow, she's not interested in me. She obviously likes guys."
"How do you know, didja ask her?"
"No, but it's obvious. Like why would she pretend to date Scott if she wasn't into guys?"
"Um, cause, she's just helping him out. Being a friend."
"I don't know maybe, or maybe she really does like him, despite what she says about just boosting his rep. I mean she told off Chad and his band of merry jerks and well, that's not the only thing she's done on Scott's behalf."
"What else?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Come on, Cos, it can't be nothing or you wouldn't have said it. What else did she do for him?"
When Cosima fails to respond, Sarah's wheels start turning. "Wait, wait. The basketball. It wasn't an accident, was it, her hitting Charity in the face?"
Cosima doesn't respond.
"That's it, init? Ha! Four for Blondie!"
"You can't tell anyone, Sarah. Swear it. She can't get in trouble."
"Calm your tits, I won't blab. But as far as those two, I don't see any passion in her eyes, I see a nice girl doing a nice thing. I don't think you should be concerned that it's true love or anything."
"Did I say I was concerned?"
So what, you just gonna stand here mooning over her all night or you gonna come dance? I think we need to pull Beth away from Paul over there."
"What?" Cosima looks in the direction Sarah's pointing. Beth and Paul are making out in the corner. "Holy shit. Damn." Cosima smiles, realizing, in retrospect, how silly her dream of Beth and Delphine was.
"What are you smiling about?" Sarah asks.
"Oh, nothing, just, you know, good for her."
"Whatever." Just then Water Prayer starts playing over the speakers. "Come on, this is your jam. Show 'em how it's done." Sarah drags Cosima into the living room and they start dancing.
Cosima let's go of all her inhibitions and really gets into it, hands swirling in the air, hips swaying. Cosima's energy is infectious and everyone starts grooving around her. Cosima's eyes are closed as she feels the music overtake her, but, because they're shut, she fails to notice a particular set of French eyes focused squarely on her lithe frame as it moves to the beat.
