CHAPTER 4: THE PARTY

Days have passed since I first met Cameron and so far, things have been good between us. She spoke to Jake that day about his attacking me in the Cafeteria and she told me that he gave her his word that he wouldn't do anything along the lines of it again. And so far, he hasn't even given me a dirty look whenever I pass him and Cameron in the hallways or sit by her in some of the classes that she and I attend together. She was the only friend I had here and I guess he understood that part clearly. Or just paid little to no attention about that part.

Throughout the week, I got to know her well. Apparently, she is the head cheerleader and lives the rich life. And she also doesn't tolerate bullying, whether it's from her own peers or from other kids that she doesn't know that well. And she also doesn't like looking down on people who unfortunately has little to no money. She's a very sweet person. More sweet than the other rich people that I have met back at my old school. So sweet that when we left our Friday Afternoon class not too long ago, she flat out asks me, "Do you want to attend a party tomorrow?"

"What kind of party?" I ask her. "It's mainly for the football team, but some of the Preps are attending as well", Cameron replies. "I thought the rich kids would rather be attending some kind of formal party than be hanging around with Jocks", I said out-loud. "They have some kind of alliance that was formed after the last rumble where they teamed up together to beat up the Greasers. That was a year ago", she tells me. "So what's going to be happening at this party? Is there going to be a movie or something? Booze? Music?" I then ask her. "There's going to be alcohol, that's for sure", she says. "There's also going to be refreshments like chips and sodas, though no one ever touches the sodas when there's beer around. There will be music. Eric Young from Bullworth Underground Radio will be there, so you can expect there to be music". "I've listened to his station since I first got here. He has quite a unique taste of music", I tell her. "So I guess that I means that you're going to be there?" she asks me.

"I don't know", I tell her. "To be honest, I'm not a fan of Jocks or Preps. I mostly have a problem with Jocks. I don't like being around them. It was because of the ones back at my old school that I got expelled". That was something that I did not want to tell her. I don't even know why I said that out loud for her to hear. "I told Jake and his buddies not to cause you any problems", Cameron says. "So Jake knows that I'm coming too?" I ask her. "Yeah, he does and he will behave. Trust me", she tells me. I took a deep breath and then told her, "I'll think about it".

Cameron hands me a small envelope. I opened it up and read the invitation. It was going to be at the Jock Clubhouse at 9:00 PM tomorrow night. "Isn't the game tonight? Why have a party tomorrow if they don't know if they're going to win?" I ask. "Our team wins literally every game", Cameron says. "Trust me, they're going to win tonight. They would have had the party tonight except for that the coach is taking them out for pizza. He doesn't know about the party and usually doesn't condone drinking". "Again, I'll think about it", I told her. "The clubhouse is at the football field. The password is 'The Jake Stops Here'", she says before leaving me alone in the hallway. She had to go to cheerleader practice to get the squad ready for the game tonight anyway, so I didn't bother going with her to the gym. I didn't have any plans on going to the game tonight.

The Next Day; Saturday; 9:00 PM

I never thought that I would even dare considered going to the party tonight, but I did and was now on the football field. I looked around the field and saw the clubhouse at the west end. If I didn't have any knowledge of where the party was taking place, then the lights and the music coming from inside would have given it away. I walked across the field and then climbed up the stairs leading up to the clubhouse's doorway. There was a Jock guarding the front door, I'm guessing for any potential party-crashers. "No one outside the Jocks and the Preps are allowed into this party", the guard says to me. "I was invited here by Cameron", I told him. "If that's the case, then what's the password?" he then asks me. "The Jake Stops Here", I told him. He moved out of the way, allowing me to enter the building filled with loud music and chatter.

Seeing all these Jocks and Preps within the room made me feel like a fish out of the water. And it probably didn't help that I was somewhat dressed up. I had on a dark green button shirt and dark dress pants. All the Jocks and Preps were wearing their same usual clothes: Jocks their leather-man jackets and Preps their Aquaberry clothing. After a while of looking at the crowd, Cameron came out from the crowd and greeted me.

"I'm glad you made it", Cameron tells me. "I thought for a second that you were going to ditch the party". "For a moment, I thought I was going to ditch it", I told her. "Come on, I gotta introduce you to my friends", she says as she drags me through the crowd and to her friends within the cheer-leading squad. "Girls, this is the boy that I was talking to you about", she tells three other girls who were wearing their cheer-leading uniforms. "Greg, this is Emily", she says as she pointed to a girl with blonde hair and hazel eyes. "This is Margaret", she then pointed to a woman with brown hair and eyes. "And this is Francine", she then pointed to the last girl who had black hair and gray eyes. "Ladies", I said to them.

Cameron's friends then started laying down so many questions about me. "Where do you come from, Greg?" "How old are you?" "How's Bullworth Academy been for you so far?" "Do you have a girlfriend back home?" "Jeez, so many questions. I'm only a human being", I then told them. "Sorry about that. I told them everything about you", Cameron tells me. "Well at least if I want a girlfriend anytime soon, I know where to look now", I remarked. I then told Cameron, "I'm going to look around for a bit. Check this place and the party out". "Okay then. Look around and talk to some of the people here. Maybe they'll be someone that you might like at the party". "I doubt that", I said as I turned around and looked around the room.

In one corner of the room right next to the main exit, I noticed a couple of the kids playing a familiar video game. I went over to the corner and watched them play split-screen multiplayer. After a few kills, I finally had the nerve to ask the two Jocks on the couch, "What game is this?" "It's Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7", one of the Jocks answers. "The one where the characters unlocked that part of their brains to where they can use psychokinesis in battle?" I asked them. "Yeah. Wanna try?" the other Jock asks. "No thanks. You play one Call Of Duty game, you play them all. Well, at least in terms of multiplayer. Give me Halo any day", I told them. "Halo?", both Jocks said before they started laughing their heads off. I tsked at them before saying, "Whatever".

I left the corner and went to the corner on the other side of the door where the DJ was playing music. The DJ was probably about my age. He had long brown hair, green eyes, was growing a goatee, and had on some baggy clothing. He had on some tan cargo pants, a Love Fist shirt that was probably twice his size, a green beanie hat and some weird sunglasses that was the shade of purple. For a DJ who also happens to be a student at this school, he had a very weird appearance. "Hello my fans, this is your DJ Eric Young broadcasting from the Jocks' party. Just because I'm at the party don't mean that you won't be able to enjoy Bullworth Underground Radio. Now I got a special track for you people that came out back in 2013. It's Sleepwalking by The Chain Gang Of 1974".

Once he was done speaking into the microphone, I approached him and then asked, "You're Eric Young, right?" "The one and only", he replied. "Do you take personal requests?" I asked him. "Sorry man, I don't take requests when I do parties unless it's from the person in charge of the party. And right now, that would have to be Jake Summers", he tells me. "Okay. And by the way, was it really necessary to call me out on the radio that Sunday when I arrived?" I then asked him. "Somebody told me to announce it", he answers. "Plus, I was just warning you. You really do have to be careful on who you upset around here. As I said before, respect is everything around here". "Who told you to announce it?" I asked him. "Sorry, not at liberty to say who told me to announce it", he tells me. "Of course", I said out-loud.

I left Eric Young to do his job and went over to the refreshments table. Just as what Cameron told me yesterday, there was a bunch of stuff ranging from chips and dip to sodas and alcohol. I took a good look at the bottles of booze and saw that it was mainly beer. Pisswasser, Logger, Logger Light, Corona Extra, Corona Light, that was all of the beers that they had so far. I wasn't exactly thirsty for a beer, so I poured myself a cup of Sprunk instead. But once I picked my cup up to take a sip, someone tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around and saw that it was Jake. What did he want now?

"How are you enjoying the party?" Jake asks me as I took a sip of my Sprunk. "It's fine", I bluntly said to him. "Hey, I need to talk to you for a moment if you don't mind", he says as he drags me to a less-crowded corner. "Here's the deal: I don't mind if Cameron has any friends. But that's only with girls. I don't know what she saw in you the other day back in Mr. Galloway's classroom, but I am going to set things straight right here, right now. If you ever dare make any attempt to steal my girlfriend from me, I'm going to ruin you. I will make your life so miserable here that you will have to transfer to another school in a whole new state. You got it, prick?" "Loud and clear", I told him. I wasn't too worried about what he might do. Whatever he'll do to me will probably be the same as what some of the Jocks did back at North Algonquin High. Beatings and hazings. I can handle those.

Just as Jake was about to turn around and get back to the crowd that he was talking to since the party started, someone hollered his name from across the room. Jake turned and saw who cried his name, "JOHN". I turned to see who called out for Jake and saw that it was John Maciel, the head prefect who escorted me to my dorm when I first got here. "STOP PLAYING WITH THE MAGGOTS AND COME HERE. I HAVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING", John hollered. Jake left me to attend to John. Good thing too, because I didn't want to be in the same room with that guy, not after the other day. I looked around the room and through the crowd and found a rear exit. I pushed my way through the crowd and reached the door. I pushed it open and found myself in the woods.

Well, not entirely in the woods. There was a few yards of concrete leading from the building to the edge of the woods. I guess there was meant to be an expansion of the building here at some point before but never saw the light of day. There was no one out here. It was just me. But after a while, someone in an outfit consisting of black cargo pants and a black hoodie walked up to me and asked, "Is this the Jock/Prep party?" "It is", I told him before taking a good look at his features. He had brown hair and brown eyes and looked a lot like the actor Josh Hutcherson. He moved pass me and went straight for the door. "Have fun. I sure as hell didn't", I said out-loud. I was pretty much alone for a few minutes until someone else stepped outside.

"Hey Greg, what are you doing out here?" Cameron says as she steps closer. "I just needed some air. That, and getting away from your boyfriend and John Maciel", I told her. "God, I don't know the deal with Jake and John. They are both two different people and yet, they are friends for some odd reason", she says out-loud. "So what's the deal with John Maciel? Is he really the 'king' of the school?" I asked her. "In some ways, he is", she answers. "He keeps a lot of the cliques at bay on campus. He's always cracking down on them except for the Jocks. The Jocks are the only clique that can get away with almost anything. The booze for example, John allowed for the Jocks to have booze at the party. But if the others cliques even had a hint of alcohol in their breath, John would bust them right away. It's some kind of mutual agreement that they have. I don't know the details though. Jake would never tell me what they are. He would usually tell me that it was't my concern and to stick with cheer-leading".

"Not to be rude, but your boyfriend's an asshole", I told Cameron. "I already know that", she tells me. "But he still has his moments. He can be real sweet. But there are still parts of him that I just don't understand, especially with him hanging around John. I don't like John. I don't trust him. He's a total creep who hides behind his power as head prefect". "I had the same feeling as well. I hope that I don't have to deal with him anytime soon", I told her. "Ready to come back in?" she then asks. Just as she said that, we started hearing shouting from inside the building. Not the usual party chatter from before, but loud shouting. We both entered the building and saw a couple of Jocks, including Jake himself, beating on the kid in the black outfit from earlier.

After pushing through the cheering crowd, Cameron got right into the center of the action and tried to stop the fighting. After Jake accidentally punched Cameron, that was when the whole crowd went quiet. Cameron's friends pushed through the crowd and helped her onto her feet while I went and helped the other kid up. I took a good look at Cameron and saw that she was going to have a black eye for the next few days. But after a while of shaking it off, she then went full fury and started yelling at Jake.

"What is the matter with you?" Cameron asks him in a angry tone. "This Nerd sneaked into the party and so we had to teach him a lesson. I didn't mean to punch you like that", Jake tried to explain. "How many times have I told you that bullying was wrong?" Cameron tells him. "Haven't I ever told you about the golden rule? Treat other people the way you want to be treated?" "Bitch please, things are different around here", John then tells her. "WHAT?" Cameron says as she tried marching up to John, but her friends held her back. "Come on, Cameron. Let's just go outside and calm down", Margaret tells her. All four girls made their way through the crowd while I helped the boy myself to the main exit.

Once all six of us were outside, I sat the kid down on the front steps and told him to give me a minute. I went over to Cameron and asked her, "Are you going to be okay?" "I'll be fine, Greg. Thank you", she tells me. "I cannot believe that Jake just punched you like that", Francine says to her. "It was an accident", Cameron told her. "Accident? Hell, I would have kicked him in the nuts if I were you, accident or not", Emily tells her. "I would have broken up with him on the spot and then started dating Greg", Margaret says out-loud. "Then it wouldn't go good on my end if that happened", I said to Margaret before turning to Cameron and asking her, "Do you need ice or anything for your eye?" "I'll be fine, thanks" she tells me. "I don't think I'm going to stay for the rest of the party", she then says out-loud. "I'm going to help this kid out. Take him to the Infirmary or back to his dorm. I was thinking about leaving anyway", I tell her.

I went over to the kid and picked him back up onto his feet. "I'll see ya later, Cameron", I then told her. "I'll see ya in class Monday, Greg. Have a good weekend", Cameron says back. I helped the kid walk away from the clubhouse and up the stairs to the path leading out of the Athletics Area. "So where to, kid?" I asked him. "Take me to the Dragon's Wing Comic Store in Bullworth Town. I have friends there waiting for me", he answers in a distorted voice. "Looks like we're going to have to take my car there", I tell him.