Before you get confused, this is a FLASHBACK! The scenario was mentioned in the previous chapter and I just felt the need to write more about it. So...flashback!
(But I hope everyone still enjoys it! I think it lends some interesting history to our two lovebirds.)
The sound of thudding party music and masses of voices grew louder as they walked down the sidewalk and closer to their destination. They passed several sprawling mansions in the dark, each with giant Greek letters adhering to the front walls, before stopping in front of the source of all the commotion.
The single story mansion had a large front lawn occupied by at least two dozen people who were covered in tufts of white foam. The roof of the building was flat, which seemed out of place when compared to the towering Victorian style home next door, but the flat surface served as yet more space for partygoers to occupy. A railing wrapping around the edge thankfully acted as a deterrent to anyone slipping and falling off of the roof, as there was nearly a foot of white foam covering the mansion like a layer of snow. Darkness and crammed in bodies could be seen directly inside the open front door.
Blake sighed as the loud music and overwhelming stench of spilled alcohol assaulted her senses.
"Remind me why we're here again?" she asked for the tenth time.
"Because we're almost done with college and have earned the right to have fun!" Penny remarked in her usual upbeat voice, although Blake could tell that her orange haired friend was apprehensive.
Blake nodded her head slowly.
The premise of the…gathering…did seem intriguing - it was just the actual attendees that bothered her. But, she had promised to go with Penny since her friend had been reluctant to go alone.
Penny would just owe her one later.
"Alright, let's go then," she said as she strode forward, brushing past a few groups of people standing on the sidewalk while she approached the front door.
Slipping inside, she gave her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the low/nonexistent lighting.
The inside of the house was packed with people laughing, talking, or dancing. Red plastic cups and aluminum cans were occupying the hands of almost everyone there, but the most noticeable thing was the several feet of white foam covering the entire floor. It was sticking to the walls and the partiers. People were throwing handfuls of the fluffy substance everywhere as a machine in the corner of the giant living room continued to spew more foam to replace whatever might be lost under trampled feet.
She was really thankful that Penny had advised her to wear shoes and clothing she didn't care about getting soaked in. Her flip flops, tank top, and shorts certainly hadn't seemed like appropriate party attire, but she actually blended in quite well. Other students were either wearing similar clothing or were wearing bathing suits - some complete with pool floats.
As she stepped forward into the mound of foam, she could see why. The material was light, but also had a damp quality to it that left her clothing already feeling quite moist.
"So…what now?" Penny yelled above the music from beside her, eyes glistening with excitement as she took in the level of foam around her.
Blake couldn't help laughing at how happy Penny looked. She reached down and scooped up a huge handful of foam and dropped it directly on the top of Penny's head.
"I guess we do whatever we want!" she shouted in response, failing to dodge Penny's retaliation as the girl tossed a fistful of foam towards her face.
Penny giggled while Blake wiped the material from her nose, trying not to get any in her mouth. The two of them played in the foam for several more moments until both of them were covered from head to toe. They explored the house afterward, being jostled more than a few times by the inebriated students roaming around.
Two aluminum cans were shoved into their hands by a shirtless boy who was wearing what appeared to be a pillowcase over his head. He gave them a wink before he continued through the room, handing cans to anyone who was empty handed.
Penny opened hers and took a drink, scrunching her nose in disgust at the taste as Blake followed suit.
"Bleh…they really bought the good stuff, didn't they?" Blake said as she choked down the foul fluid. Definitely not something she wanted to drink again.
But Penny just shrugged and took another sip, managing to make a slightly less disgusted face this time.
"I can get you the good stuff if you'd like."
Both of them turned to find a tall boy speaking to them. The cocky smirk on his face instantly rubbed Blake the wrong way. Crew cut brown hair, tank top, swim trunks, overly exercised biceps with an ego the size of a blimp…he was exactly the type of guy Blake had been actively trying to avoid the last several years.
"We're good, thank you," Blake replied as politely as possible, turning back to Penny only to find that her friend had abandoned her. She spotted the girl across the room speaking animatedly to someone she must know, leaving Blake to fend for herself with crew cut boy.
"I haven't seen you at any of our parties before. Do you go to school here?" he asked, flashing a charming smile her way.
"Yes, I do," she answered curtly, not willing to offer anymore information to him than necessary.
"Huh…you must have just transferred in, because I know I would have noticed someone as beautiful as you walking around campus."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
How many other girls had he used that exact same line on?
"You must have pretty poor eyesight then."
The comment made him laugh. Not altogether a horrible sound…
"That may be, but I am definitely seeing clearly now." He leaned forward as he spoke, giving Blake a great whiff of the alcohol on his breath.
She cringed and didn't respond, wondering if it would be acceptable for her to just walk away - she didn't really see him getting the picture otherwise.
After a few seconds of silence, he decided to try again.
"I'm Cardin, by the way. Cardin Winchester."
He said his last name as if she should recognize it, sticking out his hand proudly to shake hers.
She shook his hand, humoring his final attempt to impress her. She had heard of the Winchesters. They had built a legitimate real estate empire in the city - but why she would be impressed for something his parents had accomplished, she had no idea. The fact that he had money meant nothing to her.
"It's nice to meet you, Cardin Winchester," she replied with the same emphasis on his last name. "I need to get back to my friend now, so maybe we'll talk later."
Or never, she thought as she pointed in the direction she had last seen Penny and she slipped away from the dumbstruck boy. She was pretty sure that very few girls resisted that second line of his, if any.
Of course, Penny was now nowhere to be seen, but at least she had escaped crew cut boy.
After searching for a few more seconds, she gave up. It was nearly impossible to see people inside, especially when they were all covered in gobs of white foam. Penny had her phone with her; she would call Blake when she was ready to leave.
Feeling like she needed to get some air, she made her way out the back door of the building and found herself in a backyard patio area.
There was a pool taking up a majority of the space, with small clumps of foam floating on the surface of the water. People on the roof above her were walking around and talking, happily throwing foam onto the people below.
Blake walked slowing around the very edge of the pool, still searching to see if Penny was outside somewhere. Not seeing her, Blake turned her attention towards the rooftop.
She still didn't find Penny, but a small commotion near the entrance to the rooftop did catch her attention.
A large crowd of students had just appeared on top of the mansion, hooting and hollering in drunken excitement while they made their way towards the railing. Another crowd came outside downstairs, gathering around the sides of the pool while looking up towards the roof.
Blake stood her ground by the pool and watched curiously as a girl stepped up to the railing, causing everyone to cheer.
The girl was gorgeous. Blonde hair, super good shape, with a smile radiant enough to win even Blake over. She had an aura surrounding her that seemed to capture everyone's attention - drawing all eyes in her direction. And when the blonde raised both hands over her head, cheers and whistles sounded from everyone watching.
Blake felt her brow crease in concern.
This girl wasn't about to do what Blake thought she was…was she?
"Wow, she's pretty!"
She jumped at the sound of Penny's voice, not having noticed her friend reappearing by her side while her eyes had been trained on the blonde.
"Yeah, pretty stupid," Blake responded cheekily as the crowds began to chant.
"Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!"
Her concern rose exponentially when the blonde took a few steps backwards in order to give herself a running start. Blake realized that the girl would actually need to somehow clear the railing while maintaining momentum, or she was never going to make it to the water - the pool was too far from the house.
Someone has got to stop her, Blake thought in panic while everyone else looked on in anticipation of watching this girl likely kill herself. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but the blonde was already racing across the rooftop.
She could only watch in riveted horror as the girl approached the railing, only to have her eyes widen in surprise when the girl leapt gracefully, planting one foot firmly on the top of the railing and propelling herself off of the rooftop. After sailing through the air for a half second, she hit the water in a perfect dive, hardly making a splash.
Everyone erupted in cheers while the girl swam towards the edge of the pool. Blake was forced to take a small step backwards when the girl pulled herself out of the water directly in front of her.
Water dripped from her soaked clothing as she flipped her mess of wet blonde hair out of her face. When the two of them briefly locked eyes, Blake was surprised to find herself falling into seas of lilac - deep and sharp, unlike the glassy appearances of the people surrounding them. It took less than an instant for an easy smile to appear on the blonde's face.
"Hi," the girl directed warmly at her, smile widening.
"Hello," Blake replied instinctually, surprised that the girl had actually spoken to her. She could feel her cheeks warming from the way the girl was looking at her, lilac eyes filled with an avid curiosity that was completely disarming.
But the spell was broken a second later. The two of them were swept apart as other students clamored to speak to the girl, congratulating her and asking if she'd do it again, this time for a video.
Blake turned back to Penny, realizing that her heart had been beating incredibly quickly - probably from fear of watching someone seriously injure themselves right in front of her.
"Well, thanks for abandoning me earlier with that creep!" Blake said as she playfully knocked Penny in the shoulder with the back of her hand.
"I'm really sorry! I saw one of my closest friends and just had to say hello before she leaves for the summer," Penny said remorsefully before lighting up again.
"Oh, but I need to introduce you to her! She said she was leaving but maybe she's still here! I think that the two of you would be great friends - and then we could all be great friends together!"
Penny grabbed Blake's hand and pulled her back inside the house while Blake rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
"Do we get to go home afterward?" she asked facetiously, making Penny to giggle while they waded back into the foam in search of this mysterious person.
"Come on, Blake! This night is going to be spectacular!"
Blake laughed at Penny's zeal, which had ceased to fade over the time they had been in school together.
But Penny was right - school was nearly over and soon they would be forced out into the world on their own. And maybe she wasn't ready to jump off of rooftops into swimming pools...but it was past time for her to start having a little more fun.