Broken Hill High (Broken Hill High 1)

Her whole face turns bright red and within the blink of an eye, she throws her cherry red drink all over me. I gasp as a hundred people around me gasp as well.

I have two options here. I can either run away and cry about it, or I can own it.

I choose option two.

I’ve never been a violent person so when my hand slaps across the side of her petite face, I think I’m even more shocked than she is, though I don’t show it.

She gasps and covers a hand over her stinging face before being the one to run away in tears. “Fuck, that was hot,” Jesse says as he laughs and throws his arm over my shoulder.

I roll my eyes and step out from under him as I take another sip of my drink. I step towards the pool and hand him my drink. “I think it’s time to cool off,” I smile before launching myself into the freezing water and letting the red sticky drink wash off my skin.

“Hell, yeah,” Jesse cheers before throwing my drink over his shoulder and running full bolt towards the pool. I squeal as he launches himself into the air and over the top of me before bombing into the water and splashing all the hoity-toity girls around us.

Within two seconds, the pool is packed with bodies and I find myself on Jesse’s shoulders wresting Brooke who sits upon Maxen’s.

I’ve never had so much fun at a party in my life. I mean this is ridiculous. I’m even brave enough to say that maybe Jesse is becoming a friend, just like we used to be when we were kids. I’ve missed his friendship and I guess after all these years all I had to do was let him know he’s an idiot. Nate though, that’s going to need a lot of mending before we can get the same friendship we used to have, in fact, that bridge might be well and truly burned.

It’s well past midnight when Maxen stands and takes Brooke’s hand before disappearing upstairs. She looks back at me with a wink and I can’t help but laugh. I also can’t help but wonder which of the three rooms upstairs they’ll be taking and I hope to god it’s not mine.

Some people have disappeared from the party but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still ridiculously huge. Pizzas were ordered so I guess we can still tell the boys’ parents that we ate pizza for dinner without actually lying, but as for the rest… I don’t know.

I’m standing by the pool with Courtney, laughing as Bec twerks and grinds her ass into some guy we don’t know with a major smile on her face. “I’m going to be hearing about this all day tomorrow,” Courtney tells me with a laugh.

“I know,” I agree with a laugh as I spy Jesse just behind them, taking a girl by the hand and leading her away. “You better watch her closely or she’ll end up going home with him.”

Courtney rolls her eyes as chasing around after Bec when she’s had too much to drink has become the norm for these two. It’s a routine Courtney knows all too well, though, Bec does it just as much for her too.

I lift my cup to my mouth and notice a guy sitting across the pool watching me and Courtney, and honestly, even though it’s dark, I can tell from a mile away that he’s hot. I don’t know him though so he must be from the public school.

With the liquor going through my body, I find myself smiling at him. He grins and rises out of his chair before making his way around the pool. “Wowza,” Courtney says from beside me.

“Oh yeah,” I agree.

The guy comes over and stops beside me. “Hey,” he says, offering me his hand. “I’m Jackson. I don’t think I’ve met you before.”

“No, I don’t think so either,” I tell him as I take his hand. “I’m Tora.”

“Tora?” he questions, bringing my hand up and pressing the softest kiss to my skin. “That’s different.”

I look up at him while giving him my best man-eating smile. “Yeah, my-”

Courtney clears her throat and cuts me off. “I think I hear Bec calling.” She grins and backs away, leaving me alone with Mr. Ladies’ Man.

The second we’re alone, Jackson steps into me and brings his hand up. He runs it down the side of my face and sends shivers all over my body. “You want to get out of here?”

I step away as my back stiffens. I wasn’t expecting that. I was hoping for a little flirting, maybe an intense make-out session, but not to be asked to leave with him within the first two seconds of meeting. “Wow,” I say to mask my unease. “You’re confident.”