Clique Bait - Ann Valett Page 0,34

preoccupied refilling our glasses with champagne.

“I don’t know. Be creative. Remind her why someone like her should be more careful around someone like us,” Francis said.

William rolled his eyes. “What are you going to do, throw your drink at her?”

“I want worse,” Lola said. “Worse than she did to me.”

“Is this going to be a competition?” Zach asked. “The prize, your adoration?”

Zach leaned across and made kissing noises, causing her to brush him away with a smirk.

“That’s not something easy to win, is it?” Francis said, snaking his arm around Lola. I watched Maddy, who quickly downed her drink. Level One was starting to feel like a dysfunctional family. While I could see their close relationships, the underlying tension was obviously a problem. Why were they even friends still? Maybe it was to keep their image. Or maybe it was because they were in too deep.

“Almost there!” Sophie said, finally putting her phone in her purse and grinning. “Did someone suggest a competition?”

I couldn’t even recall the name of the private school kid who owned the mansion we arrived at. All I knew was that he was from Richmond Prep, and—judging by the noise emanating from the house and the colorful lights leading a path to the back of the house—that it was exactly the kind of party I was expecting.

We made our way past the Japanese garden and straight to the huge front door, avoiding the side fence gate where most party guests seemed to be flooding into. We were VIP.

A hand clenched around mine, and for a moment my heart did a little somersault, my mind instantly jumping to William. But it was Maddy, her bright lips pulled in a broad smile.

“The dress looks great, by the way,” she said. “I love that clutch!”

I laughed nervously, feeling my cheeks heat. “Oh, thanks! You look amazing.”

Her grin grew as she swung our arms between us like children.

We went up a set of winding ivory stairs and into a bustling room, one side lined with plush sofas and the other containing gaming tables for foosball and pool. It was crowded with people, all seeming a little misplaced in their glamorous cocktail wear as they leaned over tables and balanced their cues. Unlike regular house parties, teenagers in Wandemore Valley liked to show off with high-end designer suits and dresses, as if we were adult enough to be attending sophisticated galas.

Level One was already scattering, a few of the girls sauntering toward a drink table, which held a hefty crystalline centerpiece. The guys, who seemed to know a large group of boys by the foosball table, gravitated toward the games, blending into a sea of crisply ironed shirts and well-fitted trousers. William stayed by my side with Maddy. Of all Level One, I was strangely comforted by these two the most.

“You can let your girlfriend roam free, Will,” Maddy said, snaking an arm possessively around mine. “It’s her first proper party with us, after all.”

William looked hesitant, but he gave Maddy a tight-lipped smile. He nodded in the direction of a group of unfamiliar boys. “I guess I’ll go and say hello, then.”

He rested his hand across my waist, his eyes connecting with mine for just a second. His touch lingered long enough to let me know he would return to my side within a second if I needed him.

“Now that he’s not lurking, do you want to do some shots?” Maddy offered as soon as William was out of earshot.

“Sure,” I said. I planted a sheepish smile on my lips, recalling William’s warning from yesterday. “You know, I’m really not used to drinking very much.”

“Well, tonight is a special occasion,” Maddy said perkily. I was wondering what exactly she meant by special occasion, but before I could process what she said a shot was pressed to my palm. “Drink up.”

I did as told, adding a silent promise to myself that I’d be careful about my consumption. I needed to be tipsy enough to blend in, but letting my guard down around Level One could be my downfall.

“Maddy . . . Chloe, there you are,” Sophie said as she emerged from the throng of people, her nose upturned in my direction. “Come down the hall. We’re going to play a real game.”

I looked to Maddy, who looked back at me with an unwavering smile. This was it. My first real Level One test.

Lola was in the exquisitely decorated study, perched on the corner of the mahogany desk.

“We should kick the night