Scarlett
"I'm telling you, Scar, you're going to lose your virginity tonight. It's guaranteed." My best friend Gemma curls her long, dark hair as she looks at me through the our reflections in the mirror.
Bringing my knees to my chest, I hug them tightly. "You say that like I even want that to happen," I mutter.
"Please, girl. You've been telling me how horny you are for weeks."
I roll my eyes. "Being horny is one thing, but going to some stranger's sex party just to lose my virginity to some rando is another."
"First of all, he's not a stranger, I've been fucking him for two months now," Gemma corrects me. "And secondly, you're making it sound more sordid than it is. It's literally just a party. The kinky stuff is just an added bonus."
"I just don't see what people get out of it. I can't help but see it as kind of sordid."
"Anonymous sex with someone you never have to see again? That's practically online dating, babe. There's no difference. Steve and his friends just decided to make it a little more spicy."
I don't respond, knowing it would be a waste of energy to do so. Gemma has been begging me to accompany her to one of these parties for weeks now. I'd refused, but one night when I was tired of her constant whining, I'd given in and told her I would go -- if only to shut her up about it. I've regretted the decision ever since. I'm not totally sure I want to do it, and it absolutely has not succeeded in getting Gemma off of my case.
"Listen, we'll go, have some drinks and a good time, and if you absolutely hate it, I promise we'll grab a taxi and leave."
I lift an eyebrow. "You promise?"
"Pinky swear," she says, turning in her chair to stick her little finger out to me.
Shaking my head and smiling, I reach out and link pinkies together. Gemma may have a one track mind most of the time, but she's a good friend, and I trust her when she says I won't have to do anything I'm not comfortable with.
Gemma goes back to curling her hair while I stand and rifle through Gemma's wardrobe, deciding what exactly I'm going to wear tonight. I have no expectations, but there
is
a possibility I may be having sex tonight, and I want to be prepared for it. Gemma's taste in clothing is a lot more provocative than my own, so wearing something of hers will surely be the right way to go. Even if I decide I don't want anything to happen, I want to feel sexy.
"What does this Steve guy do, anyway?" I ask Gemma, pulling out a slinky red dress that looks more like underwear.
"He's a student at the university," she tells me. "Everyone in the house is."
I stop dead in my tracks. "This house isn't on Grange Road, is it?"
"No, it's on River Walk. Why?" She eyes me curiously.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, I turn back to the mass of clothes before me. "Thank god. Alex and his friends live at Grange Road."
"Oh," Gemma says, understanding my reaction. "Yeah, no worries there, girl. Last thing we want for you is to walk in and see your older brother. You're safe, I promise."
"Unless he somehow knows your fuck buddy."
"Doubtful," she responds. "It's a big university in a big city. The chances are slim."
I nod, agreeing with her. She's right. My brother Alex decided to attend university in our hometown for practical reasons, but he still moved into his own place to gain some independence. That was about two years ago, and since then, I've never crossed paths with my brother. We still see each other when he visits home, but aside from that, it's almost as if he doesn't live in the city any more. It's for that reason I'm confident tonight will be no different.
"Okay," Gemma says, hoping out of her chair. "I'm done. Your turn."
I blink at her. "My turn what?"
She waves a hand at my appearance as if that answers my question. When I don't respond, she sighs dramatically and grabs me, practically dragging me over to her vanity.
"Don't get me wrong babe, I love the beachy, natural vibe you rock. But tonight could be
the
night. You want to look the hottest you'll ever look in your entire life."
"I want that or
you
do?" I mutter.
"Hush. Okay, let's start with hair."
I sit and play on my phone as Gemma gets to play her favourite game: makeovers. I scroll through Instragram and respond to a couple of messages from my mum and other friends, and then a text comes through from Alex.
- There's going to be a Harry Potter marathon tonight at 6pm. You watching?
I smile to myself. Alex knows how much I love Harry Potter, both the books and the movies. He loves them too. In fact, the series is what bonded us as children. Before that, we were like any other siblings. He was the bossy and domineering older brother and I the annoying and clingy little sister. We would often bicker about the most childish things -- unsurprising, seeing as we were children. Finding a common interest brought us closer together, much to the relief of our parents.
Quickly, I type a reply back.
-
Busy tonight. We'll have to make some time to have our own marathon. It's been a while since I binged the movies.
Alex's reply comes in almost instantly.
-