Chapter 6 - An American Flavour

Eleven days later, it was Thursday night, and the party was set to start any minute. I’d gone balls out with the New York theme and the party planner had done a fantastic job setting everything up. The party was going to cost me nearly 20 000$ but it was going to be worth every penny.
I was still completely pissed off at Zach, who had gone from my A-list to my shit list in a matter of minutes, and I was hoping that he wouldn’t come. Because if he did come to the party I knew that I would do something stupid. I was mad at him for thinking that I would be jealous. He was my friend, not my boyfriend. I wanted him to be happy. If this chick made him happy, great.
But the fact was, by coming to town and not even telling me he was here, he was saying that he didn’t trust me. He thought that I thought he was more then a friend and he couldn’t trust me not to freak out.
I had been fuming ever since that day in St. Paul. I sat fuming in the hairdresser’s chair after school as I had my hair done as I flipped through a magazine. My dress was waiting for me at the venue and I was ready to get drunk. I snapped my finger. “Jaqui.” I snapped to the my Grandmama’s second personal assistant who had been loaned to me for the week of the party. “Yes Miss?” She asked.
“Get me an Absolut now.” I snapped, feeling irritable.
“But Miss you aren’t, I mean you’re not…. That is to say legally….”
“Now Jaqui.” I snapped.
“Yes Miss Kallista.” She replied, remembering that in my world, the legal drinking age was just a suggestion.
“That’s better.” I said.
The hairdresser laughed. “She’s new huh Miss Kallista?”
I shook my head. “I really wish that Grandmama would quit sending me her new assistants to test out.” I said. “It gets really grating after awhile.”
“Well I’m done.” She said, turning me in the chair so I could see the mirror. “What do you think Miss?”
My hair was billowy and curly. It looked stellar. “Angela thank you!” I gushed; actually feeling excited about the party now. I was going to look fantastic.
“You’re welcome Miss.” She said with a smile, knowing full well that this was going to earn her a big tip. “Now you go over to Maurice and tell him all about your dress so that he can pick the right make up for you Miss.”
“Thank you Angela.” I said again as she removed my cape and I stood and headed over to the make up area of the salon.
I air kissed Maurice quickly. “The dress is turquoise and barely there.” I told him as I sat; knowing that was what he needed to know. I looked around. “Where the hell is Jaqui with my drink?” I wonder out loud.
“Here Miss Kallista.” She said breathless, handing me the bottle.
“It’s about time.” I snapped.
“Yes Miss, I’m sorry Miss.”
Maurice snickered. The man is an absolute genius. One of the reasons I sent for him from St. Paul. He knew how to make anyone look fantastic. He always said that it wasn’t hard to make me look fantastic, but still, it was nice to go to a party feeling and looking like a million bucks.
And a few hours later, that’s just what I was doing. I’d been at the hall for a couple of hours and had been drinking for a couple of hours. (Not surprisingly) Around 8:00 I called. “Jaqui!”
“Yes Miss Kallista?” She asked.
“Send Juan to Shattuck’s to get Sidney, Drew and Jacky.” I said.
“Yes Miss Kallista, right away Miss.” She replied.
An hour later the party was officially underway. Most of the guys from school had shown up, along with those girls who were smart enough to realize that if they wanted to see any boys tonight, the school dance was not the best place to go…. The only guys there would lower classmen and a couple of upper classmen that I either didn’t like, or were too nerdy for a party like mine.
It wasn’t long after that that I looked up at the door and saw Zach standing there, with a cute brunette on his arm. He looked stellar in his tux, as always, and deep down I wasn’t surprised that he was here. I grabbed a glass of Cris (Cristal was reserved for my table and those I sent it to only), down it quickly and headed over to him.
“I thought I told you that you were uninvited Parisé.” I said as way of a greeting as I grabbed a bottle of Absolut off a passing server’s tray.
“I know Kally but….”
“What did I tell you about calling me that?” I snapped, downing about half the bottle. “You’re drunk.” He said.
“No shit Sherlock.” I snapped taking another swig of my drink. “I mean, my supposed best friend didn’t trust me and turns out to be just as big of an ass as most of the guys I know, and the worst part of it, is that I trusted him.”
“Kally I’d like you to meet my girlfriend Christina.” He said, presenting me with the petite brunette on his arm.
I finished off my bottle. “Watch out for this one.” I warned her. Then I grinned wickedly. “Have you fucked him yet?” I asked.
“Kally….” Zach said warningly.
The girl blushed, so I knew immediately that she has. “I’m not sure that that’s any of your business.” She said tightly.
“Well either way.” I said, pointedly ignoring Zach. “You’ll owe me when you do.” I told her. “I taught him everything he knows, and then he practiced with me until it was perfect. So every time you get off with him, you can think of me and thank me.” I told her. “Because trust me darling, when I first got him in bed, he thought being big meant that he didn’t need to know how to use it.”
With that I walked away, despite Zach’s efforts to grab my arm and pull me back. I brushed him off. I wasn’t going to get him kicked out, which I could easily have done, but I definitely was not going to enjoy his presence. Nor would he enjoy mine… I would see to it. I grabbed another glass of Cris off my table. I was definitely intoxicated and it was just going to get worse as the night wore on. I smiled as Sidney wandered over, looking far too sexy in his Armani tux with his lightly curling black hair.
“Hey kid.” I said, taking a far more ladylike sip of my drink then I had been.
“Damn Kally.” He said his eyes raking my body the way they had that day at the seamstresses’, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. “You look smoking hot.”
“Thanks kid.” I said, as nonchalantly as I could manage. “Having a good time?” I asked, taking another sip of my drink.
“Definitely.” He said taking a swig of his Heineken. “Thanks for inviting me. This is better then any school dance I’ve ever been too.”
“No problem kid.” I said. “That’s why I throw them. The dances at Shattuck’s suck ass. In fact, the chaperones actually use the balloon method. Apparently you’re too close to someone if you can’t fit a balloon between your bodies.” I rolled my eyes before continuing. “You’re actually probably my favourite guest at the moment.” I informed him, my tongue well oiled thanks to all the booze I’d been drinking.
“Not Zach?” He asked, looking surprised.
“Zach can fuck himself for all I care kid.” I snapped angrily.
“Want to dance?” He asked, changing the subject again. The music was blaring, and some people were stumbling around the dance floor, but the dancing hadn’t really started. “Can you dance kid?” I asked.
He shrugged. “We enough I suppose.”
“Well then, let’s get the dance floor started kid.” I said, downing the rest of my Cris before grabbing his hand and leading him out to the dance floor. The next hour or so was a blur. I danced with Sidney, with Jacky and with Drew, ignoring all the upperclassmen (other than Drew of course) and townies I’d invited, and completely ignoring Zach. I was completely wasted. I could see some of the girls and guys taking bets on who I was going to fuck that night, Drew, Jacky or Sid. I never left this party without getting laid. It was one of the reasons I threw it every year.
Yet I knew I was not going to sleep with a sophomore. I just couldn’t. Plus I didn’t want to do anything with Sidney that he’d regret later. I knew that he was the one I’d known forever, but I wasn’t sure if he felt the same way about me. I mean, he thought I was hot, but every guy here probably thought I was hot.
Well except for a couple of guys that I knew were gay, even if they didn’t know it yet. Even they probably appreciated my good taste. At one point, I caught Zach watching me and saw Sidney groping some townie chick, so I grabbed the closest hot townie, a 21 year old named Shawn, and ground my hips into his legs, dancing as dirtily as my dress would allow me too.
Shawn grinned down at me. “It’s nice to see you too Kallista.” He said with a grin. “Whatever.” I said, snapping my fingers at Jaqui, indicating I wanted another drink. She signaled a server and I had an Absolut in my hands quickly. Downing most of it, I continued dancing with Shawn, while watching Zach, who was watching me as he danced with Christina. I smiled and laughed loudly. If Zach was going to be an ass then I was going to remind him just how much of a bitch I could be.
The night flew by. The next thing I know, Shawn was trying to get me into his truck, to take me to watch the sunrise. I knew full well that it was a line, but the fact was, I hadn’t decided whether or not I wanted to go with him. I watched as most of my guests left. Sidney, Drew and Jacky had left a couple of hours of ago and Juan had taken them back.
Or at least I assumed that Sidney had gone with Drew and Jack. He was no where to be found after they left. Though he could have left with the chick he was all over, not that I really wanted to think about that at all.
Zach however, was still there and I could see him arguing with Christina. “Come on Kallista….” Shawn slurred, a beer still in his hand. “Come watch the sun rise with me….”
Juan hadn’t come back for me apparently. And where the hell was Jaqui? I glanced around wildly. I was not walking back to Shattuck’s in these shoes. If Jaqui and Juan were together somewhere I was going to kill them before I fired their asses.
“I have to wait for everyone to leave Shawn….” I explained drunkenly. “Then I have to help the cleaners start their jobs.”
He was kissing my neck and mumbling something into my neck. Because he wasn’t talking, I could hear what Zach was saying to Christina. “He’s all over her Chrissy and she’s too drunk for this.”
“She’s your EX Zach.” She said angrily. “Who cares? For that matter why the hell do you still care?”
“She is also my friend Chrissy.” He said, looking from me to her and back again. I caught his gaze, my eyes pleading with him, I elbowed Shawn the stomach, causing him to stumble away from me.
“Zachie….” I cried flinging myself at him.
“Just let me get her back to the dorms Chrissy.” Zach said.
“First it was back to campus, now its back to the dorms. Next thing you know you’ll be carrying her upstairs.” Christina snapped.
I glared at her. “Don’t talk to Zachie like that.” I snapped. “You barely fucking know him.”
“Kally don’t try and help right now please.” Zach said, his eyes pleading with me.
“No.” I snapped. “Tonight has been a mother fucking gong show. First you show up when I uninvited you, and you bring her with you.” I said jerking my thumb in her direction. “Then the kid is all over some townie bitch, then Shawn won’t take no for an answer and Jaqui and Juan have both fucking disappeared, leaving at the mercy of this… this… mid-west townie.” “And just who do you think you are?” Christina snapped angrily at me. “Calling anyone a mid-west townie?”
I snorted. “I am Kallista Ashira Ormonde-Van Steen of the New York Van Steen’s.” I told her. “When I turn 21 and I get my trust fund I’ll be worth 21 million.” I looked her up and down. She was wearing a total rip off of a Donatella Versaci. “You’ll never be worth that much in your life if that dress is any indication.”
“Kally….” Zach said warningly.
“Zachie I thought I taught you better then this.” I told him, looking her up and down critically. “I put you in Armani and you bring an outlet mall bargain? What’s up with that?” Christina flushed at my words. “Come on Zach.” She said. “I am not going to stand here and be insulted by this two-bit whore.”
“Darling I may be a whore, but I cost far, far more then two-bits. Think of me later when Zachie’s making it up to you.” I taunted her.
“Kally!” Zach snapped. “Let’s get you back to the dorms.”
“No way.” Christina said tapping her foot. “You can take her, or you can take me.” “Fine.” I said, tossing my hair over my shoulder. “I’ll go with Shawn.”
“You will not.” Zach snapped. “You are not getting in that truck Kally, he’s drunk. You’ll probably never make it back to Shattuck’s if you do.”
“Who cares?” I replied, tears filling my eyes despite myself. “No one would miss me.” “That’s not true Kally and you know it.” Zach said, his eyes compassionate.
“I wouldn’t.” Christina muttered.
“Fine.” I snapped. “Maybe you’d miss me, but that’s it. Stoney would be thrilled to get rid of me.”
Suddenly Sidney appeared from the shadows. “Zach, take Christina.” He said. “I’ll take Kally.”
“Kid?” I asked turning slowly to face him.
“I’d miss you Kally.” He said softly, gathering me into his arms and smoothing my hair with a gentle hand, glaring at Christina over my head. “I’d miss you too.”