Chapter 9

I watched as Marissa's arrival sent a ripple through our little gathering. Her bright pink hair and matching bikini made her hard to miss, and her loud, shrill voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Tyler, baby! I've been looking all over for you!" she squealed, throwing herself at him like a rag doll.

Tyler's expression was a mix of annoyance and resignation as he caught her, his eyes darting towards us with a "help me" look. I felt a surge of irritation. Marissa was already living up to her reputation.

Marissa's gaze soon landed on Bree, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Briana Miller? Is that you?" she asked, her voice laced with venom.

Well, what do your eyes see? She was definitely dumb. Or maybe the alcohol was finally getting to me and bringing out my bitchy side. I was already on my third can. At least my thoughts were diverted now.

Bree raised an eyebrow, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Marissa. Long time no see. I see you're still as... vibrant as ever."
Something about the way she said it brought me pleasure.

Marissa's face twisted in a scowl. "Bree. I didn't know you were back in town."

Bree shrugged. "Just visiting. You know how it is."

Marissa's gaze lingered on Bree for a moment before moving on to me. And her expression changed in an instant.

"And who's this?" she asked, her tone dripping with disdain.

Bree jumped in before I could respond. "Marissa, this is Andy, my roommate. Andy, this is Marissa."

"Nice to meet you" I managed to say as I forced a smile.

Marissa's eyes scanned me up and down before dismissing me with a flick of her wrist. "Oh, great. Another one of Bree's charity cases, I presume?"

I blame myself for even giving her the benefit of the doubt.

I felt a surge of irritation at her tone.

"I'm not a mirror, Marissa" I said, my voice dangerously calm, it almost scared even me. This was the part of taking alcohol I didn't like but in this case, I didn't mind.

Marissa scowled.
"Hey new rat, you don't know me. Mind your tongue" she said and I rolled my eyes.

"I wish you'd cut yours off" I bit back and she gasped.
I chuckled as she turned red, before squeezing the empty can in my hand and reaching for another one. She was scared, I could see it but she tried to hide it.

"You're ugly " she said and I laughed. She clearly had nothing else to say.

"Adorable" I muttered before raising the cold can to my lips.

She opened her mouth to talk again but Bree just rolled her eyes and cut her off. "Marissa, stop."

The tension between us was palpable, and Emily shifted uncomfortably in her seat. But Marissa didn't seem to notice, too caught up in her own drama.

Marissa's gaze lingered on me for a moment before she cleared her throat and turned back to Tyler.
"So, what's going on baby? Want to hit that new club that just opened up? I heard it's open on Sundays."

Tyler shook his head. "Nah, Marissa, I'm good. I'm just hanging out with my friends tonight."

Marissa's eyes rolled. "Oh, great. You're still wasting your time with these losers?"

Tyler's expression turned stern. "That's enough, Marissa. They are better than you'll ever be. At least they don't manipulate and use people for their own entertainment."

Marissa's face twisted in a scowl, taken aback by Tyler's sharp retort. "Excuse me?"

Tyler stood his ground. "You heard me. So, either chill out or leave us alone."

Marissa's eyes flashed with anger before she turned and stormed off, leaving us in an uncomfortable silence.

Bree shook her head. "Well, that was fun."

Tyler rubbed his temples. "I'm just tired of her drama."

Emily nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but we all know she'll be back. She can't resist playing the victim and getting attention from Tyler."

Tyler sighed. "I know."

Then the trio turned to me as I swirled the drink in my hand.

"What the hell was that, Andy?" Bree spoke first and I shrugged.

"What?! I'm sorry but you know I can't help being this way when I-" I started but then she cut me off again.

"That was amazing!" She exclaimed and Emily nodded in agreement.

"Did you see her face?" She asked and everyone burst into laughter.

"Seriously though, it's like the first time I've ever seen anyone really stand up to her. Well, apart from Bree and Emily. Alright to be fair, she doesn't have the balls to even stand up to them but new people are like her favorites and you like did a number on her already and-" Tyler just kept on rambling and Emily sighed.

"He's getting drunk" she explained and I hummed in understanding.

It made me happy though. What he said. It made me feel so good. I'm glad I happened to be semi tipsy at that moment. I would much rather stay quiet if I wasn't. I'm super glad I did not let her trample all over me.

"Drunk? Absolutely not. There's still a party tonight. I'm not wasting getting drunk now" he said, his words slurring over each other.

I frowned slightly.
"A party?" I asked, confusedly.

"Yeah. You didn't think I got you all dressed up just to come chill? There's a bonfire party tonight. It'll start in a few minutes even" she said and I sighed before looking down at myself. I was wearing black high waist shorts with a flower patterned crop top. Beneath it was a bikini set.

Bree had also forced me to wear a little bit of make up. Nothing too much. Eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss. That's all. I mean, at first I had assumed it was for a party but then we got here and I assumed she just wanted me to make a good first impression with her friends.

I looked at Bree, who was grinning mischievously.
"You didn't think you were getting off that easy, did you?" she asked, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "I guess not."

As we sat there, laughing and joking, Emily suddenly stood up. "Hey, guys? I think the party's starting."

Bree looked at her watch. "Yeah, it's about that time. Let's go!"

Tyler stood up, swaying slightly. "Come on, let's go. The party's waiting."

Emily stood up, laughing. "And so is the music. I can hear it from here."

Bree turned to me, grinning. "Ready for this?"

I nodded, smiling. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Lie. I wasn't ready.

As we approached the bonfire, I made sure I followed them closely, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. I had never been to a bonfire party before, and I wasn't sure what to expect.

As we walked, the upbeat music got louder and the lights from the bonfire came into view. I could see people dancing and laughing, and the smell of burning wood, s'mores and beer filled the air.

Bree grabbed my hand, pulling me into the crowd. "Let's go have some fun!"

I laughed, feeling a sense of freedom wash over me. Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad after all.