Chapter 5: The Great Party

So, it’s September 4th—the night before my best friend’s birthday and the night before my biggest crush outing. Looking back, I realize this was the last night before my whole world changed—the last night I had a chance to make good decisions. Because after this night, all I could see was red.

So, as you know, I was supposed to go as Courtney’s plus one to her party, but then things changed. Of course, they did! Emma called, asking if she could be my plus one to Courtney’s party, and what did I say? “Why not?” Really, Ethan? Why. Not? I don’t know, maybe because you already have a date and it’s your smoking hot best friend, who you like and who might actually like you back. But yeah, I said yes. So now, once again, I had to figure out how I was going to pull this off.

I sat there, trying to think. But come on, this is Courtney’s party, and she’s my best friend—my super attractive best friend—and let’s be real, I’m choosing her. Given the choice between Emma and Courtney, it’s Courtney every time. So, I gathered up my courage, ready to tell Emma she couldn’t come because I was already paired with someone else. I mean, it’s just a dumb party, right?

Wrong. It wasn’t just a dumb party. It was a party at Eden Valley, the place every college kid dreams of throwing a party at, but only those with deep connections could actually pull it off—connections that Emma had. So, yeah, Emma knew what was up. In fact, Emma knew a lot. Actually, everyone seemed to be all-knowing today.

So, there I was, staring at my phone, nervous as hell, waiting for Emma to pick up. Finally, she answered.

“Heyy, Emma. How are you doing?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from cracking, but failing miserably.

“Heyy, baby. I’m great. What, missing me? Talk to me, baby, I’m all yours,” she purred, making what I had to say infinitely more difficult.

Well, that’s just great, Emma. You’re making this really hard for me. So, I decided to skip the play and dive right in.

“So, there’s something I want to talk to you about,” I said, trying to sound serious.

“Geez, Mr. Serious Guy… Well, let’s have it,” she said, clearly amused.

I took a deep breath, mustering every ounce of courage. “See, I’ve been speaking to the party organizers. I wanted to tell them I finally found a date…”

“Okay, and?” she prompted.

“So, they told me they had already paired me with someone, and it’s no longer possible to change. And, uh, it’s one invitation card…”

“Why are you lying?” she cut in, her voice low.

“Listen, baby, I’m not lying. The thing is—”

“Let me stop you there,” she snapped. “So now you’re calling me baby? You never call me baby, just because you want to lie to me.”

“Listen, baby, I was paired by—”

“Shut up, Ethan!” she interrupted, putting some serious emphasis on my name. And when I say emphasis, I mean she was practically spitting fire. So, reader, please—when you read that “Ethan,” imagine it dripping with attitude. Anyway, she said, “Shut up, Ethan. I’m still talking, and stop calling me baby if that’s the reason why you start using that term. You might as well not. And this ‘paired with’—paired with who? Courtney? Yeah, I know she asked you out and you said yes. To be precise, you said, ‘I would love to.’”

Wait, what? How the hell does she know that? To this day, I still don’t know, but as I said, people today just happened to be all-knowing.

“Come on, speak, Ethan! So now you’re taking your siblings on dates? You said she’s like a sister to you, didn’t you? Now let me tell you, we don’t take crap here, so let’s hear you apologize right now!”

“Okay, sorry, Emma. See, Courtney is my best friend, and she asked me first. And I didn’t think the news about the party at the great Eden Valley would get to you—so stupid of me. But when you called me, I forgot about Courtney because I really liked the sound of going with you. So, please forgive me.”

“Okay, what you just said is bullshit too, but it’s okay, I forgive you. Never lie to me again.”

Phew! Crisis averted…or so I thought. Now that she knew, I still had to figure out how to convince her to let me go to the party with Courtney. At least, that’s what I was thinking until she dropped the bomb.

“You know, it’s really hot right now, and I’m in my favorite pink underwear. Wanna see it? But you know what, maybe you can get lucky tomorrow and see it… And who knows, you might do a lot more.”

Okay, so at this point, I was pumped up—like, seriously hyped—and my inner demon decided to chime in: “Boy, if you don’t go with her right now, me and you are going to have a very serious problem.” And I quickly said, “You know what, yeah. See you tomorrow, baby.”

And please, dear reader, when you read that “baby,” imagine me throwing in a flirt, a smirk, and a whole lot of attitude. And she hyped me up right back, saying, “Ohh, I like that,” with a pause, before throwing it right back at me: “Baby.”

So, even though the call started shaky, it ended pretty well. But what was I going to do about Courtney? I know, I know—I said given an option, I would go for Courtney, and right now, I feel like I do have an option. But shifting from a sibling kind of love to full romance in one night? Not easy. I wouldn’t be as comfortable with Courtney as I would be with Emma.

I mean, Courtney is hot too, but Emma? Emma’s got curves, she’s attractive as hell, and that’s what drew me to her in the first place—nothing to do with emotional connection. With Emma, I could go full force, but with Courtney? I can’t even picture it in my head. I’d have to learn how to like her in a girlfriend way, and honestly, that terrifies me. Plus, there’s a major detail about Courtney that I haven’t shared with you yet, which makes things even worse.

So, I decided to call Courtney and tell her I couldn’t come. Well, more like blackmail her with guilt because of something I know. I dialed her number, and she answered almost immediately.

“Heyy, sweetheart, how are you doing?” she said, full of enthusiasm.

“Hey, sweety. Well, not so great,” I replied, my voice low.

“What’s up? Everything okay? Talk to me,” she said, concern evident.

“About tomorrow, I’ve been thinking, and I don’t think you should take me as your plus one to your party,” I said.

“What? You’re kidding, right, sweetheart?” she replied, shocked.

“No, I’m really not. I thought about it, and… no,” I said firmly.

“But come on, we arranged this, and you agreed! You know I would love to be with you as I finally turn 21. You’ve been the person I’ve been with all the time, that’s why I asked you and—”

Before she could finish, I interrupted. “What about Michael? You know, your boyfriend?”

Well well let me take you back.

Before Michael got a scholarship to study here at the University of Cairo, he was already making waves in our social circle. See, he used to visit our school during sports events, and man, Michael was something else. He was the type of guy everyone noticed—a real head-turner with his sharp bone structure and that perfectly styled black hair. And to top it all off, he was a biker with a physique that made him look like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. But that wasn’t even the best part—Michael was a master with the electric guitar, the kind of guy who could make any girl’s heart race just by strumming a few chords. Girls were totally crazy about him, and I get it, he had that whole cool guy vibe down to a science.

Michael was so good that he won every music competition, every year, without even breaking a sweat. That’s how we became friends—we were both into music, so naturally, we got close. And through that, he got closer to Courtney. Now, Courtney was known for being hard to get, the kind of girl who could make a guy work for her attention. But somehow, Michael managed to break through her walls and win her over, and they decided to keep their relationship on the down-low.

But here’s the thing: Michael was a guy, and guys talk, right? He just had to tell someone about his conquest, and who better to spill the beans to than his close buddy—me. The same day he hooked up with Courtney, he ran straight to me to brag about it. At this point, I was madly in love with Courtney, so you can imagine how that news hit me. It was like a gut punch. But Michael didn’t know I had feelings for her, so he kept going, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.

He started telling me about how soft her touch was, and I could feel my blood beginning to boil. Then he went on about how warm her hug was, and now I was stomping my feet, trying to keep it together. But it was too much. When he talked about how soft her lips were—the lips I’d been dreaming of kissing for years—I was barely holding it in. I started breathing heavily, and I could feel this primal growl rising from deep within me. But Michael didn’t notice; he was too caught up in his own story. barely holding it together. My breathing grew heavier, and that’s when the demon inside me started whispering, louder and louder, urging me to let go.

“He’s kissing the girl you’ve wanted for years,” the demon snarled in my mind. “And you’re just going to stand here and listen? You’re pathetic. Let me out. Let me show him who really deserves her.”

Michael, still oblivious, continued, “The boys said she’s hard to get, but she’s the easiest I’ve ever had.”

That was the breaking point. The demon’s voice rose to a roar, mocking me. “Your girl is kissing someone else, and you’re too weak to do anything about it! You’re nothing compared to him! Let me out, and I’ll show him what happens when he messes with what’s yours!”

 He even had the nerve to say, “The boys were saying she’s hard to get, but she’s the easiest I’ve ever had.”

That was it. That was the moment I lost it. The demon inside me, the one I’ve fought so hard to keep under control, found an opening. I felt this icy cold rage spreading through my veins, and I knew I was losing the battle. My eyes started to glow orange, and everything around me took on this fiery hue. My muscles swelled, power coursing through me like a tidal wave. My nails grew into claws, sharp and deadly. Michael was still talking, completely unaware of the transformation happening right in front of him, until he finally noticed my change. He freaked out, stumbling backward, but it was too late. I started moving toward him, and that’s when he pulled out his taser and hit me with it full blast. The electricity coursed through me, and I collapsed, the demon’s hold on me slipping away as I returned to normal.

But Michael didn’t leave me there. He picked me up, threw me on the back of his bike, and took me to his place. He took care of me, gave me water, and made sure I was okay. It was only after I’d fully recovered that I told him my secret.

Yeah, I went there. And she froze for a moment before asking, “So, what do you know about Michael?”

“I know everything. Absolutely everything, and that’s why I think you should go with him,” I said.

Remember how I said everyone is just all-knowing tonight? Well, Courtney had a few tricks up her sleeve too.

“So, you’ve decided to show up with Emmaculate to the party,” she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

What?! How the hell does she know that? Now I’m the one who’s shocked.

“I see, you know about Emma. Well, let me take her, and you can go with Michael,” I replied.

Courtney sighed. “I knew about Emmaculate all along, and she’s a good-looking girl. I really thought you wanted to go with her, but I was very happy when you agreed to go with me. My guess is she hadn’t asked you yet, and now that she has, you’ve decided to take her. You know what? I had prepared myself for this. Why do you think I gave you a card too when you were my plus one? It’s okay. Goodbye. See you at the party, Ethan.” And she cut the call.

Well, I’m not feeling too great about Courtney right now. But come on, I have Emma, and she’s promising me a lot tomorrow, so I’m just going to sleep on that.

With all the phone arguments finally behind me, I managed to catch some sleep. And in what felt like the blink of an eye, it was already morning. Time to get moving. I ironed my white suit meticulously—since the theme was all white with just a splash of red. Funny enough, this white suit was from a wedding I attended a while back. It’s actually my only suit, and if I had to guess, maybe that’s why Courtney picked these colors. She’s sneaky like that.

Once I finished ironing Emma’s outfit too, I headed for a bath. And let me tell you, I wasn’t playing games with this bath. I took my sweet time, making sure every inch of me looked good. After what felt like forever, I slipped into my white suit and shiny black church shoes. I can confidently say my whole outfit was fire. I mean, I was looking GOOD. But all that effort? Yeah, it was about to be completely in vain.

As I’m adjusting my tie, I hear a honk outside. Naturally, I think, Could that be my mom? But no, it couldn’t be her—her “honk” is more like shouting my name from the front yard. I step outside, and what do I see? A white limousine, parked in front of my house like something out of a movie. Now I’m thinking, What the…? Who in the world would show up in a limo to pick me up?

Then, this dude in a sharp white suit steps out of the limo, like he’s in some kind of secret agent movie, and says, “I have a package for Sweetheart.” Instantly, I knew—oh, it’s Courtney. Only she would pull a move like this. He hands me the package, and out of curiosity, I sneak a peek inside. And let me tell you, this wasn’t just any package. It was the most stunning, high-quality tuxedo I’ve ever laid eyes on.

But hold up! I thought the party theme was all white with a splash of red? This tux was straight-up all red! And to top it off, the shoes? Red Santoni double-strap leather monk shoes. These things probably cost more than my entire existence. Like, what kind of party is this?!

I turn back to thank the guy and tell him I’ll put it on, but he goes, “No, sir. Put it on now. We’ll wait for you. The limo is yours.”

Okay, what?! This is next-level. Courtney arranged all this for me? And I almost forgot—they gave me some expensive cologne too, but I was so caught up in the moment I barely noticed.

So, I head back inside, put on the red tux, slip on the fancy shoes, spray the expensive cologne, and bam—I’m ready. I step into the limo, feeling like a million bucks. And then they say, “Lead us to your date, sir.”

I direct them to Emma’s place and give her a quick call. “Hey, baby, you wouldn’t mind waiting outside for me, would you? I’m showing up… in style,” I said in my smoothest tone.

She replied, “Oh, feeling confident, huh? Okay, Daddy, I’ll be outside.”

We drive to Emma’s, and as we pull up, I see her scanning the street, probably looking for my usual car. She definitely didn’t expect this limo. The windows are tinted, and she’s completely clueless. Now, I had a plan—a suave one. I was going to open the door, do a little attractive walk, kiss Emma, and then open the door for her. Smooth, right?