Michelle Madow - Diamonds in the Rough

4: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 8:16 PM

savannah’s flying in her friend from cali for the weekend to come to the game. she’s been posting on savannah’s facebook constantly about how excited she is, so i had to check out her page. she’s not so bad looking herself. another reason to go to jackie’s party tomorrow

5: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 9:58 PM

could be a good pre-game before hitting up the strip…

6: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 10:43 PM

Are you too cool for house parties? Must be Damien or Oliver or Madison or Larissa or one of their friends. #Losers

7: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 10:56 PM

#jealous

8: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 11:00 PM

You all DO realize this isn’t Twitter, right? Hashtags don’t work here.

9: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 11:06 PM

#Whatever. They’re #fun ;)

Chapter 5: Savannah

“Thank your mom again for letting you leave school early today to visit?” Savannah asked Evie. The two of them sat in the back of her Range Rover—her bodyguard, Carl, was driving them—on the way to Jackie’s party, and Savannah still couldn’t believe her best friend was here. Evie had sat with Courtney and Peyton during the volleyball game, and now she would be with Savannah at the after-party. It was just like old times…but not really. Because in old times, Evie would have been playing on the team with her. And Savannah wouldn’t already be thinking about how sad it would be when Evie left tomorrow morning. It was too bad her best friend couldn’t stay all weekend, but Evie’s dad’s birthday was tomorrow, and she had to be back by dinner to celebrate it with him.

“I will, I promise.” Evie smiled. “But I already told you how she said missing half a day of school wasn’t a big deal, considering how you paid for my ride to the airport, the flight and are letting me stay with you. And I still can’t get over where you live. I sort of knew what to expect from the pictures you’ve sent me, but it’s different being there in person. You’re the luckiest ever. I wish I suddenly found out I was related to a billionaire.”

“It’s all pretty amazing,” Savannah said. “But I miss home sometimes. I wish I had a friend like you at school.”

She’d already told Evie everything—how Alyssa was only nice to her after she’d seen that she knew Damien and Nick. Then she’d made the volleyball team, so the girls had no choice but to include her. But even though it was already October, and Savannah had been hanging out with them every day during school and practice for weeks, it wasn’t the same. She didn’t trust them like she trusted Evie.

“The girls on the team didn’t seem that bad,” Evie said. “And if you don’t end up being close friends with them, you have your sisters, right?”

“Yeah,” Savannah said. “But they’re my sisters…they have to be nice to me. It’s different.”

“I wouldn’t know.” Evie shrugged.

“Right.” Savannah felt bad for bringing it up. Evie was an only child, and while Savannah had always thought it was awesome that Evie had her own room and bathroom at her house, she’d always suspected Evie had been jealous of how close she was with her sisters. “Anyway, we should be there soon. You ready?”

“Of course.” Evie checked her reflection, fluffed her hair while making a silly duck-face pose, and laughed. Her cheerfulness was contagious, and Savannah couldn’t help laughing with her. “Let’s rock this party.”

* * *

The volleyball team was the first to arrive so they could set up, and Jackie gave them the grand tour. Her house was enormous—apparently her family had bought two lots in the community so that they would have room to build it. The living room, dining room and kitchen all had a two-story ceiling, and shooting off from the kitchen was a rec room with tables set up for beer pong and flip cup. Jackie’s parents, who were out of town that weekend, lived in a first-floor suite with two walk-in closets, an exercise room and a sauna. Upstairs were five other bedrooms—even though Jackie had only two brothers—and a separate stairway near the kitchen led to another bedroom for their live-in housekeeper. They also had a huge library full of every issue of Nevada Design, the luxury interior design magazine Jackie’s dad published.

It was the biggest house Savannah had ever seen. And judging by the way Evie walked around with her mouth dropped open, it was the biggest house she’d ever seen, too.

“Remember to keep everyone in the rec room, the kitchen and outside by the pool,” Jackie instructed. “No one’s allowed in my parents’ suite. I don’t care if couples go off into my brothers’ rooms or the guest rooms, but my room is off-limits. Except for me and whatever guy I bring in there with me, of course.”

“Brian Peterson was checking you out during the game,” Brooke said.

“I know.” Jackie winked. “And he was looking hot tonight. So who’s ready to celebrate our win?”

They gathered into a circle, put their hands in the center, counted down to scream “Bruins”—their school mascot—and cheered. Then they did a round of shooters, and the party began.

* * *

Three hours later, the house was packed with most of the athletes from Goodman (freshmen not included except for a select few), and some randoms who showed up from other local private schools. The volleyball girls had given up trying to keep everyone in the “designated party areas” over an hour ago—they were too busy having their own fun. A group of guys had tried to teach Savannah and Evie how to play flip cup, but Savannah was failing miserably and slowing down her team, so they left the rec room and ventured outside to the pool.

“Cannonball from the balcony!” a junior guy Savannah recognized as one of Nick’s football teammates yelled from Jackie’s balcony, jumping into the pool with a huge splash. He emerged from the water, threw back his head and gave a Neanderthal roar with his fists in the air. Everyone watching cheered and clapped, screaming various versions of “Yeah, man!” and “That was awesome!”

“Savannah!” Brooke called from the shallow end of the pool, where she was hanging out with a few of the girls on the team and some guys who were flirting with them. They all had red Solo cups in their hands. “Come swimming with us!”

“I didn’t bring a bathing suit,” Savannah replied.

“You don’t need one.” Jackie laughed and threw back her long brown hair, which had reverted to its natural curly state in the water. “We’re all in our underwear. Although Alyssa said she would get naked if Drew got naked, so things are about to get interesting!”

“We could do it,” Evie said, soft enough that only Savannah could hear.

“I’m wearing a see-through thong,” Savannah whispered. Even the drink she’d had since that first shooter wasn’t enough to make her feel comfortable shedding her clothes in front of everyone. If Peyton was here, she would do it in a heartbeat, but Savannah wasn’t as daring as her oldest sister.

“We’re actually heading back inside,” Evie said to the group in the pool, and Savannah smiled gratefully at her. “Just wanted to check out what the commotion was out here. Have fun!”

“Bye!” Brooke yelled before one of the guys dunked her underwater. She held her cup up high, and it miraculously escaped being submerged with her.

Savannah didn’t know many people yet, and not wanting to look unoccupied, Evie had the brilliant idea to take pictures of themselves with the party in the background—­probably because she wanted to show off to everyone at Fairfield High that she’d been to a party like this. They got every background they could, and there were a lot to choose from, so they were busy for a while. More people were jumping off the balcony and into the pool, a big group was smoking hookah on the porch and some guys—including Oliver Prescott, the son of Adrian’s main rival and possible business partner, Logan Prescott—were gathered around the kitchen table, which was covered in lines of white powder that Savannah suspected was cocaine. She accidentally got a picture of Oliver doing a line, and she almost deleted it but stopped. This was the jerk who’d made a bet to sleep with her and her sisters over the summer. She would never put the picture online, but it might not hurt to keep it on her phone.