Cheap Shot by Brittney Mulliner
Haley
Cassie,Ella, Krystal, and Sadie were like that first gulp of air after holding your breath under water. I hadn’t realized how close to drowning I was until Sadie and Ella looped their arms around mine and led the way into the party like we did this all the time.
The four of them pulled me into their group without missing a beat, and within hours, it felt like I’d known them for years. We were always laughing and teasing, creating an energy around us that drew others in. In the weeks that followed that first party, it only took moments for a group to gather around us, usually consisting of guys.
Having friends made forgetting about Reid a little bit easier. He was still in the back of my mind but no longer taking up so much of my concentration. Our texts grew more sporadic, and I no longer waited next to my phone, hoping he’d reach out.
When I told Ethan about my new friends, he sounded relieved. He told me to have fun and be smart but reminded me I could always reach out to him if I needed help. It was nice knowing he was only a call away, but he gave me the space I asked for.
Since our first night together a week ago, the girls and I hung out several times. Either getting food or going to a party. Since Emery basically moved out, I continued my open-door policy, and it caught on. We called out to each other to see who was home before inviting ourselves in. This was what I pictured when I thought of living on campus. I was finally getting the dorm experience I’d hoped for when I started at West Penn.
Ella, Sadie, and I were in their shared room, finishing homework before going to a party. That was another thing I liked about them, they didn’t blow off classes or assignments. They were serious about staying on track while also enjoying themselves when they were done.
“What are you wearing tonight?” Sadie asked from the floor. She was lying back with her feet resting up on her bed.
She was a spitfire with a sarcastic sense of humor that kept everyone laughing. She had light brown hair that flowed down her back to her hips, and she seemed to lack the ability to feel embarrassment. She simply did what she wanted and did not care one bit what anyone else thought, even if she was the only one dancing in the room with all eyes on her. It surprised me that she was an actuarial science major. She didn’t strike me as the type to want to work at a desk, crunching numbers, but she said the material came easy to her and the job salary was high.
“What’s the theme again?” I asked. Cassie told us that we needed to dress up for this party.
“Back in the day,” Sadie answered. “I think the frat was too lazy to pick a specific decade, so you’re just supposed to dress up for whichever one you want.”
“Can I wear low-rise, flare jeans, layer a few tank tops, put a belt over them, and say I’m the two-thousands?” Ella asked.
Ella was another anomaly. Her blond pixie cut had pieces of pink and purple along the tips. She had the palest of skin speckled with freckles which matched her whimsical personality. She was always smiling and didn’t seem to take much seriously, but she was studying pre-law and had already taken the practice LSATs and passed even though she was only a junior.
“Only if you flat iron your hair pin-straight and bring a sequined bag,” I added.
Sadie burst out laughing. “I wish we had time to get extensions and add thick streaks in our hair.”
Ella giggled. “That would be perfect.”
“Wait, do you actually have any of those things?”
Ella stood and went to her closet. “I think I have flare jeans from a party last year.”
She started to look while Sadie dropped her legs to the carpet and rolled onto her side to watch. “I’m pretty sure I have black gaucho pants if you want to use those.”
“What are you going to wear?” I asked.
“I have a cute flapper dress I don’t get to wear enough or a daisy mini dress. I’ll have to borrow Krystal’s go-go boots if she’s not wearing them.” She reached for her phone and started typing.
“Do you have anything?” Ella asked me.
“I’m not sure. I might be able to put something together for the seventies or eighties.” I hadn’t packed dress-up clothes when I moved. Going to themed parties required friends, and I thought it would take longer for me to get to this point. When I stuck my head out into the hall, I hoped it would lead to one night out of my room, not finding my group.
“Krystal and Cassie will be here in about ten minutes. They both have a better selection of clothes than we do. I’m sure they have plenty for you to borrow.” Sadie tossed her phone down next to her.
I finished my last assignment due this week, and the group project with the moochers was turned in, so I gathered my books to drop off in my room before the others got here. Once they went into party-prep mode, it looked like a tornado hit. Clothing, shoes, makeup, and bedding ended up trailed from one room to another as they bounced between. Since I had little to offer this time, I shut my door and headed back to Ella and Sadie’s room.
“There you are.” Cassie greeted me with a grin.
She was gorgeous with warm tan skin, big brown eyes, and wavy brown hair. She was from Puerto Rico and had a slight Spanish accent. She was all sweet and sass and had curves in all the right places and usually left a line of drooling men in her path. She was studying to be a nurse and planned on returning home after graduation.
In the few minutes I’d been gone, the destruction had already begun. Ella’s bed was covered in clothes, and Sadie was sorting through a pile on hers.
“Oh boy.” I inched closer. “What’s going on?”
“We’re putting everything in piles by decade,” Krystal said from behind me. I turned to see her dump another armful of clothing onto Ella’s bed. “I think that’s it.” She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips.
She tossed her shiny black hair over her shoulder and faced Sadie’s bed. Out of all of us, she was by far the most stylish and stayed up to date on trends. She credited her Korean background since their websites and magazines were so fashion-forward. From her flawless skin to her impeccable outfits, she was intimidating until you got to know her. She was so sweet and generous. She genuinely enjoyed helping others and sharing what she had. When I first met her, I thought she was a nursing student with Cassie and was shocked when she told me she was a chemistry major. Her goal was to work in cosmetics to come up with more sustainable and earth-friendly products.
I joined Cassie on the far side of the room while the other three went to work. Within a few minutes of quiet chatter and exchanging clothes, five neat piles were arranged on the floor.
“Ella, Cassie, me, Sadie, Haley.” Krystal pointed to where each of our outfits were piled. “Get dressed so we can see if we need to make any adjustments.”
I stepped up to mine, trying to guess the decade. There was a pair of high-waisted, wide-leg jeans and a red shirt with white piping along the neckline and sleeves.
Krystal came up to my side with her phone out showing me a picture of Farrah Fawcett. “This was my inspiration. I think if we curl your hair to fan out, it will pull the look together.”
I never would have thought of dressing up like this, but it actually fit me. Cute, and not overly sexy. “I like it.”
I changed into the clothes, tucking my shirt in like the picture showed. I checked in the mirror on the back of Sadie’s closet door and twisted. It was subtle, not a disco jumpsuit or grunge rocker outfit. I liked that it looked authentic.
When I turned, Ella was dressed in a black flapper dress complete with a feather headband and long strands of pearls. “Oh, you look amazing!”
“Thanks! I didn’t realize how perfect my hair was for this.” She smoothed her bangs to swoop across her forehead and curled two sections along her cheekbones. She looked like a modern Daisy Buchanan.
“What do you guys think?” Cassie twirled in her pink skirt, making it flare out around her. Her matching sweater was tied under her bust, showing off a narrow waist. It was a modest outfit, but her curves made the look sexy.
“I love it,” I replied.
She winked and plugged in a curling iron.
“I look like Marsha Brady,” Sadie said with her hands on her hips. Her multicolored daisy dress had a high neck with a thick white collar and hit mid-thigh, but the matching green flats did make her look like the character.
“Is that a problem?” Krystal asked.
Sadie shrugged. “I just don’t feel cute. Why can’t I wear the boots?”
“Because it’s not as authentic,” Krystal argued while buttoning her cut-off jean shorts.
“I don’t care. The dress is already shapeless on me, I don’t want to look like a kid.” She pouted.
“Fine, go get the boots.” Krystal pulled on a ripped Nirvana T-shirt then tied a red plaid shirt around her waist.
Sadie dashed into the hall and returned a moment later wearing the tall white boots. “How about now?”
“Oh so sexy.” Ella nodded.
“Much better,” I agreed, and Cassie sent me a wink.
With everyone dressed and satisfied, we hurried to finish our hair and makeup, taking turns helping each other curl or apply eyeliner. By the time we were done, I was thoroughly impressed with what we pulled off in such a short amount of time.
“Okay, what’s the goal for tonight?” Sadie asked while putting on another layer of mascara.
“Get Haley a man!” Ella suggested.
“No. No thanks!” I tried to squash that idea.
“You said you haven’t dated in a year.” Krystal smudged her eyeliner a bit more. “It’s time.”
“What about you guys? None of you are dating anyone,” I pointed out.
“I’m on a fast.” Cassie tilted her head to Sadie. “And she’s on a cleanse.”
I shook my head. “I still don’t get the difference.”
Ella giggled while stepping into her heels. “Don’t bother trying. They both mean they aren’t interested in dating right now.”
“Well, what about you?” I asked.
“If I find someone, then fine, but I’m not actively looking,” she answered.
“Same,” Krystal said before I could ask. “Which means it’s your turn.”
I didn’t bother arguing. We had this conversation before, and it always ended with them playing my wing-women. They knew the bare minimum about why I transferred––that something bad happened with an ex and I didn’t want to be there anymore––but I didn’t tell them about my recent kiss with Reid. That was too complicated to explain.
“Let’s go before it’s over,” I suggested and headed toward the hall.
I felt eyes on us as we walked through the courtyard. At first, I thought it was because we were dressed up, but when I glanced around, I noticed a few guys checking us out.
Something these ladies had mastered was the ability to feel sexy without putting it all on display. I wore tennis shoes and jeans with a tight T-shirt, but I felt more confident than ever as we walked down the street toward the party. Cassie left her sweater unbuttoned enough to show some cleavage and the other three were showing off their legs, but overall, we were the most covered-up group. None of us needed to show up in a skimpy dress or barely-there shorts to feel amazing about how we looked. We didn’t need, or want, the leering looks from guys. We didn’t dress for them. We did it because it was fun and made us feel good. Sure, men who were looking for a quick or easy hookup skipped over us, but I was grateful for that.
“There it is.” Sadie pointed to the blue, colonial house at the end of the street.
The lawn and driveway were packed with people, and I could hear the music from half a block away.
“Oh, this is going to be a good one.” Ella squealed. “I can feel it.”
I started to agree but froze when I saw the letters above the door. My stomach dropped. Alpha Gamma Nu. The one house Emery warned about.
It was crowded, and I could hear the music from the street, but it appeared to be the same as the other parties we’d gone to. How bad could it really be?
None of the girls seemed bothered about being here, so I followed them up the path to the front door. We’d be fine as long as we stuck together.