Chapter Text
The car stops and I can already hear the loud music, when I step out of my uber. I never drive to parties with my car because it is just easier and safer to go with an uber. Plus you can get drunk without having to fear driving home under the influence. Usually I share an uber with my bestfriend and roommate Marie, but since she had made plans with her boyfriend before, we both agreed to just meet up at the party.
I start walking toward the big mansion in the expensive neighborhood of Los Angeles. There are already a lot of cars in the driveway and around the house. I never arrive too early, i want the party to already be going on and rather use the extra time to get ready with no rush.
As I walk up the steps to the front door i look around the driveway and look for Marie's boyfriend's red jeep to see if they have already arrived, but i can't find it anywhere. I look back at the big door in front of me and read the banner that hangs at the top ''Kenzie's 21st birthday party'' it reads in gold.
After making my way through the crowd of young people with red cups in their hands I reach the birthday table for presents and place my gift for Kenzie on the table. Next I need to find the birthday girl. After walking through the huge living room, greeting a few people I know and asking if anyone had seen her I find out she in in the backyard. I like Kenzie, she is one of the few people in L.A. that is actually pretty cool. I'm not one of her close friends but we just happen to know each other through mutuals and vibe when we meet. Since it's her 21st birthday she invited pretty much everyone she knows, so i'm actually not that random in this constellation.
In the backyard I immediately spot Kenzie in a group of her friends. ''Heyy Kenz! Happy birthday!!! sorry i'm late...'' i say trying to sound cheerful. ''OMG!! Y/N!'' she answers and goes in for a hug ''Thankss! No problem, i'm so happy you made it''. She sounds genuinely happy to see me, but maybe it's just already the alcohol that makes her this excited to see me.
I continue talking to the group of people Kenzie was surrounded with. But I already notice they all are a little bit tipsy and because i'm sober i can't really understand their drunk jokes. I decide to pull my phone out and text Marie to see if she maybe already arrived. I don't need her to have fun at a party but Marie is just my person. I just like it when she's there, my comfort person.
marie <3🤠
heey u here? -
i'm alonee -
saveee me drunk people everywhere and i want to take my first shot with you... !!! -
GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE -
As I look back up from my phone i notice that the group of people left. Probably went inside. I don't really care. I like a little alone time at a party where you are talking to people constantly. I don't mind being alone for a minute. I look back at my phone.
marie <3🤠
-we are on the wayyy
-we kind of forgot the time a little bit...
-Parker took soo long to get ready
Obviously Marie was the one still getting ready she never makes it on time. Parker is her boyfriend. I like him. He really is a good guy and i can feel he actually likes Marie, appreciates her and is obsessed with her in a way. They are so cute together. I can feel Marie is happy. Ever since Marie and Parker started dating she is trying to convince me that ''la/hollywood boys aren't that bad''. We used to be this single girl duo, that were always just flirting around and partying because we both agreed: ''L.A. boys are not it''. But Parker changed everything. And ever since Marie is trying to convince me that in fact there are good guys here. Every other day she sends me a new insta profile or runs to me at a party to introduce me to the new friend of a friend of Parker. And Marie was right the boys themselves weren't that bad, but i just wasn't in the mood to get to know someone romantically. And overall it just didn't click.
But a few days prior Marie was so keen on pairing me up with some guy that she went through all of my insta following, opened literally every guys profile and asked ''whats wrong about him?''. And with every single guy i follow i had an immediate answer why not.
Then she compared the guys i follow with the guys she follows to see if there are any guys i might not know yet. After a few randoms she asked me totally in shock ''why the hell aren't you not following the sturniolos?!"
The sturniolo triplets are really successful youtubers and ever since they moved to L.A. about 2 years ago they made a lot of friends here. I know them as friends of friends of friends. I attended a few events and partys where they were present. But I've never talked to any of them alone. I don't even know if they know my name since i'm not a famous person i guess. Just a girl that is friends with a lot of influencers that live in Los Angeles. Also they are kind of intimidating. Their huge fan base and fame but also their vibe when they enter the room. Idk intimating they have this aura i can't explain it, you just know when they enter the room. But most people like them. Maybe it is also because of Madi that I never managed to befriend them.
Madi and I were in the same class in middle school and we kind of just were friends for a while and then had a huge fight and ended up hating each other, just constantly trying to be better than the other one. Madi just walks everywhere with the triplet. And since i don't really like her i also don't reallyyy like her 3 triplet chihuahuas. Maybe they are chill but if they get along with Madi they probably are as problematic as she is. And i know she doesn't like me so she probably already told them some sh*t about me. I know that this whole drama was in middle school and usually you just forgive and forget but Madi and I never really had a reconnection moment for our friendship. We aren't enemies. We just like to keep a distance between us and keep out of each others business and friends. So I never followed the triplets on insta and i didn't really have any interest in getting to know them.
Marie knows the triplets more than me because of Parkers friends. She tried to persuade me that they are actually really cool and they probably don't know of this whole Madi situation. She then proceeded to tell me about every single encounter she had with them and telling me a little bit about every triplet. She said she knows Chris the best and thinks he is actually 100% my type. And after looking at photos and videos of him in Marie's camera roll and on his insta I kind of agreed with her. Chris really is the typical type of guy i'd fall for. At the end of the conversation I had promised her to talk to Chris at Kenzies birthday party...
marie <3🤠
-will be there in 20 min
-i'll text you when we're therer
20 Minutes till Marie arrives why was i so nervous? Because I know she will set me up with Chris? Help why am I so nervous. I'm never that nervous with boys. Maybe its because i know he will probably hate me? Because of Madi? I'm deep into my thoughts as I suddenly notice a shadow above my phone and look up into a beautiful pair of eyes. Brown eyes. The eyes of Issak Ashton. "Y/n good to see you're here, what are you doing here all alone huh?" he says leaning against the wall smirking. I know Issak pretty well he tried to hook up with me at every single party i see him at. He 's the type of guy that has a new girlfriend every 3 months, but is constantly cheating on them. I don't understand how these girls are always falling for his charm and his looks. I always try to keep a distance from him because he is just a f*ckboy asshole.
"Isaak haha hey, just texting Marie waiting for her to come here" I don't really want to have conversation with him, but i don't know how to escape from this conversation without being too rude. I hate that i'm a people pleaser in these kind of situations. I decide to have small talk with him. I try to just talk to him but he is leaning closer and closer and is kind of making me uncomfortable. I take a step back and just continue talking.I can smell the whisky from his mouth and from his movements I can confidently say he already had a few rounds of drinks.
"Aren't you drinking anything tonight! Want to have a sip?" He asks offering me his cup. "oh haha no sorry... but thank you! but no...". I actually want to drink but i don't want to drink with him and from his cup. I have no idea what kind of drugs he might have mixed in there. "why not?" he asks raising an eyebrow and leaning in closer. "I... I'm driving! So i can't drink tonight you know... I have to drive Marie home! you know? so... no, no drinking tonight haha" i say trying to convince him. "ah come on y/n stop lying. I know you. You love drinking and partying, why are you lying? you would never drive to a party" he laughs. f*ck. I'm a bad liar with assholes. Makes no sense. "what? no! I was not lying i-, i just decided tonight i'm going to take it slow and do-", ''stop lying!'', he interrupts me ''y/n. you can't fool me, you're a bad liar, but you know me. I'm going to forgive you for lying to me. Really. If you drink with me right now" he says pushing the drink towards my mouth, coming closer. ''come onnn, stop this bullsh*t let's just get drunk tonight...'' he says looking deep into my eyes, smirking drunkenly. ''No i-... eh you-... I didn't. I-'', i stutter. I don't know what to do i just look at the drink in my hand and then at him. I just know I'm not drinking whatever there is in this cup.
Suddenly i feel an arm around me, lightly placed around on my shoulders. I look to my left an catch a set of bright blue eyes. "There you are y/n! I've been looking everywhere for you" the blue eyed boy says. I say nothing, I'm too perplex to answer and don't know what to do. I look back at Isaak who is clearly confused and looks annoyed by the disruption of this guy "I didn't know you know the triplets y/n?'' Isaak says looking at me, as if trying to see if i lie again or if i really know this guy. I look down trying to avoid him looking at me ''and which one of the chipmunks you are huh?" he adds looking back at the triplet.
"I'm Chris'', he says coldly ''no need to be so rude boy, y/n and I are good friends'' What does he mean with ''good friends''. We've only seen each other a few times when we were at the same event or through mutual friends. If he hadn't just said his name himself, I probably wouldn't even know exactly which of the three he was. We've never spoken to each other. I didn't even know he'd know my name. What are the odds that exactly Chris is helping me right now. The one I stalked just the other day. The one I was about to talk to today. I feel my cheeks go red and look to the floor. His hands are around my shoulders als he is holding me. Marie would be so shocked if she saw this. I'm in his arms from the moment before even talking to him.
Isaak scoffs, "Huh really? You two are friends?....Y/n?'' I continue looking at the floor and just nod. ''Oh well i didn't know that y/n, tell me about it" he says annoyed. Right as i open my mouth to answer, even though i don't even know what to say, Chris answers for me: "Well, actually I'd love to tell you about it, but y/n and I have a meeting with Marie and Parker right now so, maybe another day" he says and smiles. "Yea sorry!'', i say as Chris is already leading me toward the other side of the yard. In the corner of my eye I see Issak walking inside the house pretty pissed off.
Why was i so shy? I'm usually not that shy. I need no man to save me. Okay I was in a uncomfortable situation with Isaak but usually i just handle these situations better. But Chris presence kind of just overwhelmed me and turned me into a girl that couldn't even say one single word. Next to Chris I just couldn't think straight.
Chris stops at a beer pong table with drinks on it and releases me from his hold. I release the breath didn't know i was holding. He leans against the table looking at me. ''Are you okay?''. "Ye-yes of course. Thank you so much... you really saved me..." i say relieved but also a little bit embarrassed "No need to thank me. I just saw him talking to you so weird and just sensed that you were uncomfortable. When he tried to force you I just had to interfere. This asshole deserves a punch in the throat. I really don't understand how people like him are even invited'' he says tensed. I can see his grip on the edge of the table increase and veins on his hands appear. He is so mad at Isaak and so protective even though he doesn't even know me. But still he is talking to me so normal. As if this weren't the very first time we talked.
"W-well thank you anyway Chris..." i say shyly. Why am i so shy? I am not that shy normally. Maybe because I'm embarrassed. I don't want to seem like the type of girl that needs to be saved. I can save myself most of the time. I can protect myself. Why did I care so much about Isaaks feelings. I had to just leave the moment he was starting the conversation. Mental note for next time. ''No problem I'm happy that i was there'' he sayed looking genuinely glad.
I'm still a little in shock that Chris is standing next to me and I'm having a conversation with him alone so easily. And he knew my name. Crazy. ''I didn't even think you knew me and even knew my name...''. He looks at me with surprised blue eyes, '' What? As if. Of course I know your name y/n. We have mutual friends or not? You know me right?'', he looks at me interested. ''Yes yes! Of course I know you Chris! '' I answer quickly. ''See. I think your the one that would have more problems with my name, because of my brothers. Or would you have known that I'm Chris?'' he laughs. ''I'm not really sure haha'' I say giggling and feel my cheeks go red again. Both laughing a little silence falls between us. I can't quite tell if it is weird or comfortable.
''I think it's nice that we finally get to know each other.'' he says standing up and walking to one side of the table "Do you want to play? Or are you not drinking?" he adds pointing at the beer pong table. ''S-Sure. No I'm definitely drinking! Just not with Isaak'', i quickly answer and walk to the other side of the table. ''What do you mean ''finally''? Have you been waiting to meet me?'' I ask confused while he is filling the red cups with beer. ''No no it's just i heard you are like the best friend of Marie right?'' he says looking at me for confirmation. ''Correct'' I say watching him set up the game ''Riight and idk it's nice to know Maries bestfriend. She mentioned you a few times.'' Right I forgot Chris is a really close friend of Parker and Marie is always hanging out with his friendgroup. ''Aha yea Marie also mentioned YOU a few times'' I say confident. ''ME? Why? But only good things right??'' ''I won't tell you.'' I say laughing as he is making a sad face. ''Maybe I will tell you if you win!''
''Uhh. Are you good?'' he says pointing at the beerpong cups. liking at the challenge, ''Watch out! I'm still sober and really competitive!'', he says smirking a little and throwing the first pingpong ball.
