章 9: Things are going to get ugly.

The night was alive with pulsating music and laughter as the party reached its peak. Perse and her friends had gathered on the dance floor, celebrating under the dim glow of fairy lights and the rhythmic beats of a playlist that seemed determined to make everyone dance.

Perse had been lost in the rhythm of the music, swaying her hips with her friends on the makeshift dance floor, when she caught a glimpse of someone familiar entering the room. Her emerald-green dress swayed with her movements as she turned to get a better look.

Asher, his presence striking like a bolt of lightning, sauntered into the party with an air of nonchalance. He wore a leather jacket that exuded rebellion, his tousled hair adding to his rugged charm. The crowd fell momentarily silent, their conversations tapering off as they stared at the unexpected guest.

Persephone, surprised to see Asher at the party, exchanged a quick glance with her friends, her eyes wide with curiosity. She hadn't expected him to show up, especially at a gathering like this, hosted by a guy he didn't seem too enthusiastic about earlier.

Asher's entrance was marked by an almost theatrical flair. He took a few confident strides into the room, his enigmatic eyes scanning the crowd as if he owned the place. The initial hush of the crowd was soon replaced by whispers and murmurs as the partygoers processed his unexpected arrival.

With a wry smile, Asher finally broke his silence. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything important," he quipped, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he glanced around at the startled faces. People slowly went back to partying. Some even greeted Asher as he navigated through the room.

"What do you think he's doing here?" June asked, looking at her friends, awaiting a response.

"It's a party! What do you think he's doing here?!" Maya answered her voice slightly on edge and sounding annoyed. She had had one too many drinks, and it was starting to show.

"I'm going to go say hi," Perse, always the optimist, decided to take charge of the situation.

She approached Asher with a friendly smile. "Hey!" her voice was filled with warmth Asher wasn't familiar with receiving. "What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" she shouted over the music, and Asher covered the smile that was about to break through, with a smirk instead.

"I go where the wind takes me," he shrugged, placing his hands casually in his pockets.

"And it brought you here?" she sounded amused. And Asher gave another shrug. "I didn't know parties like this were your type of scene,"

She was right. 'They weren't his type of scene' he thought to himself. In as much as he strutted in here with all the confidence in the world like he owned the place, he felt out of his element. But seeing her here made it all worth it. Her outfit was the perfect blend of style, confidence, and a touch of her vibrant personality.

She wore a sleek, emerald-green, off-the-shoulder dress that accentuated her figure. The dress was adorned with delicate lace detailing and fell gracefully to just above her knees. She had chosen a pair of strappy, high-heeled sandals with metallic accents that shimmered with each step she took. A matching clutch bag in a deep shade of forest green dangled from her wrist, adding a touch of sophistication.

Her brunette hair, which featured chic bangs, had been styled into loose, flowing waves that framed her face elegantly. She had opted for minimal makeup, with just a hint of eyeshadow that echoed the verdant shades of her dress and a subtle rose-pink lip color that emphasized her natural beauty.

The emerald dress, combined with her graceful presence and chic hairstyle, created an image of elegance and charm, making her the center of attention in Asher's eyes and leaving an indelible impression on everyone in the room.

"You clean up nice cheer squad," he said briefly and nonchalantly, even though he wanted to say more.

"Thank you," she gave him a shy smile. "You're not too bad yourself,"

"I know," he replied with an arrogant smirk and she rolled her eyes playfully.

"What the hell are you doing here? Josh's voice rang from behind Perse. Perse visibly became nervous while Asher's expression turned bored.

"I'm here for the party like everyone else," he turned around to face him, his voice sounding provocative as he looked Josh in the eyes. And Perse, yet again, found herself in the middle of the two of them on the same day. She couldn't help but think of how overwhelming that was. Things were just fine a moment ago!

"Well, this is my party! And I don't remember inviting you,"

"I thought 'everyone was invited'," he mocked, a smirk on his face.

"Everyone but y___"

"I invited him!" Perse spoke up. And even with the loud music, they still heard her. And they turned to face her, surprise on both their faces.

"You what?" Josh turned the intensity of his glare to Perse, and she found herself unconsciously taking a step back.

"I invited him, " she repeated, more confidently this time.

"And who the hell told you to do that?!"

"Well, no one told me not to,"

"AND NO ONE TOLD YOU TO!"

"You said everyone was invited___ " Asher interfered, momentarily bringing Josh's attention back to him. "So technically if you didn't want me here, you'd have written 'everyone but Asher is invited',"

"I wasn't talking to you!" Josh pointed his finger at Asher.

"Well, I was talking to you!"

Just as Perse feared the two would go at it, their conversation was interrupted by a boisterous voice. Maya stumbled over to them, her cheeks flushed, her words slurred and a party cup in her hand. She was clearly a bit tipsy, a result of indulging a bit too much in the party's libations. Despite that, Perse had never been as happy to see Maya as she was then.

"M, are you okay?" Perse asked with concern as she steadied her friend, but secretly relieved that she had unknowingly gotten her out of a very awkward situation.

Maya giggled, her gaze unfocused. "I'm more than okay, Perse! This party is awesome!" she declared. It was clear that Maya was in a celebratory mood and wanted to share her enthusiasm.

Unaware of the tension around her, Maya turned to the trio, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Hey, you guys! You've gotta come play beer pong with me! It's gonna be awesome!"

They all looked at her confused. Doubt was evident in all the faces. Maya, undeterred and oblivious to the tension, continued to persuade them.

"Come on___ It'll be fun! Me and Asher vs Josh and Perse,"

"Sure!" both boys said at the same time and on realizing it, glared at each other. Asher's trademark smirk played on his face, and Josh's competitive spirit ignited.

"Hold up___ what?" Perse hesitated for a moment, doubt slowly seeping in. But nobody was listening to her.

"Great!" Maya jumped in enthusiasm. "Let's go!" she grabbed Asher's hand and dragged him through the crowd.

"We aren't going to talk about this?" Perse held Josh's arm as he attempted to follow Maya.

"Did we talk about it when you invited that loser to my party?" he hissed in her face.

"Oh come on J___"

"The answer to both questions is 'NO' Perse!" he jerked his arm from Perse's and she flinched.

"Please don't do this J," her eyes pleaded with him. Normally, that would have been enough to change his mind. But his ego had taken a hit, and he couldn't let it slide.

"If you want to make it up to me, then you better win!" And he walked away from her, expecting her to follow him.

Persephone hesitated for a moment. The tension between Josh and Asher was palpable. To say the two disliked each other would be the understatement of the century. She had a feeling this game would be personal, and she wasn't sure it was a good idea to put them up against each other.

'Things are going to get ugly'.

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