~Nadia
“Only an hour? You promise?”
“I promise, Nadia. Only an hour.”
The guys had organized a pool party, and when Jasmine first mentioned it to me, I felt a pit in my stomach. I didn’t feel good about attending, but Jasmine had this way of pulling me out of my comfort zone that I couldn't easily resist.
"It’s just a pool party, Nadia," Jasmine insisted, waving her hand like I was overreacting.
“It's not just a pool party. You seem to have forgotten how we were treated the last time,” I reminded her.
“Come on, Nadia, that was just a mistake, and the guys apologised. Everyone makes mistakes.”
“I'm surprised you consider their sarcastic words an apology,” I said, clearly not impressed with her desperate attempt to make excuses for them.
“It's just a pool party, Nadia. We are not the only people who will be attending, you seem to forget.”
Left with no other option, I agreed.
And that was how we found ourselves at the pool party, surrounded by throngs of students from our high school. The moment we walked in, it was like stepping into a different world. Laughter and loud music filled the air, and the colourful pool glimmered under the afternoon sun, splashing with the sounds of teenage thrill.
I still didn’t feel right about being there. Jasmine and I had always been considered outcasts at this school. Despite what some might think, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were unwanted. As we moved through the crowds, no one seemed to acknowledge us. It was as if we were ghosts floating through a party we weren’t supposed to attend.
And I hated to have that feeling!
“We shouldn’t be here. Let’s just leave,” I whispered, scanning the pool. Everything felt wrong as if we'd crossed into a world we didn’t belong in.
“Why? We have talked about this, Nadia. We agreed to spend an hour.” she stared at me as if I had lost my mind. Unlike me, she seemed to truly be enjoying herself, dancing with the rhythm of the music as if nothing could bother her.
“No one has come to say a word to us. It’s obvious we are not wanted here,” I said, a little more forcefully this time, hoping she would take my worry seriously this time.
But to say I didn't already know how she would react would be a joke, an absolute joke!
“You worry too much, Nadia,” she replied, her shoulders bouncing as she continued dancing, seeming utterly carefree about my concerns.
“Oh no.” My pulse spiked. I spotted Hardin, Alex, and Sandro moving through the crowd, their eyes locked on us, and their smirks making my stomach twist.
"What?" Jasmine asked, eyes wide with surprise as she turned to look at me.
“Look!” I pointed hastily towards Hardin, Alex, and Sandro, who were making their way through the crowd, their expressions mischievous. “We should leave now before they get to us!” My voice wavered with panic.
“Why are you so scared?”
“Don't you see the way they are looking at us?” I argued.
“It's nothing,” Jasmine brushed it off. “I know they are bullies, but we’ve not done anything to draw their attention.”
It was pointless arguing with her, as she had no idea how the twins treated me. The last time I met them was at P.E class and for no reason, they mocked me throughout the session.
Angry, I tried to drag her with me, but it was too late. They caught up with us before we could make our way out of the pool area.
“Were you trying to run away from me? Tell me!” Hardin yelled at Jasmine, grabbing her wrist firmly.
I hated how easily he bullied her, treating her like she was his possession.
“You’re hurting me, Hardin,” Jasmine cried, trying to wriggle her wrist free from his unyielding grip.
“You're hurting her!” I said, anger boiling within me.
“Shut up!” Hardin retorted, dismissing me with a glare. “This isn’t your business, except you want to feel my wrath!”
“Please let me go,” Jasmine pleaded, her eyes filled with fear and desperation, searching for any sign of compassion.
“Surely,” Hardin said with a cruel smirk, and then he dragged her away from me.
I felt the rage rise in me. “Let her go!” I shouted, my voice full of defiance as I tried to push through the crowd towards them. But Sandro and Alex blocked my path, their bodies solid like walls.
“Isn’t it cute, Alex? Little Nadia trying to play the hero,” Sandro sneered, his fingers sliding across my arm causing chills in my wrist.
“Please, just let us go,” I stuttered but my words only fueled their laughter, as if my fear was the entertainment they’d been waiting for all night.