A Party to Remember
The words burst out of my mouth before I could even think—"What the fuck?"—loud, angry, and filled with shock. My heart pounded in my chest as I pushed through the crowd, shoving past people without caring who I bumped into. My eyes were locked onto Favour, the girl I had known for years, the one who always ran to me first.
But this time, she didn't.
She was laughing, her voice mixing with the loud music, her hand in his—some guy I had never seen before. His fingers wrapped around hers like he owned her, like he had every right to be there. And then, just like that, they disappeared into the sea of dancing bodies.
I stood there, frozen, my mind racing. Who was he? Why didn't she come to me like she always did? Why didn't she even wait?
Sarah's words suddenly echoed in my head—"You don't see what's right in front of you."
Was this what she meant?
No.
I clenched my fists, trying to calm myself down. "Wait, David. Don't jump to conclusions," I told myself. "Holding hands doesn't mean anything. It's just a party." But even as I thought it, the words felt empty. My stomach twisted with anger and confusion. I took a step forward, ready to chase after her, to grab her and demand answers—
Then a guard appeared in front of me, breathing hard.
"Boss, you need to come to the gate. Now. The main entrance."
I glared at him, my anger spilling over. "What's going on?"
"News broadcasters," he said quickly. "They're not on the list, but they're demanding to come in. We told them no, and now they're threatening to call the police."
My jaw tightened. Of all the fucking times.
I stormed after him, the music and laughter around me suddenly feeling too loud, too annoying. At the gate, a group of people with cameras and microphones stood like vultures waiting to attack.
"Who's in charge here?" I snapped.
A woman stepped forward, smiling like she owned the place. "Good day, sir. I'm Meg."
I didn't smile back. "This isn't a press event. It's my party. Leave."
Meg didn't even blink. "Sir, are you David? Is this the 'A Party to Remember' event?"
"Yeah, it is," I growled.
"Apologies for interrupting," she said smoothly, "but we were invited by someone named Kelly."
The name hit me like a punch to the gut.
Kelly.
The leader of The Bastards—a group that crashed high-profile parties, looking for drama to turn into viral news. Of course they would show up. Of course this would happen now, when I was already losing my mind over Favour.
I gripped the doorframe, forcing myself to stay calm. "Miss Meg," I said, my voice tight, "I'm sorry, but I can't let you and your group into my party."
Her smile didn't fade. If anything, it got sharper. "Mr. David," she said, tilting her head like a cat watching a mouse, "I'll be honest. If you don't let us in, I'll call the police and tell them this is an underage party." She paused, letting the threat sink in. "And I think you know exactly what that means, don't you?"
The air left my lungs.
If I refused, the police would swarm the place—questions, fines, maybe even arrests. Nigerian officers weren't known for being gentle with rich kids throwing wild parties. But if I let Meg in, her crew would turn everything into chaos—broken decorations, stolen drinks, fights.
My stomach twisted.
Fuck.
What am I supposed to do?
For a second, I wished my mom were here. She would've known how to handle this—a few phone calls, a little money, and the problem would disappear. But she was miles away, and I was alone, standing in front of Meg as she tapped her foot, waiting for my answer.
"Mr. David," she said, her voice sweet but dangerous, "what's it going to be? In or out?"
To Be Continued.