The New Girl

Chapter 4

Elizabeth

I told Natalia I'd meet her inside. I still had to mentally prepare myself. I've never been to a party before, and I didn't know what to expect. Actually, what I knew what to expect was alcohol and drunk guys hitting on girls. And that scared the s**t out of me. I took some deep breaths before wiping my clammy palms. I was about to head inside when I heard someone call out my name. I turn around to see who it is. Of course. I stand still as he jogs over to me. He's wearing a simple blue tee shirt and tight black jeans. With me being a few inches taller, he's less intimidating, but still gorgeous.

"Hey Elizabeth." He smiles showing off his amazing smile.

"Hi Tristan." I watch him scan my body, resting on my legs, mid-drift and chest. I suck in a deep breath.

"You look gorgeous." Of course he compliments me when I'm dressed like this and my face is made up.

"Yeah, it's a wonder what makeup and some revealing clothing can do to you." He shifts uncomfortably.

"That's not how that was intended to come out. If it means anything, you always look beautiful. Even when you're in a tee shirt with no makeup" I let out a sigh. I already knew that, but he says all the right things to a girl. I couldn't be ruined by him, I couldn't let him in. But my mind was still reeling when he said that I look beautiful even when I go to school.

"I know you didn't, and I'm sorry. I'm just kinda stressed out. This usually isn't my thing." I gesture towards the house and myself.

"Why'd you come?"

"Natalia dragged me here, and I figured, what the hell?" He let out a breath laugh.

      "So you going in?"

      "Yeah."

       I started towards the entrance when he grabbed my wrist. "Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I meant it when I said you always look beautiful." I feel the heat rise in my cheeks. I give a small nod and weak smile before walking through the door.

     The atmosphere was intense to say the least. People covering every angle, the smell of alcohol and sweat makes me want to hurl. As I make my way through the house, I am disgusted by the amount of people grinding against me and who decide smacking my ass is a good idea.

"Hey beautiful, can I get you a drink?" I look up slightly to see who was talking to me. Great. Another one of Tristan's friends.

"Who are you?" I try and say it as coldly as possible.

"Tyler Logan, the host." I give him a once over. Not bad looking, but again, no. "So can I get you a drink?"

I shake my head. "I'm okay. I don't drink."

"Oh so the bad girl is suddenly good." He is grinning from ear to ear.

I glare, "I have my reasons." With that, I try to walk past him, but he grabs onto my arm, pulling me back.

"Hey I didn't mean to offend you. You're just so pretty that I couldn't help it."

I look up into his eyes, and say in mock sweetness, "Aw, I bet that's what you say to every girl you wanna fuck." I give him another icy look before retreating to the back of the room where I find Natalia, who by the way, is seriously wasted at this point.

"Elizabeth!" She's slurring her words.

I roll my eyes at her, "How many drinks have you had?"

She waved it off, "Not that many."

Rolling my eyes again I say, "I beg to differ. We should get going."

"Nooooo!" she pulls me back to the dance floor. "You've gotta dance with me!"

Not willing to argue with a drunk, I comply to her request. Because of my mom's Latina heritage, I know how to move my body. A half hour passes and I'm actually starting to enjoy myself. Getting lost in the music and singing along, even if I didn't know the words. Then I feel a big pair of hands run along my waist and hip. I slap them away, but the owner doesn't seem fazed. I whip around. "Get off me."

He just smiled and continued roaming. "I said get off of me!" I slap him hard on the cheek. He turns back to face me, looking pissed as hell.

"You're going to regret that, you little b***h!" He lunges at me, grabbing my throat. I try to free myself, but the more I struggle, the harder he grips. 3 seconds later I hear someone yelling.

Suddenly I'm on the ground gasping for air. I look around to see Tristan on the ground beating the s**t out of this guy. I run over.

"Tristan, stop!" I sound desperate.

"He deserves it!" he growls. "He f*****g choked you!"

"I know, but I don't want you getting in trouble for this." He looks into my eyes.

"Okay," he says softly. He gets off the guy but keeps his hard gaze on him. He points at the still unknown guy, "Touch her again, and you'll be sorry." He faces me. "You want a ride home?" All I can do is nod. "Let's go then." I put on my sweater and he leads me through the sea of people. Once I'm outside, I can't hold it back. I start bawling like a kid. Tristan looks at me with gentle eyes and hugs me close. I lean in closer. He smells so good. Like mint and something else. Something just Tristan.

He strokes my hair and softly whispers inaudible things to me that for some reason make me feel better. I sniffle and step back. "I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be sorry." I nod. "Come on, I'll take you to the car."

"Wait, are you okay to drive? I mean, did you drink?"

"No, I didn't have anything to drink. I'm perfectly sober."

"Okay."

I get in the car, and my nose is assaulted by his scent.

"22 Donovan Way." He looks at me confused. "My address?"

"Oh, right." I could see him blush a bit. At some point I fell asleep because he was shaking me. "Hey, we're here." I sat up.

"Thank you for the ride." I blush. "And for getting that ass off me. You really changed the way I look at you." I blush even harder. Why did I say that?

"How? What did you think of me before?"

I decided to not beat around the bush. "A narcissistic asshole who flirted with girls to get in their pants." I waited for a reaction, and this one was not expected. He laughed. "What?"

"Nothing, I just love the honesty." He shoots one of those million dollar smiles. "I'm just glad you have a better impression of me now." I didn't know what else to say.

"Well, goodnight. And thank you again." I left without hearing his response.

______________________________________________________________________________

Tristan

I call out her name as I jog over to where she's standing. She faces me, and she's stunning. And I thought she was gorgeous before. "Hey Elizabeth."

"Hi Tristan." I take the opportunity to take her in. Showing a bit more skin than I liked, I wanted to cover her up. But did she have one hell of a body.

"You look gorgeous." When I said that, she looked at me funny.

"Yeah, it's a wonder what makeup and some revealing clothes can do to you." Okay, that was unexpected. I internally curse to myself. Of course she thinks I'm the perverted asshole who only complements girls when they're made up.

  "That's not how that was intended to come out. If it means anything, you always look beautiful. Even when you're in a tee shirt with no makeup" I try to make up for my last comment. But it's the truth. She steals the spotlight no matter what she wears.

"I know you didn't, and I'm sorry. I'm just kinda stressed out. This usually isn't my thing." She waves her hand towards the house.

"Why'd you come then?" I already knew the answer, but whatever keeps me talking to her.

"Natalia dragged me here, and I figured, what the hell?" I had to laugh at that.

"So you going in?" not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah."

She started towards the entrance when I grabbed her wrist. "Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I meant it when I said you always look beautiful." I could see her blush. She's so cute when she does. She gives me a small nod and weak smile before walking through the door.

A few minutes later I follow in. The party was already in full force. People dancing, drinking, puking, making out. I was about to head to the kitchen when I saw Tyler talking to Elizabeth. Her back was turned to me, so I couldn't see her face, but I could tell by the look on Tyler's that he was trying his luck, too. I fist my hands. She's not even mine. Hell, I barely know her, and I feel a weird sort of feeling around her and when any other guy tries to make a move. And let me tell you the sight of him touching her was enough to get my blood boiling. A minute later she walks away, but he grabs her arm and says something. She says something smiling but then jerks herself away from him with a steely look.

I couldn't help but be pleased. Smiling I walk over to a confused looking Tyler. "Told you she's a hard one." He glares at me.

"I need a drink." He walks away. Jeez, someone is moody. I spend the next 20 minutes looking for Elizabeth. Then I spotted her dancing with her friend. I decide to just watch her. Let me tell you I am mesmerized. She knew how to move her hips, and it's sexy as hell. I stand there staring for a good 10 minutes until I see Isaac come up behind her and start running his hands up and down her sides. My temper starts to flare. What does he think he's doing to her? She turns around and a few seconds later I see her hand make full contact with his left cheek. I see his eyes glaze over in rage and he grabs her by the throat. That's it. I charge towards him and knock him to the ground. I don't even know what I'm dong anymore, all I know is that he hurt her and now he will pay. Swinging at his face I see red. And not just from the blood on his face.

"Tristan, stop!" a small desperate voice says. I turn to see it's coming from Elizabeth.

"He deserves it!" I'm barely containing my anger. "He choked you!"

"I know, but I don't want you getting in trouble for this." She says it so softly. I gaze into her eyes. They're big and worried.

"Okay," I say softly. I get off Isaac but keep my eyes on him. I point at him, "Touch her again, and you'll be sorry." I face her. "You want a ride home?" She nods. "Let's go then." She puts on her sweater and I lead her to the door. Once we're outside, she start's crying her eyes out. I look at her and can't help but hug her. I put my face in her hair. She still smells like vanilla.

I stroke her soft blonde locks and whisper things to make her relax. She sniffles and steps back. I already miss her. Wait, what? "I'm sorry." she says.

     "You have no reason to be sorry." I reason. "Come on, I'll take you to the car."

      "Wait, are you okay to drive? I mean, did you drink?"

      "No, I didn't have anything to drink. I'm perfectly sober."

      "Okay."

We get into the car and she snuggles in the seat

"22 Donovan Way." Lost in though, I'm confused. It must be written on my face because she says, "My address?"

     "Oh, right." I'm blushing. Since when do I blush? We get to her house. I knew from her clothes she wasn't rich, but hell, I could tell her family is struggling. I look to the passenger side and see her sleeping peacefully. A small smile played on her lips as she sighs in the sleep. She's so beautiful. I don't know what it is about her. I've seen and been with countless girls. I just can't put my finger on it. I'm tempted to just watch her sleep all night, but I don't think that would go over too well in the morning. I still remember she has a tough side. "Hey, we're here." She sat up. Her hair is a bit messy, but it somehow suits her. Hell, everything seems to suit her in my mind.

     "Thank you for the ride." she says, jerking me from my daydream. "And for getting that ass off me. You really changed the way I look at you."She blushes. Damn she's cute.

     "How? What did you think of me before?"

"A narcissistic asshole who flirted with girls to get in their pants." I couldn't help it. I laughed out loud. No need to worry about her beating around the bush. "What?" she says.

     "Nothing, I just love the honesty." I smile at her. "I'm just glad you have a better impression of me now."

     "Well, goodnight. And thank you again." She quickly left the car.

"Goodnight, angel."