said. "I've had that thing on all night. I just needed to breathe for a second."
"I'm afraid it's not your first offense, sir."
Josh considered telling him to go jump off a cliff before deciding to play along. He looked over at the cage and could see that there were five or six other people in it. He went ahead and pulled the mask completely off since he'd already been caught and followed Garret to the cage.
I was watching them as they went to the jail. When he unlocked the door, I could see Garret motion to the other captives to come on out while he held the door open. Josh shot him a look of disbelief when he realized he'd be in there by himself.
I couldn't help myself—I made my way over to the cage to play with him. Gretchen and Joel had rented the humongous cage from a party store, and Josh was leaning with his back against one side of it. I knew where he was standing, and I purposely approached the jail from Josh's back.
"Hey," I said.
"Hey yourself," Josh said without turning to look at me. He sounded slightly grumpy, which wasn't unusual for him. I was a little hurt that he wasn't more excited to have company. "You here for the opening tomorrow?" he asked, after a long silence.
"Yeah," I said. I was starting to get pissed at the way he w as standing with his back to me as if I wasn't even standing behind him.
"Did you bring your emo boyfriend this time?" he asked.
That was all it took. I didn't need that crap. I started to walk off without so much as another word.
"I saw your song," he said. I was already headed back into the crowd, so he had to raise his voice in order for me to hear him.
"And, let me guess, you hated it?" I said from over my shoulder. I didn't even know what song he was talking about, but I figured it was the one I texted to Rachel months ago. I assumed he'd have something sarcastic to say about it, so I didn't even give him the chance.
I took off into the crowd, trying my darndest to become invisible to him. This was a hard task since my dress had about a five-foot diameter. He tried to get near to me a few times after he was released from the fake prison, but each time I thwarted his efforts. I flirted with Zack and every other single guy I could find, laughing loudly at their jokes and pretending to have the time of my life.
Gretchen and Joel had some guys dressed as secret service bodyguards kick us out at ten o'clock on the dot. Those of us who wanted to stay out had the option to get on a party bus. It was a club style bus with room for up to fifty people. Most of Gretchen and Joel's friends just went home after the party, but there were enough of us stragglers to just about fill the bus to capacity. I changed into my normal clothes, but brought my mask on a stick just in case.
Just about everyone else on board stayed in costume, but I just couldn't imagine squeezing that big, bouffant gown onto a crowded bus. The walls of the bus were lined with leather benches and couches, and I was sitting near the front. Rachel and Collin were sitting in the back of the bus with Zack, Ethan and Emily. Bailey and a few others from Paradise Island were back there too. I felt like I wanted to go back there, but this girl Maggie, who was a stylist/friend I'd met a few times, caught me right when I came in the bus and invited me to sit with her and a few of her friends. Not that I was trying to dis Maggie since it was really nice of her to invite me to sit with them—but after I looked around and found Rachel and them, I wanted to head to the back of the bus.
"Can you believe Collin at the Olympics?" Maggie asked, noticing me noticing the back of the bus.
I shook my head. "No, it's surreal. I catch myself telling random people that I know him."
"Oh my God, that makes me feel better because I do the same thing," Maggie said. I started to use that as a segue to mention wanting to go back there and tell Rachel and Collin something, but she started introducing me to everyone sitting around
"I'm afraid it's not your first offense, sir."
Josh considered telling him to go jump off a cliff before deciding to play along. He looked over at the cage and could see that there were five or six other people in it. He went ahead and pulled the mask completely off since he'd already been caught and followed Garret to the cage.
I was watching them as they went to the jail. When he unlocked the door, I could see Garret motion to the other captives to come on out while he held the door open. Josh shot him a look of disbelief when he realized he'd be in there by himself.
I couldn't help myself—I made my way over to the cage to play with him. Gretchen and Joel had rented the humongous cage from a party store, and Josh was leaning with his back against one side of it. I knew where he was standing, and I purposely approached the jail from Josh's back.
"Hey," I said.
"Hey yourself," Josh said without turning to look at me. He sounded slightly grumpy, which wasn't unusual for him. I was a little hurt that he wasn't more excited to have company. "You here for the opening tomorrow?" he asked, after a long silence.
"Yeah," I said. I was starting to get pissed at the way he w as standing with his back to me as if I wasn't even standing behind him.
"Did you bring your emo boyfriend this time?" he asked.
That was all it took. I didn't need that crap. I started to walk off without so much as another word.
"I saw your song," he said. I was already headed back into the crowd, so he had to raise his voice in order for me to hear him.
"And, let me guess, you hated it?" I said from over my shoulder. I didn't even know what song he was talking about, but I figured it was the one I texted to Rachel months ago. I assumed he'd have something sarcastic to say about it, so I didn't even give him the chance.
I took off into the crowd, trying my darndest to become invisible to him. This was a hard task since my dress had about a five-foot diameter. He tried to get near to me a few times after he was released from the fake prison, but each time I thwarted his efforts. I flirted with Zack and every other single guy I could find, laughing loudly at their jokes and pretending to have the time of my life.
Gretchen and Joel had some guys dressed as secret service bodyguards kick us out at ten o'clock on the dot. Those of us who wanted to stay out had the option to get on a party bus. It was a club style bus with room for up to fifty people. Most of Gretchen and Joel's friends just went home after the party, but there were enough of us stragglers to just about fill the bus to capacity. I changed into my normal clothes, but brought my mask on a stick just in case.
Just about everyone else on board stayed in costume, but I just couldn't imagine squeezing that big, bouffant gown onto a crowded bus. The walls of the bus were lined with leather benches and couches, and I was sitting near the front. Rachel and Collin were sitting in the back of the bus with Zack, Ethan and Emily. Bailey and a few others from Paradise Island were back there too. I felt like I wanted to go back there, but this girl Maggie, who was a stylist/friend I'd met a few times, caught me right when I came in the bus and invited me to sit with her and a few of her friends. Not that I was trying to dis Maggie since it was really nice of her to invite me to sit with them—but after I looked around and found Rachel and them, I wanted to head to the back of the bus.
"Can you believe Collin at the Olympics?" Maggie asked, noticing me noticing the back of the bus.
I shook my head. "No, it's surreal. I catch myself telling random people that I know him."
"Oh my God, that makes me feel better because I do the same thing," Maggie said. I started to use that as a segue to mention wanting to go back there and tell Rachel and Collin something, but she started introducing me to everyone sitting around
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