She’s wearing a hot pink corset top and her favorite jeans—I spent more than an hour helping her choose this outfit earlier. Her dark hair is parted down the middle and straightened to perfection so her layers frame her face and the tips tickle the top of her chest. She looks smoking hot, and I wish she’d go into this party with an open mind. But she’s only got her sights set on one guy.

One guy who just so happens to be approaching the car right now, along with his sidekick.

“Shit, here come the guys. We’re doing code words tonight, right?” I ask, double-checking that my phone’s not on silent in my wristlet.

“Yes, Mads,” Paige huffs out with an eye roll.

It’s silly to ask—we’ve had this system in place since high school—but I don’t really want to be here, so any excuse to duck out early is a priority for me.

“Lucky Lucy if you’re leaving with a guy. Rodger Dodger if we need to leave ASAP, no questions asked,” I remind her.

“I hope Lucky Lucy is on both our sides tonight. Okay, let’s go!” She opens the car door before I have a chance to reply.

I blow out a breath and follow, circling the car to join her where the guys are waiting. Before I’ve even opened my mouth to say hi, Travis throws his arm around me and pulls me into an awkward side hug.

“Hey, Maddie,” he whispers against my hair as I spin out of his embrace.

“Hey,” I mutter, sticking both hands on my hips to ward off any additional affection.

“Sup, ladies,” Kyle says with a smirk. “You look good, Paige,” he adds, crossing his arms over his Nike T-shirt as he gives my best friend this sort of smarmy perusal. The dude didn’t even make eye contact with her when he spoke. Twenty-year-old boys really are just out here doing the least.

“You look hot as fuck,” Travis whispers in my ear, jolting me back to the moment.

I didn’t realize he’d inched closer until he was right up on me. We haven’t even walked into the party, and I’m ready to Rodger Dodger everyone’s ass and call it a night.

But I won’t do that to Paige. I agreed to come to this party for her, so now I have to see it through. I can suck it up and fend off Travis’s lame attempts at flirting if it means my best friend has a good time. Lord knows she’d do the same for me.

“Are we gonna party or just stand in the street chit chatting?” I tease, linking arms with Paige and starting the trek past the line of parked cars.

“Lead the way, ladies,” Kyle announces with a flourish, his arm extended toward the house.