The Bet : A Rosewood High short story

Chapter One

The party was in full swing.

Flashing lights, blaring music, copious amounts of alcohol, it was what one would expect from Rosewood High on a Saturday night. 

For an elite boarding school on the upper East Side of New York, Rosewood was known for its strict rules and exemplary conduct. However, the entire faculty seemed to turn a blind eye to the raging parties that were thrown almost every weekend right in the heart of the great hall. 

I suppose it pays to allow the richest of the rich their moments of debauchery, to keep their parents happy and their donations flowing. 

I sipped on my drink, the same one I've had for almost three hours now that turned into a lukewarm, tasteless version of its former self. I wasn't much of a drinker, especially not when I was surrounded by pariahs. 

Making my way through the swaying students, I kept my eyes peeled for a head of curly blonde hair. Theo was nowhere to be found, and I had promised not to leave the party without letting him know first. He was aware of my aversion to these events, but he insisted I accompany him to every party, as his girlfriend. I swung my head to the side, barely avoiding an elbow to the eye. The boy mumbled something, presumably an apology, but in his drunken state he could have proposed marriage and neither of us would know it. I checked my phone again, seeing if Theo had answered any of my texts, but no luck. Makayla was nowhere to be found either, my roommate and Theo's best friend, she would have been of some help in this situation, but she also disappeared a few minutes ago. 

I finally made it out of the crowd, setting my cup on a table and adjusting my red dress. It was a little too short, and way too sparkly, but Makayla insisted I wear it because Red was Theo's favorite color. I found myself doing a lot of things lately simply because Theo liked them, like wearing dresses I wouldn't normally pick, going to parties with people I don't know, and pulling my long hair up because it looked better. I didn't mind the slight changes, I was a senior after all, and exploring new things was the theme of my last year of high school. One of those things was dating one of the most popular boys in Rosewood high.

I looked around the hall again, trying to spot any of my friends, but none of them were around. I sighed, leaning against a wall and relieving some weight off of my feet. These heels were killing me. 

A slight breeze blew past my neck and I turned around. The service door that led to the kitchen and storage area was cracked open. I glanced at my phone again. It was almost midnight and all of the staff should be sleeping by now. Did they forget to lock up? I swung my body upright, heading towards the wooden door. Pushing it open a little further, I made my way inside, enjoying the silence that enveloped me. It was only last year that Dante, one of Theo’s friends, had the bright idea to soundproof the great hall. He said it would lessen their chances of getting caught, but we all knew there would be no consequences if they were. 

I looked around the space. A long, marble hallway that led to the kitchen, a black and gold cushioned sofa against the wall, and the storage room to my left. Voices drifted from the open door and I immediately recognised Theo's baritone. Finally, I was getting tired of looking for him. I started making my way towards the room when the topic of conversation caught my attention. 

“It was easy enough,” Theo said. “She must have been desperate for attention.” 

Who was he talking about?

“All of the scholarship kids are.” I recognised Dante's voice, and without even seeing his face, I knew he must have had that obnoxious smirk on his lips. “They pretend to hate us but in reality they all want to be us.”

“Still,” another voice chimed in. “ I thought she would make it a little harder for you, you know, give you a challenge.” Nate, another one of his friends said.