Crashing The Slumber Party

Lily rolled her eyes as Athena and Maddy giggled through the quiz. Their answers were getting dirtier by the minute. Lily kicked at her sleeping bag. They were supposed to be here for her, not flirting with pixels on a screen. The door creaked. Sarah peeked in holding a tray of snacks nobody wanted. Her eyes drifted to the phone, then to the three girls sprawled across the floor. She didn’t leave. The girls noticed the way Sarah’s stare lingered like she’d been left out her whole life and waved her over. Sarah’s cheeks flushed, but she slid down next to them. Lily sighed loud enough for everyone to hear. Sarah laughed too loud at their stories, tried too hard at every stupid quiz. Athena and Maddy kept leaning closer to her, eyes flicking over her loose robe. Their questions started sounding like dares. Lily pulled her knees to her chest, hoping her stepmother would get bored and disappear. Instead, Sarah spilled punch on her pajama top and laughed again. Lily snapped, voice sharp enough to cut the music. “This isn’t your party.” Sarah froze, eyes wide, hurt flashing across her face like a live wire. “You’re right, I should go,” she whispered. But before she could stand, Athena grabbed her wrist. “Wait.” Maddy nodded. They let the silence breathe, then told the truth: they wanted her here because they’d been wet since the moment she walked in. Sarah blinked. She’d never heard girls say that before, not about her. Heat crept up her neck. Lily stared, mortified, but the sudden quiet was thicker than embarrassment. Athena’s fingers brushed Sarah’s thigh, and Sarah didn’t pull away. Maddy whispered something filthy, and Sarah’s breathing hitched like she’d been shocked awake. Lily’s stomach twisted. She should storm out, but Athena glanced over with a wicked grin and patted the empty spot beside them. The look said: maybe this night could be something else if Lily stopped fighting it. Lily bit her lip, cheeks burning, phone forgotten in her lap.