Party

Mr. Reynolds drove their family's five-year-old black Chevrolet to the base of a magnificent high-rise building. Although Jay had repeatedly insisted before leaving that he didn't need a ride—since, technically, flying would be much faster—Mr. Reynolds was adamant, so he had to compromise. After parking the car, Mr. Reynolds smiled and wished him a fun time, then watched until Jay walked into the luxurious building before driving off.

Two weeks ago, Jay had just graduated from high school—strictly speaking, this was the second time for him. The class's well-known little rich girl, Lois, generously invited everyone to her place for a party. Her father worked in local financial investments and was considered a minor celebrity among the wealthy. Lois's personality perfectly embodied the image of a rich girl; she never held back when spending money, was generous with her handouts, and as a result, she was quite popular among her classmates. From the day she first showed up at school, she was decked out in designer brands from head to toe, and standing before you, she exuded an extraordinary air of a young lady of means.

Jay took the elevator straight to the top floor and pulled open the lavishly decorated door to Lois's living room, where a world completely different from the outside instantly hit him. The living room was almost absurdly spacious—or perhaps it would be more fitting to call it a palace. The ceiling, ten meters high, was a golden hemisphere, with a polygonal crystal chandelier hanging in midair, casting ever-changing multicolored lights. Rock music filled the entire room, and young students danced and sang, unleashing the vitality of youth.

"Jay?"

As soon as Jay closed the door, a chubby little guy from class noticed him, standing by the dining table and waving excitedly, his mouth stuffed with plenty of expensive food.

That guy was Pierson, the first classmate whose name Jay remembered after entering school. Not because his physique was particularly striking or memorable, but because of an encounter during lunch on the second day of school.

It started like many typical school bullying incidents: a group of bigger, stronger kids cornered the chubby Pierson in the empty bike shed, demanding he hand over his pocket change and the sandwich meant for his lunch.

He was lucky. Jay happened to pass by that day and witnessed the scene. Since it was no trouble at all, Jay stepped in to stop them. Those kids, ungrateful as they were, tried to throw punches, but naturally, Jay took them all down without breaking a sweat. Later, unwilling to accept defeat, they called in a bunch of their buddies to teach this meddling kid a lesson, but the result was the same—all of them ended up flat on the ground.

When Pierson called out his name, the other classmates who were having a blast shifted their attention over and swarmed him in an instant, like they'd spotted a rare animal that had escaped from the zoo, leaving Jay thoroughly embarrassed. Someone shouted, "You actually came! Lois said you'd be here tonight, and we all thought she was bluffing!"

Lois, one hand on her slender waist, flashed a triumphant smile at the girls beside her, her expression practically saying, "See? Didn't I tell you?"

Actually, it wasn't surprising he got such a warm welcome—when you consistently maintain top grades in the entire school while also being an all-around athlete and the star player of the school football team, that dazzling halo is hard to ignore. In fact, in everyone's mind, Jay Reynolds was exactly that kind of person. The awards he'd won could pile up like a small mountain, and each one was something the average student could only dream of. At this high school, he was practically synonymous with perfection.

So, a guy like that must have plenty of friends, right?

Quite the opposite. Over three years of high school, he barely had anyone he could call a friend. The reason was pretty simple—he was just too outstanding. Everyone looked up to him, admired him, but it was more like the worship of an idol on a pedestal. To others, he was like an unattainable figure high above; most people got inexplicably nervous just walking beside him after school, let alone calling him a buddy.

For similar reasons, he'd never attended any party before. He'd politely declined every invitation, so this was genuinely his first time, which explained why everyone was so surprised.

So Jay had really done Lois a huge favor by showing up, and her face was practically blooming into a flower. She cleared her throat and said, "Why's everyone so quiet? Let's get hyped! This is a party!"

Cheers surged back like a tide, pushing the atmosphere to another peak. The surround-sound speakers throughout the living room vibrated the floor with a deep hum.

Lois wove through the crowd, swaying her slender waist as she slowly approached Jay, standing out among the crowd like the only rose in a sea of green.

"Hey." She waved, greeting him warmly. "So glad you could make it. There's food and drinks over there—help yourself. If anything runs out, let me know, and I'll have the servants restock, or you can join everyone over there for some singing, maybe a dance or two—do you dance?"

She blinked, her emerald eyes bright as pearls.

Jay smiled politely. "Sorry, not my specialty."

"So you do have things you're not good at." Lois chuckled. "Just kidding. Have as much fun as you can!"

"Thanks."

Lois swayed away, and the chubby Pierson quietly sidled up to Jay, staring a bit dazedly at her retreating figure. He muttered, "Boss, if I confessed to her, what do you think my chances are?"

Jay laughed. "Maybe you should try. After all, you might not get another chance, right?"

Pierson shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Forget it. The guys who want to chase her could fill a train car, and there's no way I'd have a shot. I know my place. But you, boss—you've got a real chance. Did you see the way she looked at you? She's into you, boss!"

Jay shook his head with a smile and didn't reply.

The party reached its peak, and a group of guys by the dining table, reeking of alcohol, seemed to be causing a ruckus. Amid the clamor came the sound of shattering glass. Lois snapped at them sharply, "Try not to break anything, gentlemen! Or I'll have to ask you to leave!"

"Sorry, sorry," a burly blond guy in jeans said with an apologetic grin. "We'll be more careful from now on."

"Oh, the genius!" Another guy, dressed in an alternative style with his legs crossed and surrounded by a few lackeys, waved his bottle toward Jay and shouted, "Want something strong?" Before Jay could answer, he quickly added, "Ah, I remember! You're a good little obedient kid. Your mommy must not let you drink, right?"

"Spike! I don't care what your problem is, but don't cause trouble in my house!" Lois scolded angrily, her eyes darting to Jay out of the corner of her eye, afraid that this rare, honored guest who'd done her a favor might turn around and leave in a huff.

This guy named Spike had a history of bad blood with Jay, and that wasn't exactly a secret to anyone. Spike hadn't been a model student in middle school, and when he started high school, he stuck to his old habits of forming gangs and picking on weaker students. Until one day, he got it into his head that he couldn't stand how perfect Jay was in every way, so after school, he and his gang cornered Jay in an empty spot. The result...

After that, he never dared to mess with Jay again, but he never missed a chance to take a dig at him, though most of it was just childish, petty grumbling that Jay never paid any mind to.

Facing an angry Lois, Spike raised his hands innocently and said, "Hey, I'm just trying to get along with a classmate. This is how guys build friendships, right?"

His lackeys quickly chimed in with agreement, afraid to be even half a second late.

Jay didn't get angry. He walked over to him unhurriedly, grabbed a bottle of liquor, and said, "Alright then. First one to fall down loses. How about it?"