Ezekiel's POV
The party had exploded into chaos by the time I arrived. Word must have spread through the entire senior class because bodies were crammed everywhere, music pounding through the speakers hard enough to rattle my teeth. Strobe lights carved through cigarette smoke and cheap cologne.
Usually I would have jumped straight into the madness with Anton, but things had been strained between us lately. Too many unspoken tensions hanging in the air.
I found myself gravitating toward the back porch instead, gripping a lukewarm Coke and trying to tune out Kane's obnoxious voice booming over the crowd. He was already three drinks deep and getting louder by the minute.
Anton held court in the living room like always. A cluster of cheerleaders circled him, giggling at everything he said. Same performance, different night.
Everything felt predictable until the front door opened and the crowd suddenly shifted.
Then I saw her walking in.
Ximena.
