Disclaimer: I do not own LwD.
English is not my first language, so don't be harsh when reviewing guys, please…
Sam, Declan, Troy and a bunch of other guys raise their fists with incitement. That's for him. It's always been for him. One game won, another next week. Partying with the cheerleaders. Randomly hooking up. That's him. Well, at least that's what has been defining him over the last few years.
"Guys look! He's shoving it down! What is it, like, the one fucking hundredth glass?"
He doesn't really recognize whom that came from, but somehow he does manage to swallow down one more drink, one of those you shouldn't be sipping twice if you don't want to end up knocked out on the floor and covered with vomit. But hey, that's part of being Derek Venturi.
"Hun! Honey!"
He tries to ignore the shrieking sound that should be his pet name. Saying that he hates it like hell would be an understatement.
"Derry!" Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse.
"Damn it Der, over here!"
Now that's the girl he loves to fuck. Demanding, hysterically bitchy drama queen Kendra. Oh, she's also head cheerleader. What a cliché, now.
Derek reluctantly turns over to see a fairly mad blondie making her way through the partying crowd, towards the island counter he and his teammates have been drinking the night away at. Through his blurry vision he realizes her lips are crashing over his and he's deepening that whatsoever vodka tasting sort of kiss they're sharing and the guys are screaming to get his attention back.
Pulling back from Kendra's lips, he fiercely says: "So what now, Sam. I won. Again. So gimme your fucking Rolex and let's get this bet over with."
"No way man! Bet you I could drink just the same freaking amount!"
"Ok, enough you sexy pieces of man meat" Kendra abruptly interrupts. "Hun, why don't we go upstairs?" She smiles seductively at him but he can't help but notice how it all just looks plain slutty and there's not really much left to imagination.
"Yeah babe. Just lemme get the condoms first. Must've left 'em in my jacket. Meet me upstairs in five minutes". He storms off not wanting to hear her whining about his bluntness and his friends getting louder and drunker, if that's even possible.
The thing is, he knows better than this. He looks around for a freaking bathroom and eventually finds a small one in the basement. He locks himself in, and grazes his nape with the tips of his fingers while staring at his reflection in the mirror. His hair is messy and sweaty, his eyes a bit red and puffy from the weed he smoked earlier. But what has him worried is the enormous amount of alcoholics he's been taking in less than 20 minutes. He knows he must take it all out before it's too late.
He takes a hold of the sink with one hand, and then senselessly shoves the other down his throat. Within seconds he's vomiting all over the wash basin as the frustration for this tiring party routine subsides.
"What? You developed an eating disorder or something?"
After spitting out the few remains and rapidly washing his face with a dash of ice cold water, he turns over. Somehow, despite the suddenness of it, that voice didn't scare him. It never did.
"Geez, McDonald. Go die of bookwormness elsewhere."
The brunette doesn't seem much offended by his bicker reply. "Nice to see you too, Derek".
"Just why are you here in the first place? I thought I'd never live to see the day you would come to a party like this".
"Believe it or not, Angela wants me to write an article over this crap"
Derek quizzically raises an eyebrow at her, looking puzzled. "And why on earth would the school newspaper editor find any of this so called crap interesting?"
"Go figure. Says it's one of the most important events of the year that could be 'sociologically intriguing', or whatever that means"
"Well, so, shouldn't you be getting to the core of it? I don't think hiding out in a bathroom will give you much material to brag about with Angela".
"Just as much as self-induced vomit will add in to your reputation".
Derek can't help but think how much Casey had always been the one to point out all of his weaknesses. No matter how hard he tried, he could look perfect to anyone but her. It drives him insane to think she actually has a point with that. Bookworm goody goody two shoes keener Casey.
"The thing is, we both know we don't want to stay here, yet here we are. I'm sitting on a toilet and you just puked in a sink – seriously Derek, don't you know it could block up the pipes? Use the toilet next time. Anyways, as I was saying, we…"
"McDonald, I am so not up to hearing your philosophical issues right now. I need to make my head stop spinning without doing the puking thing again and most of all I need condoms. A lot of condoms. Do you even know what those are?"
Casey sighs in annoyance. "Look, if you want, I could give you the cap of my pen here. It'd fit your size perfectly."
That's when Derek spots it. A shaving foam spray can. "You went looking for trouble, McDonald."
Before she can process what's happened, white cream is sprayed on her face and hair and she's screaming and throwing towels at him.
Almost without thinking Derek opens the door, so that the crowd outside can see the hilarious sight of the school bookworm covered in this white weird creamy stuff.
That's what those folks have been looking for the whole night. Something to compare themselves to, just to make sure they're the ultimate winners. Duh, as if that was ever questioned. The whole cheerleading team is watching and filming the scene with their mobiles. Among them, Derek clearly sees Kendra throwing the lemon slice that had been on her drink at Casey, making it land on her head.
"Whoa, she really shouldn't be allowed here"
"Bookworm McDonald at a party?"
"This is like the most freaking hilarious thing ever!"
"Triple-D really did a number on her now! He's the man!"
Derek can't help but feel proud for the last comment. He once more gave the crowd some amusement and actually found himself a cover for his bathroom escapade.
But then Casey manages to storm out of the room despite everyone holding her back and calling her names, and he can't help but notice utter humiliation in those bright blue eyes. And so there the nausea goes again.