Chapter 2
"Hey, Z," Phil answered the Finsters' door. He stepped aside to let in the green-haired boy, who produced a baggy of weed from the pocket of his leather jacket.
"Zeke!" Dil called out, much to Z's dismay. The green-hair boy preferred not to be called by that name. "Did you bring it?" Dil approached, wearing a tie-dye t-shirt with bohemian harem pants, as well as his signature chullo hat. "Did you know that psilocybin acts as a gateway to other dimensions?" Z raised a pierced eyebrow at the hippie, as he exchanged the gram of shrooms for a twenty dollar bill. "I've finally made contact."
"You're pretty concerned about your outfit, for someone who doesn't even want to crash this party," Lil observed, flipping absently through a magazine on Kimi's bed.
"I was just looking for something comfortable to wear." Kimi stepped out of her closet, wearing a black t-shirt, a purple-and-black, plaid skirt, over black leggings, and an old pair of combat boots.
"That doesn't look very comfortable." Lil surveyed Kimi's outfit with a raised eyebrow.
"This is, like, my most authentic self."
Their conversation was interrupted by a light knock on the door. "Are you ready, Kimi?" Chuckie peeked in. "Not that I'm in a hurry, but the guys are getting kinda impatient."
"I have the munchies," Phil thought aloud, gripping his slight ponch, as the gang made their way to Savannah's; the Finsters trailing reluctantly behind the others.
"I'm sure there'll be food there for you to eat," Tommy said.
"Woah..." Dil surveyed his surroundings in apparent wonder. "It's starting to kick in." He giggled with giddiness, as a warm wave of euphoria washed over him. By the time they'd reached Savannah's, he was basically on his own planet.
"Hey, there's Megan," Tommy said, as they entered the living room, but Chuckie froze on spot. Tommy figured the redhead just needed a slight push, so he shoved Chuckie straight into Savannah. She looked angry, when she turned around, but her expression softened, realizing it was Chuckie who'd seemingly pushed her. She giggled, pushing him back slightly. "I didn't think you'd actually crash."
"Hey, ladies." Harold draped his arms over Susie and Angelica's shoulders.
"Hey, Harold," the girls responded in unison, though Susie's greeting sounded slightly friendlier.
"Did you bring it?" Angelica asked impatiently.
"Bring what?" Susie raised an eyebrow, glancing from Angelica to Harold, who was rummaging through his backpack. Susie gasped, when he produced a small bottle of liquor. "We're not old enough to drink."
Angelica rolled her eyes. "Don't be a party pooper, Carmichael." She swiped the bottle from Harold, and took a swig, trying not to scrunch up her face at the taste. She passed the liquor back to Harold, who bravely sipped it, before offering the illegal beverage to Susie. She sighed, reluctant to break any rules; especially ones that were law. Technically, she'd tried wine before, but only a few sips; and at least that had tasted relatively decent, compared to this. On its way down, she felt that it had burned her throat.
"I brought movies for us to watch, too," Harold said, dumping the contents of his backpack onto Angelica's bed. She stole the Reptar Bar from his pile of randomness. "Would you rather watch horror, or romantic comedy?"
An hour into the party, Savannah had finally acknowledged the presence of uninvited guests, but pretty much shrugged it off, since they didn't seem to be disrupting anything. Phil was totally obnoxious, but that behavior was typical of partying boys, so he fit right in. "Chug it! Chug it!" He chanted, holding Lil upside down, as she did a keg stand. A couple guys tried to sneak a peek up her skirt, but were disappointed to find that she was actually wearing skorts. "My turn!"
"Looks like they're having fun," Tommy observed from his slouched position on the love seat.
"Aren't you?" Kimi wondered, secretly basking in his proximity.
"Guess I'm not really the partying type," he realized. "I'd rather it just be us."
Kimi's eyes widened. "Us...?"
As did Tommy's. "You know, the gang," he quickly elaborated, as to not leave Kimi with the impression he'd meant only the two of them; however lovely the thought, even in comparison to that of spending time with their whole friend group.
"Oh, right..." Duh!, Kimi thought, mentally facepalming. "Now, you say that." They shared a laugh at the irony. "Well, we're already here, so let's try to have fun." She stood up, and offered Tommy her hand. "Let's dance!" She yanked him onto his feet, and dragged him toward the center of the living room, where most couples were grinding against each other. They held hands, dancing clumsily, and spinning each other around. Tommy dipped Kimi, and their laughter died away, as they found themselves staring into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. Kimi plead with her own; silently begging to be kissed. She felt as though her heart was breaking, as he lifted her back up, and spun her around. The song trailed off, and they returned to their seats, equally feeling as though they'd missed their train, or gotten off at the wrong stop. Tommy felt that maybe a timeline existed, where he'd bravely followed his heart. He envied that possible version of himself. He was supposed to be the fearless one, but he could never bring himself to admit his feelings to Kimi. "Where's my brother?" She wondered aloud, surveying the crowded room.
"Hallo, I am Chongo... I am happy to be in your country... I am illegal alien from Mars... My IQ is probably twelve, but somehow, I am lady killer."
"Oh, my God." Megan giggled hysterically at Chuckie's impression of his own alter ego. "That's hilarious."
"I'm not usually this uninhibited around people," he remembered, polishing off the rest of his drink. "Actually, I'm especially shy around you... Why am I not shy?"
"Maybe 'cause that was your fourth wine cooler."
"Oh, yeah..." He stared thoughtfully at the magical elixir in his hand.
"Hey, you wanna take this party to the bedroom," Megan asked, already giving Chuckie those bedroom eyes, as she ran a finger slowly up his chest. He gulped, suddenly feeling a lot more nervous than he had only moments ago.
"Um... Did you hear that?" Chuckie cupped his hand to his ear. "I think Tommy's calling my name..." He ran out of the messy kitchen, leaving Megan slightly confused.
