I disappeared... Yet again. My computer died on me a while back, so that's my only excuse for this not being posted sooner. Technology repels me sometimes. *sigh*
Anyway, thank you all for the reviews. Warning for underage drinking ahead. Stayin' Alive belongs to the Bee Gees, My Girl belongs to The Temptations. Yep, all for the classics right now. :)
Chapter Two – Filler Inner (Part One)
Her eyes pried themselves open, squinting in the darkness as she heard her phone buzz from the bedside table. Jennsen had gone to bed early, hoping for a good night's sleep.
No such luck.
She yawned, her arm stretching out blindly on the table before clutching the mobile phone in her hand. She winced against the harsh light of her phone, blinking rapidly before she could make out the bright name on the screen.
It was Yule.
Jennsen flipped the phone open to answer it. "What?" she asked, too tired to sound snappish.
"Hello, my beloved."
Jennsen's brow furrowed as she tried to make out Yule's voice from the loud music pumping in the background. "Do you think I should be hanging up right now?" she asked, stifling a yawn. "I think I should be hanging up right now."
It took Yule a while to comprehend what Jennsen was saying before she hastily replied, "Hey, none of that! There's a party on and I want you to be here."
"At least go some place quiet so I can hear you," she grumbled.
"Huh?"
Jennsen clenched her jaw for a moment, speaking louder this time as she repeated, "At least go some place quiet so I can hear you!"
Yule must have heard most of what was said, because a moment later the music was swallowed off by the clicking of a door. "So, what's the verdict?"
"Yule, it's late."
"I am a creature of the night."
"My parents don't like me going out to parties. You know that."
"Where did you get the idea that we were asking them?"
Jennsen pursed her lips "...I'm not sure Yule." She paused. "This is kinda–"
"Rebellious?" Yule filled in. "Jennsen, you're in your teens. This is the prime part of you growing up! You need to live a little."
It took a moment for her to respond. "Where is it?"
She could practically hear the smile on Yule's face. "I dunno, some chicks house."
"You don't even know?" Jennsen asked, tone incredulous.
"I know where it is, not who's holding it. Besides, they have free booze. Free booze!" Yule wasn't exactly defending her case all that well. "Look, I need ya here Jeeeen," she pleaded.
She really should be hanging up right now.
"Seriously, please." The tone in Yule's voice said it all.
"...Alright." Jennsen emphasised her suffering with a long and exaggerated sigh. "I'll meet you down the end of my street. Not anywhere closer. I don't want my parents waking up. They're still freaked out from the first time they saw you."
"Done deal, chickadee," Yule drawled with a chuckle.
She snapped her phone shut, dread balling up in the pit of her stomach as she wondered what she'd gotten herself into.
Jennsen wished she could just say no for once in her life, but Yule had the ability of coercing her into anything. Actually, now that she thought about it, a lot of people did.
And sooner or later that habit would break.
Things will change, she thought to herself.
They will.
–
Jensen leaned back against a wall, cringing at the smell of smoke, alcohol and sweaty people as her gaze moved to and fro around the room. "Why? Just..." Her eyes closed briefly in frustration. "Why?"
"Because you need a social life, for one," Yule said, alcoholic beverage at hand as she stood next to her friend. "And two, it's fun to watch drunk teens do stupid stuff."
"Like you?"
She shrugged. "I take no offense. But hey, I'm a pretty amazing drunk if you ask me." Her face lit up as her eyes locked in on a tray of small glasses some guy was carrying. "Ooh, they have shots."
"Like a moth to flame."
"Don't be hatin'." Yule winked, following said guy as he walked off to another room.
Jennsen folded her arms, eyes scanning cautiously around the place. She'd just let Yule have a couple of drinks and then drag her out of this place. That was it. That would be it.
She didn't have a chance to react fast enough when a drunk girl bumped into her, spilling the contents of the drinks that she was holding. Jennsen stepped back as soon as she could, hunching over so that the alcohol didn't run down her pants.
Going home with booze on her clothes wasn't exactly a good idea. She'd smell like a drunk.
Crap.
Jennsen looked up at the girl in horror.
"Woops," the girl giggled, oblivious to the look shot her way as she trudged drunkenly through the crowd.
Jennsen sighed through clenched teeth, peeling the front of her top and wringing as much alcohol out of it as possible.
She needed a bathroom. Stat.
Searching for an exit, she weaved around the masses of people within the main room and reached the hallway. She stomped up the stairs, dodging a couple who were walking down. All Jennsen needed was a sink, but it took a while to reach the top of the stairs, with all the people blocking parts of the stairway, grinding to the music or flirting loudly. She had to make a conscious effort not to shove them.
Yule had mentioned that there was a bathroom upstairs, but she didn't specify where. She was never specific about things. Jennsen just hoped she wouldn't run into some occupied room. Occupied in the worst kind of way.
She turned round the corner of the hallway, almost bumping into some couple making out. A second glance had her realizing it was Riggins shoving his tongue down some rally girl's throat.
Tim pulled away, lips parted and swollen from kissing, head turning to the intruder. His eyes filled with drunken realization as he met Jennsen's eyes. "Oh, hey…" he trailed off, not knowing her name.
"I'm not going to fill in my name for you," Jennsen said stubbornly. "Because the last thing I need is to be the filler inner. And I'm not one of those people."
Jennsen caught sight of the girl nibbling on Tim's ear. She averted her eyes, meeting the Fullback's gaze once again as his lips quirked into a smirk. "Filler inner. Interesting."
"Whatever," she replied, walking passed him and to the bathroom door – thankful that it had a sign with the word 'BATHROOM' on the front – before knocking on it briefly.
She waited for a response from within the bathroom, until listening to the little moans of the rally girl Riggins was making out with made her teeth grit. "How long will you be in there for?" she asked, banging on the door again.
"No one's in there." The nameless girl latched her mouth on Tim's neck as he spoke. "The door's unlocked."
Jennsen would've blushed with embarrassment, but it was frustration that colored her cheeks. "You could've told me earlier."
"You didn't ask."
She shot him a look that went unnoticed, turning the door knob before entering the room. It stunk of puke and alcohol. Wrinkling her nose, she walked to the bathroom sink, turning the tap for water to come out of the spout. She kept turning and turning the tap, but no water came out.
Jennsen walked out with a huff, sucking on her top teeth as she slammed the door shut and folded her arms begrudgingly.
"Oh, and… the sink doesn't work either."
She looked at the Fullback incredulously.
A bedroom door opened near Riggins, a couple walking out unabashedly with hair messed and garments rumpled. No guess as to what they'd been up to.
"Thank you for mentioning that," Jennsen said, sarcasm evident. She felt it was best to speak. Not let him win, have the last say.
"No problem."
"Whatever. Have fun testing springs," she replied, just as wryly.
"Will do."
The grin on his face told her he would. He kissed the no-name rally girl, both hands gripped on her waist as he pushed her backwards to the inside of the spare bedroom. Jennsen heard the girl giggle before the door slammed shut.
"Gross."
Since when was propriety such an old fashioned idea in this world?
So many girls were willing to whore themselves out to him, not minding the fact that they were becoming the proverbial notch on his bedpost. They weren't looking for rose petals and scented candles, after all.
Actually, considering Riggins' reputation, he was more like the notch on their bedpost. Once the deal was done those girls would stake their claim and boast the boast around school.
She didn't know what they had to boast about.
He was a football player. The token disgruntled and messed up jock. He was a pretty boy, sure, but a man whore at that. He was no god. But the way girls fawned over him made it appear as though he was.
And she didn't understand the hype.
She didn't understand it for the life of her.
And it only served to irritate her.
Jennsen didn't know why, but she felt like a drink.
One that entailed alcohol.
–
"You know what I find strange? " Jennsen slurred drunkenly. "Kissing. I mean, the lips, the tongues," she sloshed the cup around in her hand as she gestured. "The closing of eyes. Isn't it strange?" Her eyes squinted a little as she repeated, "You close your eyes."
The guy – she didn't know who, some random person – shuffled closer, hand snaking around her waist. "Well, it'd kinda be weird if you didn't." He smirked, amused at her questioning.
"And who decided it'd be weird? Who decided there'd be that awkward feeling if your eyes were open?"
"It's human instinct." She felt his breath against her neck, then lips.
Jennsen burst out laughing, both from his comment and how ticklish his lips felt against her skin. Quieting her laughter, an immediately sombre expression crossed her faced as she murmured, "Human instinct is a weird bit of mumbo jumbo."
"Hey, you!" The lips were pulled away from Jennsen's neck as a familiar voice seethed, "What the fuck do you think you're doing with my girl?"
Jennsen smiled brightly at her friend's face. "Hey, Yollie. How's it goin?"
Yule looked out of the corner of her eye, gaze almost narrowed at Jennsen before turning back to the guy.
"Relax. We were just gonna go have a little fun. You care to join the two of us?" he asked flirtatiously.
Jennsen was humming to The Temptations 'My Girl', eyes scanning over the crowd for hazel eyes.
No such luck.
"Sorry, but I don't share," the goth said with false sweetness. "Now scram, before I show you the true definition of a eunuch..." He didn't budge. Her expression turned menacing in an instant. "You wanna test me, short stuff?"
Jennsen was giggling over Yule's response, oblivious to her anger as the guy scowled. "She wasn't worth it, any way," he gritted out, eyes scanning over her with disinterest and annoyance. "And neither are you," he said before walking off grudgingly.
"Keep on walkin', itty bitty man," Yule taunted. Her eyes then turned to Jennsen, wide with alarm. "What the hell, Jen?"
"Huh?" Her eyes widened with innocence. "Why are you angry? We're just... What was the word?" She thought hard for a moment, expression brightening once she figured out what it was. "Talking!" She grinned in triumph. "Yeah, we were talking."
"Talking?"
"About kissing, in fact," she added, nodding wisely.
"How much have you been drinking?"
"Just a little." Jennsen shrugged.
"More than a little... Sleezy McSleezbag was taking advantage of you. You could've gotten in real trouble."
"That's why I have you here, Yollie."
Yule frowned. "I don't like that name. Never say it again."
"Yes, Yolanda."
Her eyes narrowed. "You want me to tell your parents you've been drinking?"
"Nonononono, they'll kill me if they find out!" Jennsen sort of cracked up laughing as she said that.
"Well that'd be very unchristian of them now, wouldn't it?"
"You," she said with raised eyebrows, poking Yule's shoulder clumsily. "Know what I mean."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll quit teasing you." A slow smile stole over her face. "But jeez, you're just so damn cute as a drunk."
"You're just so damn cute as a drunk."
"I just said that."
"You just said that." Giggle.
"All right, I think it's high time for you to get home and have some rest."
"But I have– I haven't finished talking to what–his–face...? Hey! Hey, guy! Where did he go?" She frowned, confused and almost alarmed. "Did you see him leave? What happened? Woah, is he like a magician or something?" Her eyes lit up at the thought. "That is soooo cooooool." Jennsen took a sip of her drink, discovering that it was empty. She lifted it over her head, peering at the empty cup. "Hey, my drink was full before. I swear it was." She looked around, startled to find that Yule was yanking on her wrist. "Can't I just get one more refill?"
"No," Yule stated stubbornly, dragging her out of the house.
"You wanted me to 'live', didn't you? I'm living. Stayin' alive!" Jennsen laughed at her lame joke, singing to The Bee Gees.
"Maybe bringing you here was a bad idea after all," the goth murmured.
She had no idea how right she was.
Get ready for part two! And don't forget to please review! (total coincidence that it rhymed *coughcough*) ;)
