A/N: Why do I always write about parties? Seriously, there is at least one party in almost all of my stories. Hmm. Well, hope you all enjoy this one! I certainly enjoyed writing it!
I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you.
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
"I thought you said this was going to be fun!" Simon yelled over the Top 40 song blasting through the expensive stereo system. Lingering in the doorway, Brittany observed the wild dancing and loud laughing from her peers.
"Relax," Brittany replied with a smile. "It will be. We just got here."
Simon frowned as a guy ran past them wearing nothing but his underwear and a lamp shade on his head. "You're sure you want to be here?"
"I'm sure," Brittany said. She looped her arm around Simon's. "C'mon, let's mingle."
She ignored Simon's miserable sigh as she led him to the huge living room. Joey Baker was a year ahead of Brittany in school, and thanks to his large house and swimming pool, Joey's house was always a favorite party destination for Alvin and her friends. Joey's house had hosted many infamous events; the time there was that big cat fight between those cheerleaders during her freshman year, and the time popular girl Elise Larkin hooked up with nerd Billy Jameson in Joey's parent's room. Then there was the time Brittany, Claire, and Tessa Campbell drunkenly danced to Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me on Joey's dining room table at two o'clock on a Sunday morning. Brittany couldn't remember the event, but the blurry videos of the infamous dancing was probably still on dozens of camera phones for the world to see.
"Brittany! You came!"
Brittany recognized Marissa's high-pitched voice immediately. She and Claire were holding red plastic cups, waving her over.
"I thought you said you were over parties," Claire said after giving Brittany a hug.
"I did," Brittany admitted. "But I decided you guys were right. A little excitement will do me some good. You two remember Simon, right?"
Simon, Marissa, and Claire exchanged polite greetings before something got his attention in the distance.
"Is that Paul and Brant?" Simon said, referring to his less-than-popular friends from high school.
Marissa's large eyes followed Simon's gaze. "Yeah, they usually come to stuff like this."
"They do?" Simon asked in disbelief.
"Sure," Claire said with a shrug. She grinned at Brittany. "See, I told you we're not into that judgmental stuff anymore."
Simon glanced at Brittany. "Do you mind if I go over and say hi? I haven't seen these guys in ages."
"Go ahead," Brittany encouraged, glad that Simon might find people to talk to.
Brittany watched Simon walk toward his former friends. She only half-listened to whatever Claire and Marissa were gossiping about as she scanned the crowd for familiar faces. She saw many people she knew from school; and Claire was right, cliques didn't seem to matter as much anymore. Brittany saw some jocks, a few band geeks, a group of skaters…
That's when she saw her.
Her blonde hair was a shade lighter than it had been the first time Brittany saw her, but it was definitely her.
Brittany's heart caught in her throat. It was girl she caught Alvin hooking up with in his room the Christmas before last.
"Brittany?"
Brittany blinked and faced her friends, who were looking at her with confused expressions.
"Are you okay?" Claire asked.
Feeling a bit sick to her stomach, Brittany nodded toward the girl. "Who is that? The girl in the orange sundress."
"Oh, that's Amber," Claire said.
"Does she live around here?"
"She's Victoria Lantz's cousin," Claire answered, referring to a former classmate. "I guess she and Victoria are really close, so she visits whenever she can."
Brittany watched Amber twist some golden hair around her index finger when she talked to a tall, muscular guy. He probably had a girlfriend too.
"Where is she from?" Brittany wanted to know.
"San Diego," Claire said at the same time Marissa said, "San Francisco." They looked at each other and laughed.
"I don't know," Claire admitted. "One of the Sans. Why are you so interested, Britt?"
"Just curious," Brittany muttered. Seeing Amber was bringing all the memories from that horrible day back. She was smiling the exact same way at this guy the same way she smiled at Alvin in his bed. Brittany could suddenly see everything; Alvin's dreamy, faraway look, Amber's red bra and thong, Brittany dropping Alvin's Christmas present… it was all coming back to her.
"Brittany!" Marissa waved her hand in front of Brittany's face. "What is up with you?"
"Nothing," Brittany said, shaking her head. So what if that girl was here? Why should it ruin Brittany's good time? All that stuff with Alvin was in the past. "I need a drink."
Claire and Marissa beamed. "That's the spirit!"
Unable to focus on anything else, Brittany made her way through the crowd. She got pushed and bumped by people dancing and drunkenly stumbling around, but she eventually made it to Joey's large kitchen. She wasted no time heading for the keg in the middle of the room.
Brittany took her drink into the living room. Except for the quick, casual, "Hey, Brittany!" no one was really speaking to her. They probably didn't know what to say; it was obvious everyone knew about what happened to her and Alvin, the former "it" couple in town.
Brittany sipped on her drink, feeling strangely out of place. She saw some pretty girls in the middle of living room shaking their skinny asses to the loud beat, their tank tops riding up to reveal pierced belly buttons. A few years ago, Brittany would have been right with them, loving every second of being the center of attention. Guys whooped and hollered at the girls, placing their hands on their firm bodies as they danced.
Brittany watched them in envy as she took a long swig of beer. She was suddenly determined that she would join them by the end of the night. She just needed a few more drinks to put her in the mood.
The Chipette wandered further into the room. Joey, the host of the party, was sandwiched between two busty girls with streaked hair. Brittany couldn't help but laugh at Joey's happy face. He had a reputation for not remembering his own parties, and it was easy to see why.
Just as Brittany was starting to loosen up a little, she spotted Alvin lounging on one of the loveseats. A girl was with him, but not the thin brunette who snuck in his house earlier that week. This girl had wavy strawberry blond hair and long, tanned legs. She was snuggled against Alvin, his arm was draped around her shoulder, making no effort to hide the fact that he was staring down her blouse (Although it was almost impossible not to stare; her outfit left little to the imagination).
Once again, Brittany felt that twinge of jealousy. She hated the lustful way he was looking at her, they way his fingers casually played with a piece of her long, shiny hair. Meanwhile, he wouldn't even give Brittany the time of day, even though she had tried to make peace with him.
Brittany sighed and looked at her almost-empty red cup. She was going to need something stronger than beer, so she finished her drink and marched to the backyard. She knew Joey's parents had an outside bar that he frequently kept open during summer parties.
Brittany stayed outside for a while and quickly downed some tequila. She hadn't had this much alcohol in a long time, but she could feel it starting to effect her. As the liquid rushed through her veins, she started feeling lighter than before. She found herself striking up conversations with people in the backyard, and even dancing a bit. Eventually people began piling in the hot tub, and Brittany instantly hated herself for not bringing a swim suit. She decided that if she started feeling too left out, she'd go ahead and get in with her clothes on.
Three drinks later, as Brittany was shaking her hips to a Black Eyed Peas song, she felt her cell phone vibrate in the back pocket of her shorts. She pulled it out and blinked a few times to read the text message clearly: Where are you? It was from Simon.
"Crap," she muttered. She didn't know how long she had been in the backyard, but it had been a while since she had seen Simon, who was technically her date. She figured she should go inside and find him. He probably wouldn't be too pleased by the fact that she was a little tipsy, but she could still think somewhat clearly. Who knows, maybe Simon was letting loose himself. Perhaps they could even dance together.
Brittany grinned at the thought as she started walking toward the screen door. Right before she got there, the door slid open, revealing the curvy girl Alvin had been cuddling. The girl walked past Brittany and headed toward the bar.
Brittany stood up straighter and walked toward the girl. Suddenly, she was feeling unusually talkative.
"Hey," Brittany said, sliding up to the girl, who was mixing some drinks in a tall glass.
"Hey," she replied, not looking up.
Brittany drummed her fingers on the bar, a smile plastered on her face.
"Can I help you with something?" the girl asked. Brittany hadn't realized she had been staring at her, but the girl's slight annoyance implied that she was.
"What's your name?" Brittany wanted to know.
"Kristen."
Brittany nodded. "Where are you from?"
Kristen still didn't look up, but her eyebrows knit together. "I'm from Greensburg," she said, referring to a town about twenty minutes away. "Why do you ask?"
"How old are you?" Brittany asked. Kristen opened her mouth to say something, but Brittany decided to get to the point. "I saw you with Alvin Seville."
Kristen finally turned to face Brittany. Brittany couldn't help but stare at her huge boobs, which were barely concealed by her shirt. If Kristen sneezed, she would flash the whole party.
"Yeah, I was with Alvin." Kristen put her hands on her hips. "Why?"
"Well," Brittany sighed. "I just think you should know about him. He's sort of… well, dangerous. He's a total player, actually." Brittany took a drink from her cup. In the last ten minutes, she had switched to brandy. She loved the way the alcohol burned her throat on the way down. "I just thought you should know. I mean, I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything."
Kristen rolled her eyes, which were a muddy brown color. Brittany couldn't help but think how much prettier her eyes were than Kristen's.
"Thanks for your concern," she sneered at Brittany. "But I think I can handle it from here."
Kristen started to walk away, but Brittany grabbed her wrist. "Wait!"
"What?" Kristen hissed.
"You should find another guy," Brittany blurted. "Alvin is just trying to get in your pants. Like I said, he's just a player. He's nothing but a…"
Kristen pried Brittany's hand off her arm and looked at Brittany carefully. Suddenly, she grinned as if she had just figured out some scandalous secret.
"Wait a minute," Kristen said, cocking her head to the side. "I know who you are. You're Alvin's ex-girlfriend. Brittany, right?"
Brittany blinked. How could this girl know her? They lived in different towns.
"Everyone knows who you are," Kristen said, as if she was reading Brittany's mind. "You were like the celebrity couple of our area."
Brittany wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or offended by the sarcasm in Kristen's voice. "Look, this really doesn't have anything to do with me," Brittany said. "It's just better if you stay away from him."
"Better for who?" Kristen asked. "Me or you?"
Brittany's hands turned to fists at her sides. Unfortunately, the alcohol was making it tough for her brain to muster up a decent comeback.
"That's what I thought," Kristen said in a bored voice. "Now please, mind your own business. Alvin has obviously moved on, and you should too." Kristen gave her a condescending look. "It's just not healthy, sweetie."
Kristen sauntered off before Brittany could say anything.
"That bitch," she hissed. Brittany was just trying to be nice. She didn't want to see someone get hurt by Alvin again.
Brittany reached for more liquor and muttered, "Who am I kidding?" She wasn't trying to get Kristen away from Alvin to help Kristen; she just wanted her to reject Alvin. It was about time Alvin got a taste of his own medicine.
Or maybe she just wanted her away from Alvin because she was jealous.
Brittany shook her head and downed some more alcohol, desperate to shake that thought from her mind. Her phone vibrated again. This time she had two missed calls and another text from Simon.
After refilling her cup with as much liquid it could hold, Brittany wandered back inside. She wove through the crowd, looking for Simon, but not having any luck. After a while, she found herself in the living room, jumping around and singing her lungs out to a pop song. She figured there was no point in looking anymore; Simon would find her eventually.
Brittany was dancing up against some guy she vaguely remembered from high school when she spotted Alvin and Kristen on the loveseat. She grinned smugly to herself, thinking how much more fun she was having than them. Alvin probably hadn't left that stupid couch since he got there. What a loser.
However, Brittany felt herself stop dancing when Kristen leaned forward and kissed Alvin on the lips. As Alvin kissed back, Brittany could've sworn she saw Kristen glance at her and give an evil wink. Without thinking, Brittany marched over. She hovered over the pair, and Kristen was first to look up.
"Can we help you?" she rudely asked.
"You don't get it do you?" Brittany asked. "I'm tried to warn you about him, and you're not listening."
Kristen rolled her eyes and looked at Alvin, who looked somewhat amused. It was the most interest he had shown toward Brittany in months. "I told you," she said. "I told you she was bugging me."
"You know what? I don't even know why I came over here!" Brittany spat. She suddenly felt a little dizzy, but she tried to ignore it.
"You came over here because you're jealous," Kristen retorted.
Brittany narrowed her eyes, trying to look threatening. Unfortunately, the alcohol was making her momentarily forget why she was there in the first place. She found herself struggling to remember who she was talking to and what they were talking about.
"Whatever," Brittany murmured. "I don't even care anymore."
"Good," Kristen snapped. "Now leave."
Brittany felt anger surge through her body. No one talked to her like that.
"You can't tell me what to do," Brittany said loudly, making a few people nearby glance at her. "Why are you being such a bitch anyway? I was just trying to get you to stay away from him." She pointed an unsteady finger at Alvin, who was casually drinking out of a beer can.
Kristen's nostrils flared as she stood up from the couch. "Get it through your head!" she yelled over the music. "Alvin doesn't care about you anymore. He can do whatever he wants with whoever he wants. Besides," Kristen smirked, "after all the girls he's been with lately, you're not even close to meeting his standards anymore."
Brittany was having difficulty processing what Kristen had just said, (her brain wasn't reacting quickly enough to the events happening around her, a feeling that she should have been enjoying, being at a party and all) but from what she could gather, it was implied that she wasn't good enough for Alvin. But why would Kristen say that? She didn't know Brittany, and how would she know what Alvin's standards were. Hell, from what it sounded like, Alvin was being too much of a man whore to have any standards at all.
Kristen, smiling at the fact Brittany was to the point of drunkenness that she didn't understand her, turned to Alvin and said, "Why don't we go somewhere a little more private, Alvin?"
It was at that moment that Brittany felt a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly she was face-to-face with Simon.
"Brittany, where have you been?" Simon asked, obviously peeved that she had ditched him. "Didn't you get my messages?" Brittany nodded. "Then why didn't you call back?"
Brittany blinked. "I didn't think about it," she slurred. The room suddenly looked like it was tilting over, and Brittany stumbled a bit. She grabbed Simon's shoulder for support.
Simon frowned and looked at her carefully. "Brittany, are you…"
"Drunk?" Kristen finished his sentence. "Yes, very. Someone needs to get her out of my face."
Brittany glared at her. Sure, she may have been—okay, she was definitely—drunk by this point, but she wasn't going to let this girl put her down.
"Weren't you leaving for a more private place?" She briefly acknowledged the fact that she sounded like a kindergartener, but then decided that she didn't care.
Kristen rolled her eyes and practically yanked Alvin off the couch. Brittany looked at him, surprised by the fact that he hadn't said a word the whole time. Usually he'd make some smartass comment about everyone fighting over him or whatever.
"Why are you being so boring, Alvin?" Brittany blurted.
Alvin raised his eyebrows. People had called Alvin many things, but "boring" certainly wasn't one of them. Caught off guard, he opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it.
Kristen whipped her head toward Alvin, her thick reddish-blonde hair smacking Brittany in the face. "Got anymore crazy ex-girlfriends, or is she the only one?"
That was it; something inside Brittany totally snapped.
"YOU BITCH!"
Brittany didn't hear people gasp and yell as she lunged forward and yanked Kristen's hair back with all her might. Kristen screamed in pain when her head was pulled backwards.
"Cat fight!" someone yelled. Kristen pried Brittany's hand off her hair and turned. Her eyes were wild with rage, but Brittany wasn't afraid. Between the alcohol and her adrenaline, she felt as if she could take on the world.
"Bring it on, Barbie!" Brittany challenged.
Kristen through herself forward to pounce on Brittany, but Brittany dodged out of the way, leaving Kristen to stumble on the floor. Once the girl was on the ground, Brittany jumped on top of her, yanking Kristen's hair and forcing all her weight on her thin stomach.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Kristen shrieked, flailing her arms. Her long fingernails dug into Brittany's face, but the Chipette ignored the pain as she pulled Kristen's hair even harder.
There were plenty of excited hollers from the party, particularly the guys. Many began to crowd around, probably hoping to see some kind of wardrobe malfunction.
"You picked the wrong person to mess with!" Brittany yelled, managing to get a few scratches in herself. She didn't even know what she was doing anymore. It was like having an out-of-body experience.
"You're CRAZY!" Kristen screamed before spitting in Brittany's face.
"Oh, I'll show you crazy!" Brittany shrieked. She balled her hand into a fist, ready to punch Kristen in the face, when she felt herself being lifted off of the girl's body.
"LET ME GO!" Brittany screeched, kicking wildly as she was dragged away from the living room. Tears began to blur her vision, but she managed to get a quick glimpse of Alvin. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression.
"PUT ME DOWN!" Brittany was hit by cool air and realized she was outside.
"Calm down," a voice said firmly. When Brittany recognized who it was, she instantly stopped struggling.
Simon put her down, right next to his car. He unlocked the door and told her to get in.
"But Simon… we can't… leave yet," Brittany said between pants. Tears stung her eyes, but she found herself smiling. She had so much adrenaline that she didn't know what to do with herself. "We didn't even get to dance together."
"Just get in," Simon muttered, opening the passenger door. "Now."
"Simon…"
"Just get in!" Simon repeated, much firmer this time.
"No need to be rude," Brittany sneered, getting in the car. She spent most of the car ride talking about how much of a bitch Kristen was and how Simon wasn't being fun.
As soon as Simon put the car in park in the driveway, Brittany stumbled out and threw up in a bush. Simon rushed over and held her hair back, even though he was cursing the entire time. If Brittany was sober, she probably would have found this amusing; Simon never swore.
Feeling weak, Brittany collapsed on the cool grass. Slowly, she began to process what had just happened: She had just beaten up a girl at a party because she kissed Alvin. The more she thought about it, the stupider and more pathetic it sounded.
Her head pounded. Her throat felt scratchy and dry. She felt confused, exhausted, and, although Simon was with her, incredibly alone.
The tears came immediately. It wasn't a pretty cry, either. It was an ugly, red-faced, snotty-nosed cry. Normally Brittany would have been embarrassed, but at the moment, she was too drunk and upset to care.
"Simon," she wailed as she sat up. She hadn't noticed that he had sat down next to her. "I know I really messed up, and you probably hate me, but could you just hold me right now?"
Before Simon could answer, Brittany threw herself at him, staining his shirt with tears. As Brittany sobbed, she felt a flicker of warmth when she felt Simon's arms gently wrap around her.
"I'm s-sorry Simon," she cried, her salty tears stinging the fresh cuts Kristen had stratched on her cheeks. Her mind still felt hazy, which was annoying. She desperately wanted to sober up, but she was too far gone for that to happen anytime soon. "I'm so s-stupid."
Simon didn't say anything for a few moments; he just silently patted her back. Finally he said, "We'll talk tomorrow. I think you should go to bed."
All Brittany could do was sniffle and nod. She wasn't sure what happened after that, but somehow she ended up in her own bed a few minutes later. The last thing Brittany remembered before she passed out was Simon looking at her, a mixture of sadness and disappointment on his face, sighing loudly as he gently closed her bedroom door with a soft click.
Oh no! Why does someone always get drunk in my stories too? Please review!
Song Used: Bleeding Love, by Leona Lewis
