Hey guys, I don't know when I'll be able to update again but I was hoping to give this to you before dropping off the Earth indefinitely
Raquel sat fidgeting as Conner took the steady drive to their destination. Anxious for their pit stop, like she expected getting caught.
Still, she kept vigilant watch out the window, for the right kind of establishment. Sure enough about 20 miles before their hotel, a liquor store stood to the right of the road and Conner easily pulled in.
"I'm so excited" Megan admitted, bouncing up and down in her seat; even Artemis' eyes shone with anticipation. They made the trek across the parking lot and past the automatic doors.
"I don't approve of this" Conner frowned as they walked through the endless isles of wine, beer and hard liquor
"That's okay" Artemis answered, inspecting a bottle of expensive champagne. "we don't need your approval just your participation" Conner sighed.
"What do you traditionally drink in these sort of situations" Megan started, pondering shelf after shelf of options.
"Something cheap and strong" Raquel joked.
"Okay" Megan nodded, she approached an employee restocking the beer fridges.
"Where do you keep the cheapest, strongest drinks" she asked nonchalantly, Raquel was gaping and Artemis had her face in her hands.
Conner just shook his head and followed as the confused attendant lead them to an isle with bottles labeled 'Hypnotic' and 'Hurricane', the liquids inside were either outrageously colorful or clear and each was about the size of a two liter bottle of soda. Raquel was intimately familiar with a few of these bottles.
"Should we get Bacardi 151? That's more than 100, does that mean it's good?", Megan asked weighing the clear bottle with amber liquid in her hands.
"If you don't want the team to know it's liquor, I don't suggest it. You can smell it a mile away." Artemis explained. "What about Dragon Berry?" Artemis held the heavy bottle at arms length to inspect it
"Ugh" Raquel groaned "just the name makes me sick" horrible memories of throwing up in a bush came rushing back. With every suggestion either Raquel or Artemis had a reason to veto.
"Grey Goose?"
"Not crazy about vodka"
"Smirnoff raspberry?"
"Ack, tastes gross"
"4 loko?"
"Caffeine and alcohol, no thanks"
"What about this?" Conner who had been silent the entire time, finally held a jug-like bottle with a handle. The girls inspected the bottle.
"Aww that's the first thing I ever drank" Artemis practically cooed at the memory.
"It does mix well" Raquel noted.
"So we found it?" Megan was practically floating with excitement. Artemis and Raquel nodded, Megan really did float for a second in her excitement, before catching herself.
Conner paid easily without attracting more attention to themselves and they left swiftly. Once in the car Artemis reached into the back seat full of stuff and found her bag. Artemis wrapped the bottle in a towel before hiding it in the bottom of her bag, like a pro.
Conner rushed the last few miles, hoping to escape suspicion from the rest of the Team. They parked close to the entrance and found the others waiting in the lobby.
"What took you guys so long?" Dick asked, eyes hidden being his glasses still.
"Bathroom break" Artemis teased, ruffling his hair. Dick stuck his tongue out, making her laugh.
Raquel walked up to the front desk, where Kaldur seemed to be arguing with the person yet again, this time a young woman.
"I'm sorry sir" her clear voice came "those are the only two rooms we have available" Kal sighed obviously distressed.
"What's wrong boss man?" Raquel asked smiling. Kal tried to reciprocate, but he seemed too troubled.
"Because we were late, the hotel has only two rooms left, one on the 4th floor, one on the 7th"
Raquel looked behind her to the Team, leaning against the front desk. Artemis and Dick were still having some sort of dispute but the smirks on their faces told that they were kidding. Wally was trying to show Conner a video on his phone, Wally was laughing hysterically and Conner seemed confused above all else. Zee was pestering Wally about his bad taste in YouTube videos, while Megan sneaked a peek over Conner's shoulder by floating ever so slightly.
"I'm sure we could take the 7th floor while you all can take the 4th" Kal compromised obviously not liking the separation. Raquel was struck.
"We won't be needing the 7th floor room" Raquel directed to the young woman, she looked to Kal quickly, who just gave a shrug of agreement.
"Are you sure we can all handle sleeping in the same room together again?" He asked Raquel; already taking the room key.
"Of course not, but that didn't stop us last night" she laughed and he chuckled a bit nervously. They tried to settle in as normally as possible, luckily this room had a couch unlike the last one. Artemis, Zee and Raquel claimed one bed as they had the night before, Wally and Dick opted to sleep on the floor, while Kal offered the couch to Conner but he simply slumped into the open arm chair.
Raquel couldn't help but think that it wouldn't matter what they said now; with what Megan had planned they wouldn't end up sleeping at all. Megan opened the curtains letting some of the sunlight.
"Oh look at this" Raquel looked out the window to what Megan was pointing out. Straight across the highway was an old diner, the chrome trailer shining dully in the setting sun. Raquel was suddenly very aware of the emptiness in her stomach.
"I guess Daddybats thought we should eat at least once on this trip, huh?" Artemis snickered. But Dick barely heard as he and Wally were already out the door.
…...
Luckily for Artemis, Raquel and Megan; Robin had challenged Wally to eat every dessert off the menu. The girls cited that they didn't want to get nauseous watching. Zee said she wanted to film him getting nauseous.
The girls bought as many sodas (Sprites as per Artemis' suggestion) as the lobby vending machine had, unwrapping the bottle and bringing it into the bathroom to mix. Raquel felt suspiciously as if they were three witches brewing their poison in the ice bucket from the hotel room. Megan insisted that they don't put too much Sprite.
"They'll taste it won't they" Raquel doubted.
"I have that covered" Megan smiled, just as Raquel heard Dick's ringing laughter outside the door. The girls sprawled across the beds, turning on the TV to an old black and white movie none of them had ever seen before. Trying to look as nonchalant as possible as the bucket with their 'punch' as Megan had dubbed it, sat on one of the night stands.
"Well you three look like your having fun" Wally quipped.
"Oh we did" Megan jumped up exuberantly "Raquel and Artemis helped me make something that tastes like my favorite drink from Mars, I was feeling a little homesick" she smiled the same sweet smile she gave when she offered freshly baked cookies to the Team
"I would love all of you to try it with me" she paused and Raquel couldn't help but be impressed. Megan could be a little deviant when she wanted to be. Megan handed them cups full of their drink and Raquel thought that they might get caught, but the Team sat in various spaces and sipped their drinks. Megan handed Raquel a drink as well, discreetly winking before Kal sat besides her. Raquel drank and realized Megan had been right, it tastes very similar to Sprite with something off but nothing that could be placed.
"How do you like your drink" she murmured to Kal and he simply smiled, bringing his cup to his lips
…...
It was Artemis' turn to spin the empty Sprite bottle. Raquel had a light feeling in her head and had the urge to giggle even though there was nothing particularly funny about Artemis' hand twisting the bottle into a centered spin.
The Team was on the floor, in a loose circle surrounding the bottle and Kal was next to her, leaning against the foot of the bed as Raquel lay on her stomach. She must have been on her 4th cup of Mars punch and she was beginning to like the way her finger tips felt a little numb.
The swirling of the bottle slowed to an even stop, the cap facing Zatanna. Raquel started sincerely laughing, as did Megan beside her. Raquel looked up at Kal, whom looked a bit embarrassed, which made Raquel laugh even harder. Zee and Artemis were trying to look at each other seriously but couldn't stop laughing.
"Get it over with" Raquel suddenly said, though she was certain she didn't plan to. Artemis and Zee just laughed harder.
Finally Artemis grabbed Zatanna's face and kissed her on the lips, quick and dirty before Zee had any time to react. Raquel blatantly checked Wally and Dick for their reaction; Wally was unabashedly staring his mouth gaping; Dick stared into his cup, his cheeks flaming red. The girls broke apart laughing hysterically. Artemis passed the bottle to her.
"Your turn Rocket girl." she slurred slightly. Raquel thought it was funny.
…...
Raquel had been talking about something to Megan, she was certain. In fact words had just came out of her mouth but she couldn't recall them at all. Her cup was half empty, though she didn't know how many she had already drank, she lost count around 6.
Raquel looked up to Megan to ask her what they had been talking about but her mouth was otherwise occupied. Megan was gripping Conner's face to hers and he was trying to hold both his cup and hers, even as his eyes screwed shut. Raquel couldn't find it in her to be uncomfortable or even find it rude, although she was getting bored.
She got up a little uneasily and tried to get across the room to the couch. On one of the beds Dick and Zee sat cross legged staring at each other. Raquel thought she heard a conversation go something along the lines of
"You have the prettiest blue eyes"
"No you have the prettiest blue eyes"
Repeated over and over again, Raquel laughed for what felt like the mllionth time. She finally made it the couch where Kal, Wally and Artemis were also laughing about something. She squeezed in between Wally and Kaldur.
"Hey boss man" she spoke and Kal looked at her an easy smile on his lips.
"Hello Raquel" he hummed speaking lower than usual. "I'm beginning to suspect that there was something strange in that drink." Raquel laughed and he did too. She had no idea when she had stretched her legs across his lap, but they were and she didn't know when his hand had fell to her knee but it was there too.
She had a small moment of clarity, long enough to look in his eyes and see that they were the lightest shade of green she had ever seen, practically gray but infinitely more beautiful.
Her head felt so light, like she was floating and there was a feeling of numbness vibrating across her skin. She had the urge to test if her lips would still feel numb pressed against Kaldur's. She leaned into him, closing her eyes and she heard him murmur something.
"Tula" he whispered and she stopped. Opening her eyes suddenly as if she had been struck. She knew that name, knew it wasn't hers and knew from Megan what it meant. she quickly swerved around, budding into Wally and Artemis' conversation about who would win in a fight against the Flash and Green Arrow.
…...
Raquel knew her eyes were closed, knew her lips were moving against someone elses, she was also pretty sure it was Kaldur, as last she remembered, she was leaning into him. She gripped the hair in her hands to pull him closer.
Wait, Kaldur didn't have hair to grip, she inhaled sharply. She smelled something like warm bread; but she was so sure that Kalur smelt of the ocean. She wasn't sure what was going on, her memories muddied and out of order; she had no idea how she got in this position. Still her lips moved against the others.
"Huh" Raquel heard and she parted from the unidentified lip to see Artemis angrily nodding her head as if she had just had something awful confirmed. She turned back into the bathroom.
Raquel looked to the person next to her, who still had his arm around her waist and was met with Wally's startled green eyes. Raquel groaned, putting her head in her hands, she looked around and saw that Kaldur was already asleep stretched across one of the beds. She felt guilt settle in the bottom of her stomach, though how much for whom she didn't know.
I don't condone under age drinking but I figure if they're old enough to fight the good fight they can have a few drinks.
Please Review