"I don't know how to play this game," I whispered in Dash's ear.
"You've never played I've Never?" He gasped.
Paullina, who had been leading us away from the dance floor, turned and laughed. "Poor little Aphrodite." She winked. "We'll teach you how to play." She continued to lead us down an lavish hallway, before leading us up a set of stairs.
I had to gather the majority of my dress in my hand, lifting it. Dash kept his hand on my arm, as though to keep me from running away. I almost wanted to, but Fenton and Paullina were in front of us, Kwan and Starr behind us. I had nowhere to run. I let them lead me up the stairs, into the room at the top. I knew it was Paullina's bedroom, and it was huge.
"Sit, sit," Paullina gestured to the floor.
I looked around. The others were pulling up beanbag chairs. I stood awkwardly, as Dash pulled over two; one for me and one for him. I sat down on the pink chair. Dash was on my right, Starr on my left. Fenton was right across from me. His crown was pushing his hair down into his eyes, which were glaring at me.
"For those who don't know," Paullina began explaining, "I've Never is a drinking game. If someone says 'I've never driven a bus' and you have, you have to drink. We also play the opposite way. If someone says 'I have driven a bus' and you haven't, you have to drink." She turned around, plastic shot glasses in one hand, a large bottle of vodka in the other.
I began to panic. "I don't drink," I said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"You do tonight," Paullina shoved the plastic shot glass into my hand.
I sat it on the floor. "I'm not playing this stupid game."
Dash elbowed me. "Come on, live a little!"
Paullina poured vodka into everyone's shots, before sitting down next to Fenton. "You start, baby," she told him.
"I've never dressed up as a Greek Goddess for Halloween," he said.
"I'm not drinking," I crossed my arms.
Dash picked up my shot, holding it to my lips. "Come on, Aphrodite," he urged.
It was the name that did me in. I wasn't Sam tonight; loser, Goth Sam. I was Aphrodite, a beautiful Greek Goddess. I allowed him to feed me the shot. The alcohol burned going down, and it tasted absolutely disgusting. My stomach squirmed uncomfortably under the sensation.
"I have never been named Aphrodite," Paullina said. It was immediately obvious that I was being targeted.
Still, I allowed Dash to refill my shot, and I took it.
It was his turn. "I've never gone scuba diving."
Paullina took her first shot of the night. I took my third. Kwan also took a shot.
"I've never played I've never," I told them.
They all glared at me as they took their shots. Whatever. They were all trying to get me drunk. I could only return the favor. Several rounds later, I was super drunk, and the game had deteriorated into a conversations and random drinking.
"So, Aphrodite," Fenton was stretched out, Paullina twined around him, "where are you from?"
"Canada," I squeaked. "I'm here visiting my cousin." I was amazed I was able to think clearly enough to come up with a lie.
"Interesting." Fenton cocked his head to the side. "I don't think I've seen you before." I hadn't seen him take a shot all night.
I felt uncomfortable. I felt his eyes on me and I didn't like it. I felt like he knew. He knew who I really was and he was waiting, like a predator, to expose it. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let myself be thrown to the wolves like that, not like at their lake house. I stood up, my legs feeling like jelly under me. "I have to go." I threw myself out the door, stumbling down the stairs. The railing was my saving grace. Whenever I tripped, my grip on the railing would keep my grounded. My arms ached from the effort.
When I reached the dance floor, most people were raging drunk. How long had I been up there for? Had Phantom come back for me and, unable to find me, left? I couldn't let that happen. If I had needed him as a way home before, it was nothing compared to how I needed him to be here now. I wove through the crowd, bouncing between bodies. I was near where the stage was; the pop singer long gone. I was leaning heavily on the stage when arms wrapped around me. I would have panicked, were the arms not ice cold.
"I have been looking for you everywhere." Phantom's voice sounded in my ear.
"I'm sorry," I threw my arms around his neck, feeling oddly emotional. "I got wrapped up in some stupid game and, and, and," I forgot what I was going to say. No, it wasn't as simple as that. I forgot how to say words.
"Want me to take you home?"
Inexplicably, tears started dripping down my cheeks.
"Hey, hey," Phantom was staring at me, confused. "Why are you crying?"
"I don't know," I whined, although I'm sure it sounded more like 'I oint neer'. Thankfully, he seemed to understand what I meant.
"Come here," he opened his arms, and picked me up. The cold of him felt surprisingly good.
Instead of him just flying off, he calmly walked out the front doors. The cold of the night air also made me feel a lot better. It also made me shiver. I clung tighter to Phantom, but that didn't bring me any relief. He was colder than the night air. "Is flying going to make you sick?"
His walking was making me feel sick. Any kind of motion was making me feel sick. I was going to throw up all over him. I continued to sob into his shoulder.
"We'll fly," Phantom decided. "It'll be over really quickly."
I let him make up his own mind. I was in no position to do any thinking. I stayed as still as I could, watching his shoulder disappear under my eyes. I felt him take off, jostling me slightly as we took to the air. This time it was not fun. This time it made my stomach twirl and made me seal my eyes shut. I just wanted to get home. I just wanted to get home and curl up in my bed and hopefully not wake up with a hangover. I had never been drunk before and now I knew the reason why.
Before I knew it, my feet were on the patio. Phantom and I appeared and my legs gave out. His arms caught me, holding me up. "You okay?"
"Mrph." I responded. At least my tears had stopped. I was just woozy and kind of out of it now.
Phantom picked me up again, walking me through the patio doors. He sat me down on the edge of my bed, and I fell backwards. He leaned over me, pulling the mask off of my face. I blinked. He also removed my shoes. I crawled up toward my pillows, but even that made me feel sick. I pulled off of my costume, unembarrassed that I was left in just my bra and underwear in front of Phantom. I squirmed under my covers.
As I got comfortable against my pillows, Phantom came to my side, pulling the covers over me. "Comfy?" He asked, and I swear I heard a smile in my voice.
"Mmm," I sighed.
"Okay, good. I'll see you tomorrow, Sam." His hand rubbed against my collarbone as he finished adjusting blankets. I reached up, faster than I thought possible, and I caught his arm. He turned back toward me.
"Stay?" I asked.
"What?"
I felt like his eyes were glowing in the darkness. Two bright green beacons. The white of his spandex seemed dull in comparison. Idly, I wondered where his costume had gone.
"Stay," I repeated, although I felt much drowsier this time. "Please."
Phantom seemed to pull back a little. "I don't think that it's such a good idea."
"Just until I fall asleep?" I was almost there, anyway.
"Sam –"
"Please. Pretty please with a cherry on top?" I gave his arm a tug.
The glow of his eyes seemed to soften. "Are you sure?"
I nodded eagerly and it made my head feel funny. "I am," I insisted. "Lay down."
He pulled my hand off of his arm, and I left my arm fall back onto the bed. I tucked it under my blankets, trying to feel warm. Phantom crossed to the other side of my bed, and gently laid himself on top of the blankets, at the very edge. He seemed so very far away and I wanted to feel his coldness against me. The warm felt good, but it also made me feel sicker. I liked his cold.
I started to shimmy toward him, but stopped when my head continued to feel like a Tilt-A-Whirl. I let my arms stretch out but I still couldn't reach him.
"Come here," I tried to pull him toward me with my voice.
He turned to look at me. "You are drunk."
I lolled my head from side to side. "I know." I pouted, or tried. The muscles in my face didn't seem to want to comply with my head. "I know."
"I just don't want to do everything a drunk girl tell me."
"Drunk girls have more fun."
"I thought that was blondes."
"Come here!" I tried again. If I was standing, I'm pretty sure I would have stamped my foot.
Phantom gave a sigh, before he gave into me. Before I could process what he was doing, he was next to me. He was cold and unyielding right next to me. As creepy as it was, he felt like a body. I put my head against his shoulder, feeling his cold seep into my skull, surround my brain and begin to numb it. Phantom shifted underneath me, and I felt his arm go under my head, around my shoulders. I curled myself around his body, and I felt so small next to him. Yet, it felt so natural to have him next to me; to hold him like that.
That was my last thought before I passed out.
(-.-)
My alarm was loud and awful the next morning. Curse Halloween night being on a Wednesday. No, that wasn't right. Curse me for being stupid enough to get drunk; give in to peer pressure. Whether or not I was going by my real name last night, it was still me. And I didn't do stuff like that. I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to drink.
I contemplated staying home, staying curled up in bed. Mother wouldn't care. Except … fuck. I had a freaking math test today that I couldn't miss. I dragged myself off of my bed and the ground spun beneath me. I tottered forward into the bathroom and quickly got ready. The drive to school wasn't as rough as I thought it would be.
I pulled into the school parking lot. I felt increasingly dizzy as I headed for my lockers.
"Hey, loser!" Paullina came up to me, alone but for Starr. "I would like to thank you."
"What?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Was she being pleasant?
"I would like to thank you," Paullina repeated impatiently, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"For?" I prompted. I didn't really have time or the frame of mind, to deal with her.
"Not coming to my party. I didn't want my guests to be infected with ickiness."
Ickiness? What was she a pre-schooler?
"You know what Paullina I –" I was cut off by the arrival of Fenton and Tucker.
"Hi, slut!" Fenton smiled at me, a smile I didn't trust.
"Slut?" Paullina cocked her head. "I thought sluts got boys."
"Sluts get paid for sex!" Tucker added with a screeching laugh.
I wanted to die.
I am looking for a beta reader for this story. If you would like to beta read or know a good beta reader, please let me know. Thank you! I don't own Danny Phantom.
~TLL~