Chapter 2: Vodka in a wine glass:

A/N: Is the formatting bothering you? That would be Google Docs fault. Ah well, at least I can write on two different computers without much trouble. There may be errors here, please tell me about them if you find them... Also, I blame fanfiction[dot]net for unindenting my paragraphs!

"Anyway, I've got to go, I need to get groceries, so I'll talk to you later, if you want to watch T.V, or use the game consoles, go right ahead." Johnathan said as he left.

I sat down on the couch, and turned on the T.V.

But I didn't pay any attention to it at all. I was too busy putting my head in order. Looking at a clock, situated directly above the T.V, I realized that I'd only left home forty-five minutes ago. It felt like it had been so much longer, but then again, that wasn't surprising. Everything had changed in the last forty-five minutes. Still, I was almost sure that it wasn't a good sign that I'd nearly given up in the first hour.

Still, I was out of the cold now. I had a roof over my head, at least for the next couple days, and I knew that I wasn't going to starve. Overall, I had everything I needed, and pretty much everything I could want: Decent company, because Johnathan managed that, something to entertain me, and my freedom. Without the last one, my running away wouldn't have been worth it. As it was, it was worth it.

I shivered, I was still cold, and my clothes were still a little wet. I knew that I probably should have waited until the sun had come out again, but it was too late for that now. Taking Cody's phone out of my pocket, I texted Kari, saying 'Am out of the rain, thanks 2 Cody. nother Digidestined let me room with him 4 the next couple days.'

Within a few minutes, she sent me a reply, saying 'Good. Was worrying about u out n the cold. Who is the Digidestined?'

I smiled involuntarily, comforted that Kari had cared enough to worry about me, texting her back, 'some kid named Johnathan. Never met him before, but he's pretty cool.'

This time, she replied fairly quickly, 'cool.'

I smiled to myself, turning my attention to the television. I didn't actually like what was on, some I took a look at what game consoles Johnathan had, and what games he actually had for them.

The selection was fairly limited, although I could understand that; what he had was an Xbox and a Nintendo Wii, with a couple of games for each, including a copy of Super Smash Bros Brawl. I knew how to play the game, having played it before with friends, so I decided to play it now, desperately needing SOMETHING to do.

So, I turned on the Wii (the game was already in), took a controller of the charger, and began the game.

I was awful at it, but even so, I managed to entertain myself for fifteen minutes or so by losing to the lowest level computer (which I set to play as a random character), while I played as Link. The only reason I stopped playing against the level one computer was not, in fact, because I got bored, but because Johnathan came back.

"Super Smash Bros, huh?" He asked as he came in, laughing slightly, proceeding to put the perishable food items into the fridge.

"Yep." I said.

"You any good?" He asked, right as I fell off the stage, and then laughed, "Apparently not."

"I'm awful, in fact." I admitted.

"Ah, well. I'll play you a round." He said, as he closed the door to the mini-fridge in the corner.

"Alright." I said, "Although you'll beat me."

I was right, he beat me without even trying hard.

"Rematch?" I asked, knowing I would only lose again.

Indeed, I did, but I kept trying, and losing, mostly because I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

After a couple hours of this (In which I had actually gotten significantly better, even beating him once), Johnathan said, "No rematch this time."

"Why not?"

"I'm going to a party." He said.

"Like, a birthday party" I asked, unaware of how naive I was being.

"No, like a PARTY party. You can come to, if you want."

"Oh." I said. Instinctively, I wanted to say no. After all, my mother had lectured me on how dangerous teenage parties were. So I said "Sounds cool."

It was out of spite. Out of malice. Out of pure and illogical rebellion. To some greater of lesser extent, I still wasn't free. Sure, I was constrained to rebel rather than to follow orders. But that made me no freer, in fact, I was quite possibly less free. But I wasn't thinking about it that way, not yet, at least.

As we got in his car again, Johnathan tapped me on the shoulder.

"Dude, this party is run by a nineteen year old in his own house. His parties are not always dry, or entirely clean. Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure." I said, not knowing what 'dry' meant in this case.

"If you decide to drink something alcoholic, limit yourself to one. One, you don't know your tolerance. Two, I don't want to have to put up with someone who is drunk."

Again, I instinctively wanted to say 'Oh, I won't drink anything.' After all, my mother had drilled into my head, again and again, 'alcohol is BAD'. She hadn't taught me anything about drinking beyond that, but that's what had been drilled into my head.

And, feeling the need to rebel again, I decided I WOULD drink something. Still, I also knew that if Johnathan was asking something of me, there was probably a good reason.

So I said, "Sure, works for me... Hey, I have a question. If I do drink, how long will I be drunk for?"

"If you limit yourself to one, it will take two hours to work it's way out of your system." He said.

When we arrived, I noticed that the building wasn't actually all that shabby.

"Who's the new kid?" A man standing by the door asked Johnathan. He looked to be somewhere between 18 and 20, and he was about as tall as Johnathan.

"Takeru Taikashi. My friends call me T.K." I said.

"Pleased to meet you." He said, "This is my place. My name is Aaron."

"Alright." I said, shaking his hand "Pleased to meet you."

The first room I entered was the living room, which Aaron had apparently turned into a dance floor, with a number of lights.

It was the first time I'd even seen a dance floor in my life; after all, my mother had thought that 'Public school dances were places were drugs were rampant'.

The music was louder than I'd ever heard, even vaguely louder than the music in Johnathan's car, and the lights were vaguely distracting. In the back, there was a small table, with a number of drinks on it.

I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I made my way to the back, and took a wine glass, not sure what the tiny glasses next to it were for.

Looking at the selection of beverages, I noticed two clear fluids, one was marked 'water' the other was marked 'vodka.' I knew vodka was more alcoholic than wine or beer, although I didn't know how much more, so I poured myself a glass of it, feeling rebellious.

I decided to take it slow, and drink it over the course of an hour, that way I wouldn't get too drunk. Or so I thought. This was probably the only good decision I made during the party, although not for the reasons I thought.

As I took a first sip, I noticed that it BURNED in my mouth, and the texture felt something like sand, rather than like a liquid.

I attempted to dance while I drank, and I will admit that, as I drank, the girls at the party began to appear prettier, and I'm sure I got less and less coordinated, although I really don't remember much of it. In fact, the next thing I know that happened, I know happened not because I remember it, but because the other people involved have told me about it.

My phone rang. I'm actually very grateful, because I might well have poisoned myself otherwise.

I picked it up, knowing who it was by the ringtone.

"Hello, Kari." I tried to say. I know, considering how drunk I must have been, it was probably incredibly slurred.

"'T.K, what is the music?"

"I'm at... A party." I said.

"And you're drunk." She commented.

"Only a little."

"How much is a 'little?'"

"I've only had half a glass."

"Half a glass of what?"

"Vodka."

"How do you have half a glass of vodka?"

"Huh?"

"Vodka is supposed to be served in shot glasses, which are tiny."

"Oh."

"Did you put it in a wine glass?"

"Yes."

"'Oh god... T.K... Put the glass down, and get a ride out. Now."

"Why should I put it down?"

"A wine glass full of vodka would have more than 7 servings of alcohol in it, that's why!"

"Oh..."

"Yeah 'oh'."

Apparently, I chose to say something rather awkward for me at this point, "Kari, I li-"

"'Keru... Not now, alright?" She said.

Apparently, I walked over to Johnathan, and told him what had happened. And then proceeded to throw up all over him.

Finally, as Kari was about to hang up, I tried, again, to tell her how I felt.

She closed her phone. I must have taken this as a rejection at the time.

What I couldn't possibly have heard was her whispering to her (hung up) phone.

"Keru... I like you too. But I don't want you to tell me that. Not while you're drunk like this." She said. Or at least, she tells me she said.

And then, she broke down into tears.

End Ch 2: Vodka in a Wine Glass