Author's Note: I'm slowing down here. I think I'm stuck in some sort of weird feedback loop or something. I want to see Fast 6 again, but I need to start hearing about the new movie already. I'm struggling with my writing coming easily at the moment but I am trying to work through it. Need some burst of inspiration! Anyway, here's a review request for sneaking back in after going to a party drinking for the first time. I'm not entirely happy with the whole thing but hopefully you guys enjoy!
A Game
It was the summer after Freshman year and her 15th birthday was only days away, so maybe that was why she was feeling a little bit rebellious, or maybe it was just in her nature. Her parents had turned in early that night, though she was aware they weren't exactly sleeping. So she'd crept out of her bed while they were distracted and quietly snuck down and out the back door after dark.
Some seniors who were celebrating finally being finished with high school were throwing a party. And because of her cousin and because of the fact that most of the guys at school thought she was pretty chill, they'd scored an invite. It would have been popularity suicide not to go, Liana had said. Not that she actually gave a shit about that. She just wanted to go to a party.
They met at their friend Emilie's house with their overnight bags. Emilie's parents both worked the night shift, and her older sister Megan was willing to take them all to the party.
They all gathered in Em's room to get changed for the party. Lia had dared for a mini skirt but she stuck to shorts, black cut-offs that were just a hair too short to be Papi-approved. She never let him catch her wearing them. Liana tugged on a tight silvery tank top and sat down so that Emilie could curl her hair. She tugged on a red tank top and combed out her own hair. Megan soon appeared in the doorway.
"You girls want to borrow some make up?" she asked them. "It'll help you look older."
Though she wasn't really interested in wearing makeup, Liana and Emilie agreed, so she watched them get done up as she slipped on her black sandals.
After everyone was ready they piled into Megan's car, which was an old Jeep that she'd paid for herself, working nights waitressing. She turned up the music and sped off, taking the back roads through the hills of LA. Liana leaned over to shout in her ear over the music and the wind.
"Do you think the makeup really makes me look older?"
She turned to look at her carefully and shrugged slightly. "It makes you look sluttier," she offered.
Lia gasped and punched her in the arm, but she only laughed when she noticed her friend scrubbing off the too-red lipstick.
"Who cares if you look older?" she asked. "We're not trying to land boyfriends."
"Maybe you aren't…"
"And you are?" She raised a brow.
"I'm fifteen now. I can have a boyfriend if I want." Liana sat back, sniffing a little.
"You have a particular boy in mind?" She grinned at her, then leaned in. "Oh I know. It must be Devon Sutton."
"Of course you know," Lia hissed, frowning at her. "I've only told you."
"Is he going to be there tonight?"
"Yeah…"
"Oh, so the real reason you wanted to come is out!" She laughed.
"Shut up," Liana told her, crossing her arms over my chest. "You'd better not embarrass me."
"Me? Would I ever do such a thing?" She looked innocent.
"Yes," her friend replied, just as Megan turned the Jeep into the long driveway of the house where the party was to be held.
It was massive, built into the hillside, with a driveway that seemed longer than her block. She gaped at it as they pulled up alongside all the other vehicles. They climbed out slowly to survey. The house was all lit up, and music was blasting so loud that they could easily hear it from here. People were scattered across the lawn dancing and drinking, socializing. The door stood open, propped by an empty keg of beer.
"Holy shit," she muttered and Liana could only nod in agreement as they followed Megan and Emilie inside. The house was a sprawl, but it was packed with people. Dancing bodies, all dressed for the LA heat. People drinking. People playing games, people making out. She widened her eyes as she saw more of some chick than she ever wanted to see and hastily grabbed Liana's hand, dragging her towards the kitchen.
There was booze everywhere. Kegs lining the counters and liquor bottles crowding the table. Of course, Liana hardly noticed because there were also some guys in the kitchen, including the aforementioned crush, Devon.
He was taking some decks of cards from Chris, the guy whose parents owned the place. They were apparently away for the weekend. Devon turned, spotting them in the doorway. He grinned.
"Hey ladies. Glad to see you could make it. You're just in time."
Liana squeezed her hand and smiled back widely. "Just in time for what?"
"We're going to play Kings. Want to join us?" He held up the deck of cards.
"Sure!" Lia agreed. She wanted to elbow her friend for the enthusiasm.
"How do you play?" she asked instead.
"It's a drinking game," Chris said. "We're going to use beer so you guys should be fine. Unless you're lightweights."
She didn't want to admit that she'd never had anything stronger than a couple of sips of beer at family cookouts. Beer was only like 5% alcohol anyway, right?
"We'll be fine," she assured them evenly.
Chris smiled and Devon passed them the decks of cards. Both of the boys picked up a pair of kegs each and carried them out the kitchen door towards the backyard. She shrugged at Liana and they followed.
They rounded up some more players and gathered around the back table on the deck, each person with a cup and a shot glass, and an empty cup placed in the center. Chris went over the rules as beer was poured all around. She lifted the cup to sniff at the beverage and pulled a face.
"What is this shit?" she muttered.
"The cheapest beer around," some blonde chick sitting next to her said. "It doesn't matter. Drink enough of anything and you can get trashed."
She eyed the blonde with hidden disdain and sat back in her chair as Devon got the game started.
After one round it was more than apparent that the guys were trying to get all of the girls wasted. She was more than a little suspicious about this, and the continued 'House Rule' of "Ladies only". However, since the beer was cheap it wasn't all that strong. Perhaps ending the first round clear-headed had her feeling too confident, which was why she agreed to play another.
This time the guys introduced the house rule of "Jell-O shots".
By the time the third round was coming to an end she was feeling more than a little fuzzy headed. Luckily Megan found them then, and dragged them away from the game, flipping off the guys and calling them creeps.
She didn't want to tell Liana but she was pretty sure she saw Devon making out with that blonde before Megan pulled them around the side of the house towards the front where she was parked.
Emilie was already waiting in the passenger seat and she looked at them in surprise.
"You guys got drunk oh my god!"
She cringed, putting her hands to her head. "Don't scream," she muttered, crawling into the back seat. Liana sprawled beside her, immediately passing out.
"We have to get you guys home," Megan said.
Emilie gave directions to Liana's house first and they woke up the girl when they arrived. Emilie helped her sneak around to the back door and inside. After about 10 minutes she came back outside, her eyes wide.
"I got her into her room then she just… puked all over the floor!"
"Ew…" she mumbled.
"I know. I just put her in bed on her stomach with a trash bin next to her…. Maybe her parents will just think she was sick."
"Except it will smell like alcohol," Megan deadpanned, shaking her head.
She drove away, and Lia was abandoned to whatever her fate might be.
Her head was pounding by the time they arrived at her place, and she was feeling unwell, but she assured Emilie and Meg she was fine, creeping alongside the house and slipping through the back door. She let out a slow breath as she stepped foot into the kitchen. The house was quiet. Success. She stepped into the living room, and her foot had only barely touched the bottom step when she heard a faint creak of the floor above her, footsteps padding across the carpet. She hastily backed into the kitchen and looked down at herself.
Think. How could she explain this?
She tugged off her shorts and sandals, ran her fingers through her hair to muss it, then shoved her shoes and shorts into the coat closet. She grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the fridge, hopefully to cover any booze on her breath, pouring herself a cup. She took a long drink, then squared her shoulders and started up the steps to her room.
Her father was coming out of the bathroom when she reached the landing. He looked at her, yawned, then turned and went back to his room.
What? He hadn't even asked anything. Maybe she'd just been that convincing?
Hardly believing her luck she went into her room and crawled under the covers, setting the juice on her bedside table. Head pounding she dropped off to sleep immediately.
When she woke up a note was taped to her forehead. She frowned, wincing at the sunlight washing her room in bright yellow. It must already be the afternoon. She slowly peeled the note off her face and opened it.
You are grounded. Nice try.
Dad
Shit.