The party had officially begun. Frankie had ran off to handle a million party details, and Miles was nowhere to be seen, so Lola was stuck playing the role of greeter. Usually, she was bubbly and excited to interact with her peers, but today was just not one of those days. If she had to greet one more kid she'd passed in the hall once or twice as if they were her best friend, she'd hurl. Suddenly, though, there was a saving grace. Yael.
"I don't usually participate in this crap," they paused, holding up a red cup full of alcohol. "But I graduated high school today." Yael stated with a tinge of pride in their voice. "So you know what? I'm gonna watch some drunk teens frolic in a pool for a few hours. And because of where I am..." They paused, gesturing to the fact that they were at their ex's house for the first time since the two had split. "I'm gonna drink whatever the hell this is and let it effect me however it's going to effect me."
Lola grinned at her friend. The two had grown closer and closer throughout their high school years. Befriending Yael was something Lola didn't think would happen after their first few encounters, one of them including an argument about makeup, where Yael basically called Lola an idiot for liking makeup. However, they'd reconciled, and honestly... Yael was one of Lola's closest friends. And Lola looked up to them more than anyone else. After all, they were a total badass.
"You know what?" Lola said. "I'm abandoning my post as greeter. Everyone in Toronto has been to a Hollingsworth party by now. They know their way around." She reached over to Yael's cup to sneak a drink, but got her hand slapped away.
"If you wanna drink, you're gonna have to get your own." Yael said. "Hunter has been creeping by the drink table, I think in an attempt to get me to notice him or something. I don't know. But I'm just gonna nurse this one and hope one drink it enough for a buzz."
Lola furrowed her brows. She wasn't a big drinker, but she knew that one drink, even a decently strong one, probably wasn't going to be enough for her. After all, she had Argentinian blood. She'd watched her brothers and uncles down a bottle of the world's best Tequila in ten minutes flat and drive home a few hours later.
"That's not gonna work for us, is it?" Lola said, and Yael didn't respond other than giving a confused glance. "I've got a solution." And before Yael could even respond, Lola had stormed off. She was a girl on a mission. She knew where the Hollingsworths hid their top shelf liquor when a teen party was going on, and if she was about to get drunk tonight, she may as well get drunk off of the good stuff.
Yael followed closely behind as Lola snuck off to a secret spot in Mr. Hollingsworth's study. The Hollingsworth parental units has disappeared for the night to allow for maximum partying, so Lola knew she was unlikely to get in trouble for invading the patriarch's personal study. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Yael asked.
"Of course not. But what fun came out of a good idea?" Lola answered, her fingers finding a fancy bottle of champagne that Miles had once told her about. Supposedly, it cost over a thousand dollars. It was one of many bottles scattered across the study like decorations. Usually, she'd never run the risk of Miles, Frankie, or Hunter getting in trouble. But moving on meant she had to stop considering Miles in every situation ever. And honestly, she just wanted to have some fun. There was no reason to believe some other drunk loser hadn't stumbled into the study, which was only a few rooms away from the kitchen.
After a big struggle, Lola popped the cork and spilled some champagne on the carpet. "Whoops." She said, but shrugged as she brought the bottle to her lips, taking a quick but full swig. She had heard a rumor that the faster you drank alcohol, the more it'd affect you. She guessed that was why shots existed. She handed the bottle to Yael and began to talk as her friend took small sips.
"How weird is it being here after...you know, you and Hunter broke up?" Lola asked. Part of her was angling for some sort of secret answer, something that would make being around Miles easier. After all, if she weren't close with Frankie, she sure as hell wouldn't be near the Hollingsworth's mansion knowing Miles was around.
Yael handed the bottle of champagne back to Lola and sighed before answering. "It's hard. It took a lot for me to come tonight. And honestly, I changed my mind a million times. The only reason I finally made the decision to come was because my mom wouldn't stop asking about my future. I mean, I got into MIT. That's a great triumph. But I can't help but wonder if going there is the right decision for me. I don't think I want to move all the way to Massachusetts. Especially considering the only person I'd know there would be Hunter."
"That's ridiculous." Lola said. "You'll meet a bunch of new people. You're great."
However, Yael didn't seem convinced, reaching for the bottle which Lola had been taking large gulps of, and putting her lips to the mouth of the bottle. "I don't know." They said, their voice echoing slightly in the bottle, which was about three quarters full. It's kind of scary. It's a huge school with so many ultra-talented people. What if I don't match up?"
Lola was starting to notice Yael's words slurring just the slightest bit. Considering they had never really drank before, it made sense that they'd start to get tipsy after what equaled about a glass and a half of champagne.
"You'll match up." She replied simply. "If you don't want to move to Massachusetts, then don't. You shouldn't force yourself to move to a completely different country if you're not ready, but if you want this and you're backing away from the opportunity out of fear of matching up... Don't. You're awesome. You got into MIT, after all. They don't just accept everyone." She assumed this. She didn't really know much about technology schools, but it was common sense that only the best and brightest made it into one of the biggest schools.
Yael took a big swig, one that brought the levels of liquid of the bottles from three quarters to almost half. They really wanted to fulfill that goal of getting drunk, apparently.
"I'm gonna cut you off." Lola giggled. "That stuff will go to your head before you know it."
And as she was saying that, she noticed Yael's cheeks transforming from their usual paleness to a rosy pink. Telltale sign of tipsiness.
Lola thought for only a moment before speaking. "Can I tell you something?" She said. The alcohol wasn't affecting her nearly as much as it was hitting Yael, but she surely wasn't completely sober. She pulled the bottle away from Yael and cradled it between her thighs.
"Of course." Yael replied instantly, their voice sounding more slurred with every word.
"Remember that abortion I had?" Lola started. "Well, the dad was Miles." She sipped the drink once again, a few times, in order to gain the confidence to not let her voice shake. "We hooked up while Tristan was in a coma, and then... Tristan woke up, and suddenly I wasn't so important anymore. I felt like crap. And then I started to heal. In fact, you helped me heal. Being around you, I mean. Having a friend who didn't remind me of Miles every time I looked at them. But then after Miles graduated... After prom... He broke up with Tristan." She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, sharpening her breath. "And then he reappeared. Came running back." There was resentment dripping from Lola's voice. "And we slept together again. And then he disappeared. And he never even said goodbye."
Yael furrowed their brows, clearly afraid of how to react. "I'm sorry, Lola." They said, seemingly wishing they had something better or more impactful to say. "He doesn't deserve you. You're awesome."
"I know he doesn't deserve me. But I love him." Lola said hopelessly, bringing the champagne bottle, which was running low, to her lips once again. She could feel herself getting lightheaded from the champagne. It was so strange to Lola how different types of alcohol made you feel different types of drunk. "I wish I didn't, but I can't get over it. And I thought... Maybe I could. But then earlier today he ambushed me with this apology, and now I just..." She buried her head in her hands, feeling the heat on her cheeks from the champagne.
Yael reached for the champagne while Lola's head was down, sneaking it from her grip and taking a giant swig. Lola had said she was cutting Yael off, but she honestly didn't have the energy to stop Yael from stealing the bottle.
"Being here is hard. It's easy to forget how much you miss someone when they aren't around anymore." Yael said, and it struck a cord with Lola.
"You're so wise." She replied.
"I don't know about wise." Yael said. "Maybe drunk." They giggled a giggle that Lola had never heard before, and took a large slug of champagne, finishing the bottle off and dropping it on the floor of the study. The two were sitting criss-crossed on the floor, so the drop wasn't too far. But it still made an unexpectedly loud noise. "By the way," they started. "I knew it was Miles. I mean, I didn't know know, but I knew. I could just tell."
Lola exhaled deeply. "Yeah, I figured it was obvious. What do we do now?" She gestured to the empty champagne bottle. Lola wasn't quite drunk yet, but she was overtaken by an intense need to go on an adventure with Yael, so that had to count for something.
"Go back to the gaggle of drunken teens out there?" Yael said, unsurely.
"We are drunken teens." Lola responded with a chuckle masking her normal voice.
Yael played with the neck of the champagne bottle before dropping it again and making the same clanking noise on the floor. "Then I guess we'll fit right in."
The two friends linked arms and headed out of the study, and back into the party, which had become quite crazy since their disappearance into the study. There were tons of teens wandering around the house, which Lola knew wasn't supposed to happen. One of the biggest rules of Hollingsworth parties was that everyone was supposed to stay out in the open area of the pool. Luke and Neil's violation of Zoe in one of the rooms had ruined that for everyone.
Lola and Yael headed toward the pool, slightly stumbling. Anyone who saw them would totally assume they were on their way to drunkenness, which would be a correct assumption. They weren't quite run around with no pants on drunk, but they were definitely 'fail a field sobriety test' drunk. Which was drunker than either of them had ever been, clearly.
As soon as Lola and Yael exited the house they were assaulted by the sounds of loud music and teenagers yelling. They scanned the pool area for familiar faces, but surprisingly, most of the people that Lola and Yael spent their time with weren't around. It was strange. Lola had always felt like she was pretty popular and knew most of the people at Degrassi, but suddenly, it felt like she'd been transported to a party for a different school. It didn't help that the world around her was spinning.
There was a few games of chicken going on in the pool. Bikini clad girls giggling and throwing their hands around at other bikini clad girls while sitting on muscular dudes' shoulders. It felt like a bad teen movie, almost.
"We should do that." Lola said, her face contorting into a grin.
"You're gonna have to get me way drunker before I participate in...whatever that is." Yael responded, gesturing to the teenagers splashing around.
Lola reached onto a table that was covered in half-empty alcohol bottles. "Take your pick." She said, grabbing a Tequila bottle for herself and downing most of the remaining clear liquid in one shot, immediately feeling a wave of drunkenness take over her body. It was like being drowsy and excitable at the same time. Sluggish, but all she wanted to do was move and dance.
"What's this shot for?" Yael asked inquisitively, holding a bottle of bourbon to their mouth, ready to down the contents. It was so funny that even when Yael was getting drunk, they still had time to make it seem like everything had a purpose. If that made sense.
Lola smiled, realizing in her head how much Yael had changed since the two met. Before, Yael was honestly sort of uptight and judgy. Still a great person, but... hypercritical. Pre-Lola Yael probably wouldn't have even shown up to this party. And if they had, they'd have been standing in the corner judging everyone who was enjoying themselves. And now, they were having the time of their lives. Lola liked that she could have a positive effect on those around her.
"This shot is for... Screw the Hollingsworth boys! Who needs 'em anyway!" Lola exclaimed a little too loud considering the fact that she was currently at the Hollingsworth mansion. She then proceeded to pick up yet another almost-discarded bottle, this time of coconut rum, and took a large gulp along with Yael.
They were officially intoxicated. Both Lola and Yael. It was obvious from the way they swayed back and forth as they headed toward the pool, and especially clear when they jumped into the water completely clothed. People were looking, that was for sure, but the fun that they were having far outweighed the fear of being watched.
After about a minute of splashing around like they were in a cliche teen movie, Lola and Yael were approached by none other than Frankie Hollingsworth, who had no doubt been informed about their shenanigans.
"I've been told there were two super drunk people in the pool splashing around like idiots." Frankie said. "And I think I've found them."