The Lines Between Us | ✔

|.07.|

September 8th, 11:30 pm,

Bella

''Where have you two lovebirds been?'' Mel questions when we enter the living space. A smile stretches from one ear to the other, resting in a smirk. I flinch slightly at the implication of love.

''The bathroom,'' I reply, returning the smile. It doesn't disclose what actually happened. I'd rather leave it to their own imagination than tell them the truth. It's brighter in this room: the lights aren't flashing as hard. Glancing down at my phone, I acknowledge that we have been here nearly half an hour. It doesn't feel that long. We follow Liam and Mel to a couch, where we find a space. I end up having to sit practically on his lap. In total, we are there for about 15 minutes, but I don't keep count. I have already been offered numerous drinks from everyone around me, but I politely decline each one- not that Ash would let me have them anyway.

''Right, what should we play?'' Liam says, his voice slightly slurred from the mass of alcohol he's consumed.

''Be- er. . . PONG,'' Mel replies, slurring, but hitting every syllable- and more. I'm happy that they have announced something to do; frankly, I am bored to death. Being the only sober one at a party sucks. I mean, you could say Ash was sober, though he as had a fair amount to drink. Comparing him now with the state he was in last time. . . I can't even begin to imagine how much he has to drink to get like that. Liam is the first to stand, as he runs over to me and Ash, grabbing both our hands and pulling us up.

''Hey! I wanted Bella,'' Mel moans, shoving Liam out of the way and taking my hand. She pulls me towards an empty ping pong table. I don't know exactly what this game entails, but by the sound of it, people are about to get very drunk.

''Ash, you coming?'' I question, not wanting to be alone.

He shakes his head and says to Mel, ''Replace her beer with water or something,'' Then walks away, heading back upstairs for some unknown reason. The teams are me and Mel against Liam and some boy called Noah.

''You ready?'' Liam smiles in my direction.

''I- I don't know how to play,'' I mumble. Everyone stops and stares at me like I'm some sort of headless chicken.

''Are you serious?'' Mel questions like she is about to start laughing. I nod in reply, ashamed of myself, even though it is perfectly fine to be normal.

''Fuck off you lot,'' Liam shouts at everybody attacking me, and walks over to where I am stood. He gives me a one-minute lesson. ''So you see the cups, yeah? Well, you have to get this ball-'' He places a small white ball into my hand, ''-Into these cups.'' Pointing towards the cups on his side of the table. ''Whichever cup it lands in, one of us has to drink it.''

I smile, thanking him, and hold the ball ready to aim. ''Wait. What's in my cups?'' I question, remembering what Ash just said. I don't know why I am obeying him, but I feel like he knows what's best.

''Gatorade,'' Mel replies, laughing with everyone around her like she's lying. I don't care, though. I trust her. I look back towards the red cups in front of me and throw the ball, landing it perfectly in the center of one of Liam and Noah's cups.

''Woah, first try. Well done!'' Noah says, smirking at me before lifting up the drink and draining the contents.

''My turn now,'' He declares, throwing the same ball into my drink. Very unsanitary.

''Drink up, love,'' He says after landing it in the cup before me. My hands threaten to shake as I grab the cup and bring it to my mouth. I'm not even scared, but I shiver anyway.

I drink it in a few gulps. ''Not bad,'' I answer the gawking eyes. Definitely bad. It tastes very similar to Gatorade, but with a harsh bitterness to it.