Skater Squad

Chapter 21

Evan
Jaren takes me to the backyard of Janices beach house. On the small verandah there are people who don't resemble high schoolers at all smoking hand rolled cigarettes and looking at the beach view dreamily.

"There he is," Jaren remarks, pointing to a group of teens surrounding a fire pit. Sure enough Craig was huddled with them, illuminated by the fire, singing along to a U2 song playing on the stereo and waving a half empty wine bottle.

"Is he okay?" I ask, stepping down. "He looks more outlandish than usual."

"I mean he might have alcohol poisoning from all that wine but YOLO I guess," Jaren remarks languidly. "He's certainly the life of the party."

Craigs already drunken beaming face somehow grew wider as he sees us and hugs me tightly, stinking of tequila and fruit punch.

"Evaaaaan~ my buddy, my pallll! How- how you doing girrlll~?"

"God you're fucking hammered out of your mind," I laugh as Craig slides off of me as if he was made of nothing but jello and hobbled back to the fold out chair.

"You fuckin' bet I am, I'm having a hell of a good time! Hey, what's Jaren doing here? Is he-he bothering you!...no.. actually... you two would make a g-good couple," Craig hics. "But Jaren should bathe more. And shave those those hairy jungle legs."

"Alright shut your trap Craig." Jaren whacks the back of Craig's head, the boy only gargling spit and answered in gibberish. "I'll watch him. Can you go in and find Ryan? He's usually the one who babysits Craig when he's like this. Last time he was this wasted, Craig bellyflopped in the pool at Candy's and sank harder than the titanic."

"Was he alright?"

"Yeah, he's just an idiot."

I follow the trail back up the stairs, alone, and enter the bustling house. As I manoeuvre  around the dancing teens I briskly hike the stairs, avoiding Thomas Lane holding a metal oven tray and using it as a sled, racing down the steps with out a care. He hits the bottom with a loud thud but brushes it off with a another swig of his beer like nothing happened. Teens are animals.

The upstairs is similarly clouded with kids drunk and tired from dancing, some even dozing off on the floor curled up like babies.

Picture frames are hung on the wall, memories of Janice and her family in a neatly ordered timeline. The first was her and her sister at the beach looking somewhat between 5-7 years old, holding their bucket and spade triumphantly. A frame of her and her family posing on the Great Wall of China. Another in Japan, riding camels in Egypt and even a shot of Janice and her girlfriend skiing on Alaskan snow. I never knew Janice travelled so much.

As I lingered on the wall of memories, my ears perk at some faint sobbing that could be heard above the faded music blaring from downstairs. I pause at the door of the bathroom, cries seeping from under the door. I'm resistant to turn the handle, wondering if my intrusion was the best idea but on the other hand, the person may be hurt. I knock gently first before slowing creaking open the door and halted. A girl was laying the bathtub, her knees coddled to her chest and her face grieving between her knees. Her blonde hair was lengthy and curled to perfection but her mascara was dripping in grey streaks off her face like rain. She was also dressed in a cute pastel red cheerleader outfit, complete with a petite skirt and hair-bow in her blonde locks.

She wipes the smeared makeup from her eyes elegantly, clearly shaken at my entrance, "I-I'm sorry for taking up the bathroom! I-I thought know one would go in here..."

She motions to stand up but I raise a docile hand.

"It's alright, I was just worried because heard you crying. Is something the matter?" I quiz gently, kneeling on the bath rug beside the tub so we could meet eye to smeared eye. "My name is Evan by the way."

She chokes on a sob, "well, I'm not having a good time Evan. This party has been the worst decision I have made all night."

"Why is that? What happened?"

"I thought maybe 'hey' let me dress up as a fun cheerleader! I thought it would cute but I don't like why the guys feel the need to be weird about it..."

"Oh..." I gasp as I realised what she's saying.

"I'm not comfortable and I don't want to be here anymore but I think my friends are busy partying with their boyfriends to notice I'm gone."

"Do you want to leave and find them? I'm sure they'll listen and understand."

The girl sinks deeper into the tub, "I don't want to leave looking like this anymore."

"Would you like to swap costumes? Mine covers a lot more skin and is a bit more comfortable," I slightly regret promoting swapping our fits but the hopeful gleam in her eyes convinced me, "I think we're the same size, I'm small compared to most guys so we could easily swap clothes."

"You'd actually do that for me?" The girl says with a sweet smile.

"Of course, if you're not comfortable in your outfit, we can change. I'll even give you my bow and arrows to fight off those creeps."

She smiles and nods, standing up with a new sense of confidence. The girl covers the tub with the pastel shower curtain to strip while I quickly undress from my layers and swap our fits. The short skirt felt weird on and the knee high socks were rather tight but I reminded myself it was for the girls comfort not mine and shamelessly threw on the long sleeve shirt that thankfully covered my mid-drift.

The girl drew back the curtains when ready, stepping out of the tub wearing my Catniss Everdeen cosplay that appeared one size too large for her body. Her grin was joyous and she turned to the mirror to wipe a glob of ruined lipstick of her chin before turning to me.

"You're a really nice guy Evan, thank you," the girl remarks before hugging my arm and sped through the bathroom door to rejoin the party and hopefully find her friends.

Oh- I never caught her name... I think before resting on the edge of the tub, hands in my lap and stared at the door. How did my night end up with me in a skirt and alone in the hostess's bathroom? I wasn't going to lie, I didn't want to leave looking like this but I had to find Ryan for drunk Craig's sake.

I gulp thickly and reach for the door, inhaling a breath before rejoining the party. Hopefully, David could still recognise me.