Only because you asked // Rafe Cameron

Chapter Four - Feeling praised and appreciated

For every second Lana wasn't speaking to someone, she was consuming large amounts of alcohol. In fact, she had made the mistake of passing a group of frat boys who had prepared a series of shots.

"Lana!" some of the boys roared, "it's your turn," they declared, indicating that she was to do the shots.

She tried her hardest to deny the offer however it wasn't much use because she somehow found herself sitting in front of the table.

"5 shots and you're free to go," someone stated.

They began a countdown starting from ten, which drew the attention of many other people, causing them to surround the table and join in on the countdown. Once the countdown was complete, she devoured the first five shots in seconds, earning the amplified cheering of everyone around them. She could've stopped there, besides, she had been praised enough to last her a lifetime as she wasn't used to this type of attention but she knew she could push her luck. She picked up the next shot, and the next, and the next until she had completed 10 shots. The crowed crescendoed with every extra shot she obliterated.

"And one more for luck," one of the guys sitting next to her shouted, passing her the entire bottle. She took one last lethal swig of vodka before the entire crowed threw their hands up in the air and cheered for her like a football stadium.

She felt euphoric, as if she was the most appreciated person at the party which she sort of was. She did find it kind of pathetic that all it took to be noticed was to be a raging alcoholic in front of the entire collection of frat boys on the island but she didn't care, she was finally having fun. She looked up to find Sarah joined in with the crowed with her jaw dropped, hysterically laughing in awe and enjoying Lana's 'fame'.

She stood up to rejoin her friend but was instantly hit with the consequences of demolishing 11 shots in under a minute. Her legs gave out and she returned to her previous position next to the sweaty, coked-out frat boys; Sarah walked her to retrieved her and to be her walking stick.

"See! I told you tonight would be fun," she teased, still in a state of worship at the sight she just saw.

"I can walk now, it's fine," she pleaded, which to Sarah's surprise, she was right.

"Topper and I," she began.

"Oh no, did you guys break up?"

"Worse," she exhaled dramatically. "We almost did it."

Lana's eyes widened. "WHAT?" she shrieked, now heavily projecting the effects of those 11 shots. She grabbed a random glass of water that was on the table near her and drank from it, which she would normally find uncomfortably disgusting and unhygienic however she wasn't exactly in a state to care about that.

"That's not even the worst part," she screamed, also under the heavy influence of alcohol and unknowing of the volume of her voice. "I stopped it from happening because he told me he loved me again."

Lana spat out her water from the sudden urge to laugh, which caused Sarah to also to start uncontrollably laughing along with her.

"Oh, you're evil," she yelled.

"I don't think that I am," she stated, controlling her laughter. "I tired so hard to make myself love him, but I just can't."

Lana sincerely took Sarah's hand into hers and locked eyes with her. "Maybe Topper isn't the problem," she said. "Maybe the problem is that he's a boy."

They stared at each other for seconds before Sarah added on.

"Lana, I was thinking the same thing," still holding eye contact. "I've been in love with you all this time."

They allowed a few more second to pass by before they couldn't resist the unmanageable laughter that was ravelling up inside the two of them. Sarah fell to the floor from the howling in laughter and Lana had formed some tears of her own.

"I can't breathe," Lana wheezed, clutching her stomach in pain. "That was the grossest thing you've ever said."

"Oh shut up, you know you loved it."