american beauty // joshler

9

tyler's point of view

i can feel that i'm getting under his skin.

one thing i can pride myself on is leaving a lasting impression. whether or not it's good is up to the victim.

i shove my phone in my pocket and look around the room until i spot a man handing out pills to a couple people standing next to him. bingo.

i make my way over to him and bring my free hand to his arm, squeezing gently. "hello, lovely, care to share?" i bat my eyelashes at him and he nods.

"course, anything for the host," he smiles back at me and hands me the small circle. "they're-"

"oh, honey, i don't care what it is." i pop it into my mouth and swallow it with the remaining liquid in my cup." thank you though."

"alright, anytime," he nods again and i feel him watch me walk away. they usually do.

i go back to throw my cup away in the kitchen and then find brendon next. he's smoking a joint on the couch, like usual. that girl is with him again, her strawberry chapstick smile faltering when she sees me. i place myself on brendon's lap, mostly to piss her off.

i take the joint from his lips and take a hit, passing it to her afterwards only so i can focus on the man under me. "hello, brenny."

"hey there, babyboy," he smiles, without realizing i think, his face lazy from the weed and his eyelids drooping just a bit.

"are you staying with me tonight?" i run a hand through his hair, the other resting on his shoulder.

"if you want me to. i'd never say no to you, beautiful. you know that."

there's a certain sense of satisfaction i get from his words. the combination of the pill i took, the weed i smoked, the alcohol i drank, the disappointment painted across that nameless girl's face, and the way brendon looks up at me like i'm a god fuels my sense of self.

i shift my weight on his lap, leaning down to kiss him once, twice, three times for good measure. "good."

"mmm, good party then? having fun? you disappeared for awhile."

"i am feeling great." i kiss him once more time. "i'd feel even better if i had a smore. unfortunately, i think i'd probably burn my house down if i tried to make one."

"a smore? i haven't had one of those in forever. you could get, like, a smores poptart maybe?" his voice is low as he speaks and it's incredibly attractive. i find myself suddenly wishing we were alone.

"why dont we wrap this party up and doordash some poptarts from walmart or something?"

"can you doordash walmart?" the girl speaks up, for some reason unbeknownst to me.

"i don't know, guess we'll see. i can always send someone else to buy them." i don't look at her when i answer, my eyes roaming around brendon's face. he stares back at me, his small smile remaining. "b, would you help me start sending people home?" i ask.

he's usually the one to end our parties. i hate making people leave. the city never sleeps and neither does quite a large portion of its residents. they have to get out sometime, i just never know how to get the few stragglers who haven't left yet to go.

"you gotta get off my lap then, ty-guy, as much as i enjoy having you there."

i stand up and hold my hands out to help him stand as well. i bring my hands to cup his cheeks and kiss him one more time. "thank you. i'll go run us a bath, okay? i bought more of the soap you like, the one that smells like candy."