School Break

Parties

( TW?? underage drinking and slight rape implications)




Inej actually hated parties, she didn't like the distinct beer smell that lingered around afterward, she didn't care for being stuffed into a room with a bunch of sweaty drunk teenagers, and she really didn't like Zoya Nazyalensky. Inej wanted to stay home on Friday, but instead she packed a bag and sat on her front porch. Waiting for Wylan, Nina, and Matthias to come pick her up.
About twenty minutes later, Wylan's pulled into the driveway. Inej smiled and bounded down the stairs. She opened the back seat and sat down, closing the door behind her. "Omg bestie Inej" Nina swung around in the front seat to face her. Inej laughed as she buckled her seat belt. "Hi Nina, hi Wylan, hi Matthias." Wylan waved and muttered a quick 'hi.'
"He's stressed because Jesper isn't coming until later" Nina turned back around and reached for the radio. Taylor Swift soon blasted through the speakers. "I'm not stressed, I just don't want to sit alone for the first thirty minutes of the party" Wylan grumbled. "You won't be alone, you have us" Matthias chimed in enthusiastically. "You and Nina always go play beer pong or make out on a couch, and Inej and Kaz sit and talk by a corner." Wylan turned down the radio, despite Nina's attempts to stop him. "Has anyone talked to Kaz since Thursday?" Inej asked, she had texted him but no reply. "He's not answering his phone" Nina showed her the conversation between her and Kaz. The last five texts being from Nina. Inej sighed, she hated when he just ignored them all.

They pulled up to the house, there were already people throwing up in the driveway.
Great, it's gonna be a long night. Inej grimaced. They all got out of the car, Nina pulled Matthias by the arm. Leaving Inej and Wylan to step over puddles of vomit and beer. Wylan looked around, he was obviously disgusted. The poor kid hadn't been to many high school parties.
"I don't like this." He said as he pushed open the door, the smell of alcohol and sweat hit Inej immediately. "Me neither" she grumbled. Inej grabbed a warm beer out off the counter and offered it to Wylan, he waved it away. "Don't drink" he said loudly. Inej just nodded and took a sip. Warm liquid flushed down her throat and into her stomach. As much as she didn't like parties, free beer wasn't a bad perk.
People walked by and said the occasional hello, Inej just nodded and smiled every time. She didn't consider herself someone with a lot of friends. Of coarse she had Nina and Kaz and the rest of the group, but other then them she was pretty introverted. She knew the girls from her gymnastics team, but they kept more to themselves and Inej didn't mind that. She liked having a small group of friends.
Inej had met Kaz at a party like this. Loud music, drunk teens, and no supervision. Inej was a freshman, newly fifth teen.
She was standing by a wall towards the backdoor when Jason walked over, he was the quarterback on the schools football team and he was known for doing not great things when he was drunk. He tricked her into going into a room with him and when she came out, she felt terrible.
She ran out the room as quick as she could get away, promptly colliding with Kaz Brekker. Beer poured down both the front of their shirts. He scowled but before he could say something Jason walked out of the room.
"Hoe, first you sleep with me now you're trying to hook up with Brekker?" Some of Jason's friends snickered, tears threatened to pour down Inej's face. Kaz picked up his cup and looked at Inej, his face stern but not judging.
Jason walked closer to Inej and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, it made her stomach twist and she felt like she was going to puke.
"Let her go Jason. Now." Kaz's voice cut through the air like a knife. Jason just scoffed, "and what are you going to do about it?" he dropped Inej's arm and puffed his chest.
Kaz looked him up and down slowly, like he was trying to decide if Jason was even worth a fight. All of a sudden, Kaz lunged forward and hit Jason in the face.
Jason stumbled back, he looked a little stunned by the sudden impact. That was all Inej saw, she ran for the front door, thankful for the cool breeze that hit her face as she burst through. The next day she saw Jason with a black eye and several bruises. He never talked to her again.
Kaz on the other hand, approached her the next day. "Jason is a jerk, but I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt you again."
He told her solemnly, whenever she asked why he even cared in the first place he just said that it didn't matter and that she should be glad he was there.
Despite all of his brooding she was glad he was there, she might even owe him her life.

Inej and Wylan stood by the fridge, watching as Nina and Matthias dominated in beer pong. Wylan told her about the summer trips him and his parents used to go one, Inej explained her love of gymnastics to him.
Inej saw Jesper walk in and hold up a finger to his mouth, signaling to be quiet. Jesper snuck behind Wylan and put his hands over Wylan's eyes.
"Guess whoo" Jesper beemed, Wylan smiled and turned around. "Finally!" Wylan backed up a little, realizing how close the two of them were. "I missed you" Wylan added quietly. Jesper smiled wider, "oh hey Inej, how 'ya doing?" Jesper put an arm around Inej's shoulder. She smiled back "better now that you're here" He squeezed her little tighter and let go.
"I had stupid extra credit to do, my dad found out that I forgot to do my math homework for about two months and got pretty pissed" Jesper sighed. Wylan shook his head, "I told you he'd find out. And I told you that I could help with your math homework." Jesper thought for a second, "that would be a good excuse to have a hot dude in my room, and I guess homework help wouldn't be bad. How's next Tuesday at seven?" Wylan blushed but grinned, "its a date." Jesper grabbed his arm and pulled him away, "Bye Inej, I need a drink and I need one NOW."
Inej just laughed, mostly at the fact that they're both dense as heck.
All of a sudden she felt someone yank her back by her wrist. She whirled around, ready to punch.
Luckily it was only Kaz. "Oh saint's you almost gave me a heart attack." She pulled away from him and shot him a look. "Why couldn't you have just tapped me on the shoulder, or walked in front of me?" He waited for her to stop.
"I have a job for us, all of us." He smiled, and that's when Inej knew that this job he was talking about wasn't going to be easy.