Once Upon A Summer

Chapter 1

We stumbled out of the house at an ungodly hour, five teenagers, fake lives with nothing but laughter and smoke surrounding us.

The sky was the colour of spilled dark paint, garnished by humid purples and desperate dark blues, if i'd have been sober i don't think i would have paid much attention but then in my hazy drunkeness the sky looked like it was painted by God and decorated by an angel.

The smoke came from Rudy's cigarette, it was his third that night ( not like I was counting or anything) and it's passive effect on me made everything seem outwardly, eccentric even.

His brown curls were now unruly on top of his head and his usual dark demeanor surrounded him like a cloud of endless wonder.

One thing about Rudy Tacconi was that he always made you wonder.

We didn't come to that party as a group, hell, we hadn't spoken to each other in ages ( or so i think ) until that night.

That night when all the madness started, we had known each other half our kindergarten lives and then slowly we had drifted apart.

I remember that night like a quick documentary, i recall getting dressed and living my house for the house party with Melissa but somewhere in all that booze air and wild coloured lights,somewhere along the lines of too many shots of unrecognizable drinks , i lost her in the crowd.

The party, as you might imagine, was huge, everyone and their girlfriend wanted to be there,the whole Briaston high seemed to have been offered an invitation alongside some  from other neighbouring schools who had decided to welcome themselves.

Upon entry of the huge mansion, there is a likely occurrence that you might meet people walking around with neon bikinis and visors. A few ( too many people) making out and the usual alcoholics passed out on the grass and patio.

After asking anyone and almost everyone, you'd learn that no one particularly knew the host. The mystery of such a comment is that it invested a thought in your mind of being watched.

A consolation to such a terrible thought is usually cliche, a bunch of beer cans and edibles. Having had the privilege like everyone in the party, i had invited myself, i found the booze area to be the perfect destination ,atleast where i felt safe to stay all night, after all that was the only reason i had come to that party, as people came and went, others in groups and most in pairs I filled their cups as i admired the unlimited supply of expensive liquor bottles and an equal share of cups. It was as if the devil himself took part in the organisation of this party.

As I was going on in my business ( mixing vodka with fruit punch to see which colour would look more appealing ) I noticed Four first, he was being led upstairs by a redhead it wasn't too long before my focus shifted to someone else in the room.

Rudy

Where people had red and blue solo cups with mysterious drinks in their hands, he had a whole bottle of a drink i couldn't quite decipher and a cigarette held weakly between his fingers, smouldering. He looked like he belonged there, He always looked like he belonged everywhere,in that euphoric light.

He approached me when i was on my third drink (i guess)

"Didn't take you for a drinker." He said with his body towering over mine making me look like some kind of walking joke , I didn't think he would speak to me at all, i assumed that probably he just wanted some of my  bar tending services.

As if on cue my smartass drunkself responded

"What do you take me for, " I asked in feignedconcern before drifting my focus to the bottle tightly fit in his hand, not giving him the opportunity to respond.