Almost Alice » l.h

0.6

The plan was that Calum would pick us up "like he always does" according to Amy. We'd crash at Michael's and Ashton's that night so we'd have to bring our school stuff in case we weren't too hung over to go the next day. This was why I thought it was silly to have a party on a Thursday. However, I didn't plan on getting hung over at all.

"You at least should take a couple sips while they're around and sober." Amy told me as she was getting ready. I was sitting in her room, already ready in my opinion. "Once they're drunk, they won't even realize you didn't drink anything. Also, you need more eyeliner."

"My eyeliner's fine." I said, pouting slightly. "So Michael's throwing a party while is parents are out of town? Isn't that a little shady...and cliche?"

Honestly, Michael didn't seem like the type of person who got along well with his parents. It didn't surprise me he'd go behind their backs to throw a party - well, it kind of did since Amy told me he was shy around girls.

Amy opened her mouth to speak but her phone started ringing before she could say anything. She glanced at the ID before answering.

"Calum's outside." she announced before hanging up the phone. "Grab your shit and let's go."

"Why does Calum always wear a beanie?" I asked her, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and following my sister out of her bedroom. "Does he have a bald spot?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I've never actually seen his head since middle school. But you have to admit, the kid knows how to rock a beanie."

I nodded. She did have a point.

Quickly and quietly, we left the house, silently closing the door behind us. Parked behind our parents' cars with no headlights on was Calum's shiny black car that could be seen under the faint light of the street lamps that hung over the sidewalks. Amy got into the front while I slid into the back.

"Good evening, Ackermans." he greeted, his signature smirk on his face.

I was starting to think he was born with that smirk pasted on his face.

Despite the fact the music was incredibly low, Amy looked at Calum and asked, "Is that Carly Rae Jepsen?"

He shrugged and backed out of the driveway. "Maybe, maybe not."

As we started driving down the street, Amy turned the music up. Sure enough, I Really Like You was playing on the radio. Amy looked at him with a cocked eyebrow, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Dude, what?" she asked.

"Okay, the song is really fucking catchy!" he defended, turning it up a little louder. "And Tom Hanks is in the video."

She chuckled and shook her head, looking the other way out the window. "You're so dumb."

"Whatever." he rolled his eyes before looking at me in the mirror. "So Alice in Wonderland-" I internally groaned because I'd heard that a ton of times and it just got old. "-why is this the first time you're partying with your sister and her friends?"

Don't say something stupid.

"Because I didn't want to party with my sister's friends." I said quickly. Too quickly.

Nailed it. Idiot.

Calum frowned and Amy turned her head slightly toward me to give me a look.

"No, that's not what I meant!" I quickly added. "I just meant like, Amy and I thought it would be better to have our own friends and stick to them, you know? Otherwise people think we're too much alike and it gets...f-fucking annoying."

Nice stutter on the f-bomb. So badass.

Calum nodded and his smirk returned. "Right, I get it."

The rest of the car ride was spent listening to popular pop songs and Amy and Calum bickering; friendly bickering, though. When we started getting close to the house, the bass was louder than the music in Calum's car. He turned his stereo off and grinned.

"I love their parties." he giggled excitedly, pulling into the long driveway.

Michael and Ashton's house was a giant mansion with acres of land, a soccer field, a giant pool, and a pool house. However, it seemed like the party was going on in and around the pool house rather than the mansion.

"So Ashton lives with Michael and his parents?" I questioned, leaning forward in my seat to see the party.

"Sort of." Calum replied. "They live in that pool house together. It's actually super nice, though."

"But that's where Michael has parties because he doesn't want to ruin his parents things." Amy explained. "He's really careful about not trashing their place."

"I can see why." I said under my breath, gaping at the giant house.

Calum parked his car and opened his door. "Luke said he's already here. Let's go find the twiggy bastard."

We got out of the car and walked to the pool house. I nervously played with the hem of my shirt as the music got louder and the people got closer. I'd never been to a party before so I had no idea how this would go.

"Luke said he's playing beer pong," Calum said, looking at his phone. "so he's by the pool."

"I want to find Ashton." Amy whined.

"Of course you do." he sighed. "Alright, you go find your boy toy and I'll babysit your sister."

"I don't need babysitting." I huffed.

Calum smirked and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. We'll see who's babysitting who."