First Light

31 new years p2

I can hear his footsteps close behind me as I go in the direction he's told me to, and silently pray that I don't do something embarrassing like trip on the way there. The voices of the others are heard a few seconds before either of us even reach the door, and as I turn the handle, Marlo's hand reaches over my head to press against the door, pushing it open to help me.

The voices abruptly stop for a second as Marlo and I step into the room, three heads turning from one of the sofas, only one of them smiling at us. I think it's pretty difficult to guess which one.

"Come in, come in!" Jonah exclaims, beckoning us further into the room, and I hear Marlo close the door behind me.

"Oh, we didn't know you were going to be here." Becca says in a very over-the-top sickly sweet way.

"Yeah, I thought your parents were really strict." Emily chimes in.

"Only sometimes," I answer, heading over to the only other sofa that's free. Marlo sits next to me a couple seconds later, much to Becca's delight.

Her eyes flick down to the cup in my hands, and she frowns. "What kind of drink is that?"

I already know what's coming. "It's not alcohol, if that's what you're wondering."

"Are you not drinking? Faye, babe, c'mon. It's meant to be New Years. Have some fun."

My skin prickles at her saying my name. "Parents said that I can't."

She laughs. "What, they're not letting you drink? I thought you said that they weren't strict."

"I said 'only sometimes'." I answer.

Her and Emily exchange a look. "Just have a bit, cmon. They won't know."

"Guys, can you leave it? Just because both of you are alcoholics doesn't mean she needs to be," Jonah says exasperatedly, laughing.

Marlo laughs, too. "Yeah, exactly. I'm not gonna drink either."

Becca gasps. "What, you too? Why not?" Then she pouts. Pouts.

"I don't want Faye to be left alone as the only one who's not drinking. If all of us were to get really drunk and not her, she'd have to be trying to look after all of us. It wouldn't be fair," Marlo answers, then turns his head to smile at me.

"I still think it'd be fine for you to drink, I don't mind." I reply.

He rolls his eyes, not saying a word.

"I was going to remind you guys that this isn't a party at uni, this is my parents' house, so don't drink too much, please," Jonah says, motioning to Becca and Emily. "Be respectful."

Emily groans. "Yes, yes, we know. Can you hurry up and order the pizza now? I'm starving."

About an hour into the pizzas and the film we agreed on (Zootopia), I get up to go to the toilet, repeating Marlo's directions in my head as I leave the room. I take time to reapply my lipstick afterwards, making sure none is on my teeth before I go to head back down.

By the time I reach the end of the corridor, Becca finishes coming up the stairs, long blonde ponytail swinging behind her. I go to move around her, thinking there won't be any sort of conversation, but she stops me by putting her hand out before I even get to the top of stairs.