The Buddy System Fail

2. Caving Into Peer Pressure

2. Caving Into Peer Pressure.

"No" I deadpanned, picking Toby's off from my shoulders like he was infected with some deadly disease. I didn't drink. I hadn't drunk since my parents divorce. Seeing one of your parents get  wasted every night and then having to assist them as they over come another hang over can really put a person off alcohol.

"Aww!" Ryder cooed "are you a chicken, Teagan?" 

 Anger welled up inside of me. Who did he think he was to talk to me like that?! He didn't know me.

"Are you a 5 year old, Ryder?" I snapped back, narrowing eyes in his direction. The same cocky grin he'd been wearing ever since I came over here brightened at my quick come back. 

"I can be anything you want, Baby" Again, with the sexual references. Was he gonna do that to everything I say? I rolled my eyes. 

"I'm not downing shots, Toby, I don't drink anymore"  I said firmly, ignoring Ryder's comment. I was standing my ground. I was not going to cave to peer pressure. 

"Oh come on, T! Live a little!" A high pitched voice came from behind. I turned to find Callie, along with Sophie, waving bottles of vodka in the air. She kicked the kitchen door shut behind her, blocking out the rest of the party from our little gathering. Oh thank you, Lord! They aren't drowning in their own vomit!

"Where have you been?!" I yelled "I've been looking for you everywhere!" 

"Well, you can't have been looking very hard because we were right here. We just went to go get some vodka for shots. Come one, T, you've got to join in" she nagged, putting the vodka bottle down on the counter-top to tug of the sleeve of my hoodie, pulling her incredibly cute puppy face that no one could resist.

Except me. 

"No" I said stubbornly. 

"Oh come on, T!" Sophie whined, pouring vodka into 5 shot glasses and setting them down in a line in front of me, pulling the same puppy-dog face as Callie. 

"Yeah, do it, Teagan" 

"Do it! Do it!" 

"Come on!" 

"Stop being a pussy" that was Ryder. I was not gonna take that. Especially from Ryder, of all people I was not being called a pussy by Daniel Ryder.

Caving into peer pressure, I picked up the first glass and downed it in one gulp. Ignoring the burning sensation in the back of my throat, I immediately threw back the second one and then the third and then the fourth until I'd downed all 5 in a matter of seconds. 

The group around me cheered and Toby threw a arm over shoulder for the second time that night causing me to stumble a little. Already I was a little tipsy but not drunk. Not quite yet.

"Whoo! Teagan's back!" he shouted laughing and hugging me to his side. Both Callie and Sophie cackled like hyenas, I'm glad they found this funny, I wasn't. 

"Do some more" some yelled over the muffled sound of music. I shock my head dramatically. 

"No, I'm not doing anymore" I objected. 

"Booo!" 

"Please, T, I brought you hear for a reason" Callie begged "you need to have some fun before you shrivel up and turn into the funless old, cat woman out of the Simpson's!" 

I froze for a minute. Was Callie right? I mean she may have put it in the most immature way possible and I'm not sure funless is even a word but was she right? I did need to loosen up. I did need a break. Maybe this was a good thing for me. Maybe-