The Addict's Effect

CHAPTER 5

"Dude! Take a shot with me!"
"No! Let's do a shotgun!"
"Grab the tequila!"

Everyone's yelling. So much noise. So many people's voices overlapping as we walk on the porch. Faith looks at me giving me her reassuring look. She knows big crowds are hard for me.

"Faith! Wanna join in?" We hear Bryce say as we're about to walk into the house. Faith immediately turns that way. I'm just standing behind her like a lost puppy.

"Uhm, yeah, for sure." She says pushing the hair behind her ear. So we walk towards him and the crowd surrounding him. I'm so uncomfortable.

So she takes her shot, as does everyone else. I don't drink. I guess it's just from seeing what it makes people do.

Another hour goes by, Faith is really starting to get drunk.

"Take a shot with me! Cmon... it's like if a peanut butter doesn't have its jam... I need you.. to take.. this shot with me." She can barely talk, and what she's saying is complete nonsense.

"Maybe we should go home..." I mumble.

"It's only been like... two, one, three, hours..." she stutters.

"Faith, you're really drunk already. I think we should probably head out." I say again, a little more sternly.

"Faith! We need you for this round of beer pong!" Suddenly Bryce yells.

"I have.. to do.. go play.. uhm, pong. Yeah beer pong. Gotta go, love you." She stumbles away. This girls gonna be the death of me. So I sit on one of the camping chairs that are set up nearby. Guess I'm watching beer pong.

"Is this seat taken?"

I look up to find Justyn pointing to the chair next to me. Justyn's the only sibling still at home besides Faith, so we see each other quite often. We're only a year and a half apart. He just finished college last year, but to me, he feels so much older. I get lost in my thoughts of him before snapping back into reality.

"Uhm, no?" I say back. "Oh wait, actually my imaginary friends sitting here." I chuckle. He laughs too as he takes a seat.

"So, why aren't you playing?" He asks.

"I don't drink. And honestly, no one ever asked." I reply. It's a moment of silence.

"Oh yeah forgot you don't drink." He says completely ignoring the second part of my sentence. Again, another moment of silence. I'm not good at keeping a conversation going.

"Well, uhm, I'm going to get a drink. Want a water or something?" He asks starting to stand up.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, a waters fine." I say back fiddling with my hands.

"Okay I'll be back." He walks away and I take my focus back to the beer pong game. She might be drunk but her team's winning, somehow. Considering Bryce is her teammate and he's just about as drunk as her.

Atleast she's getting to spend time with him, even though she probably won't remember a lot.

"Here ya go." A water bottle being put into my line of sight.

"Thank you." I say cracking it open.

"No problem." Justyn says sitting back down. "Hey, Bryce, we call dibs next." He yells.

"Uhm, no, I can't, I've never played and I don't think that's a good idea.. I mean..." he cuts me off.

"You'll do just fine and I'll drink for the both of us." He says putting his hand on my leg. My heart starts to race, my body becoming extremely warm. I don't say anything and just keep watching the game.