Miss nobody strikes back

She's drunk.

Chapter thirty.

The party was going smoothly. Jenny had gone to talk to some friends, which was nice, so I just sat back and watched. As I scanned the room, I saw a mini stand where people were getting drinks. Feeling a little thirsty, I stood up and walked over to the counter, taking a seat in front of it.

"Hi, I would like two cups of orange juice," I said to the man behind the counter. He looked at me like he didn’t understand what I was saying at first, but then he nodded, pulling out two cups. He poured the drink into them and added something I didn’t recognize before placing them in front of me. I sighed and handed him some cash, hoping it wasn’t anything too fancy.

I took a sip from the first drink. It was sharp and tasted like orange, but there was a bite to it that made me squint as it went down my throat. What the hell? Why is this juice so strong? I brushed it off, assuming I was just feeling weird. After finishing the first cup, I downed the second one, but the sharpness was the same. As I swallowed the last sip, I felt dizzy. My head started spinning, and everything around me blurred. What did I just drink?

I tried standing up, but I lost my balance and fell out of the chair. A guy hurried over and helped me stand.

"Whoa, buttercup, you’re really a lightweight. First time drinking?" he asked, but I couldn’t make sense of his words. Everything was a blur, and I wasn’t in control of my body.

"What... did I drink?" I managed to ask, my speech slurred and wobbly.

"Whiskey, with a touch of flavor," he replied, and my eyes widened in shock. Whiskey? Oh my God, I’ve never had alcohol before!

"I’ve never had alcohol before," I mumbled, trying to stand on my own, but my legs were like jelly.

The guy grinned. "Since it’s your first time, how about we try something fun?" He pushed me against the wall. I didn’t know what he was planning, but alarm bells were ringing in my head. I tried pushing him away, but he didn’t budge. My arms felt useless, heavy, as if I were fighting underwater. Just as he started tugging at my jacket, someone yanked him away from me. It was Dominic.

"What the heck, man?" the guy protested, but Dominic wasn’t having it. He didn’t even look at him.

"She’s drunk. It’s rude to take advantage of someone without their consent," Dominic said coolly. The guy gave him a dirty look before walking away, clearly annoyed.

Dominic.

I watched the party unfold around me. Girls were dancing and flirting with boys, the music was loud, and some people were doing downright absurd things. I sat alone, sipping water. Kai and Jenny were chatting nearby, enjoying themselves. I wasn’t really into parties, but it was something to do.

Then I noticed Hanna sitting alone. She didn’t seem like the party type either. After a while, she stood up and went over to the mini bar. That surprised me—I didn’t know she drank.

She ordered something, and after two drinks, she started acting weird. For someone to react like that after just two cups, it had to be her first time drinking. But why would she drink it if she didn’t know what it was?

She tried standing up but fell straight to the ground. A guy walked over and helped her up. They said something to each other, but I couldn’t hear it. Then he pushed her against the wall, and it was obvious Hanna was struggling. She didn’t have control of her body, and she tried pushing him away, but he didn’t move.

I sighed, annoyed. High school boys could be so immature.

I stood up and made my way toward them. Just as he was about to pull off her jacket, I grabbed him and pulled him away.

"What the heck, man?" he spat at me, frustrated.

"She’s drunk. It’s inappropriate to take advantage of someone without their permission," I replied, irritated that I even had to speak to him. He shot me a nasty look before storming off.

Hanna looked at me, dazed and confused.

"Who... are you? Don’t take advantage of me," she said weakly, trying to cover herself with her arms. She couldn’t stand properly, so I supported her, holding her up.

"You need to go home," I told her, trying to guide her toward the exit, but she stopped.

"Who are you?" she asked again, squinting as if she couldn’t recognize me. She reached out and touched my face, her fingers brushing against my skin. "Wow, such smooth skin..." she murmured, her voice trailing off.

I quickly stopped her, taking her hand away. "Come on," I said, leading her toward where Kai and Jenny were standing.

"She’s drunk, and I’m taking her home," I told them. They both looked at me in shock. I wasn’t exactly known for helping out girls, so their surprise wasn’t unwarranted. They nodded.

"I’m taking the car," I said to Kai, who didn’t seem to mind. He was having too much fun to leave early anyway.

Once outside, I led Hanna to my car. She wobbled and eventually sat down on the ground. I sighed, lifting her up and placing her in the front seat. Closing her door, I got into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

"Give me your address," I asked her.

"Mmm," she hummed, clearly out of it.

"Where do you live?" I repeated, but she just smiled and started pointing in random directions. One of the biggest mistakes of my life was trusting her directions.

"Turn right... turn left... turn right..." she kept saying, but we ended up going in circles. Eventually, I stopped the car.

She turned to me, her face pale. Without warning, she opened the door and vomited, half in the car and half outside. She closed the door again, leaning back in her seat.

I sighed in frustration.

"Dominic," she said softly, her words slurring, "I can’t go home. If my dad sees me like this, he’ll kill me. He hates me, you know. He even questions whether I’m his child or not. They both like Claire, and I’m just abandoned..." Her speech was disjointed, but I understood what she was saying.

"Hanna, I need you—" I started, but when I glanced over at her, she was already asleep.

Great. Now what?

I checked the time. It was 11 PM. My mom had already called me several times. I closed my eyes for a second, realizing I had no other choice. I had to take her to my house.