Reactance | James Potter

Chapter 20

   OLIVIA BREEZED THROUGH the crowded common room. Her long, curly brown hair bounced down her back as she walked, fitting through tight cracks between sweaty bodies on the dance floor. She could smell her own perfume, sharp and citrusy, mixing with the impending odor of the room .  .  . the foulness of gross boys and the spice of sparkling alcohol.

   She held her arms up high over her head, holding tight to two cups. She could feel the drink inside swishing around dangerously and, when she took a particularly hard right, a few drops even spilled over the rim and trickled down her fingertips to the back of her hand. The soles of her shoes were sinking deep into the carpet, which felt damp and squishy beneath her feet — she hoped to Merlin that whatever puddle she was walking through was made of beer.

"Woah, careful, little lady," a short boy with a mousy moustache reached out to stop her like she was about to knock right into him. Even if she'd been looking down for a hot second, she was aware enough of her surroundings to know that they weren't close to a collision. Still, his lips quirked through thin, blonde hairs as his dark eyes glanced over her figure; With her hands stretched up, it was on full display. "In a rush?"

"Step off me," she demanded curtly, a faux smile curling her mouth. His head snapped back in surprised amusement, but she was eyeing the half-full cup that he was holding dangerously close to her blouse. If he drops that on me.  .  .  .  .

"Fiesty," he whistled low, waving the cup around. She flinched away when spurts of Firewhiskey spilled. "You lions sure have bite to you, Marty was right."

"Well," Olivia straightened her posture, narrowing her eyes, "you best run along to Marty and get out of my way."

"Just tryna have some friendly conversation," he threw his hands up in mock surrender and more Firewhiskey dribbled out onto the carpet between them. When he finally moved aside, Olivia turned at an angle to sidle by him and heard the faint mutter of, "geez, what a bitch" that carried in her wake.

   She only rolled her eyes, but any spark of annoyance diffused as soon as she saw Alice's head poke into view. Olivia hastened her step, apologizing to a few girls whose elbows she'd bumped into until she finally reached the tight circle of her friends by what was left of the dying fire in its ashy hearth.

   "For you, my love," Olivia gingerly passed one of the cups around Alice to Dorcas, who blew a number of kisses, before taking a deep swig from her own. The Firewhiskey burned her throat like swallowing a lit match, but she troubled only a little cough as she tuned into what Mary was saying.

"And then, when we got there," Mary talked very loudly to be heard over the pumping music and jumbling voices, but her speech was broken by drunken giggles. Her, Olivia and Marlene were already on their third round so Olivia and Marlene were nodding eagerly along to the story, despite neither of them having a clue as to what was going on in it, "HA! There was — wasn't anybody there! Can you believe it?"

   Olivia found herself laughing for no other reason than that Mary and Marlene were. Alice and Dorcas, ever the slow sippers, shook their heads feverishly. Dorcas swallowed her mouthful then butt in, "No, no, Mary, you're telling it wrong! They were there, they just didn't stay long!"

   Giggling so much that her face was flushed red, Mary shrugged carelessly and stuttered out through hiccups over the rim of her cup, "I — I don't care."

"Where's Lily?" asked Olivia curiously, her head swivelling around with a rapidness that sent her hair in her face.

"Isn't it obvious?" groaned Marlene sourly and, upon seeing how Olivia's brows furrowed, she thrust an arm out and pointed past Olivia's hip.