Relapse / / h.s.

Chapter Twenty-One.

    The bass of the music from inside makes the entire house rattle. I can hear it before I'm even out of my car. Elena looks at me over the roof as she stands on the side step attached to my truck. Her eyes are wide but her mouth is smirking. I don't know what it is, but tonight everything is different. Everything is better.

   Niall's house is a lot smaller than Liam's. Niall is still loaded, though, and his house is still absurdly large. It's just not as big as Liam's, which meant there were more people out on the lawn than there usually were.

  Elena walked straight through a circle of stoners, laughing loudly as she did so.

  "I've always wanted to try that," she told me when we met again. She interlocked our fingers, swinging our hands back and forth with ease.

  "You've never smoked pot before?" I thought that was something everyone did. Like, you weren't allowed to graduate high school unless you got high at least once while you were there. I had done that a lot in high school, actually, but I couldn't even remember the last time. 

  "Never," she shook her head and watched a group of douchebags try to keep their red cups in their hands while trying to kick around a soccer ball. One of them stopped to look at her, offering her a smile which she, of course, politely returned. It was only a matter of time before he came and talked to her.

  "Come on," I tugged at her hand and she laughed, gripping my hand tighter and leading me in through the front door.

   I spotted Ashton first. He was in front of the television in the living room, engaged in a game of Guitar Hero with the last person I'd ever expected to see again. Louis Tomlinson.

  Ashton greeted me with a nod, barely even taking the time to glance in my direction. Louis didn't even notice me. Thank god.

   "I think they're in the kitchen," Elena said into my ear, over the sound of a rap song whose bass was louder than its lyrics. She tugged me behind her, pushing her way through the crowd of people talking, making out, and some that were just standing there all alone.

  Sure enough, Liam and Niall were sat on the counter both with a red cup to their lips, chugging down whatever was inside them.

  "Go! Go! Go!" The group scattered around them shouted, encouraging them on. Amelia stood behind Liam, her arms crossed over her chest. I couldn't decide whether she was amused or annoyed.

  "What are these idiots doing?" I wondered as I came up behind her.

  Amelia  didn't even turn around. "Some stupid dare. They've been at it for awhile." The boys threw their red cups on the floor, picking up two more from the counter and beginning to down those. The music was so loud that it made the bottles on the corner rattle. "I'm not taking care of his drunk ass later. Oh and hey Elena."

   "Hey," Elena smiled. "I'm going to get a drink. Do you want anything?"

  I shook my head and Elena gave me an approving nod. I still planned on keeping my promise. However, Amelia stood on her tip toes to see what was left on the counter.

  "Vodka," she said simply. "And cranberry juice if there's any left."

  "Sure thing," Elena smiled one last time before breaking away from me and joining the rest of the crowd around my idiot friends.

   "I knew you'd make the right decision," Amelia finally turned around to face me. Her blonde hair was in a braid on the side and she was wearing a v-neck that exposed more of her chest than I cared to see. "Glad to see you guys together."