Carry On Dreaming (The Cowboy's Promise sequel) (SLOW UPDATES)

Chapter 11

Drink in hand, I attempt to maneuver through the crowd. I'm blocked by everyone from a couple in a serious make out session to two drunk guys 'fighting.' If they could call it that. I jump over two people on the ground and duck under and through a large group dancing to some popular song about something girl having bad blood with an ex.

But everything is harder when you don't talk. I have no way to ask people to let me through. Not that they could hear me. The music is blasting through the house at ear-bleeding volume, and I've lost Sabian in the crowd.

It takes me ten minutes to get outside. When I do, I see Sabian, his cousin Matthias, and a few other guys gathered together away from everyone else. A red glow emanates from four of the seven. When I get closer I smell the smoke and realize the red glow is from cigarettes.

"Hey, Blaze. I've been looking for you," Sabian says, a cigarette dangling from his fingers.

"So you're Blaze," a guy with fire engine red hair greets me. "Sabian's told us all about you. I'm Aaron."

"And this is Ryker, Tyler, Josh, and Andre. You know Matthias already," Sabian says. "Do you smoke?"

He offers the pack and a lighter. I take a cigarette gratefully and light it. With the first inhale of smoke I feel my stress levels lowering. I hand the lighter back and lean against the fence behind me. The guys immediately resume conversation about a football game.

"So you like our school so far?" Tyler asks, turning to me. I nod.

€*€

For the rest of the night, I hang with them, only venturing in the house long enough to grab food or drinks. Around midnight or one, the guests start heading out. The only people remaining are Ryker, Tyler, Josh, Matthias, Sabian, a black guy named Kobe, and me.

"Blaze?"

"Hmm?" I hum, looking at Josh. He pops the top on another beer, looking at me questioningly.

"Did you hear me? I asked if you were spending the night?"

"He is," Sabian declares confidently, and I raise an eyebrow. "I talked to Red. It's cool."

I follow the boys into the house, and Matthias immediately grabs a beer from the fridge, offering it to me. I shake my head. Yes, I smoke as a stress reliever. But I draw the line at drinking and smoking weed. Three other guys grab beers, and we all head upstairs to Matthias's room.

"It's all cool, ya know," Josh tells me, the neck of the bottle dangling between his fingers.

"What?" I reply.

"He speaks!" Kobe shouts, causing the rest of us to break out in laughter.

"The drinking is what I was talking about," Josh interrupts. "Mama Trak, Matthias's mom, knows we drink. She laid out ground rules couple years ago." He ticks each rule off on a finger. "No getting drunk. No drinking and driving. No getting anywhere near the barn while drinking. No firearms and drinking."

I nod. Good rules to follow. And Kobe, Tyler, and I are the sober voices of reason tonight.

€*€

After about two hours, my anxiety levels are through the roof. Everyone else is having a good time, laughing and bantering with ease. I stay in a corner on a beanbag chair nervously. Tyler, Matthias, and Ryker have tried to include me in the conversation, to no avail. I have nothing to add to their stories.

What am I supposed to say when they're discussing past dates and sports championships? That's cool and all, but did you know this scar is when my uncle used me as an ashtray?