the girls of the boys

house parties and drunken girls

"My buddy is having a house party?" Louis said looking at us through the rearview mirror. "Everyone in?" he asked. We all shrugged and nodded.

"Let's go then!" He smiled tearing out of Gemma's small driveway and into traffic.

We pulled up to another small flat where there was a clear party happening. Lights were flashing from inside the windows and silhouettes with cups in their hands danced maniacally. The beat so loud we could feel it in our chests when we were standing outside the door.

Louis opened the unlocked suburban house door ushering us all in and I was instantly hit with the smell of stale B.O. alcohol and a mix of too-strong perfumes. I glanced at Louis unsure whether to continue walking in but he just gave a small chuckle and grabbed my hand pulling me deeper into the stench. I glanced over my shoulder to see Kirsten's reaction to all this, I knew she and I had never been to a party like this and it was quite a culture shock. She had her face contorted and crinkled for the draft of air that must've hit her right then and Harry was laughing at her reaction. She looked at him asking are you sure about this? and Harry gave her a peck on the cheek telling her to trust him and that there were fun. Zayn and Becca had forged ahead and were already in the kitchen mingling by the time the rest of us got in. Becca was sitting on the kitchen island and had a red solo cup in her hand. She was laughing pretty hard at what some girl with super curly hair and cut-offs had said. Louis went and grabbed four solo cups and handed them to Harry, Kirsten and I and taking a swig of his own. I smelled it and swirled it about in my cup, I looked to see what Kirsten would do and she had already tried a taste and was clearly trying to make-up her mind whether she liked it or not. She drank another and looked at me shrugging. I tried mine and nearly choked. It burned at the back of my throat and I felt a pinch behind my eyes as they started to water. I started laughing at myself and made the choking worse. Louis stared at me with a look of worry and amusement which made me laugh harder.

"You okay babe?" Louis asked hesitantly.

"Psh, she's fine," Kirsten said biting the rim of her cup and smiling at my dysfunctionality. I nodded in agreement with Kirsten saying so and could almost breath again. I tried another sip of whatever I was drinking and it was slightly less bad but still had quite the distinctive taste.

"Lou, who's hosting this party?" I asked in curiosity taking another sip and forcing myself to swallow it normally.

"A buddy from my football team, why? Oh, there he is now, be back in a minute babe," he said looking off to my right and absent mindedly giving me a kiss on my temple. I watched him go over to some six foot big built soccer player in a black hoodie, exchange a bro-hug and start talking about something. I smiled slightly and turned back to Harry and Kirsten but when I looked over Kirsten was standing against the wall and Harry was whispering something in her ear making her giggle softly. I crinkled my nose, I did not want to know whatever they were talking about. I wondered where Becca had gone and decided I would go in search of her. I passed Zayn sitting on the couch with some scrawny red-head in a lacrosse hoodie.

"Hey, sorry," I said glancing at the red-head, "do you know where Becca is?" I asked him quickly the words tumbling out of my mouth faster than I had anticipated, I hoped he understood because I felt awkward interrupting their conversation.

"Uh, no," he said glancing around the living room, "I think she went with Marley somewhere" He said straining his neck to try and find her for me.

"Oh, kay thanks," I said quickly leaving the living room. I took another swallow of my drink, I think I had gotten accustomed to the slight burn but I liked it, I took another two swallows before rounding the banister to the stairs. I attempted to bound up the stairs but my legs failed me and I tripped on the sixth step, maybe it was the eight? I couldn't really tell I laughed sitting there for a second before collecting myself and walking up the stairs at a measured pace and seeing a series of bedroom doors lining the hallway. I had seen enough chick flicks and high school movies to know that bedroom doors at a party like this were dangerous to just enter into. I walked up to the first one and peeked in from around the corner. There was some twig chick in a tight black lace corset camisole and combat boots with some punk rock hate-the-world boy in floppy black emo hair making out in the rocking chair. I raised my eyebrows smiling to myself and blushing, they didn't see me luckily and I backed away from the door quickly. I didn't know where to look next but then as if by fate I heard Becca's familiar laugh-snort and I blindly followed the noise to the last bedroom on the right.

I knocked gently on the door and saw Becca sitting on the couch with "Marley" both of them laughing with their heads thrown back at something that was on Marley's phone. Marley looked up at me and raised her eyebrow.

"Can we help you?" She asked slightly pretentiously.

"Uh, well no? I mean I just came to find Becca . . ." I said noticing I slurred my words slightly. Becca looked at her and smiled a pity smile.

"Ugh, whatever, take her," she said relenting and rolling her eyes at me, "it was nice to meet you Becca, hopefully we cross paths again."

"Yeah you too Marley," Becca replied smiling and picking up her cup finishing whatever was left.

"I need more of whatever this is," she smiled swaying slightly on her feet and letting a little burp slip out. She covered her mouth, giggling and grabbed my arm determined to get back downstairs. I dizzily followed her tripping over my own feet multiple times. We made our way to the kitchen where we re-filled our cups. We passed Kirsten and Harry sitting on a couch together watching a football game and cheering loudly at things.

The screams instigated a pounding headache and I quickly refilled my cup and poured it down my throat. I glanced to find Becca and Zayn had already swooped her up and began to nuzzle her neck.

"Ready to ditch this joint?" He asked Becca, a twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah," she had a far off smile on her face as she set her cup down onto the counter and followed Zayn out the door.