The One Choice

Chapter 5

Elisa picked me up from my house around 10:00 but she had to come inside and drag me out because I wasn't really feeling like partying.

"Come on, you're going. I don't care how much of a fight you put up, I am taking you to this. So get your ass out of bed and put some shoes on." She said tugging lightly on my arm to get me to stand up. I'm laughing at her persistence to get me to go to this thing.

"Why can't we just stay here and watch a movie or something?" I say pleading with her trying to give my best puppy dog eyes.

"Because I look too good to lay in bed."

"Oh my god fine! But I look better." I say winking at her jokingly and finally give in.

"Sure you do. We have to go, I need alcohol." She says walking out of my room as I struggle to catch up with her while putting on my adorable new black booties. I realize she is the one who will be drinking and I'll be the one driving us home and I sigh to myself walking out the door and lock it behind me.

We jam to our favorite hits on the way to the party to, and I quote, "get myself in the party mood." Gotta love Elisa.

We pull up and I notice everyone is dressed in Christmas themed outfits and I look over at Elisa confused.

"Um did you know it was themed?" I say looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah of course. She says taking off her sweater to reveal a bright red crop top lined with tinsel.

"Sure casually strip." I say sarcastically kind of angry at her for not telling me but maybe she was right not to as I hate themed parties, it's too much stress to pick out an outfit. But also, I kind of don't want to stand out. I think she could read my mind because she said,

"Don't worry, I'm sure not a lot of people dressed up." But by the looks of it, everyone was.

We walked up to the house and I realized I didn't know many of these people, maybe two so far.

"Elisa, whose party is this?" I ask curiously, wondering how she even heard of it.

"Um I'm not really sure, but a friend invited me. I'm going to go find him, help me look I want you to meet him." She says scanning the crowd in front of her.

"How am I supposed to help you when I don't know who he is?" I say with a hint of anger in my tone that she brought me here knowing only a few people.

"Oh lighten up Amelia! Let's go get a drink." She says pulling me over to the kitchen.

"I'm driving." I say bluntly.

"In a couple hours, you can have one." She doesn't even listen because she's already pouring me a rum and coke and basically shoving it into my hands.

When I turn my head to see if there happens to be anyone else I might know, a face catches me. It was Noah. How could he be here? I watch him laughing with a couple guys playing beer bong. He looks over in my direction and I quickly turn my back to him, accepting that he is the basic douche I thought he was originally. I hope he doesn't see me and I just stand there awkwardly waiting for Elisa to finish making her drink when someone bumps into me really hard.

"Oh hey there beautiful. Sorry, I didn't see you there." Said a tall blond with a really deep slurring voice who was struggling just to stand up straight. He was wearing nothing but some Santa style shorts and a Santa hat. He made me uncomfortable so I took a deep breath in and started to walk away trying not to inhale the strong smell of alcohol on his breath.

I noticed everyone around me was talking to someone or making out or both and I felt out of place. I tried to go stand next to Elisa but she started to walk away and I decided it was best not to follow her. I don't want to be around her when she sees this random guy I never heard of. I take a seat at the barstool accepting that I should have been more resistant to coming here. Big parties with a lot of people stress me out and right now my anxiety is at an all time high. I finish my one drink and decide that I can handle another one. I don't drink too often, so I limit myself to two but after I finish the second I went back for a third.