Carmen

doesn't have a problem

taking a small sip of beer from my cup, i looked around at the strangers around me, dancing and grinding against each other as if they would die horribly if they were separated. i smiled once in a while at girls that i knew from the year 12 dorms, winking flirtatiously at guys that were considered 'popular'.

enjoying my corner, i closed my eyes and let myself relax, letting myself go and allowing myself to think my own thoughts. i could barely hear the loud music over my daydreaming, and being able to listen to myself for the first time today i finally felt like the real me.

unfortunately, that moment of relaxation was destroyed when some tipsy blonde girl from my year ran over to me with a slight slur in her voice saying, "carmen! i was looking all over for you! you have to play this party game with us!"

i nodded, the sounds of the party becoming loud and clear in my ears, "of course!"

she giggled with excitement as she grabbed my arm and started dragging me towards a group of people sitting in a circle. she plunked me in between two guys, one with big, floppy, brown curls that sat in a mess on his head and the cheeky drug-dealer from two days ago. i prayed that we weren't playing spin the bottle and if we did, i hoped that i had to kiss the guy with the curls.

the blonde girl sat down at the front of the circle, talking with her friends for a brief moment before she took her friends beer bottle, chugged it then placed in the middle.

"now since this is our first official party in 13th year, because our carmen, didn't come," she started rambling on, the bit about me refusing to come to the first party of the year turning my cheeks pink.

"we'll take a trip to year 9 and play two games in one," she smiled, "spin the bottle and seven minutes in heaven,"

something that i knew would go scarily wrong, but i knew that everyone knew the rules so i wouldn't have to hear her speak any longer.

i took a breath as she started the game.