Is There A Happy Ending?

Chapter 4

Nina's POV

And so we reached our destination. It was already after nine. As we got closer to the front door the music became louder. "Get away!" I heard someone scream behind us. Mark quickly pulled me away. "Thanks!" I told him with a smile not really knowing what had just happened. "Nina you okay?" Parker asked me. Lucy was standing next to him with his arm around her "Yeah, yeah" I told him as I looked around "What the fuck happened?!" Mark yelled catching our attention "That dude over there in the truck jumped from the roof" Andrew explained as he pointed with his finger at the truck filled with water. "I never liked parties and I never will..." He mumbled to himself "Maybe because they never end well for you" Lucy popped up to his side nudging him with knowing look on her face. I stood there knowing too well what she was talking about. "Wait! You know something we don't?" Parker asked getting annoyed at the fact that Lucy might know something that he doesn't about his best friend. I giggled to myself. He can be such a baby sometimes. "Wait, wait, wait! He doesn't know?" Lucy asked while laughing "Know WHAT?" Parker asked/yelled getting more riled up "Well, first time he was at the party, he-" Lucy started but got cut off my Andrew "OKAY! What's up with all the story time, are we making a youtube video?" He asked trying to change the subjects with a very, very bad joke. Nice going Drew. Well despite it being a really bad joke I heard someone laughing "Nice one!" Said Mike while fist bumping with Andrew "Thanks mate" What's up with all of them calling each other by mate all of a sudden?! "Don't worry Parker I will tell you later" Lucy told Parker as we went inside.

Music was blasting. It was so loud I could barely hear my thoughts. Good one, Nina. Mentally petting myself on the back. As you can see neither of us is good at making jokes. Well I know some of the knock knock ones. Always handy, trust me. Parker appeared in front of me and leaned to my ear. As soon as he did that I started blushing and smiling awkwardly. "Do you want anything to drink?" He yelled in my ear and I thought I would lose hearing. He leaned back and I just nodded. He pointed to the right were was the kitchen and I nodded once again. I looked back only to find Mark. Where did the other's go? I tried asking him with gestures and mouth. He squinted his eyes and looked at me confused. I tried doing same thing once again but he didn't get it. He put his hand behind his ear and leaned over. I rolled my eyes and yelled in his ear " WHERE DID OTHER'S GO?" And of course at that moment music stopped for a second. How cliché. I could hear some people laughing and I looked around with and awkward smile. Mark started laughing as well. I hit him on the shoulder playfully and- mouthed it's not funny. He got it straight away this time and mumbled sorry.  I looked at him with astonished look. 'What? I can read by lips'- he mouthed while wiggling his eyebrows. It would have been shocking if I didn't know how to read by lips myself. Random fact, about 45% of English speaking people can read practically fluently by lips. In my case one of my cousins is deaf and mute and because of that I found interest in learning sign language and lip reading. And to be honest I think everyone should know sign language. Imagine getting into bad situation and planning escape plan with someone using sign language. Okay, don't imagine that... But still there's slight possibility of it happening. 'So where are they?' I mouthed to him again. 'Andrew went to get some food. Mike and Lucy went to the dance floor.' I nodded and looked at the dance floor. They were right in the centre of the dance floor. As usual Mike was doing the weirdest moves, I couldn't even call that dancing. But what was even more weird is that Lucy was doing exactly the same thing. I laughed at my friend and nudged Mark to look at them as well. He laughed and shook his head. "Does she always dance like that?" I yelled in his ear. "Pretty much always. Sometimes she even drags me in as well." he yelled back. Suddenly a hand reached between us with a drink. I looked back and found Parker standing there with a stern look on his face. Mark was facing the front looking at Lucy and Mike, while Parker was glaring at the back of his head. What's gotten into him. I took plastic cup from his hand and he momentarily looked at me and his expression changed from furious to a sad smile. Now he's smiling sadly at me? I reached to his ear on tiptoes and still couldn't reach his ear. He noticed and bend down for me to reach "What's wrong?" I asked him with a concerned. He shook his head and yelled in my ear "Andrew is waiting for us next to the stairs. He found a place where we can all sit down!" He looked at the direction where stairs are and I nodded. He poked Mark and mouthed ' We're going to sit next to the stairs so get Mike and Lucy' He looked around and went to the right side of the dance floor where apparently Mike and Lucy moved while, you guessed it, dancing like weirdos. Mark looked at me first with a smile and then at Parker. Parker immediately pulled a hand around my neck and threw Mark a knowing look. Mark's face hardened and he went to get Lucy and Mike, while Parker, with his hand still around my neck and I walked to the stairs. Am I the only one that doesn't understand what's happening in here?

As we reached the stairs I saw one big sofa and two smaller once. One small sofa was next to the railing and the other one on the opposite side and between them was a big glass coffee table. The big sofa was up against the wall. The music wasn't so loud here and I could hear Andrew without him having to yell. "Hey guys~ Where are the other's?" He asked. His eyes were bloodshot red "Did you smoke?!" My panic mode was raising with speed of light.
I rushed over to the big sofa where he was sitting in the centre. I kneeled between his legs and put my hand on his face stretching and inspecting his eyes.
"Did you smoke?" I asked with full of seriousness and all other emotions disappearing.
He looked me dead in the eyes and nodded his head slowly.
I jumped up "You promised to never smoke again..." I said so only he could hear. I looked briefly at the people surrounding us. I caught some gazing in our direction, but was grateful that my small outburst didn't attract a lot of attention. "Okay, whatever. You can do whatever you want, I'm not one to judge. But, please, don't do anything stupid" A small smile formed on my face. He nodded yet again, but this time looking more defeated. He sat back down on the sofa and, I kid you not, the moment he sat down a girl sat down on his lap and started to make out with him. I shook my head, High school parties will always seem strange to me. I moved to the kitchen wanting to get some drinks, my last one being forgotten forever. As I got to the kitchen first thing that hit me was the strong smell of weed. I ignored it, trying as hard not to breath as possible. I went to the big island with cups and drinks. I took one plastic cup and poured little bit of vodka in it and in another cup- Fanta.
   As soon as I took first shot, I felt tap on my shoulder. I looked around and saw my old friend Daniel. She was looking at me with her signature big smile, her little bit crooked teeth showing fully. "Hey!" I chirped enthusiastically while hugging her. She returned hug immediately "Hi! How was your summer?" She took one of the many bottles and drank right from it "It was good. Went back to home and then visited some other countries. What about you?" I asked genuinely curious. I haven't seen much of her last year. With me having nothing to do with after school classes, and her being in practically every and each one of them. "Lucky. I was mostly here, went couple of times to my grandparent's, but that's as good as it gets" She said and took another gulp from the bottle. "Hey easy there" I told her smiling and she laughed "You know that I can hold my liquor...right?" She was already sounding little bit tipsy. "Sure, want to drink vakhtanguri with me (ვახტანგური)?" I asked wiggling my eyebrows "What's that? Some kind of your home traditions I bet" Daniel asked furrowing her eyebrows while I laughed "You pour full cup of drink, cross arms with someone and drink it till last drop" "Woo, sounds cool let's try it!" And so we did three shots of vakhtanguri...