Life of the Party // GD

one

His hands slide around my waist as the liquid seeps down my throat. Whose hands are these? I don't know. They're warm. They feel safe. How many hands are there? Four? Six? Seven? I don't know. God, it's hot. It's so hot in here. I can't breathe, I need to take something off. To go swimming, Oh, that would be so nice. Maybe the people with these hands will take me to a swimming pool. They would know I need to cool down. 

He hands me another drink, fresh with ice and full of bubbles. I love bubbles.

"This is water, right?" I manage to push out of my suddenly heavy lips. "Of course," he drawls, the hands pushing the glass closer to my face.

Should I trust them? They seem so nice, and it would be just so nice to cool down.

"Come on, princess, take a sip," he whispers in my ear. 

The drink looks so cool, so perfect, so trustworthy, like it's everything I've ever wanted. As I look down at the hands trying to figure out which ones are mine, I giggle at how really funny this whole thing is.

The hands move the glass right up to my mouth, pressing it to my lips.

The drink looks so nice.

I take it.

..........

"So, are you down?" She asks, her voice full of excitement and her eyes glittering with mischief. A warm gust of air blows her sleek black hair back, supermodel style, and the bleachers where we're sitting seem awfully far away. I jolt myself out of my mind, and as unusually vivid as the memory was, I force it back down into my psyche. 

Alexa's mood shifts as she realizes I wasn't listening, her eyebrow raising with an attitude I wish I could project. Shit. My friendship abilities really suck ass, don't they.

"Sorry, sorry! I got distracted, I'm sorry," I blurt out, profusely apologizing as she laughs. 

"Lucia, when are you not distracted?" She giggles. Alexa's definitely one to talk, as instead of taking me to her place to do our homework as promised, she decided to bring me to our school's football tryouts - the private football tryouts, no less, seeing as we're the only non-football-players here, not to mention the only people on the bleachers. I guess dating last year's star running back has its perks. 

"Did you hear anything I said? Do you have any idea what my big plan is?" That fucking eyebrow raises again as I hopelessly struggle for words, eventually giving in to a solemn shake of the head.

"Well - and you better pay good attention this time, I'm not explaining again!" Alexa declares, sealing her proclamation with a finger pointed straight at my nose. "This is your first year at DuVont High, correct?" I nod. "You do not yet have a social life here, correct?" I shake my head, but not without rolling my eyes. She laughs. 

"And Eli and I are really your only current friends, is that so?" Alexa, yes, but Eli, not quite yet. He's sweet and all and his boyfriend is even sweeter but it's only September, and for at least my first month I need my circle to be not only small but microscopic.

"Are you just trying to make me feel bad about myself?"

"No, of course not!" She shoves me. I laugh. "That cool trick, what's it called again - oh, listening? Yeah, that'll help you out a lot right now before I beat your doubting ass."

"Sorry, just used to being a total social pariah," I shrug as my hands fly up in mock defence. 

Social pariah, my ass.

"Well, pariah no more, my friend. As a member of a however slightly lower but still existing caste of the social hierarchy of high school popularity, I hereby humbly request your presence at this year's annual opening party!" Alexa squeals.