Finding Your Person

Chapter 21

The smell of beer and cheap booze circulated through the air. The lights were dim in certain parts of the house. The music wasn't too loud, which I loved because it made it easier to have conversations. For the most part, I was unfamiliar with most of the songs that were playing, however, every once and awhile there would be a song that I, along with everyone else in the world, knew that I could sing along to.
The party had started before we arrived, but regardless of how late it had gotten, the amount of people walking through the front door was at a steady pace. There were people filtering in and out of all the rooms, but the kitchen was mainly reserved for the household roommates and close friends. I took the liberty of deciding it was also a place for siblings and siblings' friends. Whenever the party was getting too hectic with drunk people making iractic decisions and getting injured, or overwhelming, I'd step in there.
Gabby and Harry were playing beer pong against Scotty and Jay. Harry was one of Brady's roommates, who had also played soccer with Liam. Harry and Gabby had been flirting all night, and, honestly, I was pretty happy for her. As wild, funny, and beautiful as she was, Gabby never really had a guy show her this much attention. Not that she needed it, because Gabby could find other ways to entertain herself. It was just nice seeing her with someone. Usually it was Scotty and Jay, Garrett and I, and then just Gabby. I liked seeing her laughing with someone.
"Hey, pretty girl." I turned my head to see Liam walking into the kitchen. I had hopped up on the kitchen counter. There were no chairs to sit on in here. Brady said how at the last party someone decided to stand up on a chair and fell, not only injuring herself, but she landed right on top of Brady. He wasn't too thrilled, but he felt bad for her. I'm pretty sure Liam and he spent the whole night at urgent care with her. After that night, they decided to take the chairs out during parties.
"Hi." I smiled at him, leaning my arm back. He hopped up on the table right beside me.
"You having fun?" he asked, leaning his head on my shoulder for a second.
"Jay keeps stealing my beer pong partner, but besides that, yes, I am."
He hopped off the table and stood right in front of me. He placed both his hands, palms up, on my legs.
"Let's go."
"Where?" I responded.
"I'll be your partner." He smiled, looking at me then down at his hands. Finally, I placed my hands in his and hopped down off the counter.
I followed him downstairs to the beer pong table.
"We have next game," Liam yelled out to the table.
"That means you'll be playing us." Scotty gave a jokingly cocky answer.
"Well, you could play us if someone would learn how to make a cup every once in awhile." Harry rolled his eyes in a playful way right before he was about to shoot his ping pong ball.
"Well, maybe if my arm wasn't so sore from basically making every cup last game," Gabby responded.
"Stop, Gabby, I've been carrying the team on my back, and you don't hear me complaining." Jay shrugged his shoulders and puffed out his chest.
"Hey! I made that last one," Scotty called out.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. You're doing great, hun," Jay said, then once she looked away he immediately stared at Liam and me, mouthing the words 'no she isn't.' We both tried to hide our giggling.
To everyone's surprise, Scotty somehow managed to make two shots right after this conversation, including the game-winning shot. That meant Liam and I would be versing Jay and Scotty. I didn't doubt us for one second. It seemed like Jay had been getting more tipsy by the minute, and besides Scotty's two lucky shots last game, I thought Liam and I would definitely be able to secure a win without any uncertainty.
If only I had been right. This was the longest game of beer pong I had ever been a part of. Anytime we thought someone was going to win, the other team made their redemption shot. We had started to draw in a crowd, and everyone was cheering for whoever was shooting at the time. I'm pretty sure everyone wanted it to be over even more than we did.
"This is hopeless," Scotty said dreadfully.
"I'm doing great over here," Jay mumbled incoherently. I wasn't quite sure what he had said. I don't know how someone that intoxicated could play that well at any game, let alone even stand on his feet.
"Listen, Mas. I can't let my man beat me over there, or I'll never hear the end of it tomorrow." Liam pointed across the table at Jay who seemed in a daze.
"Something is telling me your 'man' won't even remember this game tomorrow," I said as we both turned our heads, watching as Jay danced, bobbling all around.
"Is it just me or does he look like one of those inflatable tube men that you see at car dealerships?" Liam had a concerned look on his face. I tilted my head watching Liam flail his body around; I could definitely see the resemblance.
"Come on, little Schmidt!" said Tommy, who was one of the other two boys Liam and Brady lived in this house with. There was one cup left, and I needed to make it since Liam made the majority of the shots.
"I will literally give you whatever you want. Please, just end this game," Liam said with a straight face, followed by a little grin.
"Is being my partner that rough?" I laughed.
"I didn't say that, but my elbow is starting to crack after all the shots I've made." I could see a smirk appearing on his lips.
"That's probably just your horrendous form starting to take its toll on you," I said, before looking back at the game. I started to line up my arm in hopes of some kind of luck that would allow this ball to make it in that cup. Believe me when I say, this ball would not be going in on my purely nonexistent talent. I threw the ball, and in some strange way, it made it in the cup. We won, finally. I jumped up and wrapped my arms around Liam who hugged me tightly back. I saw Gabby filming me, shouting that we won. I leaped in front of her laughing and giggling, sticking my tongue out at her camera.
Suddenly I felt arms wrap around my back as a shoulder went right into my right hip, lifting me quickly off of the ground. I was lifted onto Tommy's shoulder with his one hand holding my legs and the other placed on my butt. I was laughing, but also a little nervous. I wasn't sure how drunk he was, but one mishap, and I would be falling straight on my face.
"Let's hear it for, Mag!" Tommy screamed, as people whooped and hollered, laughing and cheering. As he spun me around in circles I was trying to keep my hands out in front of me, just in case of any accidents.
"Alright, that's enough. Put her down, Tommy." I heard Liam's voice getting closer.
"We're just having some fun," Tommy replied.
"Come on, Tommy." Liam's voice became stern.
"Relax, bro." Tommy began to put me down.
Gabby ran over to me, showing me the video of me making the shot and the celebration that followed, including Tommy lifting me up over his shoulder and spinning me around. I started to laugh and then looked back over my shoulder to show Liam, but he wasn't there. My eyes began to trace the room in search of him. I could see him and Tommy making their way back upstairs.
"I think Jay needs to get to bed," Scotty said with her arms around Jay.
"Bed, that's comfy," Jay whispered to us.
"Yeah, it sure is, buddy." I smiled, trying my best not to laugh at his illiterate, drunken self. Scotty just looked at me with a playful annoyance on her face.
"Let's get him to bed," I said, grabbing his other side.
"To bed?" Jay looked at me with a sweet, innocent face.
"Yeah, to bed, buddy." I smiled at him.