How to be Cool

Lesson #14: Have Fun!

"Who's ready to party?" Erica chirped, twirling to show off her outfit, which accented her best. . . features? She looked hot, was the point. And she knew it too, but confidence was sexy. "I'm so excited to make other girls jealous because of how hot I am," she sighed happily, flopping down on my bed. "You look casual, but that's a good look for dudes at a party," she continued, just rambling like she did best. 

"Thanks?" I replied, unsure if that was a compliment or not. I was excited for the party, mostly because I've never been to one before. I was also pretty excited that Derek was going with Lydia, and not Brett. Not that I had any say in who he was with, considering I was going after Lydia at this party. Still, it gave me some relief. As Derek's friend, I thought he deserved better than Brett anyways. "You wanna grab a bite to eat before we go?" I offered, giving her my hand to drag her off the bed. 

"I already ate," she answered with a shrug. "Can't drink on an empty stomach."

"Good thing I won't be drinking," I laughed, leading her out the door. 

She laughed with me, throwing her arms over my shoulders as we walked out the door to my Jeep. "Well, you're no fun. Your first real party, and you're not even going to drink? That's what these things are all about!" She slowly slipped her arms off my back and sighed, letting me help her up into the passenger seat. "I guess I'll have you to keep me in check, then," she reasoned, smirking at me before I slammed the door shut. 

It was just starting to get dark, so that meant the party was just getting into the swing of things. According to Derek, the best parties really started getting interesting when the sun set, so it was the perfect time to get there. When we pulled up to the house, it was already filled with people, lights, music, and everything I expected to see at a high school party. "Erica," I mumbled as her hand found mine. She gave a little squeeze and offered me a smile. "What am I even doing here?"

She laughed, turning to face me. "You and Derek have this little thing, don't you? With the lessons and such, about being cool?" Apparently, she and Derek were a lot closer than I had thought if they talked about our lessons. I nodded, still reeling in my nerves. "What lesson are we on today?"

"I think. . . fourteen," I mumbled, glancing at the house as the music blared so loud, I could feel the vibrations in my chest.

She grabbed my other hand, so she was holding them both between us. "Well, Stiles," she chirped, leaning in closer. "Lesson fourteen is: have fun!" She dropped my hands and instead snaked an arm around my waist, dragging me towards the door. Once we were inside, some of my nerves began to settle, but mostly because everyone around me was too drunk to realize who I even was, or what was going on. 

"How is this considered fun?" I wondered, weaving through the crowd with Erica to lead me. "Everybody seems too drunk to function, the only entertainment is beer pong and shitty music. . . I just don't get the appeal."

"That is the appeal," Erica argued with an eye roll. "Parties exist for getting drunk, winning a popularity contest, and making stupid decisions. That's about it. So why don't you have one drink, Stiles, and loosen up a little?" 

I shook my head, following her into the kitchen, where all of the beer and liquor lined up along the counters, in coolers, and where ever it would fit. Erica got right to business making herself a drink. "I don't want to embarrass myself in front of Lydia," I explained, though I wouldn't need the help of alcohol to do that. I had a way to get myself in trouble no matter how intoxicated I might be.