LÍO

A D A M

He's drinking champagne during Ramadan.

Again.

Adam Said has never been one to follow rules; he's been expelled from his previous two Universities, been charged for drink driving twice, half disowned by his family and he can't even remember the last time that he looked at the front cover of the Quran, let alone read it.

His parents had hoped that it was a stage, but now it's morphing into a lifestyle. He's becoming a reckless disaster and there's no stopping his demise.

This is the fourth party he's been to this week, despite it being Thursday night. All the drugs, alcohol and cigarettes are slowly fuelling the train wreck that will come his way someday if he doesn't get his act together. But for now, he's immersed in the moment.

Letting himself go in the middle of the rave, his excitement reaches a peak when his favourite song begins to belt out over the speakers.

The neon green buzz cut sticks out like a sore thumb. One of the "cool kids", he's wearing a colourful over shirt, khaki shorts and a pair of high tops he stole—sorry borrowed from one of his best friends, Marco, who's sipping on the cocktail that some hot girl left with him and never claimed back.

Opposite them is Georgia, his other best friend. She's enjoying watching Marco drunkenly waltz out of time to the beat of the music:

"This party's sick! I'm glad you dragged us down here, Georgie."

She smirks. "I know the best spots, don't I?"

"You do, considering how you always seem to be at home studying all the time."

"Eh? It's not my fault that exams are coming up."

"At least painting naked models is part of your criteria. I'm swapping courses."

She can hardly contain her laughter. "Of course you are. Would Salazar even be able to tolerate you?"

Marco shrugs back. "Am I that bad? Look at me—I'm loveable, tall and sexy—"

"—And a Narco. Marco the Narco. How high are you right now, dude?" She asks with a smirk etched across her face.

"Higher than the Himalayas."

She looks at Adam. "And you're K2."

"You're not exactly sober yourself. What is this? Your fifth drink?"

Marco scoffs. "In the last hour, knowing her."

Adam laughs. "At least I'm not a loser."

"I'm the loser?" He looks at Adam. "You were a virgin up until last year."

"Hey, I may be a late bloomer but at least I'm not stupid. Imagine getting a D in Biology. The easiest subject around."

Georgia winks at Adam. "He isn't the only one getting Ds."

"I don't swing that way."

Marco smirks at him. "Prove it."

"How?"

"You see that girl in the middle of the floor?"

He looks across the club. "The blonde one?"

Marco nods. "I want you to go and make out with her. I bet you twenty euros that you can't pull."

"Forty."

"Okay, you're on." They shake on it. Marco counts the money and slips the bills into his other pocket. "Think of all the free drinks you can get."

Adam nods confidently, smirking as he strides towards the prize. Georgia shakes her head. "You two are unbelievable, you know that?"

Marco shrugs as he watches Adam approach the destination. "If anything, it'll be entertaining whether he succeeds or not."