The Other Side

Chapter 1: Realization through Alcohol

Once darkness sets in the night life begins. Mascara brushed upward to lengthen lashes, eye shadow to accent, along with foundation to blend and banish any blemish. My eyes were going to water sometime during the night since this whole hot girl mask was new for me. Here’s to hoping I don’t pull my contacts out and drop them in someone’s beer later.

Skye and Cara were up in front chattering about something. I focused on the scenery flashing before me along with my own thoughts. I was drawn from my thoughts at the stop of the car and the entrance of a particular boy. Friendly by nature, and always able to offer a stimulating conversation to anyone.

“Hey, it’s good to see you Conan,” along with the greeting I smiled and hugged him warmly. Skye and Cara both welcomed him into the car, but were too into their prior conversation to offer him any means of discussion. After the two turned around to continue their chat, I struck up one with Conan.

“So, how have you been?”

“Really great Chance!” he turned toward his backpack, “Guess what I brought?” His fingers fiddled with the zipper of his worn backpack and from it he fished out a flask. A soft noise came from the cap as he unscrewed it. Drawing the flask to his nose he sniffed its contents then moved it closer to me. “This stuff is liquid gold,” I grasped the flask and brought it to my face. The liquor had a bold smell with definite notes of sweetness. I handed it back to him, and smiled.

“Smells like quality, did it claim the contents of your wallet?”
         
“Whatever cash was in there is long gone now. Plus,” he pulls out a box of beverages, “I also bought these for you girls.”
Bud Light: STRAWBERRY MARGARITA. A wry smile draws across my lips.

“I prefer hard liquor over the weaker drinks, but I’m sure Skye would love them.”  Cara on the other hand wouldn’t touch anything alcohol, but I don’t say that out loud. Best he figure it out for himself than for me to give him some advanced basis for peer pressure.

Let things fall naturally as my grandmother would say.

Not quite sure how grandma would approve of me going to an acclaimed “Rager,” but I’m sure she’d throw me a bottle of sparkling apple cider my way. The drunk are easily tricked and constantly put into risky situations. My grandmother wouldn’t want me to be amongst the likes of the drunks.

“Though it is good fun, fun can easily dissipate at the unravelling of a string.” She always talked in funky metaphors, and that’s partly why I still do it to this day. Though my vocabulary isn’t as well versed as hers, and I’ve come across words that were foreign here and there, but I’m not half bad.

“We’re heeeeere!” The obnoxious orange Volkswagen stopped outside a house that I’ve seen on one other occasion. It was sophisticated and placed up at the top of a steep driveway. I walked on ahead with the other two while Conan dilly dallied in the car for a minute or so.

The three of us stood by the doorway. “Chance, he’s your friend you should get the door.” I looked for a doorbell, but couldn’t find one. Right as I was about to knock the door opened up. A blank look was plastered on my face and the girls from inside the house returned it. Another girl, a toddler at best, ran at snail pace as the birthday boy scooped her up.

“Hey guys!” We stepped into the warm atmosphere the house presented. My feet were already bare because we took our shoes off outside earlier by the door. In the nearby room he had shown us to, I folded my wool coat and placed it on a chair.

“Happy Birthday Liam!” As much as I wanted to hug him he had a toddler in his arms, and had already said the words. “Come meet my girlfriend.” So now was not the appropriate time to give him a hug. The three of us looked at one another and I motioned to where Liam had went.

“Lets go meet her then,” I smiled softly. We passed through a living room and then into a dining room as we turned in toward the kitchen. There were so many faces I had never met before. Then I saw him by her. Her hair was tinted red while her dress was blue and fitted. She was enveloped in her own conversation. I approached her hesitantly looking at Liam as I did.

“Hi, I’m Chance.” The hi was reciprocated and then she turned to who she was talking to. My friends didn’t get much from the introduction either. I wondered about the exchange for a little while.

Did I give her a funny look? Or maybe I looked at Liam’s wondrous blue eyes the wrong way? Before I let myself think of any further questions I shook my head free from the thoughts and sought out a few new faces.

“Hi there, I’m Chance!” He had orange hair, I know it’s supposedly red, but it’s always looked orange to me. His voice was a little flat, but that didn’t hold me back from the spirit of conversation. I found out that he enjoyed welding , and had taken classes at a technical institute nearby Pacific University. The name slipped my mind as I wandered around the house meeting others.

Skye came and sweeped me up off the stairs. She was holding a wine cooler and offered up the bottle for me to try a sip. I pushed it away. “Why aren’t you going to drink?” She demanded.

“Track season, I’ve got to have my a-game on. Track season.” I kept repeating it until I was exasperated. Even Conan tried to get me to have a little fun. I was drawing attention to myself not drinking and all. Liam caught on.

I’d find myself looking up at him as he stood by his girlfriend, listening to the conversation she was having between her friends. He’d wink at me, and I’d  raise my eyebrows at him then turn away. Knowing he had his eyes on me I’d walk with my best foot forward, and the straightest posture I could muster. Maybe even too straight beyond the borders of awkward military style straight.

Sometimes I wonder about my mentality. No, not that I’m insane, just that I can be childish at times. This one time I really wanted toast in the morning, and when I was told I couldn’t pop a few pieces in before I left for school I was devastated. Even called up my mom to complain about it. She babbled on about something, and the only advice I really took in was that of my grandma’s. She told me to use the oven because I was never told that was off limits. I laughed at her cleverness, but knew better than to pull a stunt like that.

“Chaaaaance!” Here came Skye dancing around and having a great time. She introduced herself for the fourth time to some poor fool falling for her charms. She grabbed me by the waste and swung to the beat of the sound. We headed up stairs to listen to the live music coming from up above. Guitars and drums. Her recent guy that she’d been fooling around with was singing. He had a set of blonde hair and blue eyes. I tapped my fingers to the beat and sat on the couch as Skye laid her head on my chest and wrapped her arms around me.

It wasn’t long till we were up on the floor dancing with one another, and then I left her to her crazy ways. Down the stairs I went, letting my hand slide down the smooth mahogany. I looked this way and that, but couldn’t find him or his girlfriend. Then I saw a beefy boy with black hair and two girls near him. “Hi there.”

“Hey, what’s your name.” They were all welcoming and quite friendly.

“I’m Chance, and what are yours.”

“I’m Kyle, and this here is Anna, and the one next to her is Sara.” I pointed at the three of them in attempts to memorize their names.

Pointing at him I called out, “Kyle,” then at the girl with a gorgeous face and an enormous rack, “Anna,” lastly the sharp looking lady with the striped sweater, “Sara.”

I folded my arms and smiled cockily. “Lets see if you remember them by the next morning.”

“Oh I will, I have a stellar memory.” I winked at him.

“Stellar, huh? Then what was Liam wearing before he left to drop off Rain?” Oh, so her name’s Rain.

“A red cotton t- shirt with grey and white on the sleeves with light blue Levi jeans, and he was wearing a brown belt, but I didn’t examine the buckle.”

“You didn’t examine the buckle?” His eyes flashed a naughty thought. Oh boy time to instigate evasive maneuver 340A.

“Right.” I smirked. “Also,” I grew closer to him so that my lips were inches away from his ear. “None of this is real,” I run off with amusement, and take a look back to see the expression on his face. I bump into someone almost knocking them over.

“Whoops!” Liam steadies me and looks at me with a questionable look.

“I haven’t even had anything to drink!”

“Suuuure you haven’t.”

“Hey! Be delusional all you want, I haven’t had anything. Zero, zilch, nada.” He laughs at me, and I return it with a sour look.

“In that case let me pour you a shot.”

"I didn't plan on drinking."

"Why not, man?"

"Track season bro."

"But it's my birthday, do it for me." I nod.

"Alright."

I follow him into the kitchen and he pulls out two shot glasses and a bottle of coconut rum. He pours us both equal amounts. We clink glasses then down it. He goes for another and he pours me more. After the third shot, I set mine down by the sink so that I can meander my way over to the couch.

Before I have a chance to sit down I’m hoisted up off the ground into a hug. I’m not sure what all he is feeling but we come crashing down onto the couch. He’s close to me and I like it. His arm is around me and on my side. Though I still have clear thoughts so I speak up, “Wait, won’t your parents be concerned with how you’re treating me.”

He smiles, “but we’re just friends.” Then my mind starts to run simply and offers up a dumb smile. “Oh right.” We continue to talk at an intimate distance. He leaves me to make another drink and I spread out on the couch. He comes back with orange soda and vodka in a solo cup. He has me try some and it doesn’t taste half bad. Haven’t had soda in awhile either.

Then Skye sees me from above and heads down the stairs to join us. She finds herself in the middle of us both.

“Hi guys!”
“Sup Skye.” He scoots over a bit to make room for her.
“Hiya Skye. You sure look like you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I am,” her eyes look to her drink then to Liam’s solo cup, “can I try some of that?” I grab the cup from his hand letting my fingers slide slowly from his. Bringing it to her face, I tilt it slowly and let her have a few sips. She switched me drinks, and I’m left with the strawberry margarita in a can.

Her fingers intertwine contrasting flesh with the red of the cup. All of its contents pours into her mouth. She wipes her face, sets the cup down, and runs off.

“I should go get her,” Liam’s hand wraps around my wrist.

“Wait, don’t leave me.”

“Hmmm?”

“Stay here,” and I’m back on the couch with him. His eyes have a playful gleam. “I’ve missed you, you know.” I laugh. “Hey!” “that wasn’t supposed to be funny.” I stick my tongue out at him.

“You’re a square.”

“I’m a square?”

“Yes, with silly brown hair.”

“A square with silly brown hair.” He turns to me and stares with a serious look in his eyes then he rubs his chin to show that he’s in deep thought. My smile starts to crack with laughter. “Hey cut it out!” He pulls me closer to him so that I’m nearly in his lap. His arms pull me in closer. Our faces move in toward another. Clarity strikes me hard, and I turn away just in time. His lips are on my cheek instead of  on my own lips. I pull away from him feeling his fingertips slowly slide across my waist.

Luckily no one appeared to have seen his peck on the cheek. Part of me desired him, but a clear voice in my head reminded me what Liam had once said.

I was at my old apartment voicing my concerns on our friendship. “I’m worried that as I start to get close to you that I might start to like you.” Then he smiled and voiced, “well let me know then, let me know if I’m ever leading you on. I’ll try and stop if I do.”

“I never fall for people who lead me on, actually I’ve never fallen so we’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“He’ll be a lucky man.”

“Who?”

“The one you fall for.”

“So, what’s it like for you and your girlfriend.”

“We’ve been together for two years and she’s the only girl I haven’t cheated on.”

“I’d never want to screw anything up between you and her.”

“Yeah, I know you wouldn’t. It would end up hurting all three of us after all.”

“You must know the feeling.”
“All to well. . .”

His voice fades from my thoughts.

“Chance, I have to pee.” I grab his hand and walk him up toward the nearest bathroom. The door's shut and light is peering from beneath it. I didn’t bother checking it. So then I grab his hand and bring him up stairs. Now this, me holding his hand and taking him somewhere while he’s half gone, is what everyone sees.

“Hey, what are you two doing.” I don’t know his name, but he was a guy I had met earlier. He told me that I’m the kind of girl someone would want to marry rather than the latter.

“I’m taking him upstairs to the bathroom,”
“We’ll tell his girlfriend.”
“I swear to god I’d never do something like that!” Those usually aren’t my choice of words, but they came out today. “I swear.”

I passed him off to someone in front of the bathroom and sat down. What was I doing? He has a girlfriend, he wouldn’t do this sober, he’d be devastated to know that he almost kissed you. Part of me wanted his lips. To have his arms around me. The fantasy made my inner turmoil heighten. I was flirting with someone who has been in a committed relationship. One who wasn’t thinking clearly, but my thoughts have been muddied by the alcohol too. That was all the slack I gave myself. Then I spotted Jason. He was sitting down shirtless. I asked him for a hug and called myself an awful person so that I could hear him tell me that I wasn’t. His words went in the ear and out the other, but at least his hug was nice. Then he left me alone, and Liam walked out of the bathroom.

Foolishly, I went up to him. He grabbed my wrists and drew my body close, stealing another kiss from my cheek. This closeness was unbearable to me, but I stayed for a few moments. I sighed letting this moment linger for a second, then turned away from him slowly. He grabbed my ass, shocked by it I pushed him away from me and bolted down the stairs trying to find someone anybody to talk to. I needed a distraction.

My face must have shown disappointment because Kyle spotted it. He was between the same two ladies. “Hey, what’s wrong.”

“I’m a terrible person.” Reverberating my self pity.

“No you’re not, what’s up?” He looked into my eyes with compassion, and I knew I could trust him. I realized then that I had feelings for Liam, one’s that I had buried.

“I’ve been flirting with someone who I shouldn’t be, especially not drunk.” He picked up on it right away.

“You mean Liam?” I nod my head.

“To tell you the truth he’s in a bad relationship.” I just let it sink into my mind.

“You should tell him.”

“Tell him?”

“Your feelings.” He said it so simply. I knew I couldn’t tonight, but it was then that I had decided I’d tell him. Before I offered up a thank you I saw a tall guy drinking a bottle of wine.

“Hey! I love wine,” he looked at me and offered the bottle.

“Want some.” I don’t answer, I just take it and gulp it down. It was at that moment I had found both a distraction and a mistake.

Thanks for finishing this! Now I wonder what's on your mind now that you've finished it. What did you think of the characters along with the believably of the story