Party Mischief

‘Why did I agree to this?’ I tried to rack my brain for possible excuses as to why I couldn’t attend, one that would surely fool Stephen, my friend. I had agreed to come to a party that he was holding, the first one I’ve attended since the first year of middle school. It was now my Junior year, so about 5 years later, and I know things are way different at these parties now.

See, my friends are social butterflies and get along with most everyone, which I suppose is how they got through to me so quickly. However, I am a social outcast, far from any butterfly out there. I like to read, keep to myself, and write. There’s no point in attending a party with people who are high, drunk, and have no interest in Jane’s Eyre or the history behind it. Just stupid. Stephen was holding his first party in a while, though, so he asked if I could come. Course, I said yes. Just because I don’t like people doesn’t mean I won’t support my friend when I can.

I finally pluck up the courage to call him, thinking of the perfect excuse. The phone rings for a few minutes, until I hear him from the other side of the line. “Hello there, you big Anti-social mess. Come up with an excuse as to why you can’t attend my party? Been waiting for this call all day.” I grudgingly laugh, knowing full well that he’s being quite serious, even though he’s saying it in a joking manner. “Ah, you didn’t deny it!!! Alright, lay it on me, what is it this time? Book club? Last minute homework assignment? Come on, can’t keep me in the dark forever.” I scoff, then scrape up the retort, “Well, I’d tell you, if you learned how to be quiet.” I hear a quiet chuckle from the other line, then continue, “but yeah, I can’t attend. I have to babysit my sister. You know how things can be.”

This wasn’t entirely a lie, I did have to babysit my little sister, just not that night. My parents would be going out of town in a few weeks or so, so naturally I would be left in charge of my 11 year old nightmarish sister. “Oh come on, we both know that that’s not going to be for a while!” ‘Damn, he saw right through me. Oh well,’ I thought, ‘may as well come clean.’ “Ugh,” I groan, complaining, “I just.. I don’t want to know. I already know that someone’s going to bring alcohol, another person will bring some drugs, and it will all go crazy and I won’t even get to sit and read in a corner or bond over books with anyone and it will be an absolute disaster and you don’t even have a dog!”

At this point, I was on the verge of tears and speaking faster than a public speaker on steroids. I could feel the smug, sarcastic, and giddiness radiating off of him. “You’re right, that’s quite the dilemma. I need to get a dog, ASAP. As for everyone bringing weed and getting drunk off of their hinds, I’ll let you slip away into a bedroom or something. Alright? Now get dressed in some nice clothes, get ready, or god so help me I will drag you here myself. Okay?”

I wordlessly sigh, quickly and roughly. I knew he was right, I definitely needed to get out more. “Okayyyyyy, fine. I’ll see you in an hour or so, okay?” He scoffs, “Yeah, okay.” I hang up after that, trying to find a good outfit. I find myself picking out a star and constellation covered button up shirt that’s a bit short, and a pair of black and ripped jeans. I quickly prepare myself for the inevitable hell known as a party, and throw on some dark blue Converse that match the shirt.

I arrive at his house in about 45 minutes after our call, then get out of the car and stand at the door. I don’t find it in me to knock on the door, so I stand at the door. He opens the door and looks at me exaggeratingly rolling his eyes and laughs deprecatingly, muttering, “I knew it.” He raises his voice to his normal cheery tone and moves to the side, allowing me enough room to come in. I hesitantly make my way in, looking up at him, and try to smile, but shakily grimace instead.

I come in, seeing everyone there, and tug at my shirt. I make my way to the corner, trying to avoid eyes. I don’t like drawing attention to myself, I don’t even share often enough in class to be a memorable face. “No, no, no, no. You are not going to be a little shadow creature. No sir, not tonight!” I don’t recognise the voice immediately, so I turn around to see a giant guy, about Sophomore year, it seems. I can smell the skunk-like stench coming from him, knowing immediately that I was right to assume someone would be up in the clouds. I back away, into Stephen.

I grab onto him and tug on his sleeve, like a child would to their parents. “Stephen, Stephen. Where’s the bedroom?” He turns around and smiles teasingly at me. “Oh, giving up already?” I blush and look to the side. “No, but there’s this one guy that won’t leave me alone!” I spot him from the side of our eyes, “See? He’s coming over now.”

I hid behind Stephen, which was quite easy. He was much taller than me, probably twice my size. He’s somewhere on the taller side of 6 feet, and a burly guy, while I was on the short side of 5 feet and small in size. He rolled his eyes. “Oh, this dude.” He mutters to me, then picks up his voice to be able to be heard by the younger boy. “Hey, you there, Jan! Can you kindly leave my friend here alone? They’re a bit on the shy side.” I blushed a bit harder under the dimmed lights embarrassed, huffing out, “W- ugh, you didn’t have to say that.” “Oh, shush, you know it’s true.” The now named “Jan” thinks for a moment, then shrugs. “Alright, whatever, bro.” He walks off, slumping stupidly. “Well, this has been quite the night. I’ll be off now, then.” I begin sulking off to the door.

Another thing I hate about being tinier is that I’m very easy to lift. Stephen is very strong, too, so I was scooped up easily and put into a bedroom with a few books. I sit on the bed with my legs criss-crossed, like a kindergartener on the carpet for book time. He puts some books in front of me, then stands at the foot of the bed, hands on his hips. “Alright, buddy. Here’s the deal, I need you to stay, ‘case things get out of control. You’re pretty good at being scary when you need to be. But I won’t make you be out in your living nightmare, you can sit in here and read. Got it?” I roll my eyes, then provisionally reply, “Mmmmm.. Okay. Fine. These better be good books, though, otherwise you’re giving me a pretty crap deal.” He laughs, "Alright, alright. Trust me, it'll be worth your while. Just give it a try."

After he leaves, I open a book and begin reading. "Ah, Hobbit. Haven't read this yet..." I mumble to no one in particular. I like talking to myself as I read sometimes, because it helps me process the information better. Not sure why my brain works like that, it just does.

I suddenly hear the door open and hurriedly turn off the reading light I had on near the bedside. "Hello?" A timid voice calls out, too quiet to be heard by anyone outside of the room, but silky, soft, and smooth. I stumble on my words, suddenly feeling my face light up again. "Um-m, hiiiii" I falter on all other words, my jaw no longer seeming to work.

They seem to pick up on this, and laughs slightly. "Is my voice really that seductive?" I stutter out, "No, it's just really, really pretty. And I'm a nerd, I don't get out to people very often, you know? I just must be too charming and intimidating." I turn on the reading light and brush my hair back with my fingers. They laughs slightly, and I smile goofily. "Anyways, what are you doing in here?"

They come and sits down on the bed, off to the side but close enough to me that I could reach out and touch them if I wanted to. "Ah, you know, I just thought, 'hey! I love this big loud party, blaring noise, people high off their asses, and drunk high schoolers? Let me go try and start this in a bedroom, you know?'" I scoffed and laughed. "I know that feeling. Anyways, what's your name? I think I've seen you in class, Hare, right?"

"Yeah, and you're....." I watch them try and think of my name, obviously coming up short. "I'm Listhy. Easy name to remember, I know, I hear it all the time." They laugh again, and I laugh with them. "What do you go by? Pronouns and everything, I mean." I think for a moment, then answer, "oh, they/them or he/him is fine for me. How about an angel like yourself?" They blush slightly and smile warmly, "well, aren't we a little tease? Anyways, that's nice. She/her or they/them for me."

We talk about books for a while, trading our personal favourites amongst each other, talking about school, how annoying people are, and things like that. We had been talking about Romeo and Juliet when she had said it.

"Isn't it just so... so romantic?" I look at her quizzically, "what do you mean?" She looks at me, her big blueish grey eyes looking like a river. "Well, having someone love you enough to die with you and go through everything with you, you know?" I question this statement cautiously, "Well... isn't it more romantic for someone to live for you? For you to be the thing that keeps them going, and they stay with you even when times get rough, instead of dying?" She blushes gently and looks down at her hands. "Yeah... yeah, I never really thought of that." She chuckles as I begin to find myself immersed into the river in her eyes.

I lean in and then hesitantly pull back, suddenly finding myself and go back. I notice they're looking at me, and they roll their eyes and smile, "Well, if you want to kiss me, just say something." She pulls me into a kiss, the first kiss I've ever had, and I find myself melting from under her.

Suddenly, someone walks into the room. Stephen and another guy look at us, and burst with euphoria. "You thought that other people were gonna be naughty, Lis, yet here you are! Wash the sheets and clean up when you're done." I blush up to my ears, redder than the rippest strawberry, but suddenly feel her lips back on mine and melt again.

We ended up cuddling and staying the night, requiring a new partner and reading buddy respectively. I guess parties aren't too bad.