Page 16 of Love in Pieces

Sam spins his head and takes a quick glance over his shoulder before turning and nodding at Shane. It doesn’t take a genius to know they’re looking at girls. The resentment hits me, but I’m getting used to it after so long of dealing with Shane’s antics. He eggs Sam on. Sam goes along with it. It’s routine.

“I’m going to look around,” I say.

He waves a hand mindlessly behind him, giving me the okay though he probably doesn’t even know what he’s approving. He’ll come looking for me soon enough. “Stay close,” is all he says.

Not likely. I guarantee he won't even notice how far I’ve wandered until he needs to show off his “trophy” again.

I slowly slip away until the crowd fills in behind Sam and Shane. I look around. There’s a group of people sitting on an old, yellow, floral couch and a few other dull brown recliners. A large gray bin sits in the middle of the circle. Slices of fruit float at the top of the dark blue liquid as if that will help make it look more appetizing. A girl in a much too-small mini dress leans forward, revealing everything she has, dips her empty cup into the liquid, quickly fills it, and pulls it out. She wipes the sides with a towel and takes a long sip seeming to savor the taste.

“This shit is sooo good,” she says with a slight slur. At this point, she could have had one cup or four. There’s no way to tell how strong it is.

Another guy walks up, opens a full bottle of clear liquor—vodka maybe?—and dumps it into the bin. “I brought more!” he shouts, smiling big when the cheers follow his presentation of alcohol. Once that bottle is empty, he opens a jug of orange juice and empties that as well. At least it’s not a hundred percent alcohol.

“Can I get a cup?” I ask, walking to the group. I’m going to need some liquid courage if I have to deal with Sam and his friends all night.

“Of course!” another girl pipes up, smiling brightly. She stands, dunks a new cup, and hands it to me after wiping it off.

I take a tentative sip of the homemade elixir and, realizing I like the taste of it just as much as last year, I down the first cup. My dad's voice plays in my head again, but I push it away.Live a little.“One more?” I ask, offering the same girl my cup again. Everyone around the circle raises their eyebrows but no one says anything about my sudden desire to forget the night, even if only a little.

The girl takes my cup and dunks it again. “Hell yeah,” she says, passing it back to me. “I love your top, by the way. You should join us!” she offers, patting the empty spot next to her.

I can almost see the dust plume off with each pat. “I’m okay. Thanks.” I hold up my cup to acknowledge my gratitude. The steps creak with each step I take back down to the first floor. They are barely standing room only, but I squeeze my way through anyway. Almost every couple’s faces are practically glued together as I pass. I don’t have any idea where I’m going, but as I arrive back on the first floor, I weave my way around looking from room to room.

The living room is lively with people mingling on the old brown sofas. The gas fireplace is the only light source illuminating the room aside from some light filtering in from the kitchen. Loud rap music sounds from the speakers on the mantle, but no one seems to be paying any attention to it.

Excited chanting from the kitchen catches my attention. When I peek my head around the corner, I see two guys simultaneously drinking from bottles of booze. “Chug! Chug! Chug!” Shouting in time with fists pumping in the air takes over the tiny space. One of them finishes the bottle and everyone breaks out in cheers. He slams the empty bottle on the counter and lets out a long belch. Pats on his back and girls kissing his cheeks make his drunken smile grow large, clearly proud of himself. The other guy pours shots from his half-empty bottle and passes them around. One ends up in my hands and I allow the warm amber liquid to burn down the back of my throat. I force my face neutral to not draw any attention to myself. I quickly chase it with the rest of my drink, emptying my cup.

When I check my phone, I realize more time has passed than I thought. I should go check in with Sam. I don’t need him to get any more upset today. I’m counting down the minutes until I have an entire two weeks to myself. Well, mostly to myself. Who knows how he’ll check in on me while he’s gone?

The crowd upstairs has somehow grown. I’m not sure how many more people can fit up here but sure enough, another group of girls in skimpy clothing shove their way to the jungle juice. A quick glance around the room makes my head spin and my limbs warm as I maneuver to brace myself against the edge of the dusty couch. The alcohol is finally kicking in. Took long enough.

Zoning in on the juice, I dip my cup again and take a long sip. The scent of the fruit fills my nose, but it’s cut off by the burn of what seems to be more vodka than my last cup. My gaze shifts up to the group gathered around the juice when I recognize the blonde locks turned away from me. It takes me a minute to realize that he’s making out with the girl who gave me the drink earlier.

I blink a few times, taking in the scene before me. Someone on the opposite couch clears his throat and the guy pulls away from the girl. He turns around, eyes meeting mine, and hangs his head. Of course, it’s none other than Sam. But he doesn’t seem sad that he’s been caught. He seems annoyed. He rolls his eyes as he stands up to move in my direction.

“Abby,” he starts, but I don’t let him finish.

My legs carry me down the stairs, back to the main floor before my mind seems to catch up. My cheeks are hot, and I can only imagine how red they might be. The pounding of my heart sounds in my ears, matching the heavy bass of the music. I taste the salt in my mouth before I realize tears coat my cheeks. A few faces look my way, but everyone stays silent. A girl nearby offers a tissue, and I rip it out of her hand before turning to find a bathroom. I do not want to be here right now, but I don’t know how I’m going to get home.

As soon as I turn around, someone bumps into my shoulder causing the room-temperature concoction in my hand to spill all over me. “Shit,” I mumble through sniffles.

“Oh my God, sorry. I was not watching where I was going. Let me help you,” a male’s voice apologizes.

When I look up to see the culprit that caused this mess, familiar light brown eyes meet my gaze although, with my hazy mind, I can’t remember where I’ve seen him before. He’s much taller than me. His caramel brown hair is longer on top, slightly gelled in place, but the sides are shaved short. He hands me a paper towel, from where I have no idea.

“Drinking will do that to you,” I say, annoyance clear in my tone. I should not be taking my anger out on this poor guy. He didn’t mean to bump into me. Taking a deep breath, I wander away to find the bathroom.

The line is ridiculously long but I decide to take a spot anyway. I just need a quiet place to gather myself before I can walk home. My balance wavers a little and I slightly bump into the girl in front of me. She’s taller than me due to the white stilettos she wears with a short, tight pink dress. She peeks over her shoulder, looking me up and down. She looks at the spill on my jeans and smirks. “Walk much?”

I roll my eyes, still wiping my pants with the wet paper towel as if that’s really going to do anything more at this point. I jump when someone taps my shoulder. Behind me stands the same man who bumped into me.

“Sorry. I’m making a terrible impression of myself. I can show you where another bathroom is that no one uses.”

“Does this little trick work for most girls?” I raise my brows as I look up at him, hoping he doesn’t notice how puffy my eyes are.

He backs away slightly, raising both hands in defense. “I’m just trying to help. You don’t have to take it. Just thought I would offer.”

I take a deep breath, check if the line has moved at all, and look down at my damp clothes. I force the knot in my throat down before answering, hoping my voice sounds steady. “All right, I’ll bite. Where’s this bathroom.”

---