“So, you, like, dance around instead of study? That’s hella dope,” a shorter guy with acne mused, guzzling a beer.
“Well, we still have to take normal classes,” I mumbled right as a door to one of the townhomes burst open. A shot of golden fur rocketed out, inciting the boys to howl like a wolf pack. Hannah cackled. Dumbstruck, I tracked the dog around the parking lot, tail whirling like a helicopter as it barreled towards me.
“Buddy, don't youdareruin her dress.”
The retriever skidded to a halt at my feet, big brown eyes melting my heart and wiping away any anxiety. I crouched in front of him, smiling as I scratched his ears.
“Alright, alright, we know you’re a ladies man, but you can’t come on so strong, my guy.”
Craning my neck, a wicked grin filled my vision. The guy above me left his tanned chest on display under an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt. What threw me off were the liquor bottles duck taped to his hands.
“Jack!” Eric boomed. The guy in the Hawaiian shirt didn’t bother acknowledging Eric as he tipped one of the bottles to his lips. “You’re gonna black out in an hour.”
“Perfect.” Jack belched loudly. “Now you, fair maiden, look like you could use a beer.” He grinned, pointing at me with the bottle neck. Maybe it was the buzz from that awful vodka, or the absurdity of this guy in front of me, but something in me trusted him.
“Yea, I think I do.”
He extended one of his bottle hands to me before retracting it and snorting. “I guess I can’t really help you up, can I?”
Completely ridiculous and so perfectly disarming- the rest of my apprehension dissipated. With a stupid smile, I allowed him to lead me to the house, Hannah and Eric on our heels. Whoever he was, Jack was clearly the life of the party. Every person we passed yelled his name, saluted him or smacked him playfully on the shoulder. In the center of the crowded room, fellow students played beer pong on a table covered in chipped paint while in the corner a group egged on a kid in a keg stand.
“Welcome to the DIK circus where you can find every form of debauchery.” Jack gestured at the surrounding chaos while leading me to a tiny kitchen. At the stove, a heavier guy with curling dark hair bent over a flaming burner to light a cigarette.
“That can’t be safe.” I cringed.
Jack waved it off, bottles sloshing. “Yea, Marty has like two working brain cells.”
Marty suddenly leapt back with a shriek. “My eyebrows!”
I slapped a hand over my mouth at the sight of his singed brows. Jack bellowed a laugh, smacking one of his duct-taped-bottle-hands on his chest and wincing.
“Motherfucker, I keep forgetting about these things,” he muttered. Marty resumed sucking his joint, his bloodshot eyes mere slits as he grinned lazily at Jack.
“Hey, where’s Count Misery?” he asked. Jack rolled his eyes, pushing a beer at me on the counter. I cracked it open and sipped tentatively.
“He’s around here brooding somewhere.” Jack shrugged. “Hopefully he doesn’t disappear like last weekend, no thanks toyouand your tainted molly.”
Marty coughed on his joint, offering it to me. I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. Hannah snatched it from his fingers.
“Come on Court, live a little,” she said, elbowing my ribs. The beer’s sweating can mingled with my increasingly sweaty palms. Before Hannah could pass me the joint, the crowd parted, stealing everyone’s attention.
“Jack!” the kid with acne yelled, shoving his way towards us. “Your sister is here!”
Jack’s easy-going smirk dissipated instantaneously. With a growl, he climbed onto the kitchen counter and whistled loud enough to shatter my eardrums. Everyone in the vicinity twisted to where he towered above.
“If one of you asshats touches my sister, I’ll castrate you and decorate the roof with your dick. Got it?Good.” He hopped down and gulped a swig. We silently stared at him in shock. Wrinkling his brow, he scoffed, “What? I could’ve threatened to wear it as a hat.”
Marty guffawed, the others quickly following into fits and drifting from the kitchen. Bodies pressed in from every direction, brothers one-upping each other with drinking competitions and girls teetering in heels too fancy for a frat party. Jack and Marty went back and forth about complete nonsense, both too inebriated to hold a coherent conversation while Hannah and Eric started sucking face. I muttered an excuse and broke away to get some fresh air.
The sky had darkened to blue-black. Flickering yellow light cast a semicircle on the stoop. Most had made their way inside with only a few smoking at the far end of the parking lot. I sat on the steps, smoothing my dress over my lap. The muted music and chirping cicadas slowed the pound in my head.
“...talking about me to the whole damn dorm,” a familiar voice growled.
“Is it so bad to be with me?” a female shot back.
“I’m notwithyou,” he scoffed. “Stop blowing up my phone.”
“Maybe if you fucking answeredonce-”
