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Ethan had somehow managed to secure a keg. It was parked in the middle of the kitchen floor in a large Rubbermaid tub filled with ice. A guy wearing a backwards baseball cap was pouring cups of beer from the tap.
“Keg stands in ten minutes!” he announced loudly.
It was a long way from the sparkling trays of gourmet drinks, Angels in designer outfits, and strange tables made out of fake animals that Maddy had been mingling among just the night before. She pushed that scene from her mind, pigs and all.
“What can I get you?” Ethan asked.
Maddy looked down at the keg. She might be New Maddy, but going to her first real high school party and drinking for the first time all in one night seemed like a little much. Besides, she needed to be sharp if she was going to do what she came to do.
“Do you have any soda?” she asked.
“Yeah, totally.”
Ethan fished around in the fridge and came up with a Diet Coke. “Hope you don’t mind diet,” he said as he handed it to her. Maddy took the can from him, and their fingers touched. Instead of pulling away, she let her hand linger on his for a bit longer than necessary. She thought she had seen something like that on TV once.
Ethan looked down at her hand, then moved up to her gaze. His eyes were deep, searching. Nervous but hopeful.
“Boo!” a voice yelled right behind Maddy’s ear, and she jumped, insanely startled. Ragged laughter followed. “Bet you thought I was the serial killer, didn’t you? Don’t worry, he’s just takin’ out Angels,” a slurred voice said, with a burp and another laugh.
Maddy turned around. A lean, muscular boy with a buzz cut had stumbled over, bringing the smell of alcohol wafting along with him. It was Jordan Richardson from chemistry. Simon had followed him in.
“Wait, aren’t you Maddy Montgomery?” Jordan asked.
“Yeah, man, that’s Maddy; I know her, dude!” Simon turned to her. “You’re, like, famous or something now, right?” He was talking louder than necessary and knocked over a stack of cups on the counter as he steadied himself. A few people were starting to look over, and Maddy felt the prying eyes of the party begin to shift in her direction.
“How about a tour of the house?” Ethan said loudly, deflecting Simon and the other guy.
“That’d be great,” Maddy said gratefully. They walked through the kitchen door and into an adjoining dining room, where a few guys were playing a game w
ith cups of beer and a Ping-Pong ball. Then they crossed through another doorway and into a second living room, this one with white couches and a flickering electric fireplace.
“Thanks,” Maddy said when they were finally alone.
“No problem.” Ethan smiled. “They’re just a little drunk, that’s all.”
“But you’re not drinking?” Maddy said, realizing it as much as asking. Ethan shook his head.
“No. I mean, I want everyone to have a good time, but that’s not really my thing.”
Maddy looked around the room. The glass coffee table was spotless, and the couches looked like they were sat on very carefully. The house was furnished with nice things, no question, but it lacked the cozy home feel of the shabbier place she shared with Kevin.
“It’s a beautiful house,” Maddy said as she gazed up at the vaulted wood-beam ceiling.
“Thanks. Still feels kind of new to me. I keep waiting for my mom to decide how she wants to decorate, but . . .” He trailed off and sat on the couch. Maddy took a seat next to him.
“So, your mom’s out of town?”
Ethan nodded, looking downcast for a moment. “Yeah, she’s out of town a lot for business. Her job keeps her pretty busy.”
“What kind of work does she do?”
“Marketing,” he replied. Maddy thought of Uncle Kevin. Despite being old-fashioned and set in his ways, he was always there for her. Other people sometimes weren’t as lucky.
“So,” Ethan said, changing the subject, “college apps driving you crazy yet?”
“Oh, crazy is an understatement,” Maddy admitted with a sip of her soda. “I’m way behind.”
“I know, me too,” Ethan said. “Have you gotten that essay prompt yet, ‘Please describe what you consider to be the most difficult moment in your life’?”
