“Are we picking up your friend?”
“Yes. I’ll show you where she lives.”
Me: Omw.
Paige: Hurry. I’m already outside
The voicesfrom the apartment echo out to the parking lot. The apartment is a fourplex. People are coming in and out of all four apartments. No wonder it’s loud. The closer we get to the apartments, the more the vibration of the bass from the song “Lollipop” by Lil Wayne vibrates my body. How do they not get in trouble for this?
“Who all lives here?” I ask.
Kai points to the top right apartment. “My brother and his friend live there, and I do too, now. The rest of the apartments are people he goes to school with.”
There is some sort of hesitance in his voice every time he brings up where he lives. I wonder what the story is there.
“They’re all fine with partying like this?”
“Looks fun.” Paige giggles.
“Yeah. We all party every weekend.”
“Is your brother going to care that we’re here?” Paige questions.
“Nah. He’s cool with it.”
“And he’s cool with you drinking?” I ask.
“Yeah. He says he would rather have me party with him so he can keep an eye on me.”
His brother is cool. I could never do that with Brynlee.
The closer we get to the apartments, the more it smells like a skunk. That must be weed. I’ve never smoked before. I’ve heard it makes you laugh and gives you munchies.
Owen wraps his arm around Paige and leads her ahead of us. She looks over her shoulder at me with a growing grin. “Come on. Let’s get you a drink.”
Kai and I try to follow behind them. The apartment is filled with so many people; we’re all basically elbow to elbow. Everyone's hands are holding either a bottle of beer or a red Solo cup. The kitchen isn’t any better. I stand next to Paige in the only empty corner.
Owen pops open two Four Lokos and hands us each one.
I take a sip gagging as it runs down my throat. I cover my mouth, my eyes watering trying not to throw it back up.
Owen laughs. “Guess you’re not ready for the hard stuff.”
Paige narrows her gaze between me and her Four Lokos she has in hand. After seeing my reaction, she sets hers down. “I think I’ll take a Corona.”
Owen laughs again as he grabs two Coronas out of the fridge, opens them both with a lighter, and hands them to us.
I hesitantly take a small sip of the Corona to make sure it doesn’t have the same disgusting taste as the Four Lokos. To my surprise it doesn’t. I guess I’ll be sticking to these for the rest of the night.
“This is crazy,” Paige says in my ear.
I nod in agreement. I look around and notice that everyperson has some kind of drink in their hand. How old is everyone? Some look way too old to be hanging out with people under twenty-one. Who am I to judge? I’m only sixteen. Good thing I look older than I do.
Kai walks side by side with someone who closely resembles him. He has the same skater hairstyle Kai has and bright-blue eyes. He’s taller and a little more filled out than Kai.
“Blakely, Paige, this is my brother, Kevin. Kevin, these are my friends.”
Kevin lifts his beer toward us. We clink our beers together, and all three of us take a sip.
