Chapter Three Continued...

"I said get out of my face." He snarls.

I'm concerned now. I hope someone steps in. Someone does. Bronze Boy saves the day. He steps between them, towering over them both, and nudges Derek back.

"Chill, Dec. You're not gonna beat up this kid and ruin the party for everyone, are you? Over what?" He says in distaste. "Some girl?"

Derek is about to protest but Bronze Boy glares at him. He swallows whatever he was about to say.

Dechlan continues to stare down Derek. "She pushed me in, man." He repeats again.

"And you pulled her in with you." Bronze Boy pats him on the back. "Now come on let's get you a shirt. Your gonna make all the girls swoon and more girls will end up in the pool."

"...and some of the guys." Someone shouts.

It elicits a few catcalls and whistles. Dechlan smiles and allows himself to be led inside. I walk up to Derek, he gives me a half-hearted smile.

"I'm taking off." He says somberly, "Let Ari know?"

I nod my head and he makes his unnoticed escape through the backyard gate. I'm a little sad to see him go. I couldn't ignore the similarities between us. He was nice but cursed with invisibility like me. Easily pushed aside and forgotten. It was clear to me, he wanted more than anything for the girl he loved to see him, but she didn't. Not the way he wanted her to see him.

I walk back into the house to find Ari. Courtney is talking with her in the kitchen but walks away before I reach them. Ari is wearing a blue button-up. She has the sleeves rolled up. It hangs low to the back of her legs and it's tucked into a pair of boxer shorts. Her wet hair is back up in her favorite updo and all her make-up has been removed. She doesn't look at me when I approach but continues to stare down intently.

"Derek left," I say with a hiccup.

Ari looks up, with a sad expression on her face. "Aww. Did he say how he was leaving?"

"No." Hiccup.

Ari looks down at what I see now is her clunker phone. "Oh...I hope he took an Uber and didn't walk."

I point to her phone. "What's wrong with it?" Hiccup. Hiccup.

"Hmm?" She asks distractedly. She doesn't look at me but answers anyway. "It was in my pocket when Dechlan pulled me into the pool. He just happened to leave his inside the house." She slams her hand down onto the phone. "That jerk! It's ruined!"

"Can't you fix it." Hiccup. I say, "Put it in rice."

"No." She sighs. "I didn't take the battery out soon enough. The negative ions attract to the positive pole and the positive ions attract to the negative pole and thus create a closed circuit." She rambles. "The water conducts electricity sending all the power down the path of least resistance and creates electrical impedance."

I nod my head as if I understand.

She continues, "It's short-circuited. Besides, the chlorine is probably corroding away the motherboard, ICs, and resistors. It's not worth replacing this piece of crap phone. It's bricked. I'll have to get a new one."

I'm what you call a happy drunk. Even though she is clearly bummed, I find her rant hysterical and burst into laughter. She looks at me and squints her eyes.

Then she smiles and says, "You're wasted."

I giggle. "Yeet!"

She leans forward, placing her forehead on mine. Ari puts her hands on either side of my face and smiles. "You're absolutely shit-faced."

I nod my head up and down. I nearly spill the drink I'd forgotten was in my hand. She lets go of me, then takes my cup.

"I'm cutting you off. No more."

I stick my lip out and pout. The way I'd seen her do.

"Oh, no you don't. It won't work on me." Ari reaches behind me and offers me a bottled water. "Drink up."

I glare at it. I hate water. She sees my hesitation opens it and pushes it in my hand.

"I'm telling you girly. You need to start waterlogging. Have you had any water this whole time?" She asks.

I shake my head and take a sip. She crosses her arm sternly. Then she motions me to drink more. "The whole thing."

It aches and sloshes around in my stomach, but I manage to drink it all. Ari stands there watching. When I finish, she takes the bottle from me and hands me another. I look at it defeatedly. She opens it for me.

"Sip on it. And don't drink any more alcohol, it's time to sober up." I hiccup and nod my head.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Ari asks me.

Once she says it, I do have to go. Very badly. I nod my head. She takes my hand and pulls me towards the bathroom. We both go in and she closes the door behind us. Normally, I'd be embarrassed by the situation. However, tonight I'm too drunk to care. I sit on the toilet and unashamed pee like a racehorse. While I wash my hands, she goes.

Ari flushes and she joins me at the sink to wash her hands. She looks me up and down in concern. I smile to reassure her but it's also genuine. It's nice to have her watching my back and worrying about me. I was wrong about her, she hadn't left me after all.

We go back to the party. Half the partygoers have already left. I flop down on a couch and sip on my bottled water. Ari sits next to me and starts talking and socializing with the people around us. I must have dozed off because when I wake up the lights have been dimmed and the music is playing softly. The party has also shrunken to only a hand full of people.

Ari hands me a cup of water, I realize she had woken me up. I thank her and take it from her. She sits down next to me, curling her feet on the couch, and drinks from her own cup of water. I look at my surroundings. Someone had already started to clean up and the furniture in the room has been rearranged into a circle. A couple of people sit on the floors and in the folding chairs.

Ari leans over on the couch and presses against me. "How are you feeling?"

I do a mental health check. Stomach good, head good, I have all my toes and limbs.

"Hydrated," I answer.

She smiles. "Good. Drink up. Trust me you don't want a hangover." She nods at my cup.

"Cookie and Cream hookah anyone?" A guy says.

Ari claps happily. There are nods of approval as he sets down a strange lamp object with tubes stretching out from the middle. It looks like a bong's estranged cousin.

My face must be as readable as Ari's, because someone leans in next to me and says, "Don't worry, it's legal. It's tobacco like a cigarette only it tastes better. Will give ya a nice buzz too."

I turn to see it's Bronze Boy speaking, he is sitting on the couch on the other side of me.

"I wouldn't suggest smoking all the time. It's still hard on your lungs."

I smile at him, thankful for the information. I wish I knew his name, but I can't remember.

"House rules." The host says. "If I'm going to share, you've got to participate in a round of shotgun."

There are a couple of groans but mostly everyone seems fine with this. As always, I'm confused. Bronze Boy leans over and whispers into my ear.

"Don't worry. You'll see."

The hair on the back of my neck stands up at his breath on my skin. Ari stands up and volunteers to help light the contraption. She has a lighter in one hand and she blows into a long tube. The water inside bubbles. Then she pulls back and blows out smoke shaped rings. One smoke ring floats into a bigger one, and then the smoke dissipates and fades.

"Okay, okay, Ari. Sit down you show off." The host stands up and takes the tube from her hand.

Ari sits back down. She looks over at me and blows a ring of smoke in my face. The smell of sugar and sweet vanilla fills my nostrils.

"Are you going to try it?" She asks.

I already know I want to. Why not? Tonight was a night of first. "Yes, I'll try it."

"Excellent!" She says in a sing-song voice, "You'll have to shotgun."

When she is this lit, I now know, it means trouble, risk, or danger. Her three favorite things.

"Let's see who can chain the most. I'll start it off." The host says and puts his mouth on the end of the tube.

There is a strange bubbling gurgle and it continues far longer than with Ari. He stops and kisses the girl on the floor next to him. Or at least it looks like a kiss. Wisps of smoke escape their mouths. The girl turns and kisses Courtney who is seated next to her. I realize now it's not a kiss. They are blowing smoke into each other's mouths. Then Courtney passes it to a guy next to her. Finally, the guy turns to the guy next to him. He coughs and starts to laugh. Smoke goes everywhere.

"Yeah, no way I'm putting my mouth on yours, dude. No offense." He says.

A few people groan and call him a cop-out.

"Offense is taken." The guy is blonde and is wearing a Sunny State warm-up jacket. The ones you only see the members of the team wearing. "I'll start it off again." He says.

"Record to beat is four," Ari says, she peers past me and at Bronze Boy. He is the fourth. "Are you going to pass it on or cop out?"

He grimaces at her. "Don't worry. I've got this." He looks over at the guy next to him; who shrugs.

I feel Ari squeeze my hand and she whispers in my ear. "Don't worry, I'll show you."

The blonde athlete overhears her and says, "Do you ladies want to practice. We can wait and watch; make sure you're doing it right."

Ari looks at him and gives him a sweet smile. "What's your name?"

"John." He says.

"John." She puts her hand on his shoulder. "I'm about to let you put your mouth on mine. Please, don't make me hate you."

John chuckles, "Deal."

He reaches for the long tube on the table and puts it to his mouth. Then he leans over and touches his lips to Ari's. It seems to take a long time, too long. But eventually, she turns to face me.

My heart skips in anticipation and nerves. Was she really about too...? Her lips press against mine. They are soft and plump. She softly parts my lips with hers and she blows into my mouth. I suck the smoke into my lungs and hold my breath. There is tightness in my chest and I taste sugary sweetness on my tongue. Ari pulls away and points over at Bronze Boy. I turn and touch my lips to his.

If my heart had skipped before, now it's thundering like wild horses in my chest. His lips are different than Ari's. While hers were soft and warm. His are firm and the same temperature as my own. They are inviting and I want to do more than blow smoke into his mouth. His hand softly comes up to rest on my chin as I expel the smoke from my lungs. He sucks in my breath and I press closer into him. Tingles shoot up and down my body and I'm light headed. I haven't taken a breath. And I don't want to. I don't want an excuse to stop. His lips move against mine.

Someone clears their throat.

He pulls away and our eyes meet. I feel the lack of warmth and the loss of his presence. It's colder where his hand once was. And colder where his forehead had been resting against mine. I take a much-needed breath.

Bronze Boy reluctantly tears his eyes from mine and looks at the host to this left. Trails of smoke escape from his nostrils. "Sorry, man. I've got nothing left for ya'."

I feel Ari nudge me with her elbow. I don't look at her though, because I figure the look she is giving me, will either make me burst into hysterics or blush like an imbecile. I don't want to do either, because Bronze Boy is looking at me again. It's as if his stare is piercing straight through my eyes and into my soul. I think I'm in love. Or is it the alcohol. Am I even drunk still?

"Well, you two blew it," Ari says but her tone isn't harsh. I'm still staring at Bronze Boy, so I don't answer.

"You wanna coffee?" Bronze Boy asks. "I was gonna make one for myself, but I can make you one. And we can talk some more?"

I didn't need to think about it. "Yes, I'd like that."

He gets up and I follow him. I turn back to look at Ari who smiles and nods, then she turns and reaches for the hookah.

Bronze Boy makes coffee. Then he grins and pulls out a bag of Oreo cookies. They are the best cookies I've ever had in my entire life. Did alcohol make everything taste better or is it the company? I mention they're the best cookies ever. He doesn't point out that they are only Oreos. Instead, he smiles and agrees with me.

We have many things in common. He grew up with a similar lifestyle to mine. His father is in the military and so they were always moving around. He too could pack up his belongings in less than an hour. He's nineteen and just finished his first year at a college in a different state. For college kids, the semester already ended and he is in town visiting family and friends. He was staying in the current house temporarily. He lived with his fraternity brothers on campus. This makes me sad to hear as I was hoping to get to know him better.

We talk for a long time and it doesn't feel long enough. He looks over at the couch, and I turn to follow his gaze. Ari and Courtney are getting up and moving towards us. It's time to leave. His hand touches mine and I turn to look at him.

"Your friends look as if they're ready to go." He pauses and looks deep into my eyes. "Can you stay?"

I must be out of my mind, I want to say yes. No, doesn't seem like a choice. I want more time with this...stranger.

Ari puts her hand on my shoulder. "You ready to go?"

Her eyes dart from me to Bronze Boy and then back to me. It's insane. I don't even know his name, but I don't want to leave. I want to stay.

I look at her sheepishly. I'm embarrassed by my own words before I can formulate them.

"I'm going to stay," I say.

Her gaze on me is intent and searching. I think she is trying to decide whether or not I'm drunk.

"Are you sure?" She asks hesitantly.

I smile gratefully for her friendship and concern. She really is different then what I'd thought. "One hundred percent." I stand up and hug her, then say into her ear. "Thanks, for tonight. I'll see you tomorrow?"

I pull back and look in Ari's eyes. She isn't looking at me but frowning at Bronze Boy. She eventually forces a smile and says, "If that's what you want."

She leaves to join Courtney standing by the door. She speaks to her, and Courtney smiles and waves at me. Then they're gone.

I turn my attention back to Bronze Boy. He is cleaning up our coffee mugs in the sink. He turns around and our eyes meet. My heart does summersaults in my stomach, and heat rushes to my cheeks. I feel tipsy all over again. I think I'm in love. Only I'm sure it's not the alcohol that's to blame.

Chapter 4...next. Thanks for reading❤️❤️

Gasp...is our MC cray...vote if you think so and vote if you don't think so...