Heads and Tails (Hooha84 Contest)

Aria

Leaving the group of people I was talking with I headed to the drink table thinking a beer would be okay on this hot summer day. I considered getting in the pool, but looking at it I saw it was too packed at the moment with a group of people playing water polo, or at least that was what it looked like, but what do I know about that game?

A week has passed since I came back home from college and its been almost six months since the last time I was here. I looked around once more and the sight made me think how some things never change, that, I’ve learned since I went away for college 3 years ago, and the parties are one of those things in this town.

Seeing Claire walking towards me I smile at her, her long brown locks hang loose over her shoulders and she shakes it a little with her hand as she smiles back.

“How is the party treating you? Are you drunk yet?” she asked the moment she reached me.

“Not yet, and I don’t think I am planning to be.” I answered her with a chuckle.

It was the truth; I was not planning on getting drunk, at least not with all this people here. The last thing I wanted was to put on a show.

“What?!” she feigned shock, “Miss Aria doesn’t want to get drunk? Honey, we are in the middle of the summer at a pool party.” Her tone swiftly transitions to serious, pointing a finger at me. “You have to let go.”

I started to laugh. She was being a little over dramatic here. “Claire, I didn’t say I wasn’t going to have fun, or have a couple of drinks,” passing my hands through my blonde waves while I looked around again I continued, “I just don’t want to get wasted, the little alcohol buzz would be enough for me today.”

Eyeing me suspiciously Claire lets out a sigh before adding, “Okay, okay, that is good enough for me, but if I see you are not having fun, I will not leave your side throughout the party.”

Pretending to be scared of her proposition it was my time to feign something, so I added overly excited. “Oh, I am having a blast!”

We started to laugh and continued drinking from our cups, catching up on the last few months. Claire and I were really close during high school and still were. I could say she was one of my best friends, but what does that term really mean? I would prefer to say she was one of my real friends. Although, lately we have been really busy and it has been hard catching up or talking as often as we used to, we manage to maintain contact to keep or friendship.

A few hours later the heat started to decrease as the sun began its descent toward the horizon. After Claire made sure I was indeed having fun she made her way through the party, talking to some people and involving herself in different activities. We even had a round of beer pong together, which we won, I might add.

Now as I made my way to the inside of the house I could still feel the familiar buzz of the alcohol in my body, and it felt good to let go. After all Claire was right, it was the middle of the summer and I wanted to relax before heading out to school again to begin my senior year.

Searching for a bathroom I wondered where Tom was. He is a friend we went to school with and also the owner of the house, or at least his parents owned it. He was a nice guy who knew a bunch of people and always loved parties, so it was not strange he was hosting one here.

I also heard a group of people talking about Tom having roommates for the summer, so he was probably around with them. I should ask Claire when I find her again, it would be nice to say hello.

The bathroom in the hallway was busy, and judging by the sounds coming out of it I am pretty sure it was a couple doing some intimate thing. “Don’t they use bedrooms anymore?” I murmured to myself, but maybe they are also occupied. I considered waiting longer, but it felt like they were not going to be out soon, and I really needed to go to the bathroom, so I began my journey to find an empty bedroom with an ensuite.