voodoo doll // c.hood

04; hoes, liquor & sweaty bodies

A M I T Y

Here I stand, all dressed up for this stupid god damn party Michael convinced me to attend, and I am at fucking school. Of all places.

How did I get here? Michael dragged me to this hell hole, just when I thought I was done with it for another week, I'm pulled back here.

Here's how it happened, Michael was picking me up from my house for this party and forgot to mention that we would be taking a detour beforehand which ended up being here. When he turned up the street, I instantly bombarded him with questions.

All he said was; "We'll only be here for a second. I just have to meet up with someone."

This ‘someone’ was over by the bleachers in a black hoodie and dark shades, not looking like a suspicious drug dealer at all. They ended up taking more than a second. The game was long over by the time Michael finalized his purchased and the guy scurried off into the darkness.

He strolled over to where I was comfortably sat in the grass.

"Can we fucking go now?" I huffed, annoyed at not only having to wait for him but for also having to wait to go to a party which I'm already dreading.

Michael rolled his eyes and sighed, "Yes, let's go."

He extended a hand and helped me up. We slipped into the car and he headed down his own street, we pulled up into his driveway and he parked the car, turning off the ignition. We both walked in peace up his street towards Holly's place. It was only just after 8:00pm and cars lined the sides of the street. I gaze up ahead to where Holly's home is and where teenagers were sprawled across the front lawn. Mass amounts of them entered through the front door and some even slightly intoxicated, already, tumbled out of it.

I look down at my feet as we make our way up the sidewalk. I notice my laces bouncing as my feet hit the ground. I fiddle with my fingers and I attempt to calm myself down. My heart was racing.

Maybe I could find a way to get out? And after all this effort to look decent. Maybe I could act sick?

I cough twice and look away from Michael's glare.

"What on earth are you doing?"

I cough again. "I-I think in coming down with something." I mutter weakly.

"Do you really think you can fool me with that, that act? I know you use that on Mr Reading. You're not getting out of this party that easy."

"Damn it." I give up. Next thing I knew, we were on Holly's lawn, approaching the door. I slow down and hesitate, Michael spins around.

"Why'd you stop? C'mon! Let's go have fun!" He grips my hand and swings it as he skips up to the door.

The door opens and the strong smell of alcohol becomes evident. The house was crowded with over-dramatic girls in skimpy, cheap dresses and all unappealing, bright colours as well as horny boys with egos bigger than the dicks they wish they had. Stereotypical pop and house music roared throughout the lower floor of the house. I imagined upstairs was much quieter and that's where sexually driven teenagers took part in the act of "making love". In this day and age, that name has lost its meaning.

I could already tell that this party won't be as fun as Michael has hyped it up to be and to survive the half an hour I promised him, I'm going to need a drink.

"Can we try and find the alcohol?" I yelled so Michael could hear over the blasting music.

He simply nods and guides me to the kitchen, pushing past anybody along the way.

There was a breakfast bar which was littered with all different types of alcohol. Michael was right, they seemed pretty expensive. But there were way too many cruisers for my liking. Somebody was doing a keg stand in the background while his friends chanted and cheered for him like in the typical American movies.

I look up to see Michael raiding the fridge. He pulls out two bottles of beer. He holds them up with a suggestive look and I nod. He cracks open the bottles and hands one to me.

A boy from school enters the kitchen. He and Michael do some strange hand-shake hug sort of thing. They begin to talk to one another. Feeling awkward I turn my back to observe the party and its atmosphere. I take a swig of my beer and watch as guys continuously hit on girls way out their league but are too drunk and desperate to care.

I turn back and Michael's 'friend' I presume, is gesturing to take up this conversation in another room or something. Michael nods and his friend heads off.

"That's the guy who told me about this gathering. We are going to, uh, 'party' in another room." Michael raises his eyebrows.

"And by that you mean use up your recent weed purchase?"

He chuckles lightly. "Exactly."

"Okay, I guess I will just try to have some fun. On my own." I sigh and take another sip from the bottle.

He grins and wanders off into the direction in which the other boy went.

I chug the bottle of beer, trying to calm the sudden nerves which have reappeared. It doesn't take long to finish.  I need something else. Something stronger.

I fill a red cup with some strange and overpriced vodka. I taste it, and it's strong. Just what I need. I explore the house, walking past the base of the stairs, where I can see Holly with a brightly coloured cruiser in her hand stumbling up them with a soccer player whose hand is resting a little too comfortably on her ass.

I stroll into the lounge room where intoxicated teens, mainly girls, danced a little too provocatively and boys preyed on girls to hook up with. I take another sip out of my cup. The awful music ringing through my ears made me want to slam my head against a really hard wall. I needed to escape this sad-excuse called music before my ears bleed and I lose my sense of hearing, which at this point wouldn’t be too bad.

I spot some sliding glass doors which lead to the garden outside. It looks much less crowded and is possibly quieter. I dart across the lounge room in their direction. I was always utterly horrible at avoiding people. I must have walked into multiple people but I hurried off before they noticed. But just when I was almost at the doors, I collided into a dark haired boy and spill my drink all over not only myself, but him as well. I could hear him mutter swears under his breath.

"Great." I groan. I try to wipe off the vodka splattered across my dress. I look up at the rather tall boy who is trying to clean off the vodka as well. His eyes meet mine and I finally recognize who it is.

"Pretty boy?" I scoff. "I should have known you'd be here."