Truth or Dare

First Time Partier

I stand on the sidewalk in front of a grand, white-bricked mansion with drunk young adults strewn on the lawn and red solo cups lying in the grass. The bass of the music from inside cuts through the silent street, and I'm sure is disturbing the people who are trying to sleep despite the noise. I can see silhouettes of people jumping to the beat as LEDs light the room in a deep blue tone. Chatter is heard despite the music, and cheers go off every now and then.

I swallow at the intimidating sight and hold the cuff of the sleeve of the long-sleeved black tank I wear with my right hand. My first-ever party and it's at the most prestigious, part-heavy, and wealthy fraternity on campus. My roommate begged me to come, saying that I should be more social and live it up in college. That she had a guy picked out for me so I could let loose. Being the pushover I am, I didn't want to disappoint her, so I caved and went with her. I've never been super social my entire life, and my anxiety is through the roof as I stare at the entrance.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" My roommate Hazel exclaims. "We're gonna drink, play games, play drinking games, dance, party. Are you ready?"

"No," my voice is firm, but the feeling of tears well up in my eyes from the nervousness.

"It'll be fine, Kells. I won't let anything happen to you, and you'll have friends watching out for you," she reassures, grabbing my hand and squeezing it, "I promise."

I nod, looking down at her as she's almost a foot shorter than I am. She smiles before guiding me to the front door of the mansion. My legs feel weak, but I keep in step with her. Her grip is tight on my hand, keeping me from turning back and running. The door is grand, made from dark oak with iron grilles protecting frosted glass windows. She opens the door for us, and the music becomes even louder. The huge living room is even brighter than it was outside, and a few flashing strobe lights go off, which makes it harder to see. It's extremely crowded, with bodies of adults jumping along with the beat. A few stray people stay by the walls. Some light filters in from a side room, which I'm guessing is the dining room as I see a glimpse of a large wooden table with various snacks on it. We walk side by side. This doesn't faze Hazel, but I, on the other hand, am trying not to cover my ears from the loud music or shrink into the dark so no one sees me.

"Alright, my friend told me they're in the kitchen! We'll get you acquainted with a few people so if you run into trouble you can come to them!" Hazel yells over the loud music. Even then, I can barely hear a word she says.

She pushes through the mass of people, and I follow close behind. Her short stature is extremely easy to lose so I need to stay right on her heels, so I don't get lost. We pass into a long hallway and veer to the right, making it into a large kitchen with bright lights. The music is a lot quieter than it was in the living room, but still enough that you must talk a little louder. There's only a handful of college students in the kitchen. There are two girls surveying the selection of alcoholic drinks on the counter, a guy trying way too hard to get their attention, and a group of guys all leaning over or against an island. A tall, lean Hispanic guy with green eyes and short hair looks over at us and a grin spreads across his face.

"Haze, you made it!" He exclaims as he walks over to us. He envelops Hazel in a tight hug, his stature having to bend over quite a bit to hug her. "I was starting to think you forgot about the party."

"You know I'd never miss the start of the year party! I was busy getting this one ready," she smiles wide as she wraps an arm around my waist. I just stand there awkwardly with the most unsure look on my face. I wring my hands together as I shift my weight from leg to leg. The guy looks at me with a kinder smile, noticing my unease. He stands about 4 inches taller than me and I look up to meet his eyes, "I'm Julio Salazar. I'm a part of the basketball team here. I'm sure you've heard of me."