Extra Credit | Complete

23

"I'm dry," I stated.

Harper glanced into her own cup before turning it upside down. She gave it a little shake. "Me too."

A graveyard of empty liquor bottles dotted the kitchen counter. The party had been in full swing for the last couple of hours and everything was slowly running out.

"Should we try the keg?" Harper slurred. "Maybe they brought a new one out."

"I doubt it," I said, coming around the counter and tugging on her hand with sticky fingers. "Beer pong it is."

I ignored her protest, leading her deeper into the smoky haze. Ella had been reassuring us that all of it was coming from the single fog machine stationed in the living room. A deep breath told me otherwise. The house music went right through me, playing around with my insides. I loved the feeling. Pausing at the edge of the dance floor, I created a mental note to accept Ella's invitations to sorority parties more often.

I swayed on my own as Harper wiggled her way through the ring of people around the beer pong table. With my hands free I yanked at the tight black bodysuit. The sweat from my neck and chest sticking to it. Deep red lipstick was smudged onto the back of my hand, along with some of the fake blood I was helping Ella apply earlier. It was all too much effort for the amount of time it stayed put.

When a third body bumped into me I craned my neck. Where did Harper go? My vision spun a little as I tried to locate my best friend. It didn't take long to spot her mass of curls. She had joined the crowd, shoulder to shoulder with a girl with long, ebony hair. The point of the girl's black nails grazed over the back of Harper's hand.

Well, there goes my beer pong partner.

"Do you bite?" Someone shouted into my ear. Their hot breath fanned over my neck, fluttering up my nose. The stench of rum had my stomach doing backflips.

I turned on my heel, coming face to face with a guy who barely appeared nineteen. A folded blue bandana covered his forehead. He was clad in an orange jumpsuit, a white undershirt tight across his chest.

The beer had fuelled my confidence. "Only if you piss me off."

"Well, in that case, I don't mind if I make you a little mad." His hand reached out to touch my waist. "I like things rough."

"Yeah," I said, batting his hand away. "No thanks."

"Are you sure?" His hand snaked out again. The lust in his eyes made me nauseous.

"I think you heard her properly the first time." Ella's blonde head appeared between us. "Why don't you take a hike back to whatever rock you crawled out under?" When he didn't move she pressed on. "Well?"

The guy's face scrunched in distaste as he wandered back into the crowd. The distance stopped the constricting of my lungs. It was a sense of relief. Until his blue eyes scraped along the length of my body and he licked his lips before disappearing deeper into the smoky room.

"I hate little boys who can't take no for an answer," Ella said as she spun around to face me. Her costume was still in pristine condition—no hint that she had just been in the middle of a dance mob. "Where's Harps?"

I jutted a thumb towards the beer pong table. "Getting in line for beer pong. But I think she might have found a new partner."

Ella raised a sharp brow. "Really?" She craned her next neck, trying to peer into the ring of cheering people. "How drunk is she?"

"She's at a prime level of intoxication," I mused. "Let her have her fun."

Ella must have spotted our ginger friend because her grin matched mine.