Bitter (wlw) (teacherxstudent)

sixty-two

"Come on, I was just joking about what happened last time I was here with Ellie" she snickered. "But I can't contradict you on the second part"

"Speak for yourself" Maya intervened. "Actually, maybe she's right" she added, seconds later.

"I know I'm right" the blonde said. "You want one, El?"

"Uh, no thanks" I mumbled, thinking about the fact that Mei's first comment would have made me quite uncomfortable in normal conditions, but I couldn't care less at that moment.

"Have you ever even tried to smoke at all?" Mei asked.

"Of course" was my instinctive reply. "...No" I added, knowing I wasn't good at lying.

"Don't you want to say you've at least tried? It'll be fun to watch" she handed me a cigarette before I could even think.

"Not really..." I tried to find support in the others, but both also looked amused. "Okay, fuck it" I changed my mind in a fit of courage.

Even if I followed their precise instructions on what to do I ended up feeling like my throat and lungs were burning and coughing like some old man for a good minute.

"You good?" Mei asked as she and the others kept laughing.

"It's not funny!" I croaked, still trying to breathe properly. "But yeah, I'm fine. Not what I was expecting"

"Yeah, the first time's weird" Sarah chuckled. "I honestly never enjoy it that much, only when I'm drinking"

Anything I did from that moment onwards was pretty much a blur, I just remember I had more fun than I'd had in a long time. I knew I'd probably finished that one cigarette, and I somehow ended up in the pool with tens of people around me. But I really didn't have any idea on the events that led to that moment.

Or at least, everything up to when I realized I had no idea where I'd left my bag with my phone and keys in it. I probably looked like a crazy person inspecting every corner of the not so small house for the next fifteen minutes or so.

But I'd luckily just left it in the person who lived in the house's bedroom, where not many people had been hanging out.

"Shit, I didn't take my keys with me!" I mumbled to Mei, who was probably wondering why I was looking so worried, once I found her again. I really hoped I'd actually forgot to take them and not have them stolen, but I wasn't lucid enough to worry about that.

"You can stay on my couch for the night, I don't mind" she said.

"Really?" I sighed in relief.

"Yeah, no worries" she reassured me. "Babe, Ellie's staying at my place so you'll only have to drop Maya off before stopping there" she turned towards Sarah.

"You know me and Maya also came by subway, right?" she asked.

"What?"

"Babe, you literally texted me to tell me there was no parking space left and I shouldn't bother driving here"

"Oh, right" she giggled, wrapping her arms around Sarah's waist. "Sorry, I think I'm slightly drunk"

"I gathered" she chuckled. "You forgot your keys, El?"

"Yeah, I'm dumb" I laughed.

"It happens to the best of us, no big deal. Let's go and enjoy the party for another while" she suggested, quickly kissing Mei before disappearing in the crowd with her.

"You coming?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, I just need to, uh, text Sam" I said, realizing the alcohol's effect was starting to fade from the nervousness I felt while saying that name in front of Maya. "And then I need another drink"