Begin Again - A.I

twenty.

"What the HELL?"

"LET'S BURN HER HAIR!" Michael cries.

"MICHAEL!"

"Come on, Ella. Just take a sip," Luke edges. He moves the vase closer and closer to my lips. "You knoowww you wanttt it."

"Is this some kind of entry into your cult?" I cry. "Is this what you do at your guy mate hang outs?"

"You told her?!"

"Just drink the damn beer, Stanford."

"Fine! But will you put me the hell down?"

Ashton obeys and sets me gently back on solid ground. I straighten my shirt and huff, blowing hair out of my face. 

"Good grief," I say. "You boys are a piece of work." I then clear my throat and take a deep breath. "Pass me the fucking vase."

Luke does without hesitation and I grip the shiny marble tight. The smell is awful and I really don't know what I'm drinking. There's all kinds of remnants in here. Oh god, I want to gag. I pinch my nose and then throw my head back and begin to chug.

And I chug, and I chug, and I down the whole damn thing in one mouthful before slamming the vase back down on the table. The boys all look at me, impressed, and I just shrug. "Now what?"

"Now, Calum drinks!" Luke cheers, beginning to fill the vase back up again.

"Man, Ella, you've got some lungs." Michael nudges me.

"Who would've thought you had it in you?" Ashton winks.

I just roll my eyes at the both of them, already beginning to feel the alcohol taking it's toll on me. "Bring on the night," I say.

----------

"Never have I ever kissed my cousin at my uncle's family dinner."

"Fuck you, Michael!" Luke cries. "I told you that in confidence!"

"Woah." I hold out my hands. "You kissed your cousin?"

"Mate, that's pretty fucked up," Ashton adds.

"The hot one?" Calum asks.

"I was fucking wrecked," Luke defends. "And it was, like, two years ago. And fuck yeah it was the hot one."

"Luke, that is disgusting," I say. "You're related!"

"Not really. She's my second cousin." Luke shrugs.

"Oh, that's okay then," Ashton says.

"Are you guys serious?" I look around at them all. "Second, third, fourth, you're still related."

"All that matters is the first," Ashton nods, holding up his beer bottle like he's about to give some inspirational speech. "Seconds, thirds and fourths don't matter. You can apply that to everything."

"Hear hear!" Luke cries, holding up his bottle and clinking it with Ashton's.

I roll my eyes, swigging some of my beer back. "You guys are foul."

"Your turn, Luke."

"Alright. Never have I ever .... gone to class stoned." 

Ashton, Michael and Luke all take a sip of their drinks and Calum just sits there awkwardly. In fact, he's barely drunken any of his beer. He's done, like, nothing. We're both in the same boat. This game sucks.

"When was this?" I question the boys. "All in the same class?"

"Multiple times," Michael informs.