Peer Pressure

Light-Weight

 "Jesus Drew, what happened to your hand?" Luke asks as he comes in.

"Oh, nothing." I lie.

He sits and give me a hard stare. "It was Kier wasn't it?" He checks.

I'm taken by surprise so I'm unable to contain my surprised expression. "How did you know?" I check.

"I've been going here for three years, I know that he doesn't let new kids off easily." He sighs. "What did you do?" He chuckles to cheer me up.

"I didn't see him, he spilled his drink." I briefly explain.

Luke pats me gently on the back. "It could've been worse y'know." He tells me sympathetically.

"I know." I murmur.

"Tell you what, how about we forget about those three." Luke suggests, going under Shane's bed to take one of his bottles.

"Are you sure? That's Shane's isn't it?" I check nervously.

"It's okay, Shane's cool enough, he doesn't mind." Luke shrugs. "As long as we don't act friendly with him in public, he doesn't care what we get up to." He explains, passing me a bottle and drinking straight from another.

I look at the bottle nervously, I have a tendency to have a loud mouth when I get drunk, not to mention I'm a lightweight.

"Don't worry, I won't film you." He laughs.

"That wasn't what I was worried about." I chuckle slightly.

"Then what's up?" He checks.

I try to think of an accurate way to word my thoughts without seeming like a wimp. "I don't drink much." I manage.

"Oh, no need to be on edge. It just helps wind down." He smiles, patting me on the arm.

I look at the bottle hesitantly. "O-okay, I guess." I nod, taking a careful sip.

It tastes horrible so I immediately stop drinking with a groan. Luke laughs at my reaction.

"Is this your first time drinking?" Luke laughs.

I shake my head. "Nah, I was just taken by surprise."

"Oh, I should've warned you. Kier prefers gin, but Shane has to smuggle it in here with beer bottles." Luke explains.

"I had no idea." I chuckle.

"Go on then, drink up." He encourages.

I look around nervously before taking another sip.

This continues until it gets late and I end up getting very drunk.

"So, you don't seem the trouble type, what did you do to get sent here?" Luke asks me curiously, I'm too drunk to bite my tongue.

"My dad saw me makin' out with some cute guy." I reply drunkly, with a slight giggle. Luke chuckles as well.

"You're gay?" He checks.

I nod hastily.

"Do you like anyone here?" He whispers cheekily, knowing that I won't think enough to keep my mouth shut.

I nod again, still giggling girlishly.

"Who?" Luke grins.

"Shane." I grin back. He seems rather taken aback.

"At least you're not in love with me I guess." He chuckles. "That'd be awkward."

I'm just about to say something but we both stop and look to the door as Shane walks in.

"Hi Shane." Luke smiles socially.

"We were just talking about you." I add, falling onto my side from leaning too much.

He glares at us for a moment, "Now that I'm here, you should both probably stop." He mutters before taking off his uniform and climbing into his bed.

"Since when did you come back so early, don't you normally come back at, like, three?" Luke asks him.

"Just shut up." He almost snaps, turning to face away from us and trying to get to sleep.

The realisation of what's just happened, finally getting to me and causing me to sober up. I quickly grab Luke by the arm and whisper in his ear, so that Shane doesn't overhear. "No one has to know about this."

"Don't worry." Luke replies. "Your secret is very safe with me."