Complicated

4. "Easy Tiger"

I can't seem to find Ash, even though he'd only walked into the same house a moment before. As soon as I enter I notice the huge amount of people everywhere. Loads on the stairs, the hallway, each room, they stand chatting holding red cups or dancing in the lounge or chilling in the pool outside. I scower each room, until I finally spot Ashton sitting with a couple of random teens in the basement which looks like it got made into a lair like in my house. He smiles gently when he sees me, and walks over.
Without a word he hands me the plastic red cup in his hands, and puts his arm loosely around my shoulder, guiding me to the group he sat with.
"Jade Hemmings everyone" he announces as we sit on the floor. Everyone says hey, looking up from some sort of game they were playing. A glass was in the middle, with cards all around it.
"What's this?" I ask.
"Ring of fire. Different cards say different things. Strip, drink, choose someone to drink with, waterfall, dares" he says loudly over the music. Liam sits opposite me, making me uncomfortable because of the car conversation. I shuffle awkwardly, and sip from the cup. Straight up vodka, sour in my mouth. I gulp it quickly, regretting the horrible burning sensation in my throat instantly. Ashton laughs beside me, and takes the cup out of my hand, replacing it with a blue bottle that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
He mumbles something but i don't catch it.
"What?"
He leans in close to me, moving my long brown hair away from my ear.
"Alco-pop. You'll like it more its like a soda with alcohol in it" he says again, and I nod. He leans back again, and we watch as people take turns picking up cards and obeying the message on them.
I see Luke enter the room with Mikey. No sight of calum. They join the group, acquainted with everyone unlike me.
Mikey sits down beside me, Luke sits at the other side of Ash.
"Calum is looking for you, we've explained how much of a fucking idiot he is" Mikey calls over the music
"Great. He in a bad mood?" I say sarcastically with a sigh.
"Nah, he just feels bad. You in a bad mood?"
"Yup." I say, taking a long drink from the bottle.
"Easy there tiger, we know what you get like with a few drinks down you" Ash laughs, and I turn to him with my eyebrow raised. A few people in the group laugh and "ooooh" making me laugh. "I want to get drunk, weather you want it or not boy" I say, prodding his shirt with my finger and he smiles.
"Actually yeah, drink up" he laughs, handing me his vodka again. I take it from him, and the crowd begins to chant "CHUG, CHUG, CHUG"
So I do.