Her Absent Memory

Chapter Five

I'm sure she'll refrain, though, since Riley could be considered an easy target. Bad reputation, gay, careless, and rumored to be promiscuous. Cora could easily destroy her entire social life and then some. Even mine, if she really wanted to. She's acquired some dirt on me throughout the years. Maybe she finds it convenient to be my friend because of that. So then why hasn't she made a move? It could be that she knows Riley is a quick thinker and could pull a fast one on her in the blink of an eye. I doubt Cora will even make a move with that information in mind.

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door, followed by the sound of Holden yelling from downstairs.

"Sutton! Your date's here!" Holden shouts.

I roll my eyes and walk downstairs to see Blaine and Holden peering out the window. The fancy, shaped glass makes it so that you cant see people outside too well. They stare hard and argue back and forth.

"It has to be a guy... It's wearing a flannel and a beanie!" Holden tells Blaine.

"Shove off, lemme see!" Blaine orders, pushing him aside.

"She is not my date," I laugh and usher them away from the door, "She's just a friend."

"Mom and Dad are coming home at ten. Do they know you're going out?" Holden demands.

"Yeah," I lie, "I'm spending the night at her place."

"Liar! Where's your stuff, then?" Blaine points out, placing her hands on her hips.

"It'll be down your throat if you tell Mom and Dad." I say coldly with a smile on my face.

I give both of my siblings hugs and tell them to behave before slipping out the door. I come face to face with Riley and we both stand there for a moment, looking at each other. I feel my cheeks starting to get hot for some reason and I manage to get out a word.

"Hi." I breathe quietly.

"Hey," Riley smiles wide, "You look stunning."

"Don't overexaggerate." I laugh and start down the driveway.

We get into her car and begin the drive to Fallon's. It's already nearly pitch black outside, so Riley drives carefully. But about halfway through the voyage, she steps all the way down on the gas pedal and swerves the car right off of the road. I instinctively reach for the handle above my window and hold on for dear life as we tear across the dirt.

"Riley! What are you doing?" I shout.

"Relax," She snickers, speeding up some more.

Dirt flies up around us everywhere and the car bounces along like an amusement park ride. My pulse is pounding in my ears by the time she jerks the steering wheel all the way to one side and sends us sliding across the terrain. I think I'm about to die. She drives straight onto a busy road and nearly kills us before hooking a tight left and screeching onto a busy, car-packed street. I try to relax as she drastically slows down and parks the car along a curb. I breathe hard and place my hand over my chest.

"We made it," Riley beams proudly.

"Yeah, barely!" I exclaim.

"You loved it. It got you warmed up for the party. Come on," She teases and gets out of the car.

I get out and see a house a few hundred feet away with light pouring out of all of the windows. Loud, muffled music eminates from inside and probably drives the neighbors nuts. I lift my eyebrows and begin following Riley toward the house. When we get inside the house, all of my senses are overwhelmed. The first thing to strike me is the deafening boom of bass that rattles the house. Next, the scent of alcohol floods my nostrils. When we begin walking further into the house, I'm nearly blinded by all of the smoke that fogs up the living room. Not to mention how many times I nearly get knocked off of my feet by dancing party goers.

I cough and wave a hand in front of my face while also trying to ensure I don't go toppling over. I catch a glimpse of some drunk friends trying to dance without success. They just stumble around and try to stay on their feet. I can't help but giggle as I try to continue my journey with Riley. She reaches for my hand when we have to push through a larger crowd of tightly packed people, and then we enter the kitchen. Riley eagerly approaches the counter to prepare a drink. On the adjacent counter, a girl sits with a boy standing between her legs. The two make out sloppily and I turn away with a nervous laugh.

In all my high school years, I have never been to a party like this. It's so much different than any social gathering I've ever been to. I hate to admit it to myself, but it actually makes me a little bit nervous. Possibly even a tad scared. With circumstances like these, anything could happen. I tune back into my surroundings as Riley finishes up her concoctions. She turns around and hands me a red plastic cup. We clink our cups together and Riley throws her head back, finishing the entire drink. She smiles and smacks her lips.

"Your turn, Sutton. Loosen up, come on," She encourages, "I mean, if you don't drink... I totally understand... You Christian types."

I narrow my eyes at her and quickly chug the entire drink. My throat feels like I just swallowed a lit match. I slam the empty cup on the counter and suck in a deep breath, trying not to hurl. Riley stares at me in surprise before a proud smile crawls across her face.

"What is that?" I ask, watching her finish up another mixture of the mysterious beverage.

"My specialty. I call it the Throat Tickler," She winks and brings the cup to her lips to take a sip.

I explode with laughter and Riley can't contain herself either. She spits out a mouthful of alcohol in a fit of giggles and we only laugh harder. The couple near us leaves the kitchen on account of our obnoxious cackling. The music in the house gets even louder when 'Outta Your Mind' comes on and the nerves from earlier completely disappear.

"Hit me with another one!" I tell Riley.

The two of us dance around the kitchen as she makes me another drink. I finish my second cup with ease, ignoring the burning in my throat. Then, I finish another cup... And another... And another...