Spin the Bottle (UNEDITED DRAFT)

Text Exchange

It's a normal day at Nashville High.

Florence is 15 years old, and she's the new girl in school.

Even though she was new, she'd already earned the reputation of the 'weird' girl. She didn't smile at everyone, but she did cosey up to this one girl called Janey. Janey Patterson was the kindest and most easygoing girl Florence has ever hung out with. She sat next to Janey and wriggled uncomfortably as a group of blond barbies sauntered towards her. The leader with the fakest brunette streaks in her hair leaned in to tell Janey a secret.

"Hey, Janey.... That girl you're sitting with is a weirdo. Come sit with us, you'll enjoy it far more than here in this geek-hole!" She said in a mock-whisper.

Her friends beside her flipped their hair and raked their perfectly manicured finger through their unknotted mounds of silky hay. Janey gave them a cold glare while she kept her smile plastered on her face. "No thank you." She said politely.

What she basically meant was: "STOP BITCHING AROUND MY FRIEND AND PICK ON BARBIE-LONG-LEGS' YOUR OWN SIZE."

The thing was, Janey was popular because of her looks.

She always got invited by the 'cool' gang to sit at tables to eat lunch. "She sometimes did sit somewhere with the cool kids, but I doubt that she enjoyed it much with an apparent scowl covering most of her slender face."

Florence mind whirred as she was biting her nail anxiously. 'I wish I was as pretty as Janey.'

Janey had silky soft ash brown hair that draped around the curves of her face. Her eyes were a pretty hazel brown, and her lips were full and pink. She had freckles dotted on her nose and cheeks and perfect pearly white teeth.

On the other hand, Florence had tan skin and mousy hazel hair. Her face was round and always looked like she was blushing. Her dark brown eyes were murky and almost black, even in the sunlight. Florence's lips were constantly chapped and her forehead dotted with some pimples. Her teeth weren't completely straight and were slightly stained yellow, but it was the reality. Florence was an epitome of the reality of a 15-year-old.

Still angry, Florence pulled out her phone to check for messages. None. She shoved it back in her pocket and shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth. "Mmm. It's super dry." She grimaced, chewing harder than normal. Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. "Huh? What's this?" She thought to herself.

Bzzt. Bzzt.

Little did she know that this one simple text message exchange would change her life.

UNKNOWN: hey. Here's an invite to my party. My house is at Kingstone road, Abraham street. Turn right and you should see a brick house with a fence that is painted black. Equipped with a crazy yapping dog and everything. It'll be fun. It's at 6:30, tonight. Ends whenever. Hope to see you, Florence.

Florence: okay. Thanks for the message. Who are you?

"Hm. No reply." She muttered out loud. Janey's fork paused mid-air as she glanced worriedly at Florence. "What's wrong?" She asked in a concerned tone. Florence tutted like an old lady. "Nothing much, nosey." Janey looked slightly hurt and winced. "Just kidding." Florence added, feeling guilty for her previous random 'supposed to be a joke'. "Well, actually, I got invited to a party. It doesn't have any details except where am I supposed to go and what time. I wonder who sent it. Should I go?" Slightly overwhelmed, Janey wiped her un-sweaty brow. "Guess what... I got the same message!" She said in a voice an octave too high. "Weird." Florence thought. Weird that she got the same message or weird that she only decided to bring it up now? Florence didn't know.

That night at exactly 6:30, Florence set out in a simple T-shirt with the old cartoon network logo printed on and a pair of ripped jeans. Comfortable, pretty cool looking. Everything she needed. "I only bought a pack of gummy bears. Besides, this is my first legit party ever!" Her mind seemed to garble on and on with useless background commentary while she strode towards this strange brick house, only a few blocks away from her own. As she reached the front yard, her eyes widened and she gasped dramatically.

"What. In. The. Actual. F-CK."

About a hundred students were scattered across the front yard, all from her grade. As she approached the gate leading into the grand house, a hundred eyes followed her all the way up to the porch. She could feel the judgemental stares carving hateful words on her back, and she turned away and entered the house.

The inside was even more cramp. Hundreds of partygoers danced to the thumping music that blasted through the windows and cracks through the door, making the house shake. She then spotted a sign. "ONLY THOSE WITH PERMITTED ENTRY (text messages) MAY ENTER MASTER BEDROOM."

She looked questioningly at the paper for a few more seconds, then pushed through the clumps of people and sprinted up the stairs. "I received a text message. Perhaps I should go here?" On the second floor, there were only a couple of people hanging around the banister that overlooked the first floor. Florence could see a couple drink cans littered across the landing, and she even spotted a half-empty cup filled with what looked like beer. Slightly afraid, Florence walked quietly to a room labeled 'Party 2'.

"Party 2? What's that?" She pondered as she pushed open the door into a room streamed with streamers and colorful confetti. Strobe lights and disco balls spun and danced around the seemingly empty room as 70's disco played in the background. A fruit punch table ladened with snacks and snacks stood at the side, with an entire other table dedicated to chips of every kind. Ahh. More 'her' style.

Little did she know that this night would be the night that Florence met Dacre. Little did she know that this little room would hold the darkest secrets and the most memorable memories.