Consequences

⟡three⟡

"Where the hell are we?"

    It was Thursday night and Brinley was suddenly regretting her agreement to go to Matt's part with Lia. It was only 9:00 in the evening and there were already drunk teenagers strung across the front lawn. The house was magnificent, though, disregarding the solo cups and intoxicated fools. It was possible the biggest house Brinley had ever seen.

    "The best party you'll ever go to." Lia replied, grabbing Brinley's arm and leading her through the front door. Lia knew nearly everyone and smiled and waved at multiple different people within seconds of walking through the door. She looked around for a second, but soon looked back at Brinley with a shocked expression. "I almost forgot!"

    Lia dragged Brinley over to an empty bedroom and shut the door. Brinley was more confused than she had ever been, but Lia explained her motives quickly. She turned to Brinley and began, "Okay, ground rules."

    Brinley laughed at her best friend, sitting on the neatly made bed.

    "First of all, if we get split up, text me and let me know who you're going home with, or if you're going to stay here. I'll do the same."

    "Who I'm going home with?" Brinley was astonished. There were no parties like this at her old school.

    "Yes, lots of people get laid at these parties, or get drunk enough that they literally can't leave. Matt has plenty of rooms to sleep in. Okay second rule, no drunk driving and no drunk texting your exes. Also your mom will be pissed if you come home drunk, so text her now and tell her you'll stay at my house tonight."
    Brinley pulled out her phone and texted her mom just that. Then Lia continued, "Finally, I saw Alfie Bell here, he's 21 and supplies the alcohol for these parties. He's also pretty creepy, he tries to get with teenagers still, but no one is kicking him out. If he goes, the alcohol goes."

    "What are you trying to say?" Brinley interrogated her friend.

    Lia tucked her smooth black hair behind her ear and let out a huff, "Just don't get involved with him."

    "Okay mom." Brinley rolled her eyes.

    "Let's go party now!" Lia grabbed Brinley's hand for the last time that night and led them both to the rest of the teenagers.
-
    An hour later Brinley was still very much sober and watching a game of beer pong being played on the coffee table. Lia already had at least two drinks in her, and she was absolutely atrocious at beer pong, but it was still her favorite game. Brinley was sitting on the over crowded couch when a guy leaned over the couch, and met her eyes. "Want a drink, pretty girl?"

    Those words seemed to spark something in Lia because milliseconds later her head whipped away from the game and onto the stranger next to Brinley. She stormed over and pushed the man by the shoulders, "Get away from her, Alfie. You fuckin' creep."

    Her words were slightly slurred, but Alfie just laughed at her demand, "Just showing new girl here a good time. Would you piss off?"

    "Lia, I'm fine. Go have fun." Brinley said, which only received a eye roll from Lia, but she complied, possibly too buzzed to answer.

    Brinley turned back to Alfie, and introduced herself so he would stop calling her new girl. She agreed to a drink and walked over to the kitchen with him to get it. The kitchen was also filled with sweaty bodies and both full and empty red solo cups. Alfie talked to her sweetly now, which was a large contrast to his previous cocky attitude.

    The two continued to talk for some time, and in that time, they learned a lot about each other. Brinley learned that Alfie was in fact 21 years old, and had two younger brothers, one of which was in Brinley's class. He had chestnut brown hair that looked like it had not been cut in a few months because the top was messily flipped over his head and a few pieces of hair were slightly over his ears. His eyes were bright green, apparently like his father's, as he explained. His body was fit, but you could already see the effects of the excessive drinking beginning to appear. But possibly the weirdest thing about him was his fading British accent. It seemed to come and go when he pleases, but he didn't quite have a perfect American accent. Brinley forgot to ask about it because soon after she noticed this about him, another boy interrupted.