Sage Heart
My thoughts are tangled like a cob web as the night gets older.
One: Knox has seen my physical scars. Her intention earlier was to warn me about the flimsy latch of the doorknob. That was how she managed to push open the door even after I secured the lock.
Two: Jae deliberately kept an important detail from me about this party. His eighteenth birthday party. Not only don't I have a present for the celebrant, I also hate being kept in the dark. I know I'm being hypocritical since I myself am hiding a chestful of secrets, but.. this is so frustrating!
It's a quarter to eight and everyone is having a fantastic time, gyrating to a Bruno Mars song. Knox is pretending she never saw my injuries while Jae is dancing and cheering his other friends who are having a ridiculously hilarious dance-off with exaggerated energy and exuberant facial expressions. The whole apartment is bright and lively and I can't help clapping my hands when Cole declared Arrow as the winner of the contest.
"I want a rematch!" demands Res, who is childishly stomping his foot and pouting at Cole, who pats him on the shoulder to comfort him. "Let's eat?" Cole suggests, galvanizing Res considerably. "Yeah!"
The boys return to their spots on the neat floor while us girls sit on the sofa. Penelope is rooting around the massive tote bag she had brought, and one by one, she sets down a bottle on the glass center table. "I've got wine.. beer.. booze..alcohol.."
"Penn." Core stiffens in panic. "Some of us aren't eighteen yet."
"I don't see why you're stating that. You're allergic to alcohol. Have some beer instead." Upon saying those words, Penn hands a can of beer to a fidgety Core, who hesitantly takes it.
Random arms shoot out to reach for various drinks. When Penn glances at me, she lifts one eyebrow inquisitively. "Do you drink alcohol?" she asks in a casual tone. I visibly relax when I notice her cold demeanor is thawing into a warmer climate.
When I shake my head no, she beams. "Great! More for us. Here, take this instead," she says ebulliently while offering me a damp can of soda.
She's more easygoing than I give her credit for. I flip open the seal of the can and bring it to my lips. The sweet, refreshing liquid rolls down my tongue and flows down my throat.
"Random question game," announces Chess, taking a pull of his beer. "Cole, you go first."
Cole thrusts his fingers through his neat black hair. "Okay, let me think.. A girl I once dated told me she likes her whiskey like she likes her men. What the hell do you think she meant by that?"
I watch as Jae grabs a bag of chips, and while tearing it open, he replies, "Twice her age and from Scotland."
Flair snuffles with laughter, dipping her hand into a bowl of nachos on her lap. "Smokey,full-bodied and leaves you gasping a little," she says between giggles.
Arrow chomps on a chocolate bar and his muffled voice garbles, "Left in an oak barrel for at least three years,with very little oxygen." More snickers and chuckles fill the room.
Suddenly I can't help a gurgle of my own laughter. "In a sealed glass container gathering dust under the liquor table."
Everyone bursts into even more laughter. Cleo's hand clamps over mouth, and her eyes are shaped like rainbows. Core's shoulders are trembling with mirth as he curls into a fetal position on the cold floor.
Jae takes a quick gulp of his beer and throws a look at Res who is also on the floor. "Res, your turn," Jae prompts his close friend.
"Right, hold on." Res sets down his wine glass on the tile in front of him. "What do girls usually do in the shower?" he asks without preamble, sweeping his gaze over all of us in the room.
