But maybe Barb was wrong. Maybe she had gotten the wrong message from the close relationship her and Steve shared. He was with Nancy; and even more than that he was her best friend. Even if she was in love with him, it would never work.
With a huff, Kate got up from her place on the lawn chair and walked over to her friends. She took the freshly opened beer from Steve's hand and began to chug it. Her actions were met with a few mouth-open stares, as no one had ever really seen the girl drink. Tommy began to chant: "Chug! Chug! Chug!"
Soon, everyone began to chant, which gave Kate the confidence to finish the disgusting beverage. She plugged her nose after finishing the beer, tossing the empty can to the ground.
Steve stood and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "How was it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Fucking gross."
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A few hours passed, and everyone was significantly drunker than before – including Kate who'd never gotten drunk in her life. Carol left a while ago after a rather heated fight with Tommy, and Nancy (who was surely a first-time drinker too) had just jumped in the pool, skirt on and all. Steve was probably the most sober of the group – besides Barb of course. The redhead never left her seat on the lawn chair, watching Nancy, and three others she barely knew, drink their weight in cheap beer.
It was obvious she wasn't having a good time. Not only was she practically by herself the entire night, but she also had massive cut on the palm of her hand. She wrapped the wound in a bandage and one of Steve's dishtowels but the cut never stopping bleeding. Kate wanted to feel bad, but she was a little too drunk for that.
Steve was trying to coax his girlfriend out of the water, while trying to prevent getting in himself. If he ruined the sweater his mom had just bought, he'd never hear the end of it.
The song playing on the radio ended, and after a word from the host, another song blasted from the speakers. A mix of bass and drums filled her ears, and the guitar followed soon after.
"I fucking love this song," Kate swore. She reached to her side, turning up the radio that sat on the table next to her. She sloppily bobbed her head to the music and loudly sang the words.
Steve pulled Nancy from the pool and wrapped her in a towel, before he looked over at her. He didn't want to smile – he wanted to go into Dad Mode and scold her for over-drinking – but he couldn't help it. A small laugh left his lips as Kate slurred the words of the song he knew she loved.
"When I'm alone," Kate sung as she stood, shaking the scrunchie out of her hair and letting her blonde locks fall to her shoulders. "All by myself."
Again, everyone laughed at her incredibly drunken actions. Steve's smile washed away as she turned to face Tommy. The boy was all for the free show he was receiving and fully sat up in his seat so he could enjoy it more. Kate began to take off her sweater to the beat of the music, and soon, she was left in nothing but a blush pink bra and her jeans.
