Worth the Chase

chapter two

RYAN

I blink, glancing around as I wonder how I ended up at the current party. 

Sat next to Mia on the couch, I peer up at the crowd in the living room in front of me, finding Bailey dancing with Chase. Standing at least a foot taller than her, he dips his chin to the crook of her neck as he mutters something into her ear, causing her to blush.

Wiping the sleep away from the corner of my eyes, I replay the day's events. The last thing I remember is clearing out of the frat house and hitting up the party at Chase's. But as I study the room we're sitting in, I realize we are somewhere entirely foreign.

"You fell asleep," Mia hands me a water bottle.

"Thanks," My voice hoarse as I clear my throat. All the alcohol drained from my system, leaving me thoroughly exhausted. Chugging down the entire bottle, I quench my cottonmouth. "What time is it?"

"Around 8," she leans back.

"Damn," I mumble, leaning onto her shoulder.

She chuckles, taking a sip from her cup, "Yeah, that last game of king's cup with Noah and Garrett did not end well for you." I remember that game, the one where they made me chug white rum, tequila, and a concoction of drinks from the centre cup when I pulled the last king.

It's no wonder events leading up to this moment are foggy.

"Assholes," I mutter, referring to Noah and Garrett Riggs—another one of Chase's hockey teammates—as Mia and I laugh.

"Chase and Bailey wanted to head to Vice in about an hour. Are you still up for that, or do you want to head home?" She nudges her shoulder, forcing me to sit up. I'm not going to lie; heading home and slipping into bed sounds fantastic. Fatigue is still very much etched deep in my bones. But it's also 8 o'clock on a Saturday. It's our last Homecoming, and I don't want to waste it away sleeping at home.

I sigh, "We can go, but I might want to head home first to freshen up."

"Sounds good," Mia nods. I refrain from drinking more and stick to the water so that I can last a few more hours before passing out.

Garrett joins us as we head to our apartment, which happens to be on our way to Vice from the party. Fixing up my makeup, I change out of the UNC crop top and into a lace top; I also swap my shorts for a buttoned skirt which is more appropriate for Vice, a popular student club located in the heart of downtown Cardill.

Grabbing my water bottle, I slip into some shoes again and head downstairs to see that I was the last one down this time. Mia's wearing a plum wrap dress and sneakers—explaining that she won't be able to handle heels with the amount of alcohol in her system and dancing.

Bailey—clings onto Chase's sides—wears a silk singlet that she loosely tucked into her high-waisted shorts.

"Ready?" Chase asks when he spots me. I nod, slipping my phone into my pocket. It takes the five of us all of 15 minutes to stumble there and another 20 minutes of waiting before we actually get into the club. We're consumed by darkness as we head downstairs, the only light source being the black lights and the neon signs on the walls.

Heat washes over me as I stumble past dancing bodies and loose limbs, immediately feeling sticky and slick—grateful that I tied my hair up for the night. Chase and Bailey break off, disappearing into the crowd to dance, while Mia and Garrett head to the bar to grab a drink. Though I've stopped drinking, I tag along with Mia, seeing as I don't want to third wheel the couple for the night.

I love the club atmosphere—the music is ostentatious as it pounds in your ears, drowning out everything in your mind. 

Though I love dancing, I won't say I'm the greatest at it; I love making a fool of myself. In this dark setting, where everyone is either too drunk to notice or caught up with their own situation, it's the perfect chance to dance my ass off without worrying about anyone judging me.