"A little party never killed nobody." – The Great Gatsby
The Hockey House was located on what would've probably been frat row if Seaport had Greek life. It was where all the houses that typically hosted parties were, and they almost all had nicknames of some sort. The closest Seaport got to Greek life. The ones I knew of were the Hockey House, our destination for tonight, then there was a basketball, volleyball, and soccer house as well. There was Madison Billing's house, she was a kind of famous influencer who went to Seaport and hosted a lot of parties, then a couple of other houses along the street with all the telltale signs of a college party house.
I'd be willing to bet that at some point all of these houses had been owned by locals, but over the years as more and more of them became college rental properties, the locals had moved out making this neighborhood, which was only like three blocks away from campus the party destination.
I'd only been here twice before, we'd gone to one of Madison Billing's parties last year, just to see what they were like. Then I'd been to a party at the soccer house back when Lyra had been dating a guy on the team. I wasn't sure what it was with all the sports teams living in houses together, but I was really glad Hayden didn't live at the Hockey House. It looked like a biohazard waiting to happen. It was clear that a few of the other houses had tried to have their own New Year's parties, but everyone had kind of migrated towards the hockey house where the biggest party was happening.
I wasn't entirely sure why we'd decided to come. I'd let the girls know about the invite when we'd all gotten back yesterday, assuming they'd say no since we traditionally spent New Year's Eve binge-watching a show and drinking way too much champagne while coming up with absurd resolutions, but this year they'd said we should go out. Start the winter quarter off with a bang.
Hayden hadn't said what time the party started, so to play it safe we decided to not show up till around ten, that and we spent way more time than necessary getting ready, but half the fun of going to any college party was getting ready while pregaming with your friends. I also wanted to make sure I looked hot. I hadn't seen Hayden since we'd both left for our breaks and since Thanksgiving things had just felt so off with him. I wanted to look hot tonight because I guess a part of me thought if I looked hot things could just go back to normal with him, whatever that meant.
So we took our time getting ready, and figuring out what exactly to wear. We wanted to look hot, but not like we were trying too hard. Seaport was a very casual dress school, which being in the Pacific Northwest shouldn't be much of a shock. So that ruled out a lot of the pretty dresses we saw on Pinterest. There might be a few girls in dresses, but Seaport parties tended to be more of a jeans and some sort of going out top kind of place.
I ended up wearing a pair of low-waisted jeans and my favorite black corset top that I didn't wear often enough. I had a black shacket I'd be leaving in the car when we got there though, Lyra had graciously agreed to be our designated driver tonight saying she wasn't feeling like having a hangover all day tomorrow. She and Adri both ended up in sexy-looking black tops as well, but Alyssa never to be outdone had this lacey red top on that I had no doubt she'd be hoping to get a certain hockey player's attention with.
We all, minus Lyra, had a slight buzz going, enough to make getting ready and going to the party more fun, but not so much that we'd be out of it. By this point in our senior year, we'd mastered knowing how much to drink to have a little fun, how much for a lot of fun, and how much to be completely wasted. There was a fine line, and I think we all wanted to avoid getting completely wasted.
That's how we end up parked on the street, walking to the hockey house, somewhat in awe of the sheer amount of people they've gathered. Despite it being cold outside there were a decent amount of people outside of the house playing around with sparklers and other tiny fireworks, and others dancing and drinking. There were speakers all over blasting the most basic college party music imaginable. I was somewhat shocked they hadn't gotten a band, it seemed like there were hundreds of them in town.
I glance over at the girls who are also looking at the house as if it's some sort of attraction at the zoo, "You ready for this?"
"Hells yeah," Alyssa shouts, being the most tipsy of all of us, and also the one who parties the most. We've all been to big parties before, but it's been a while, and there was something about this party that just felt different.
"I'm already regretting agreeing to dd tonight," Lyra groans as we walk into the house.
"Girl, I doubt we'll get towed on a holiday, we could just suck it up and Uber back tonight," I say grabbing her arm as we walk through the already wide open front door, and see why so many people are outside. It's packed in here. The house looks like it was cute once, with a staircase in the entryway that leads up, the living room to the left, and a kitchen to the right, but all of it is covered by people and more red solo cups than I've ever seen. Just initially looking around I only see maybe three people I recognize, Seaport's a decent-sized school, but I thought I knew more people than this.
"Nah," Lyra calls out, bringing me back to our conversation, "An Uber on New Year's Eve is gonna be expensive. I just get an out from being dd for the rest of college."
"Fair," I laugh, "Come on let's go get drinks," I say to Adri and Alyssa. In the kitchen, we immediately run into none other than Teddy Coleman, the first actual hockey player I've seen in the hockey house.
"Adri," he shouts, giving her a side hug, "You and me Beer Pong. I think I can finally beat you at this one."
She laughs, "You wish, you're still mad I crushed you at Mario Cart all of break." With that, Adri follows Teddy out of the kitchen to wherever beer pong is being set up, and Alyssa follows them, no doubt hoping to flirt with Teddy a little bit. Something tells me he'll be too distracted competing with Adri to flirt back though. Ever since Hayden and I introduced them, they've constantly been competing in different video games. I think over winter break Adri spent more time gaming with Coleman than talking with us. It's kind of cute, I never would've pegged them to become friends.
I grab a sealed bottle of hard pink lemonade, something I didn't expect to find here, but am glad to have, and open it. I'm always really cautious of what I drink at these sorts of things, hence why we pregame, and am glad there was more than just beer from the keg and whatever jungle juice is floating around. "What now," I ask turning to Lyra who still seems to be taking it all in.
"We should dance," she replies, giggling as we work our way over towards the living room where the music's the loudest and other people are dancing. I smile glad that even though she's sober the party energy is still catching on and she seems to be having fun.
We keep our arms linked or hold hands the entire time we dance so we don't lose one another and it feels so freeing. There's something so fun about just losing yourself in a large crowd of people, dancing as if nobody's watching because even if they are they're probably too drunk to remember if you look stupid or not. It's fun to sing along when a classic song you know comes on, then go back to just dancing when yet another rap song that blurs together with every other one as you shake your ass and laugh.
I'm definitely more tipsy than I thought. I'm giggling way more than usual, and just feel lighter and more bubbly. I think I was supposed to try and find Hayden when I got here, and I have no idea how long ago that was. I look around, at the people around me and he's not nearby, but there are so many people here. I should really try to find Hayden.
"I have to pee," I announce to Lyra, "You should keep dancing though, I'll find you later."
"Okay," she says smiling, she's been dancing with a cute guy for the past few songs and seems to be enjoying herself, so I don't want to cock block her while I look around for Hayden. I cross out of the living room and into what I think is the dining room, then out towards the backyard where there seem to be a lot of people. I grab my phone to check the time and see that it's 11:45 and that I have three missed texts from Hayden.
Hayden West: "Hey are you coming tonight?"
Hayden West: "You should come it's gonna be a lot of fun"
Hayden West: "I'm hanging in the backyard if/when you get here."
I feel kind of bad, I didn't mean to ignore him, I just hadn't checked my phone all night. The more I drink the less I think about things like checking my phone, which is probably not a good thing. I shoot him back a text.
Cassie Bennet: "lol sorry. Been here just didn't check my phone looking for you now."
Hopefully, he's not also in the terrible habit of not checking his phone when he drinks. I make my way outside and am immediately so cold. Inside the house was so warm, and on the dance floor with all those people It was probably even warmer. I glance around going from group to group trying to find him. I have fifteen minutes until midnight, and If I can find him before then we could kiss when the countdown ends. I've always wanted to kiss someone into the new year, but Steven always thought that was stupid, and we weren't ever really together over New Year's.
I keep looking through all the different groups of people back here but don't see him. I walk by the beer pong table where a very drunk Coleman and Adri are still playing, I turn towards Alyssa and Gibbs who are standing to the side talking.
"They've been going since you left us, and just keep challenging each other to rematches," Alyssa says sounding exasperated as she sees me.
"They're going to destroy themselves," Gibbs agrees.
"Just convince them to compete at something that won't damage their livers as much, like basketball? I think there was a hoop out front have them play HORSE or PIG or something."
"Genius," Gibbs says, patting me on the back and then turning to get Coleman and Adri's attention.
"Wait," I call out, getting him to turn around, "You wouldn't happen to know where Hayden is would you?"
"You guys never found each other," he asks looking kind of shocked, "I haven't seen him since you all got here."
"Oh," I respond, flatly, "Thanks anyway."
"Is it just me," Alyssa whispers to me as I turn to walk away, "or it Gibbs kinda..."
"You go for it girl," I call back in response as I walk away in search of where Hayden might be. The thing is I've never been to a party with him before so I have no idea what kind of party person he is, is he the guy spending the whole night by the keg, is he dancing, is he hanging outside? Who knows.
I decide to walk through the side yard towards the front of the house to find him, and sure enough, I spot him standing on the porch, but he's not alone. He's standing there talking to a girl, he's facing toward the direction I'm standing, leaning against the railing of the porch, and the girl is standing a little too close for it to be a friendly conversation. He doesn't see me, he's too busy looking at her.
I can't see her face, but she looks pretty from behind. She has long blonde hair that covers most of her back, but when he says something that makes her laugh, her hair moves just enough to tell she's wearing a backless top. She looks really pretty, like the kind of girl you'd expect a future pro hockey player to be dating. I bet she doesn't say she can't hang out because she needs to study. I bet she...
I stop myself, I don't know this girl. She's probably completely nice and normal, and I need to not push all of my insecurities onto her. All I need to do right now is decide what to do because standing here, mouth wide open staring at my man. No, staring at Hayden, he's not my man. For some reason.
I'm standing there, staring for what feels like a million years, but is only seconds, debating what to do. I mean what am I even supposed to do, I have absolutely no claim over him. He has every right to talk to other girls. But it hurts. It hurts so much more than I want it to, and I can practically feel the tears forming in my eyes, when his gaze breaks away from the pretty blonde girl and finds me. Standing in the side yard, away from most people staring at him.
He immediately says something to the girl, I don't hear what, I'm too far away and he starts to move, sliding his body over the railing and jumping off the porch, which is just a few feet above the ground. He begins walking towards me, but I'm not sure what to say to him, so I walk away, towards where we parked the car, not thinking about the fact that I'm drunk and also don't have the key and couldn't drive away if I wanted to. No, I don't have a single rational thought, I just walk as fast as I can manage with the amount of alcohol in me away from him, not sure If I'm praying he follows me or that he doesn't.
"Cassie," I hear him calling from behind me, and a mixture of relief and anger boil in me as I hear him call after me again, "Cassie Wait. I can explain. Please."
At this point, all rational thought has left me, and my eyes are filled with tears, I'm shivering from the stupid corset top I decided to wear, and I'm about halfway between the party and where we parked, no one else is around except for me and Hayden. I look and feel a mess.
He takes off his Jacket immediately and hands it to me without a word.
"I don't want your stupid jacket."
"Well I have a lot to say," he replies, "So take the jacket or freeze while we talk. Your choice."
I take the jacket, and put it on, immediately feeling warmer, but I don't let it show, "Give it to me, what's your excuse? Why were you with some other girl, after you invited me to this party?"
He looks at me, like really looks at me. Hopefully not laughing at how ridiculous I look, mascara no doubt ruined from my eyes watering, standing in his jacket which is way too big for me, in the freezing cold just minutes before midnight, and says the last thing I expected him to say. Ever.
"I think I'm falling in love with you Cassie Bennet."