Raiden
The rumors had been right. Four years did the trick. It seemed half the school had shoved its way into Dion's two story house. Sure it was large by LaginaWood standards, but there was no way it was meant to fit just under seven-hundred kids. Definitely a fire hazard. In short, the party looked amazing!
I pushed past crowds of confused freshman, poor fools with no clue what to expect, yet still got the invite. Dion's was for everyone, regardless of grade or social standing, which just made it all the more chaotic. How his parents allowed this was mind blowing, but for some reason they did. I assumed it was 'cause Dion wouldn't be the most popular kid if not for his party.
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Dion, a big guy in a leopard print shirt. He took turns sipping mystery punch from a red solo with the guy and girl perched on either of his thighs. At his side his buddy Joshua reclined with his JUUL. I shot a thumbs up at Dion, grinning as he raised his cup in solute.
As I turned away from the host, two hands clapped onto my shoulders. Their owner pushed off, springing into the air. "Hey, man!"
I clasped his hand, pulling him in to slap on the back. "This is wild!" I had to yell over the blaring music.
My childhood friend, Caspian Mayimberg nodded, chin length hair totally unkempt. "Dad'll kill me if he finds out."
"Then don't let him."
"Easier said than done."
I jerked my chin in agreement. My dad might have been stricter than Casp's, but his family handled anger in a different way. Dad yelled. Mr. Mayimberg ghosted. Especially if his little golden boy went anywhere near alcohol. "You seen June?"
Casp shook his shaggy head. "Not yet. Been chatting with Rachel."
"Rachel Wood? Good for you!" I never quite knew why Caspian hadn't ever gotten into a real relationship, even short term. He was nice, smart, not the best football player we had, but he killed at swim team.
"No kidding. Slipped away to say hi, but I gotta get back before Tristan swoops in. And hey, don't worry 'bout June. Party's still young." Caspian let himself be reabsorbed into the pulsating mass of bodies dancing--or rather, grinding to a beat--, flashing lights, and music.
I drifted from group to group, greeted to choruses of "Raid!" and pats on the back. After a shooting winks to a group of junior girls, I bet Motor I could finish more solos than him in two minutes. The man was twice my size, but I beat him by a cup and a half. I sent a text to June asking for an ETA. Then a few kids from the Junior Varsity team swarmed me, begging for tips. I answered a few questions then told them to get lost. Jack Kaider was not quarterback material, no matter what he and Carter thought. And Kyle would be lucky if he ever made Varsity.
An hour trickled away. Still no sign of June. Still no answer to my text. Rather than listen to Motor and Ben, or even consider ditching the rest of the team to track down Caspian, my eyes kept flickering to the door, then to my phone. A pile of empty solos accumulated at my feet. Downing another cup of whatever Dion had scrounged together, I slipped away in the middle of another one of Ben's stupid jokes.
Locking myself in the bathroom, I cringed at one of Dion's baby pictures resting on the counter. His mom pinched his chubby baby cheeks into a less than attractive position. If Dion had any intentions of scoring, I'd assume he'd want to hide this image.
June still hadn't answered my text. Desperate times... I'd have to actually call her. I hit her contact photo, then put the phone to my ear.
At the third ring she picked up. "Hey. Everything okay?"
"Yeah..." Not really... "Any clue when you'll be here?"
"Be where?"
I frowned, glad the closed door concealed my face. I was Raiden Bedagi after all! "Dion's party?"
Her sharp gasp echoed against the bathroom walls. "Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Rai, I completely forgot. I haven't even gotten home. After student council a bunch of girls from NHS were heading over to the food pantry to sort cans and get an early start on service hours, then I went to Starbucks 'cause Mister Terrican already dished out a ton of reading for AP Psych."
"Hey, hey. It's okay. Just get here when you can? Not the same without you."
Another sigh. "I'm so sorry, Rai, but I'm not going to be able to make it."
My stomach twisted. I slumped down onto the closed toilet. "It's okay. Hey, maybe Friday after the game we can--"
"I really got to go, Rai. There's a livestream on the SuperEgo I really want to see starting in a minute."
"Okay. I love you." No answer. I glanced at my phone; she'd already hung up.
It was my turn to sigh. I crept out of the bathroom, snatching a red cup in both hands. It shouldn't have surprised me that June couldn't make it--it was hardly the first time she'd been too busy to meet up, it wasn't even the fiftieth. Ever since last March when she'd visited Yale and decided that was her future, studies and service became her priorities. Anything that didn't help her application became an afterthought. That included her boyfriend, the boyfriend who'd been there long before any dreams of prestigious colleges, and who planned to be there after. Still, I was so sure she'd make it to this party. It was our aniversay, how the fuck could she blow me off for some shitty livestream?
As I swallowed the contents of the right cup, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Instantly, I brightened. June must have reconsidered, must have decided that me, that this party was way more important than the Super... whatever it was. But instead of being greeted by June's contact picture, her face scrunched up as I kissed her cheek, I stared at Dad's glowing name.
Shit.
I deliberated. If I answered now, I was sure to get an earful. But if I waited until I got home to deal with him, it would definitely be worse. He was a bottle ready to blow, and every second I kept him shut, I only raised the pressure.
Back to the bathroom.
As I turned around I noticed a girl with glasses. I shoved my remaining solo into her hand. "Hold that for a sec? Be right back."
Before she could answer, I returned to the bathroom and Dion's unflattering picture. Gritting my teeth, I answered the phone. "Hi, Dad..."
"Raiden." Shit he was pissed.
I swallowed. "Everything okay, sir?"
"You tell me. Did my dumbass of a son fail his math class?"
I had two possible plays. Option one: grovel. Option two: "Technically I didn't fail. Pollsen just--"
"Did I ask you to talk back?" he growled.
Wrong play. "Sorry, sir."
"Your teachers think you're a lazy son of a bitch. Frankly they're right, but I didn't think you were a big enough jackass to let them know it."
"I'm sorry, sir." My arms shook, every muscle tensing.
"Damn right you're sorry," Dad barked. "And what's this about you not graduating?"
I blinked. I must have heard wrong. "Not graduating? Sir, I only need three years of math. This shouldn't have anything to do with graduation."
"Not the math class, Raiden. The Consumer Ed credit."
"What Consumer Ed credit?"
"Apparently you need it to graduate, and you don't have it. Apparently most people get it over with as an underclassmen, but oh no. Not my son. You want me to have to explain that my son's a year older because he couldn't be bothered to take a damn Intro to Business class."
"I'm sorry, sir. I screwed up. I promise I'll talk to Smitski and get it sorted out. I'll get transferred in for tomorrow. I'm going to graduate on time, I promise."
"You better, or you'll be finding somewhere else to live until you go to college."
"I'll fix it." I could barely keep the anger from my own voice. All I wanted was to yell back, call him out on his bullshit, but wouldn't dare. He'd get angrier. I'd get angrier. Soon someone--me--would say something he couldn't take back and would be stuck paying for it.
"Then don't even think about skipping school tomorrow, no matter how hungover you are." He paused, breathing heavily. "Say hello to June for me." Then the phone clicked off.
I rolled my eyes. It was no secret Dad would always choose June over me. Why wouldn't he? She was the perfect student who could do nothing but make him look better. He probably loved her as much as I did.
It took all my willpower to steady my breathing enough to keep from smashing Baby Dion. Still seething, I threw open the bathroom door, took two steps, and almost crashed into the glasses girl.
"Raiden! Woah! Sorry. Here." She held out my cup.
"Keep it," I grunted, glancing down at the girl. Finally I recognized her. Long light brown hair and green wide rimmed glasses. "You're Tess, right?"
"Tessa," she corrected. "Tessa Berwin."
"Right." Adrenalin still coursed through me. I was volatile. I needed to move, do something, anything. "We had math together sophomore year?"
She tilted her head. "We did. Yeah. You actually remember that?"
I shrugged, tapping my foot; I couldn't quite keep still. "I'm pretty good with faces."
Tessa shook the solo. "Sure you don't want this back? I've probably already had too many."
Before answering, I scanned the room for Motor and Ben or Caspian. No sign of them. But I really needed to get my mind off Dad. "I want a colder one. Wanna come?"
"Uh, sure." She offered a small smile.
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Three hours and several drinks later and I was hurrying back to the bathroom, this time with Tessa at my side. I slammed the door behind us, bringing Tessa to my chest and kissing her with all I had.
As I held her hips I thought not of Tessa but of June, sitting at home when she should have been here with me, of all the times she'd promised to be with me. I thought of my fury at Dad. Sure, I was a disappointment, sure I embarrassed him. I knew full well he saw me as nothing but a burden, a failed experiment, a new jacket that only looked good on the rack.
When Tessa pulled at my shirt I felt only the sweat beading down my neck, my skin prickling, my limbs trembling.
Kissing down her neck I heard only my heart pounding in my chest and my blood rushing in my veins.
It was the same feeling as when I got into it with some dick on the field, or when the ref made an unfair call on me and cost us the game: like if someone so much as looked at me the wrong way I'd break his damn nose. Like my mind shut down, relying only on physical reactions. Like I was little more than the thoughtless beast my dad made me out to be.
The music boomed even through the door, lights pouring through cracks into the darkness. Any voices I heard were distorted, as if my head was underwater. Motor and the other guys probably didn't even realize I'd left. Everyone was enjoying the party of the year. Except me. Yet I was with a cute girl. I was making out with a cute girl and all I wanted was to go home. But what waited at home? Another lecture by a man who didn't want me there, unless of course he wanted someone to yell at, or, by some miracle I hadn't fucked up that day and he wanted to show me off to his douchebag friends?
Tessa gasped for breath, her pink lipstick smudged down her chin and her glasses crooked. She beamed at me through unfocused eyes, clouded by alcohol just like mine certainly were. She beamed at me like she couldn't imagine someone she'd rather be crammed in a bathroom with.
I tried to smile, though it felt more like I was a wild animal, bearing its teeth. Then I reached over Tessa's shoulder to turn around the picture of Dion and his mom before hooking my fingers under her collar and giving in to the pounding in my skull.
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Tessa had been trying to say something to me for the last ten minutes. But every time she opened her mouth, I shot her a look that made her shut it. I pulled my clothes on as quickly as possible, throwing Tessa's outfit in her face.
Then I pulled my knees to my chest and buried my head in my arms. This wasn't right. Once I lost the adrenalin, the anger, the rushing stimuli, I felt nothing but wrong. God... What the fuck is wrong with me? I yanked at my hair, just trying to fathom how I'd face June, how I'd tell her.
But then again, did she have to know?
I'd made a mistake, but it would never happen again. I loved June. I wanted to be with June. So why ruin it by telling her about one lapse in judgement? In fact, it was better for both of us if she never found out. After all, such a blow might distract her and hurt her chances of making Yale. If I truly cared about her, it was only right to leave her in the dark, to make sure nothing broke her focus!
Yeah... that made total sense... definitely...
I poked my head out of the bathroom, Tessa close behind me. Looked clear. Everyone was still engrossed in their own partying. Perfect. I'd ditch Tessa and slip home. No one the wiser.
We stepped out, side by side.
As soon as the door shut behind us, a red headed guy in a leather jacket whirled around, phone in hand, grinning.
Tristan cackled as he snapped picture after picture before Tessa could scurry away. "Wow, Raid! Shirt inside out, hair a mess, hickeys on another girl's neck, and then that look of pure terror in your eyes! Think your little JuJu will be able to riddle this one out?"
I scanned the room; no one else was paying attention. Tristan's word against mine... if not for those pictures. Tristain had been after June for over a year, one prize he'd never had a hope of reaching. She'd never believe it was anymore than another attempt to get in her pants. But those pictures...
But still... There weren't many situations I couldn't talk myself out of. Just needed to handle Tristan diplomatically. I raised my hands. "Come on, dude. Let's talk about this."
"Oh, don't worry, man." He slipped his phone into his pocket. "When June dumps your ass, I'll make sure she's got a shoulder to cry on."
I smiled. This time, I was definitely the snarling wild animal. And that was when I punched Tristan Trey in the jaw. Fuck diplomacy.