P U R I T Y
"Babe, we've taken like five-hundred pictures already."
"Yeah? Then make that six-hundred! You can never have too many, Tag!"
I laugh as Tag tiredly shakes his head but listens to his girlfriend and resumes his numerous camera positions. Caroline wanted pictures to post on Instagram and what not, so she didn't have to do much persuading to get her boyfriend to be the cameraman. Kade was standing by the side with his palm over his mouth, laughing at Tag who glared at him occasionally. We all laughed at that.
"Okay, okay, enough." I decide to put Tag out of his misery a minute later and pull away from Caroline who grins and walks over to Tag in her heels. Giving him a generous kiss, she takes her phone back and begins looking at the photo as he wraps his arm around her waist, looking a lot more pleased.
Kade's arm, too, goes around my waist once I'm in reach and kisses my lips a few times before we pull apart. "Ready to go, guys?" He asks the couple standing a few steps away. They look up in sync from her phone with smiles and nod, letting us lead the way as they trail along not far behind us.
"Your outfit is beautiful, by the way. You look gorgeous."
"Really?" I smile, looking up at him. "I was kinda lazy with it this time. Thank you." And I was- all I wore was a plain red dress and some black shoes. I had my bag with me and necessities as well as a few accessories but that was it.
He kisses the side of my head. "Of course. You look good in anything."
Bashfully, I lean on him as support as we slowly stroll through the pathway to the car park. I curiously decide to bring up the question I had on my mind since we started taking picture ten minutes ago. "So is Francesca definitely going to be there?"
Kade hums, "Yeah, I assume so. I think she knows some of the frat boys so she'll probably be there. Will you be okay?"
"Of course." I'm quick to reply, probably a bit too quick. He looks down at me with the slightest look in his eyes. "I don't hate the girl, really. I just don't want her... near, or attached to you. She stands pretty close, y'know. A bit too close for comfort."
"Jealous?" Kade grins, a glint in his eyes. Happiness. Like he's happy someone cares that much.
"A bit." I'm not embarrassed to admit it. Francesca was beautiful- why wouldn't I be jealous? "I'm sorry, I'm being controlling and gross. I trust you, please don't doubt that. It's just her. She rubs me off in the wrong way."
"Like I always say." He raises my chin as we're walking so I'm looking at him. "You've nothing to be worried about. You're the only one I have eyes for anyways. Promise."
I smile. Standing up on my toes, I cup his cheek and kiss his lips all whilst we're walking and nearing his car. Once we pull apart we walk in silence for the rest of the five minute walk until we've reached his and Tag's cars, both conveniently parked next to each other. However this time we decided to just take one car, that car being Tag's, because we'd all sleep back at the apartment. It would just be more efficient this way too.
We slide into the backseats as Tag gets into the drivers and Caroline in the passenger. We're off and out of campus in no time, the radio playing moderately loud the entire time. "By the way, Ives," Care asks from up front, the mirror compartment pulled down as she reapplies lipgloss. "Any news from Paris?"
I shake my head, shrugging. "Nothing yet. It's okay, though. It's only been... what, a month?"
She nods and looks at me from the small mirror, "I'm sure they're just busy. Also, are you drinking tonight?"
"Probably." I nod, "We haven't gotten drunk in a while. At least I haven't, that's for sure."
Caroline claps her hands together excitedly. "Yay! My drinking buddies back... we're definitely getting wasted tonight. Will you boys be okay with that? We technically just need one DD."
"I'm not drinking." Kade speaks up from besides me.
Tag nods and looks at us from the rear view mirror. "Same. We'll watch you two, don't worry."
I smile in thanks at him and Care holds the hand he has resting on her thigh. I turn to Kade, leaning my head on his shoulder as he pulls me closer from in between my mid thigh. He leaves it there to rest, chin resting atop of my head, and we remain in this position until we arrive at the frat house and immediately see the flashing lights from inside and people spread across the front garden. Some noticeably drunk, others not.
Tag finds a parking spot nearby, after a little bit of trouble, and we slowly by surely get out of the vehicle and make our way up to the house. We manage to squeeze our way through the front door, Care and I pretty protected by our boyfriends arms, and push past sweaty, drunk bodies of people.
"Here." Tag shouts, his chin motioning to a clear hallway with a bright light from the left side and a deeper hallway further along. We go down there and find the living room where tons of people are but a lot less than the front of the house.
My eyes take in the alcohol table a few feet away and I can see Caroline has spotted it as well. However, we wait until we've seen someone we recognise so we don't just intrude just yet. Luckily someone seems to recognise Tag and walks over to greet him. "Tag, man, what's up! How you been?"
"I've been good, bro! You remember Caroline, don't you?"
He recognises her immediately and looks at him impressed. "Dang, you still with her? Didn't believe it when you said you were together since high school. Honestly thought it wouldn't work out."
Caroline looks completely unfazed by this and smiles instead. "Jason, right?"
"The one and only." He smiles politely, his palm clapping Tag's back like all guys do. His eyes soon avert away from them and to me, and then finally to Kade. Jason's smile only seems to widen. "I must be fucked right now. Kade Bishop?"
Kade smiles. "Yeah, man, that's me. Nice to meet you."
"Fuck, you too, man! Seen you online and shit recently with your pretty lady here. Are you all friends?"
I laugh, nodding, and link arms with Caroline and tugs me close. "We're best friends. I'm dating Kade here, Caroline as you know is with Tag. Now we're all kind of a group."
"Wow." Jason looks actually impressed, a bit astonished even, and I laugh a little more. I would never classify myself as a celebrity and I'm sure Kade would think the same. It's always a little shocking when people- regular people you'd relate yourself with- give you wide eyed looks. I forget my face is plastered on high end sites to cheap magazines. "Well, it's nice to have you all here. I'm actually best friends with Carson, I'm sure he'd wanna meet you guys."
"Sure." Kade nods casually, hand on my back. I keep my smile.
"I'll leave you all to it. Beer pong and shit is in the room over, get some drinks and have fun! See y'all later." With a grin, he gives Tag and Kade the bro hug, politely smiling at Caroline and I before departing and cheering his way through the crowd, beer sloshing his hand the whole time. We watch him with a laugh and then turn to the drinks table.
Care guides me to the table, immediately handing me a red solo cup and getting herself one as well. She's careful to select the bottles which are still sealed shut and pours the both of us a concoction of some type of drink. When I try it, I taste vodka and some type of fruit juice with a hint of something else. It was amazing.
"Want anything?" I ask Kade, turning to face me. He shrugs, and I hold up a beer from the table. "You won't get drunk off this. Hm?" He nods and takes it from me with a gentle smile, kissing my head in thanks. He opens the can and peers over my shoulder to look at Tag. I turn to look as well.
"You getting anything, man?" Kade asks Tag. He shakes his head, arm wrapped around Care's waist who is quick to drink down the liquid in hand.
"Nah, I'm not gonna drink anything. You go for it, though."
Kade nods but I can tell he feels guilty by the look on his face afterwards. I smile up at him, knowing this beer would be his first and last of the night, nonetheless offering him some of mine. He shakes his head and I nod, bringing the cup up to my lips.
We talk to a few random people who come and go, managing to drink down three full cups of alcohol in the meantime from Caroline's continuous mixing. I feel a light buzz as she steps forward and grabs my hand, tugging me forward.
"Let's dance, bitch!"
I laugh at her and nod, turning around to face the boys. Other people have gathered around but Tag manages to meet my eyes and nods as I motion with my chin that we were moving to the other room. Once Care and I are swallowed by bodies of people, all dancing wildly, it takes us no time at all to join in and jump up and down to the blasting music coming from the speakers above.
Our hands are raised and we're shouting from our lungs, downing the last of our drinks before tossing the cups lazily and letting it get dropped onto the floor. People push and pull at us, but just like everyone else, we're completely unbothered and sing along to the lyrics.
My smile began hurting my cheeks as I watched Care so freely jump around, head thrown back and looking so completely happy. I do the same, throwing my head back loosely and jumping along with even more energy.
"I'm gonna get another drink!" Caroline shouts over the music to me, and I nod in agreement. I needed one as well, so after a good twenty-five minutes of dancing crazily, we link arms and push through crowds of people to where we were before.
When we make it back to the larger room, we spot Tag now stood with a group of guys to the side but Kade nowhere to be seen. Care doesn't really acknowledge her boyfriend and drags me to the table, grabbing us new cups and pouring just enough vodka for shots. We clink drinks, tossing our head backs as we down our first one then are quick to move onto seconds, and then thirds, and she goes for a forth. I couldn't.
Though I couldn't take another shot, I still pour myself another drink but with more nonalcoholic substances than actual alcohol since I knew within minutes I would start feeling it. I could already start feeling my head grow lighter and I wasn't hating it.
Suddenly, whilst Care is casually drinking at her cup and we're chatting about random people, a hand snakes around her waist and Tag appears by her side. I smile at him and Care gives his cheek a peck. "How're you girls doing? Everything okay?"
Caroline giggles, clearly intoxicated. "Everything's perfect, baby! It's been so fun."
Tag smiles genuinely. "Good, I'm glad. How many drinks have you had?"
Her head flops against his shoulder and she shrugs as I sip at my drink and lean against the table lazily. "I think, like... five-hundred. So like... two-hundred more to go, right, Ives?"
I laugh like her comment is the funniest thing in the world and nod. "Mhm. Hey, Tag, where's Kade?" My drink is finished and I put it on the table, watching it topple over but ignoring it and looking at my best friends boyfriend. He shrugs, holding Caroline securely.
"I saw him leave like ten minutes ago. Said he got a text that some friends were here, he was gonna say hi."
I pout. "I bet it's Francesca."
Care gasps. "The one you were telling me about?! Let's go find her, I need to beat a bitch up!" She attempts to walk very uncoordinatedly out of Tag's arms but to no avail. He knows as soon as he lets go, she'll stumble into people left and right.
Shrugging, I used the last ounce of sensibility I had left in my intoxicated brain to put down that idea. "It's not worth it, Care. I'm gonna go find him, 'kay? I'll be back real soon." My 'real' is slightly slurred and Tag notices, looking at me concerned.
He quickly offers another resolution, "Come sit for a few, Ives, I'll go find him instead. It's not safe."
"No!" I drawl out, shaking my head at him with a smile. "I'll be fine, okay? I won't go far. Look after her!" I blow my best friend a kiss and walk off, leading with a slight stumble but finding my feet after a few. I go through the kitchen this time to avoid the crowd as best as possible, remembering Jason mention a beer pong area. It feels like I go through a maze, when really it's just my incoherent mind not being able to comprehend the large rooms, until I find a room with a large gathering of people and a ping pong table in the centre.
My eyes scan around but I don't see Kade anywhere. I do, however, see Jason stood with his friends on the opposite side of the room. I messily make my way to him with a smile. "Jason! Remember me?"
He turns to look at me confusedly before smiling and nodding in recognition. "Ivy! Jeez, you're about wasted aren't ya?"
I laugh. "H-Have you seen Kade around?"
"Yeah, at the front of the house a couple minutes ago. He was with some people. Want me to get him?" He offers, looking slightly concerned. For some reason I shake my head and shrug, looking at the pong table. It was currently being played with the last cups left so I excitedly face Jason again.
"Let's play! Can we? In teams?" I beam, motioning to the table. His friends laugh at my drunkenness and Jason just smiles.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? You already seem drunk enough."
I grin. "Nah. Can we? Please?"
He shrugs after a few minutes and a few words of persuasion from his other friends. They look friendly as well, most sending me polite smiles and completely opposing the stereotype I had of frat boys in my head. The table is cleared minutes later and reorganised for us by some of the guys playing on the opposite side. Jason, of course, is on my team and we begin the game immediately.
Due to my intoxicated stare, I miss the cups kind of by a long shot. No one seems to mind and laughs it off, clearly just having fun with it. I smile along and am happy enough to down a cup when we've lost.
When it's my turn again, I exaggeratedly close one eye and position the ball in front of me for the 'perfect shot'. As I throw it, completely expecting it to miss, it lands in the cup and everyone around us cheers loudly. Laughing, I cheer as well as Jason grins by my side.
The rest of the game goes similarly, except I only get one more shot in and the rest I totally miss. I'm still fully involved in the game though and boo when the opposing boys get their ball in and cheer when Jason gets one for us. Because of this, I fail to realise that my boyfriend has made his way through the kitchen with a particular someone trailing behind him.
"Ives?" Giggling, I turn around lazily and grin when I see Kade looking very concerned in front of him. I ignore everyone around us and sling my arms around his neck, smiling up at him.
"I missed you! I tried looking for you, ya' know." I slur, palms moving down to his chest. He gives me a small smile.
"Sorry, Francesca arrived with a few of my old friends. I went to go say hi and hang for a bit."
My grin turns to a frown almost comically and I tilt my head at him, now choosing to look around the room. That's when I spot a smug looking Francesca stood behind him with her hands crossed over her chest and a stupid smile on her lips.
I glare.
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