Loud music playing the summer top 100 and party favorites, was blasting out from the windows of the Black's house. The front yard was filled with empty red cups. The house with neon lights was filled with the smell of beer, sweat, and a hint of vomit. The floors were already sticky and the music was so loud you had to almost yell to hear what anyone was saying. A small party for Caroline Black, was of course inviting half of the school to underage drinking.
Mila and Aera said goodbye a couple of streets away from the Black's house to Mila's dad, who of course couldn't know the house he had been complaining about was the house his daughter and best friend was going to. After walking for a bit, they entered the house, Mila looked around as the party was something she never dreamed to be at. Mila was about to ask Aera something, yet when she looked where Aera had stood two seconds ago, now stood two people kissing, and Mila's eyes widened, looking around Aera was nowhere to be found and Mila could feel her throat twisting and her hands get sweaty, by the thought of having to talk to anyone else. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she imagined Elijah.
"Come on Mila, this is just a party with your school! I was the one who fought to protect my love, you can do it. " Elijah told her, Mila bit her lip and opened her eyes, she looked around seeing all the unknown faces, yet she knew if she had to do this, she had to break one rule, and with that, she walked to the kitchen. The kitchen wasn't as filled as the rest of the house, which was a relief.
Mila saw her target and went directly for the half-filled bottles of alcohol standing by a counter. She looked at the labels, having no idea what any of it was, she took a red cup and began trying to mix it, she was about to put something that smelled horrible in her drink, when a hand took it from her. "Hey!" Mila almost yelled, yet her eyes widened seeing Oliver with a bright smile on his lips.
"You don't want to mix those, trust me" Oliver laughed gently and looked at her horrible mixture of drinks. "That can't be.." Oliver looked worried at Mila and then at her drink, he took it from her and poured it out in the sink. "Here I'll mix you something" Oliver smiled, Mila still just stood there frozen not saying a single word to him. He had a shirt that showed his arms and his small curls had fallen a bit down his face.
"Have you seen Aera by any chance?" He asked while mixing some things together, Mila simply shook her head, still not getting over the fact that Oliver was not only talking to her but cared enough to mix her a drink. "Oh well, we need a team member to beer pong, you want to join instead?" Oliver asked, smiling as he handed her, her drink. She blinked still in shock.
"I-I...I've never played.." Mila said quietly, a little embarrassed, yet Oliver simply chuckled and took her hand, which made Mila's whole body shiver. "I'll teach you, come" Oliver rushed them over to the beer pong table, where Liam was setting up the game, pouring some kind of beer down the red and blue cups. Mila looked scared, she wasn't really a good ballplayer. She began imagining making a fool out of herself in front of Oliver, which made the drink she hadn't even tasted yet, look and smell like vomit.
"Do you have a blue team?" A voice came from the other side of the table, Mila didn't look until Oliver greeted the boys. "Yes if you are ready to lose sunset". Mila looked confused up from her cup and over at the other end of the table, Three boys stood there, yet she only knew two of them Alex and Reggie, who was smiling like idiots to her. "I didn't know you drank Mila"
"She doesn't," Oliver laughed, which made Mila blush. "Okay blue team start," Liam said and gave the small orange table tennis ball to the black-haired boy. "Come on Bobby you got this" Alex cheered, yet his eyes were on Mila, who still didn't understand the rules. Bobby threw the ball and it hit down in one of the red cups, Liam and Oliver sighed and did rock, paper, scissor on who should drink it, Oliver lost and he drank it all in one go.
"You wanna try princess?" Liam asked Mila with a small smirk, Mila widened her eyes, not only by the nickname but having the ball put in front of her, she gulped before nodding, biting her lip. "S-sure... but if we lose because of me, I am very sorry" She giggled, which made all the boys laugh, "I'm sure you're great Mila" Reggie smiled, cheering for her, even though he was on team blue. She took a deep breath and placed herself at the edge of the table.
"Okay, so your elbow can't be over the edge, and you can choose to make it hit the table first or throw it directly," Oliver said, and put her elbow a little back, so it was where she was allowed. She nodded slowly, feeling her heartbeat fasten, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, having a deep focus on one of the six blue cups, she waved her hand gently back and forth before throwing the ball and she.... missed completely, which made all the boys laugh. She wasn't even near the table and as her cheeks went redder than a cherry she slowly began laughing.
"I'm so sorry" She laughed, yet Liam and Oliver just laughed and shook their heads. "Don't worry, you'll get it next time" Oliver told her with a soft smile. The game continued and after some rounds, it was Mila's turn again, Reggie, Alex, and Bobby was in the lead with 2 cups. Mila took a deep breath, the only one who had hit a blue was Liam. Yet when Mila threw her ball, it landed directly into one of the cups. Everyone cheered and Oliver gave her a high five.
"See I knew you could do it" Reggie smiled at her, which made her giggle and nod slowly. She didn't notice Alex gently pushing Reggie when he complimented her throw. The game went on and when Bobby hit one of the red cups, Liam and Oliver looked at Mila for her to drink it, as she was the only one who hadn't even touched the beer. She was about to drink it when Bobby stopped. "Stop stop stop... we can't let the weirdo drink this, she has never even drunk beer before"
Something by his choice of words describing Mila made her uncomfortable. She was used to people calling her weird or different, but never to her face. So when this boy she just met, took her drink from her hand, before she even had a choice to say yes and drank it for himself, she wasn't too pleased.
"Bobby... come on don't call her a weirdo" Reggie tried, yet Bobby simply placed the cup on the table. "Shall we continue?" Bobby ignored Reggie as he looked Mila in the eyes and winked. Mila felt her stomach twist. "Yo... Bobby say sorry to Mila, you stole her beer and you just don't do that man" Liam said as he put a hand on Bobby's shoulder. Bobby narrowed his eyes. "You have a problem with me, Liam?"
You could hear and smell that Bobby had been drinking one to many beer. A tension spread around the boys as Reggie and Alex tried there best to stand behind their best friend and Oliver stood behind Liam. Mila looked at them as she closed her eyes, beginning to pray to God, that they weren't as stupid as she thought.
"Come on Bobby, knock it off" Alex tried, putting a hand on Bobby's shoulder, wanting the tension to stop. But with this Bobby only began smirking. "How's the soccer going Oliver? Have mommy paid for a fancy school yet?" Oliver's hand turned into a fist, Mila put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down..." She tried, yet of course, he didn't listen, why would he ever listen. It didn't take long before one comment started another one and like something out of a bad romance movie. Was both Bobby and Oliver in a fight on the floor. Oliver on top of Bobby punching his face.
"Stop guys!" "Oliver, I said stop" Reggie tried, putting a hand on Olivers shoulder which resulted in him getting a punch to the face. Reggie stumbled back, he had never been hit before, the blood slowly beginning to drip from his nose. "Omg! Knock it out... stop both of you" Mila yelled so loud that even the music stopped and everyone was looking at her like she was a bomb that just exploded.
"What's wrong with both of you" Mila continued, pushing Oliver off Bobby to give him a hand. "Liam find Caroline. Oliver.... go home" Mila looked into his eyes, those eyes that she was utterly in love with. "What?" He almost laughed. "She said go..." Alex repeated looking at Oliver ready to kill. "I just... forget it, it was stupid anyway"...Oliver mumbled looking at Mila before turning around and walking towards the door.
Mila felt her heart crack, she had never seen Oliver like this. The perfect image of him was ruined and stained. A perfect image that could never be healed again. Mila snapped out of her thoughts looking over at Reggie who's nose was like a waterfall. "Alex, give me some ice in a towel and met me in the backyard okay?" Mila asked. Alex nodded and rushed to the kitchen. Bobby looked at Mila, with almost sparkles in his eyes, yet the same could not be said about Mila. She ignored Bobby who was still sitting on the floor, but instead took Reggie's hand and followed him outside.
"Never in my life have I seen so stupid behavior, what was that all about! I have never seen Oliver like that" Mila began rambling to Reggie, who still hadn't said a word. Mila's head was spinning and her heart felt like it was broken into a million pieces. She sat Reggie down on a chair and made him lift his head. "Are you okay?" She asked him.
"I'm fine..." Reggie lied, his nose hurt like it was broken. Alex hurried out of the door and gave Mila the towel with ice, which she placed on his nose. "What was that even about?" Asked Mila while gently helping Reggie, hold up the towel. Reggie and Alex looked at each other. "Nothing.."
It took a while before Alex finally spoke up about something he had been thinking since the beginning of the beer pong game.
"Mila... Oliver is the boy you're in love with... isn't he? The boy was that never yours to begin with?" Alex asked, looking at Mila feelings his own heart break for her. Mila didn't answer, she sat there quiet, trying to clean Reggie's nose. When the blood stopped, threw Mila the towel on the floor. Mila looked from Alex to Reggie's nose, sighed and with that, she left. The boys let her go, knowing it was for the better.
Mila didn't even bother trying to find Aera, all she wanted was to go home so that she did. She walked home, in the dark night under the star lights. She was confused, she didn't who she should be mad at. Bobby for starting the fight and stealing her drink or Oliver for jumping him. Everything seemed too strange. She didn't even know why she went with Reggie instead of Oliver, why she yelled at Oliver for something all the boys in her opinion were equally stupid about. But as she walked home and her thoughts wondered one thought kept repeating in her mind. What would have happened if she wasn't separated from Aera?