“Sounds like she wants to keep it in the family,” I replied, grabbing my own cup.
She took a sip from her cup. “Piper just needs attention since her daddy is always gone with his secretary and her mom bangs the pool boy on a regular basis.” I tilted my head to the side, blinking.
“Her dad is my step-dad’s brother,” she clarified, and I immediately felt bad for her. “The first time I met Piper she called me white trash because my mom drives a Honda and has a full time job.”
Nodding as she talked, I gripped the vodka bottle in my hand and started to fill my glass over halfway full. Screw it.
Hello stomach, meet my new friend, Mr. Vodka.
"Shit Daisy, slow it down," Gabby said, grabbing the bottle from me.
"I'm fine," I insisted, filling the rest of my cup up with cranberry juice. Or I will be fine in about twenty minutes when this alcohol sets in and my brain can't process how lonely my life is.
I wanted to drink away the memories that kept me awake at night. I took a giant gulp, choking as I felt the burn of the hot liquid traveling down my throat. Why couldn't they make this stuff taste like candy?
"Uh no, you're not fine and my mom will seriously kick my ass if anything happens to you," she said, worriedly. I faked a laugh, trying to look non-chalant and waving her off like I drank this much all the time.
"I'm not going to drink it all," I lied. "I just wasn't paying attention when I poured, but I didn't want to waste the alcohol," I added, trying my best to sound convincing.
Her smile faltered and I knew she was fully aware I was bullshitting her. "Okay," she said slowly, "but stick with me, okay?"
I nodded and she grabbed my hand in hers. We walked into the living room that was packed with dancing bodies again. My eyes zoned in on the colors of the disco ball hanging on the crystal chandelier. The array of hues bounced around the room, reflecting off the bodies grinding into each other to the beat of the music. Everywhere I turned, there was either a dry humping couple or someone with their tongue down another's throat. The cup in my hands grew slippery around my sweaty hands as the room started to grow hotter. The hurt I had been carrying around like a backpack began to loosen its straps and slowly fade away.
ONE MORE phone call
If my phone lit up her name one more fucking time, I was going to toss it out the window. Piper's incessant phone calls were beginning to irritate the shit out of me. The girl had been up my ass since I quit taking her to school. Yeah, she was annoying before but it was never that ridiculous. She even tried to pull the waterworks with me when I told her I was driving to Lane's party solo, so she needed to find another ride. It was about that time to cut her ass off.
I passed the driveway packed with cars and drove straight to the garage. I was already running late because Theo was out of treats and the little runt gets angry if he doesn't have his daily dose of Beggin' Strips. Someone had to take care of the little guy, since my mom basically ditched him. Typical Layla fucking Hudson. I remember the day she brought him home. She was in one of her "moods" again and showed up with some dog I knew she would get tired of. And I was right. Her "mothership" with Theo lasted about a week before she was MIA again.
Rifling through my center console, I found the garage door opener my aunt had given me. The only times I ever used it was for these parties. I always parked in the garage for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I didn't want my car to get fucked with. There were too many pissed off girls that would love to take their anger out on my poor car. Plus, if the cops came, they wouldn't see my car. I would just hide out until they left.
I hit the button, waiting for the door to open all the way before parking in my usual spot. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I turned off the ignition and got ready for the mayhem. Lane's parties were always fucking killer.
I headed straight to the kitchen, dodging conversations with everyone. I needed a beer first. I turned the corner and wasn't surprised what I was walking into. Piper was dancing on the counter, giving me a clear view up some hideous pink fluffy shit she had around her waist.
She looked down, spotting me. Well shit.
"Keegan!" She screeched, her voice eager and drunk. I watched her jump off the bar in her heels, but instead of landing, she ended up falling down to her knees. Damn, drunk girls were not attractive. "I've been trying to call you," she slurred, looking up at me from the floor. Nodding my head, I moved around her to the keg and started filling up my cup while her little friends helped her back up to her feet. I knew I was being an asshole but I needed some alcohol in my system before I could deal with her.