Just Dance

[MethodicalSlacker]

Beer in hand, standing off to the side by a wall, looking aloof and cool, avoiding the heat in the kitchen, a million dollars, standing right across from her, a mirror image, Bert Wren briefly glanced up at Camilla and then back down at her bottle of whatever the hell this was she was holding. Not the kind of girl she'd expect to show up to a party like this but she dug it. Absolutely. The more the merrier, and she wanted someone to hotbox the broom closet with later, so she was fishing for applicants. The hotbox-to-crossfade combo was dangerous and a horrible art that someone like her who weighed five relatively heavy rocks had to be careful around because she could take at maximum three beers before she needed to sit down. This was her second.

The basement thumped beneath the two of them. She'd have to check them out after her drug intake for the evening. Absolutely without contest this was the best party of her partying career which meant it at least topped the top fifty. If she could have underhandedly directed treasury funds to help pay for this party she would.

She Bring Your Own B(ud)'d her way into the place which was well approved it seemed from the read she was getting on the room. Fire. Fire in the house. She hadn't shared it with anyone yet. Fire in a crowded theater. Bert was cheating the place and she loved it.

Allegedly she was at ice skating practice. Her parents didn't fuck with her as long as she had an excuse. That was the best excuse she could ask for. There was a new coach this year and it was early enough in Bert's portion of the season that neglecting to pass on the number of said coach, instead passing on the number of the old coach in case her parents got worried and instead of texting getting za with some friends she texted nothing at all when they asked they'd call the coach and get nothing because the old coach was dead or gone or something that resulted in a beep beep click on the other end of the line fuck she was hungry for some goddamn pigs in a blanket pretzels ain't shit.

Camilla required a code switch. Bert looked up from the glass (almost empty) and stared her in the pretty, pretty eyes. Something old timey and nice and frilly like a doily floral pattern coaster or some shit.

"'Sup! You hiding from that nonsense too?"

Yeah she couldn't do any better than that. Not in this state. Fuck being fake. Everyone nowadays was super fake and nobody was genuine and she missed the days when everyone hung out and watched cartoons and why was her life so boring all the time when they weren't like this which ok was fine that they were like this that wasn't to say that..........

[Brackie]

It wasn't really Kayden's intention to pressure Ortega into becoming a junkie - for some reason he just so happened to assume his own experiences were universal, and as such in his mind everyone on the football team had done E at one point, one time off a guy's ass (although Kayden did have room to believe that was a unique event). The guy altered between apprehensive and earnest quicker than he could notice, but since Kayden already made the offer it was kind of out of his hands.

"I mean I'm not tryna pressure you or anything, so like think it over and stuff, but if you really wanna try it then sure."

Kayden looked around. The attention had long since disappeared off of them since there was no longer an active fight going on.

"So we just gotta find a bathroom - like, I'm sure a lot of everyone's like, whatever, about E and stuff but there's always gonna be someone who's gotta ruin it for everyone, like that weird guy at the front, so it'd be stupid to just whip it out in front of everyone an' all. And of course we should probably make sure nobody sees us going in 'cause, like, it'll be really obvious we're doing something real sketchy and, like, that can be more than just drugs. Which is stupid, 'cause, well, you're not my type so whatever, but straight people are like so fucking wild when they think they're not boring and saying the same shit they always say, and it's not like I'm not used to that but you're cool man so you probably don't know, man this music is amazing, I really just wanna get down there and-"

He noticed he'd begun shuffling his feet when that was the furthest away from the start of the conversation. He stopped, looked back up at Ortega, and snorted half a laugh.

"Anyway, so. Bathroom. Remember, like, no pressure if you really don't want."

[Buko]

That was the thing though...

Ace was pretty sure he wanted to take that bump. Pretty darn sure. Maybe he was just being a prisoner of the party atmosphere...but maybe not?

He mentally shook his head.

The more he thought about it the more he found himself chastising himself that he was overthinking. He didn't want to think of himself as so simple or so easily influenced--but he had been listening to TN's own 3-6 Mafia since he was eight years old. Rap music glorified drug use and Ace had always been a bit curious though conservative due to his desire to get an athletic scholarship. Well mission accomplished, right? Why not loosen up. Besides, he was a big and healthy dude--he wasn't gonna do anything to excess. Just get on a vibe. Just once.

I'm sure nobody has ever had that thought before and shit.

"Bathroom, a'ight."

He could agree with Brockman's assessment though he wasn't really worried about people misconstruing stuff between him and the wide receiver. And if they did? Well, they wouldn't to Ace's face. He was a football player, a guy who was gonna be playing on Saturdays against big competition in nationally televised games with the potential to maybe, maybe, ten thousand times maybe go pro. Most people didn't want to mess with people built like Ace for good reason and football players for better.

Also, it wasn't the first time he had been in a bathroom with Brockman--the locker room had toilets and showers. That shit pretty much was a big ass bathroom...or at least smelt like it.

The party seemed to be bumping and people in the kitchen seemed to return their focus on getting drizzunk...Ace felt like amidst the noise and revelry he had time to focus and look around. His eyes darted to the stairwell and the upstairs...this was a big ass house and a lot of the action was going on down stairs or in the basement. Upstairs had to have a bathroom, right? Rich folks weren't about going down stairs to piss at 4AM.

"Wanna take a look up stairs then bro?"

[backslash]

"It would make my fucking day to get you wasted, my dude," Andy said, good vibes steamrolling right over Emmett's grumbling. He squeezed Emmett's shoulder and gave him a little jostle. "It's a party! Time to get partying."

He took the initiative to steer Emmett out of the doorway and closer to whatever Tanisha was offering, clearing the way for Kayden and Ace to go on their spirit journey to the upstairs bathroom. It was a journey Andy approved of. He was pretty sure Mikki had done the same thing right before things get started, so who was he to stop anyone following in her footsteps.

Man, this was a good buzz. He needed to ask where Erika got her stuff.

"So do you want me to chant the Shots song to get you started, or you wanna just go?"

[Primrosette]

Why did I agree to do this? Oh, right. Because Andy makes me feel.... Fuck no, Emmett. Get that thought buried in the darkest part of your mind. Just pretend that you really wanted to do this bullshit.

Emmett knew that the point of this party was to get wasted, have fun and play childish games. But he never was one for it. He preferred not being surrounded by so many people and he regretted not being able to hide away to sulk to himself again. Now he wanted to impress Andy and he didn't even fucking know why he even wanted to.

You know why. Shut the fuck up, thoughts!

Emmett let out a tired-sounding sigh and he glanced back and forth between Tanisha and Andy. "The Shots song...?" He raised an eyebrow in disbelief as he was feeling unsure about what he was doing and the fact that he had never done anything like this before. This felt so unlike him and he had to force himself to pretend that he was fine with doing this. "....How does that go...?"

Why the fuck am I asking? I don't fucking care!

[BlizzardeyeWonder]

It took Camilla a moment to realize the short girl in front of her was talking to her. Was the alcohol already getting to her? Well, that was quick. Alright, back to business, did they know each other? If she squinted a bit Camilla could recall she was a girl with one of those odd names that you wouldn't expect to see on a girl- ah, right, Bert. What kind of person names their daughter Bert? It wasn't even one of those fashionably masculine girl names or something or another. Ah well, she recalled something about it being a nickname.

"Huh? I, uh..."

Something was off about Bert's gaze and the way she wielded it. Camilla would look down to avoid eye contact, but she was already doing that and oh god if she saw Bert's eyes that meant Bert saw her eyes and that plan is even more ruined.

"Yeah? Bert, right?"

It occurred to Camilla that she had absolutely no response to this kind of situation. She'd been hoping that she'd be unassuming enough to deflect attention and... well, maybe not enjoy, but survive a relatively uneventful party without hassle from 90-percent strangers. Obviously, somebody didn't agree with that plan. Well, it was better than negative attention, at least...

So if it wasn't negative, wouldn't it be her responsibility to keep it that way? Still, what more could she add to the fledgling conversation? What did she ever add to conversations?! Who thought this was a good idea?!

Say, wasn't one name for alcohol Liquid Courage?

She lifted the bottle to her lips again and gulped down more of the liquid courage which better not fail her now- only to take it away, a dribble of the stuff escaping and gently pattering on her shoe, so she can hoarsely sputter-

"I've never had beer in my life-"

[MethodicalSlacker]

"I could tell," Bert said, "You're basically drinking piss-water, and your face doesn't exactly say 'I like the taste of piss-water' yet. At least, not at all to me."

This wasn't any judgement on the specific brand of beer that Camilla was drinking. In truth, Bert couldn't exactly make it out. However, she had taken extra care to browse the alcohol stores in the fridge and some coolers and what-have-you beforehand, and what she had seen was not impressive. Not to construe herself as some sort of hipster or beer guru, but she knew her Heineken's from her anything-worth-drinking's. Though, truth be told, parties were probably not very concerned about the way their beer tasted. The day that she went to a party with a beer selection that was approaching anything near "good tasting" and not "fast inebriating" was the day she put the down payment on a minivan, bought a bag full of soccer balls, and anticipated a life of asking to see managers and sorrow.

She probably thought she was being cool, taking that hearty swig right there in front of Bert's eyes. Pretty fly for a antique guy. Bert didn't really care about credentials. She just wanted a good time. If a good time to Camilla meant trying to kiss up to anyone and everyone she assumed was a party person, then sure. Be Bert's guest. Bert wouldn't do anything to actively encourage that sort of behavior, though. She thought it was a little weak to get in people's grills and make them act the way that you wanted them to. It had been a good while but she still hadn't let it go. That wasn't a grade she was happy to get.

The most bitter that she would ever be while taking home an A+.

"Well, there's a first time for everything," she continued, "I'm just looking for people to smoke with. I got some weed. If you wanna pop two fake cherries in one night, I'm taking all-comers."

Bert smiled. There was, by her calculation, around a 50/50 chance that Cam would take her offer.

But then again, there was a 50/50 chance of anything happening, ever. They either did, or they didn't.

...

Was Bert sure she hadn't ingested anything yet?

[Brackie]

"Alright, let's get to it."

This was it. A miraculously bad idea if there ever was one, but at the end of the day the consequences weren't his.

If Ortega was one of his female friends he'd simply have grabbed him by the hand and led him through the crowd, but your average fragile heterosexual wasn't too fond of male on male contact in such an intimate manner, so Kayden opted to grab him by the arm instead, getting the two of them through the kitchen crowd and towards the stairs.

"God this place is ugly as fuck," Kayden loudly muttered as they worked their way upwards, Kayden's hand slacking from the grip and eventually letting go entirely, "That's the problem with a lot of these new money people, they don't know a goddamn thing about architecture. At least my folks' went the modern Antebellum route instead of going all McMansion. Lotsa giant ugly houses around this part of town."

Kayden didn't take Ortega for someone who knew anything about the subject, so he just sort of let that comment hang in the air without regard. They reached the landing, and Kayden took a wild guess as to the direction of a bathroom. Eventually, they routed a corner and came across what looked like a bathroom door. There wasn't any indication it was being used at the moment, so Kayden turned back around to Ortega while opening it with his back hand.

"Alright, last station for folks on the S.S. Straight Edge, we're heading into uncharted air here. If not, time to show you the ropes."

That analogy was mixed and made no sense, but here it was - Ortega's last chance to bail out.

[Buko]

The endgame was Rated R...

But Ace Beats felt exceptionally like a kid who just got his hands in the cookie jar.

There was a certain mischievousness in the air as he and Brockman navigated their way through the big ass house. He felt a euphoria that only comes when you're about to do something bad but also when you're certain that you're going to get away with it. It paired well and mixed strongly with the anticipation for new experience...he wasn't even usually that touchy-feely but he didn't mind Brockman grabbing his arm and leading him through the kitchen. It was innocent enough and Ace felt enough like a child that being lead through the crowd actually made him feel more comfortable with the whole situation.

Soon the two were upstairs, searching for a bathroom to do drugs in and the childlike feeling still remained. He didn't get into enough trouble to be acquainted with the highs or the lows of it and the whole scene felt exceptionally cinematic or literary in his mind despite how simple and scummy it actually was. Here he was about to take a bump of E and Ace felt like he was in some sort of minority bingo version of Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn.

He supposed he would be Huck, Brockman had to talk about architecture and casually remind Ace he came from money. Ace thought Forrest's house was pretty impressive but it didn't feel like a home. Though Ace lived with his Mom in a two-story, two bedroom/one bathroom house that looked about as small as it sounded.

"Yeah, crazy."

Anything was plenty and better than nothing at all, far as he was concerned but he was down to just let the conversation roll and stay focused on the task at hand.

Soon they were at the bathroom door and Brockman gave him another chance to back out--but they both knew that Ace was in too deep to back out and still maintain a sense of being 'too cool for school'. Even if he was the only kid in attendance.

"Wait..."

He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone and went to Spotify and scrolled with the quickness. Finally pulling out his headphones from the jack and placing them in his pocket, setting the phone on speaker mode. Now was the moment of truth!

Gonna do it, best not do it halfway--this calls for some classic TN shit!
Beats' Beats (Shitty Phone Speaker Drug Snortin' Remix):Three 6 Mafia - Stay Fly
"Gotta set the vibe bruh, only get to do something for the first time once yo," he grinned a grin that wasn't quite Cheshire Cat, "ESSKEETIT!"

And then he followed Brockman into the McMansion bathroom, his heart beating 100 miles an hour and still not racing as quick as his mind.

[BlizzardeyeWonder]

It probably wasn't natural to cough this much, even after drinking beer for the first time. In between the occasional undeniable reminders that she should probably get properly hydrated, Camilla splurted out "I've never had weed either-"

Dear god. This was going to be a disaster. She may not have had all first-hand experience in the world with drugs and all that jazz, but she did have an intuition and vague memories of whoever the girl's health teacher talking for one period on drugs. Both of them told her getting drunk and getting high at the same time wasn't the smartest decision. Going to this godforsaken party wasn't the smartest decision either though, and she figured she'd probably need to get whupped a few more times like this before she ever learned her lesson.

"Yeah, yeah... first time."

Fuck it.

"Sounds like fun?"

What would a "I'm willing to get high with a girl I've never even met before now" face look like? Like a dumbass, probably. Complete with the half-oblivious half-dead inside smile that maybe possibly could pass for reassuring, or something like that. Alright, it was time for Camilla to look like she looked forward to popping cherries at the cost of her sanity.

[Brackie]

The door to the bathroom flung open rather forcefully as Kayden pulled it, fresh off of having taken another bump of ecstasy and teaching his teammate to do the same. He was down a fair amount more than he expected but he most likely had enough to get him through the rest of the night. He stood out, grinning, into the hallway, did a spin, and took a breath through his recently used nostrils.

"Gotta love college!"

He was, of course, referring to the guy on Grindr who sold him this stuff, who went to college in the city. It only made sense in Kayden's head, and it might as well stay that way for all he cared, seeing as how he was on top of the world right now. However, he suddenly remembered his companion who was currently zooming into a new experience, and spun back around to face him. He clapped his hands on his shoulders a bit more forcefully than he intended to before starting his spiel.

"Whoopsie, sorry. Anyways, so this is your first time and it's gonna be so weird but just remember - drink heaps of water, take a break if your chest hurts, and whatever you do don't do anything you might regret, like taking drugs from strangers. Just friends, 'kay?"

It wasn't an exhaustive list, but Kayden felt satisfied anyway, giving Ortega another shoulder clap.

"Right, I gotta dance. Chat later!"

And Kayden trotted quickly down the hall, not having much of an idea where he was going, but there was a shortcut to the stairs somewhere, right? He grabbed the nearest door handle, twisted, and strode through--

((Kayden Brockman continued in Dare You Enter My Magical Realm?))

[Brackie]

((Kayden Brockman continued from Dare You Enter My Magical Realm?))

--and that wasn't the stairs. He shook his head to get some motion back in, but he soon realized the stairs were connected to this very hallway, perish the thought. He began his rapid descent and headed back towards the party.

[backslash]

"You know man, it's that one song, it's like-" Andy busted into his best Lil' Jon impression. "Shots! Shots, shots, shots, shots!" He was off-rhythm and half-dancing, dragging Emmett with him as his arm was still around Emmett's shoulders and pumping his free hand in the air.

"Y'know, it's like that. Tanisha, help me out here."

Man, nobody had gotten him a soda, either. He'd have to get on that once they were done loosening Emmett up. He was parched.

[Laurels]

"Yeah, I know my Lil' Jon," she told Andy as she finished getting all the cups to about the right amount of vodka needed for shots. They were breezing through this one bottle of peach vodka fairly quickly, so Tanisha might have to start pacing herself.

She had to double check who was down for shots. It looked to be just Andy and Emmett. That meant they'd be able to do about two cups of vodka each.

"And yeah, it's basically just 'Shots shots shots shots shots shots EVERYBODY', so say it in the most grizzled voice you can muster," she told them as she pushed the cups to them.

She put a hand around one cup.

"Alright, so everyone downs the shot on the 'everybody,' but ya gotta say 'shots' six times first. Oh, and tap them on the counter, to get a beat going."

She looked to the two guys. She had to hope they got it. She was now Shot Queen Tanisha, so she had to make sure her subjects followed her properly.

"On my command," she said. "1,2,3."

Tanisha began to tap the glass on the counter.

"Shots shots shots shots shots shots EVERYBODY!"

She tilted her head back and put the glass to her mouth, letting the vodka pour into her throat and a little dribble down the side of her lip. She slammed the glass back down on the counter.

"AND THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!" Tanisha added for good measure.

[Buko]

yoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyo....yo.

Pupils dialated, grin on the dog from Up, Ace had left the bathroom with a stumble and a start. He didn't get Brockman's college joke, but quite frankly, he had also never heard anything so funny--it was the way Brockman said it, you had to be there...he was certain. No other reason.

Except I'm fuckin' tooted and booted...fuuuuuhcked up...high as fuck...on that shit. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He was giggling hard when Brockman grabbed him by the shoulders and gave Ace his last bit of fucked up dude wisdom. Ace tried to listen but really, he found Brockman's whole vibe too hilarious and the fact that he tried to seem so cool and put together and then pulled the shit busting into the other room made Ace nearly double over laughing.

"Bahahahahahahahahaha! Shit! Fuck! That was good shit Brockman, you alright, for fuckin' sure, see you 'round! Thanks!"

He's shit faced too...

Be cool.

You're on drugs Ace. This is what drugs do.

Damn it I can see why folks get addicted to this shit. Fuck! I feel awesome! Real hot though...

He tried to walk down the stairs but found himself dragging his hand on the wall, scratching it with his nails and enjoying the feel of the cold wall in comparison to his body. He was really hot all of a sudden. Too hot. What the fuck. When he got down the stairs he felt like his whole body was covered in sweat. He took off his tank-top and put it over his shoulder, it was wet and slightly cold and felt great on his skin. Too great for a sweaty ass tank-top. And much better off and laying on his shoulder than it had been when he was wearing it. Strange.

He felt a wave of euphoria start as a shiver down his spine and travel all the way down to his toes and he paused as he reached the bottom of the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. It seemed everybody was still taking shots but he had missed a round. He pouted, his disappointment palpable but his current state making it impossible to dwell on it for that long. Or really at all.

Just be cool. You didn't do drugs, just went to the bathroom with your boy, no need to be a shout out rook. Act like you've been there before.

"Yoooooooooooooooooooooo!", he bellowed, "Y'all drank all the liq or what? C'mon, don't do me like that! 'Nother round with ya boy! Back to back, round 2! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Shots till ya drop yo!"

He clapped his hands and popped and locked to the music, snapping his fingers and moving his head side to side as he shimmied his shoulders.

Just a cool guy doing cool things being cool.

Cool?