Because of Haven Beach

11 | mångata

mångata (n.)

the glimmering reflection of the moon on water

* * *

MY eyes swept through each room, absorbing every detail as Delaney led us through the rooms and into her kitchen. With its marble countertops and vast island, It was big enough for a restaurant. The cooking enthusiast in me was itching to test out all of the shiny appliances.

She went into the fridge, took out drinks, and set them down on the shiny counter. Aubrey and I helped ourselves to cans of Sprite as Delaney poured the vodka into a pitcher by the sink.

"Not a big drinker either?" I asked Aubrey to fill the silence.

Delaney's head whipped around. Her eyes were wide, and she was desperately motioning for me to shut up. But it was too late: the words had already left my mouth.

Oh, how I wish I could have taken them back.

"Um, no," Aubrey coughed. "My mom was killed by a drunk driver, so I avoid it like the Coronavirus."

"Shit, I'm so sorry. I had no idea... If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything."

The party hadn't even started, and I managed to offend someone already.

Ten points for Charlotte.

She forced a smile. "It's alright. There's no way you could have known. Plus, it was years ago. Thinking about her still stings, but it's not as fresh as it used to be."

"Again, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been complaining about my parents in the car, either. Such a tactless thing to do."

"Don't wor—" Aubrey hastily cut herself off when we heard the sound of the front door opening.

Ben, Ethan, and Eli came bounding into the kitchen, still donning their football jerseys.

"I brought the fruit punch and lemonade for the jungle juice," Ben called out. He set the two-liter bottles on the counter. "Eli has the candy."

Delaney opened the bottles and dumped the contents into the pitcher of vodka.

"Is there anything we can do to help set up?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, everything's in the dining room," she called over her shoulder. "Just spread it out in the basement in the usual places."

Twenty minutes later, people started to show up. Whether it was pizza, alcohol, or plastic plates, almost everyone arrived with something to contribute. It was surprisingly coordinated for a bunch of teenagers. I guess after doing this every week for three years, they had it down to a science.

The music started thumping through the basement as the everyday lights were turned down, being replaced by the LED lights that lined the walls.

In an instant, the room went from a casual game room to a club scene.

I chatted with the girls and a few of my new classmates over all the noise. This was the first party of my high school career, and I was actually having a reasonably good time. It made me wish that I didn't wait until senior year to start having a more normal high school experience.

Maybe I would have been happier at Chester High if I made more of an effort to socialize and fit in.

After an hour or so, I started to develop a pounding headache and felt my social battery drain. I let Aubrey know I was going to get some air before climbing the stairs up to the kitchen.