Reclaim

Lights

   Glenn Dickens                                                                                      Missouri
                         12/25/26
The party was loud, loud enough for me to hear down the street. Neighbors didn't care, though, probably because all of them were at the party.

The lawn was crowded, the music was loud, the lights were bright, and the drinking was illegal at best. No way were the majority of the people here adults. In fact, I recognized most of the people here, mainly cus just about all of them were from my high school.

I knew some of the people there, but most of the people knew me, even people I never met, even people I didn't even think went to our school.

I guess you could say I was "popular," but that was because I knew a couple more people than most. Other than that, I'm just like every other dweeb at that puberty house.

By the time I found Jason and Monroe, I was already three shots in, none were completely voluntary either. I kinda hoped there would just be a few dozen people here, but half the damn school was, and it felt like the most stereotypical high school party known to man.

Monroe was drunk as a dog, and Jason was probably holding off for me, even though drinking really isn't my thing.

"You mastermind frat boy. You really did escape Fort Dickens, all for us too."

"So you were gonna stay sober the whole night because you're just a saint like that?"

Monroe was pink cheeked and loopy like a professional connoisseur of party drinking. He was probably high on Molly, too, considering the way he stumbled into me.

"Gleeeenn, my maan! Were gonna party till were irresponsibly in a coma, my boy."

"Nice to see you too, Monroe."

By now, he was swept away by some random people, and I'd probably never see him again, at least not for the rest of the week. Jason wrapped his arm around my shoulder like he was getting ready to smooch me.

"Were gettin' smashed tonight, I don't care. You haven't got properly wrecked since homecoming, and that was capital B to the capital S. The only reason you did it was to impress Beck, and she didn't give a flying -"

"I get it, dawg. I get it, but I can't get trashed tonight."

I could already feel the lecture coming the minute his face dropped to that disappointed mom look.

"Glenn the Flake, Glenn the Jag, Glenn the blue baller of anything remotely fun."

"You know I could barely come out here, right? I had to sneak out like I'm Houdini escaping Alcatraz."

"That's not how it went for one, and for two, what was even the point in coming if you're just gonna watch other people have fun."

The music was already giving me a headache. It was a pretty tasteless playlist with a few hits because nobody would be paying attention to the music. Getting drunk would only make my mood worse.

"I can dance sober, I can talk sober, I can play games sober."

"Dance, talk, play... games? You sound like such a dork right now, from my standpoint, at least."

"Look, I need to get home, and It's gonna be hard to do that drunk off my mind."

"I could drive you. Drunk driving's never killed anyone."

The joke would be funny if his driving license wasn't confiscated after nearly doing that exact thing.

"Come on, why'd you even come if you're just gonna party without the sauce."

"I don't even know if that's a thing people say. but I came for you, you idiot. You wanted me to. You practically begged for it, too."

"Because you never do anything with us... what's a drink or two gonna really do to you anyway? It'll wear off after an hour. Then you can go home, simple."

The one thing I hated about Jason was the fact that his skull was full of potatoes when it came to anything that included sense and didn't include senseless drinking. He would make a great politician, which genuinely scared me.

"I'm not letting you peer pressure me into drinking."

He laughed, thinking I was joking, then let go of me when I didn't laugh back.

"Peer pressure? That's kindergarten dude, you're not actually flying by that, are you?"

I was dumb, but not dumb enough to let him screw me over again.

"I'm your friend, dude."
He sounded hurt, like he thought I plain and simply didn't trust him, even though we were friends for about a decade.
"I just wanted to have fun tonight, I thought you'd help make this night special."

It hurt seeing him feel betrayed, and it hurt knowing I was the reason why.
I guess one drink wouldn't hurt if it'd make him happy.

Right?