The Arrangement

Chapter Three

Here's the thing that I love about college parties, they're always a mess even when you put every protection in place. It's not just the spills of dark liquor and the cum that is probably deeply imbedded in the hand-me-down couches, it's the people and the absolute lack of sense that every single one of us have. This love for the mess is only exemplified at specific times during the year, Halloween and Easter always mean dressing up as creepily sexy figures and the start and end of the year means drinking more than anyone should.

Both to forget the year ahead and year had, let's not pretend that I am some kind of wizard that has cracked the code on remembering all the nights out. Most people don't like getting belligerently drunk, and the people that do automatically get called addicted.

I however just love the freeness; I crave it in every facet of my life even though nothing is pushing me down into a box I don't want to be in. I could be psychoanalysed by friends and a therapist, and I know they would deduce that my parents' morals and practices make me feel guilty in some capacity.

There's no point in denying the truth their actions and morals don't exactly align with my own, I could break off if I so desired. There's money in my bank that they wouldn't touch and I'm not under any impression that getting a job before graduating college would be the end of the world, but while I can do a law degree without the added stress. I want to take that privilege while I can, it'll set me up for life and a long time ago I decided I wouldn't be mad at it and instead grateful.

My parents made their wealth, they both worked hard and invested what little money we had left over, holidays were a fantasy until I was fifteen. I might not be as proud of who they are now, but that doesn't stamp out the pride of knowing how hard they worked in the first place.

Back to my original point, drinking to get drunk is fun for the most part... well until you're alone and then it's more of a problem. As much as I do it for myself, I like the weekends off or the sober nights in with everyone just as much as the solidarity in drinking that goes around our circle. If we left the two girls that are constantly burying pain alone with a bottle of tequila, my phone wouldn't be used for taking unflattering pictures.

"How long do we give them before they have flashed half the party and then started crying on the crusty sofa?" Sophie muses, multi-coloured lights dance across cream living room walls, her skin-tight black bodysuit clings to every curve of her body.

"That is definitely the spunk couch" I nod, my head tilting left slightly as my eyes dance over Rosie and Cassie. It wasn't so long ago that I was doing the same thing but for Sophie and Imogen, "I'd say we have about half an hour before we need to intervene, and that's just for Rosie. I'd say at least an hour for Cassie"

"The straight from the bottle drinking used to be our specialty and now we get drunk in solidarity" Sophie sighs, arm locked through mine as we nurse the very strong drinks that Rosie made us.

"Let's not start telling lies Soap, I am definitely not just drinking in solidarity, although it is nice to not be the only one getting drunk" I muse, "What's the inside goss about how Madeline and Alfie are doing?"

Even the question makes her wince, which is never a good sign, we are all open and even happy that Alfie has found himself a girlfriend. Even more stoked that she wants to be a part of the group instead of tear him away from it, but when we have Rosie's feelings to consider, it's hard to not want to kick Alfie in the balls. No one here would break them up, truthfully, I don't even want that to happen, I could still kick him for pulling so far away from her though.

Can't yell at him for something that's not intentional, but that doesn't mean the sweet desire for vengeance doesn't rear its ugly head often. I also love any excuse to cause pain to a man's nether region, it's a guilty pleasure that I don't feel entirely awful about.