Grey (Now Published!)

Chapter 3 [edited]

Nathan parks his car in the enormous driveway of the grand three-story house that belongs to the wealthiest family in town. The brave child of Simone and Luke Pratt, Henry, is throwing one of the wildest parties I've ever seen. 

As I climb out of the car, all around me, drunk teenagers are screaming and jumping on cars that are piled together on the driveway. Party-goers are everywhere, some are standing on balconies, pouring bottles of beer onto the heads of those below them--some are dancing in a daze to music that isn't there, others are kissing or getting more than friendly with each other on the ground. 

And this is just the outside.

"Thought you said I wasn't missing much?" I say to Nathan with a smile.

He takes my pained hand and leads me towards the steps of the house. "That was an hour ago," he says. "I'm pretty sure your imagination can work out the rest."

"I don't really think I need to imagine," I say as I step over a drunk girl that has fallen at my feet.

The inside of the house is even more chaotic. The music can be heard first, as it blasts through speakers that I unfortunately have to wait beside as too many crowd an archway into the main room. I begin swaying, nudging my side into Nathan's as I go along with the base. He dances back, moving his shoulders in a giddy moment of rejoice. 

He grips my hand tighter as he spots an opportunity to push past people, and we both squeeze our way through a gap that although seemed like a good idea at the time, definitely isn't. There's so many bodies, so many drunks stumbling into me, and even though I'm in pain from my throbbing arm I manage to push them away from me, and I don't feel guilty as they crash to the floor. 

Nathan takes me over to the other side of the enormous, luxurious lounge--and I stare at the glistening, polished chandelier on the ceiling. It must be amazing to live in a house like this, to live a lifestyle like this, everything around me, although partly trashed, is still poignant and elegant. 

The white-tiled floor looks as though it's been scrubbed until someone's hands bled, and there's a plastic box in the corner stuffed with dozens of antiques that Henry must have stashed away before the party began. Some of those antiques must be worth thousands.

Nathan stops us at a long table against a wall that plays host to so many bottles of alcohol that I'm spoilt for choice. I take a bottle of blue liquid that I've never heard the name of, and I use the bottle opener to open it, before bringing it quickly to my lips.

"Are all of these people from your high school?" I shout to Nathan over the noise.

Nathan nods. "Pretty much."

I scan my eyes around all the drunk faces. Some I recognize from other parties, some I know well because they're Nathan's friends, but the rest are a complete blur. I feel like an outcast at this party, because they all know each other. They see each other every day, they've known each other for years, probably since infancy. But that doesn't stop me from enjoying myself regardless, I don't come to these parties just because Nathan attends them, I come because I want to feel the thrill of this kind of atmosphere. I want to blend in. I want to make friends. I want to be normal. 

But above all, I just want to hear music. The teenagers here don't know how much they take it for granted. How much they take everything for granted. And conveniently, I'm always going to be the only one that sees it. 

I tip the bottle vertical above my throat, I don't know what the hell this drink is, but it's pretty damn good. I finish it, placing it back onto the table as Nathan laughs at me.