Never Have I Ever (One Last Time # 1) (Wattys2017)

You Are Such A Bad Boy Cliche

The gentle, icy waves washed over the tips of my toes the closer the tide came to shore.

The loud chatter had become nothing more than a dull noise behind my back as I stared out over the rushing water that laid in a bed before me, cutting out all outside noise and disruptions.

This was the same safe haven I'd spent the last four years of my high school life. Graduation should have been the best day of my life; yet it remained nothing more than another milestone that would soon be forgotten.

I was finally able to break the chains that kept me hear, in the dark shadow of my twin brother, Oliver.

Oliver, who had spent the last four year at the top of the social ladder. Oliver, who was voted Most Likely To Succeed In Future Endeavors. Oliver, who was currently sitting in the back of his best friend's old, rusty burgundy Ford Pickup drinking the last night of his life as a child away.

I should have been having the time of my life too; breaking through the crowds of people that had scattered themselves around the Hendricks Manor. Drinking cup after cup of alcohol like every other underage teenager lounging around out here like it was a second home. This was the last day we'd be treated like teenagers; the graduating class was officially on their way to start life as an adult. Deep down, there was a part of me that didn't want that.

I had been comfortable living in Oliver's shadow, it was a cozy spot that occasionally had some entertainment. I had never lived life on my own, away from him and my friends for longer than a couple days.

That all changed tonight.

Pushing my hands through the sand, I started to divert my mind from any of its previous thoughts. My feet, stretched out in front of me, had begun to fall asleep. I took it as a sign that it was about time to get up and join the party again.

My eyes scanned the crowded stone pathway from the shore to the Hendricks' front door. My stomach furled into a tight knot when I realized how much of an adventure it was going to be trying to get to my brother and his best friend in the bed of the pickup.

Half the graduating class were in various places around me, most stumbling and tripping over their own feet or making out. The other half were circling around Abel Hendricks' Ford like moths drawn to a burning flame.

"Olivia, baby!" an obnoxious shout broke through the heavy metal blasting through a stereo. I was honestly surprised I could even hear anyone speaking over the music; I could hardly hear my own thoughts.

Thinking about it, it was also a rarity for Abel to call me by one of his millions of pet names that he kept in a small, strange part of his brain.

"Liv!" his shout broke through again, his head poking out of the clutter of girls that had surrounded him. He was waving a red solo cup in the air, his wild curls blowing into and around his face with the wind. I could see, even from this distance, that he was slurring whatever he was saying to my brother a few feet behind him.

I forced myself to continue up the pathway before Abel could do something illogical like throw himself out of the bed and come running in my direction.

When I was finally within hearing distance of the boys, Abel jumped off the bed and sent his admirers parting like the Red Sea. "Olivia!"

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against his broad chest, startling me. Once I was able to process what was happening, I shrugged his arm off and pinched the bridge of my nose to stop the strong scent of alcohol radiating off of him from burning it.