Lydia | ✔️

(11)

New Year's Eve flashback.

Music thudded throughout the two story villa style home. The modernised living room was crowded with underaged teenagers that had indulged in a number of different substances. Pot. Alcohol. Pills.

Lydia knew that her Mom would spew if she found out that she was here instead of at the small sleepover with her best friends like she had told her she would be. Still, she danced amongst her peers, flicking her long brown curls over her shoulder and lifting the alcoholic beverage into the air as she let the music deepen her inebriated state.

Stephanie wasn't the usual host for parties and events in her age range. But the role of hostess had fallen to her when Mary-May found out that Stephanie's parents would be out of town. Mary-may was often responsible for throwing the best bashes in town. But she'd opted out after her Fourth of July celebration ended with seven smashed windows and an entire room needing re carpeting.

Allison, Sadie and Lydia were dressed in tight jeans and tank tops, not the sort of attire that was right for the middle of winter but in the middle of a crowded dance space, it was too much clothing. The heat was almost unbearable.

Lydia became aware of a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her waist and before she could become startled, her boyfriends voice was speaking loud and clear beside her ear.

"Do you want a tab?"

"No thanks," Lydia declined over her shoulder, still moving with the electronic beat.

A few curious glances came from the girls in front of her, neither of them were in earshot to hear the offer he was making Lydia. There was a good chance that Allison would have accepted the tab and the last thing that she wanted to deal with, was her friend on an acid trip.

"Come dance with me?" Riley's hands slipped under the front of her tank top, sliding across her damp skin. His fingers slid further south and tucked into the waist band of her jeans as he pulled her back into his chest.

Not sure whether it was the alcohol or perhaps she was just more tired than she realised, but his demand irritated her and she slid his hands out of her jeans, turning around and placing them at his side. His brows furrowed in confusion but unfortunately, not total surprise.

"I'm dancing with the girls," Lydia said with a half hearted smile. "We'll dance later."

"You said that an hour ago."

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes and turned around, neither of her friends were paying attention to the dispute, their fingers laced above their heads, their smiles wide as they swayed.

She could have joined her man and avoided feeling like a third wheel but when she peered over her shoulder, he was gone, dispersed into the crowd of intoxicated teenagers.

"Hey," a rough grip on Lydia's arm turned her around and Allison stumbled, slurring in her face. "My sisters outside. I'm going to get her. Look after Sadie."

"Is Sadie the one that needs looking after?" Lydia questioned, assessing the way that Allison stumbled about as though she had two left feet.

"Shut up," Allison flicked her wrist and brushed past her. "I'll be back in a second."

Lydia watched the back of her friends head disappear into the dark crowd and shrugged her shoulders with indifference. Allison had been a lone wolf for as long as she'd known her. She was independent and no one ever worried whether she could take care of herself.

"You wanna get another drink?" Lydia asked Sadie who had since losing her dance partner, proceeded to fan her cleavage due to the sweat. Sadie gave her an eager nod and the two of them made tracks towards the kitchen.