Owen

Shallow

"Alright, remember my cousin, the one that's like my mom's cousin's kid or something?" Drew explained. "Ya know Mikayla."

"Yeah okay? What about her?" I asked, hefting another bag of ice into the barrel where the keg sat.

"Well I gave her some money and check this shit out." He pulled open the fridge that sat at the end of their indoor pool by the tiki bar, exposing several bottles of now chilled liquor.

"No way."

He hit me in the chest, "I know right?"

I watched as he reached in, pulling a bottle of R & R out. He twisted the cap, taking a shot straight from the bottle before handing it off to me. I did the same, the cheap whiskey burning like hell.

"I'm hungry. Want some pizza?" Drew asked.

"Yeah, I'm down." I took another shot, giving the bottle back to Drew before ripping open another bag of ice. "Where the hell is Alec at?"

He put his phone to his ear to call in some pizza as he said, "I don't know but call him and tell him to get his ass here."

———————

I had poured some whiskey into a bottle of coke, loitering by the pool. There was a fair amount of people there, everyone stuck between too sober and not drunk enough.

"Are the girls here yet?" I asked Alec as he came up beside me.

"Nah, Bre texted me said they were leaving in an hour." I shook my head, downing a good portion of my drink. "She still pissed?"

I rolled my eyes, my head bobbing a little. He knew I never made it to the game the night before. The one night my dad actually quit work at a somewhat respectable hour. Once my dad showed up, dinner had drug on for forever, my dad and Jase talking business and bullshit. All the while I was getting cold shouldered by my girl. I even showed up at her house and she'd locked her window and wouldn't pick up. When she finally did pick up the next morning I got an earful.

"Get a couple drinks in her and she'll chill out." Alec said nudging me.

"Yeah." I mumbled, agreeing.

Girls like Jae were hard. I knew that. I wasn't stupid. She was amazing, so sweet, so hot, but there were times when she'd blow off the handle on me over what I would consider nothing. I didn't have much experience with dealing with girls when they got all crazy considering my mom wasn't around but I was a fast learner. I realized that it was better to say she was right and I was wrong than to ever suggest she might be overacting.

"And that boys, is why I don't tie myself down to one girl." Drew came up behind us, his arms draping over our shoulders. "Once the boyfriend/girlfriend talk gets thrown on the table, girls think they own you, that they're the boss. You never call them your girlfriend, they're so afraid you'll leave they won't even try and pick a fight."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, it was a wonder girls even wanted to be around Drew.

"Not all of us have a fear of commitment." Alec said.

"I'm plenty committed. I'm committed to never having a girlfriend." Drew righted himself, his weight no longer bearing down on our shoulders. "Speaking of which, I think I'm going to try and be committed to not being that girl's boyfriend."

He slapped us both on the back, taking off at a light jog after a girl who was stripping down to her bra and underwear for a swim. The party apparently was inching closer toward less sober and more drunk.

————————

I pulled Jaelyn close to me, her hips moving to the music, a red cup full of beer in her hand. The party was in full swing and I was just trying to play catch up. I pulled her cup from her hand, downing half her beer before giving it back. Her lip jutted out in a pout but the only thing it made me want to do was kiss her. She snaked her arms around my neck, her body flush with mine as I let her guide us to the beat of the music overhead.

She was still pissed at me when she got to the party. I chased her like a damn fool, she blew me off with a roll of the eyes for the first hour. At some point I must have said something right or the alcohol started to take effect because the next thing I knew she had grabbed a fistful of my shirt and dragged me over to dance with her.

"I love you." I yelled to her.

She shook her head, placing her finger over my lips. "Shut up and kiss me."

A smirk pulled at my face as I leaned down and did what I was told.

———————

I was several beers in and feeling good. Drew had tried to rope me into playing beer pong but I threw Alec in instead. I navigated my way through the throngs of people in search of Jaelyn. Last time I saw her she was on the pool table with Bre dancing. I watched long after my drink was gone but eventually I needed a refill and had drifted off.

"Dude man, awesome party!" Someone yelled at me as I walked through.

I nodded my head, giving someone a high five as I did. Jaelyn was still on the pool table, the white tank top she had on practically see-through and her little black skirt was riding high on her thighs. I took a drink, watching her move to the music, very aware of the collection of guys watching her too.

"Who wants shots!?" Donny yelled, slamming into me while dangling a bottle of liquor out in front of us. "We getting shitty tonight!"

I laughed, grabbing the bottle from him as someone else started to line up mini red solo cups. I ran the bottle down the line, Donny grabbing two cups as I did. He handed one off to me, someone yelling something about the football victory the night before. We drank in unison before going through the same motions.

The music was blaring, the air stale even though every window and door were open to let in the cool October air. I took another shot, lazily catching Jaelyn out of nowhere as she climbed down off the pool table. Her lips met mine, heated and uncoordinated. I felt someone slap me on the back as I lifted Jaelyn onto the pool table, her legs straddling me as my hands pushed her skirt a little farther up her thighs. I felt warm and hazy, my blood pounding, my thoughts scattered and unorganized.

"Baby." Jaelyn said, pulling away. "Let's go for a swim."

My body pushed backwards, my vision blurry as I watched her take off running, her white tank top flying in the air above her head. I staggered after her, my limbs heavy and uncoordinated from the alcohol coursing through my veins.

I fell through the doorway of the pool, slamming into someone who helped right me before continuing on.

"Come get me." Jaelyn's voice whispered in my ear, her hands grazing my back before she took off running around the edge of the pool.

My body set itself in motion, chasing after her with the last remaining bits of coordination. Even with my inebriated state, I gained on her fast, throwing the two of us into the warm water of the heated pool. She was laughing when we resurfaced, a sound that made my heart sore every time I heard it. My life was perfect.

———————