“Time to play catch up, for every shot I do, you have to do two!” Alice hands me the bottle of vodka as she lines up plastic shot glasses along the kitchen bench of one of the larger dorm rooms on campus.
“No no no no no, I can’t do straight vodka.” I shake my head, handing the bottle back to her.
“Yes you can,” she insists, opening the bottle and messily pouring it over each of the glasses.
“Please be kind to me. I’m old.”
“Which means you’ve been in training for years. Come on, pretend you’re 19 again.” She coaxes, holding out two shots to me and I reluctantly take them, gulping nervously.
“If I was 19 I would be safely in my room studying, far away from all of this.” I gesture to the drunken mess of people that fill the room.
“Well you decided to come, when you accepted my offer you agreed to alcohol in copious amounts.” She grins, tossing a shot back and jumping up and down excitedly with pursed lips as the alcohol burns through her. “Your turn.” She prompts, her voice momentarily different from the strain of concentrated alcohol.
“Promise to hold my hair when I puke?” Are my famous last words before downing the two shots in my hands, and resisting the urge to purge them both back up immediately.
“Woooooh!” Alice cheers, picking up another shot and downing it.
“No. No. No. No. No.” I shake my head, the burn from the last two still rattling me to my core. She just raises an expectant eyebrow at me and hands two more shots.
“I will literally be on the ground.” I refuse, holding my hands up in surrender.
“Come on, just two more.”
“I’m not kidding you this will legitimately mess me up. I don’t do vodka. Tequila, yes. Cocktails, yes please. Even the odd rum and coke. But vodka, vodka no.” I scramble for excuses as the shots are thrust into my hands.
“Bottoms up.” She urges, holding her phone up and capturing the graceful moment of me downing two shots one after the other and spluttering till the pain stops.
“Oh dear god.” I crouch, barely able to stand up from the disgusting feeling of vodka scorching the inside of my throat and begging to exit.
“Drunk yet?” Alice smirks.
“Nope.” I shake my head, and she turns from one figure to two before my eyes refocus and she takes her normal shape.
“Wrong answer.” She chuckles, handing me two more. I don’t argue this time, downing them quickly without dying.
“And one for good luck.” She grins and I feel like two devil’s horns are starting to show themselves amongst her messy blonde hair.
“And here,” She hands me a cup of black liquid and I raise my eye brows at her.
“What, you said you liked rum and coke.”
“When there’s no other option, yes. And not after seven shots of vodka. Get fucked.”
“Come on, drink while we mingle.” She forces it into my hand and I down it in one, I hate restricting my hand movements by having to hold a cup.
“I wanna dance, come on.” I drag her by the hand, pulling her towards where someone’s phone has been plugged into a stereo system.
The sweat that laces my skin after a few minutes of dancing in this crowded room now matches those of the other party guests. Alice introduces me to every one of her ‘gang’ as they come and dance near us, busying the small space I’d created for my own personal dance floor.
YOU ARE READING
Strangers
Fanfiction"@CharJones: Distance is relative to the time that it takes to get on a plane or make a mistake" The third and final installment of the Friends Trilogy. Lola started off sure of herself and her path in life only to have it all crumbling down when...
