Southern Waters

Bonfire

We finally pull down a small side road and up toward the house. I realize this isn't going to be a few people hanging out. There are cars everywhere! All over the front yard and up and down both sides of the street.

Alex laughs at my shocked expression, "Don't worry we're gonna have fun."

I nod and hold on tight as she turns off the road and parks her car in the front yard. I was worried maybe the person who owned the house might not like their yard having tire tracks all over it but Alex seemed unfazed.

She throws the car in park and wiggles her perfect eyebrows at me, "Alright lets go!"

I smile and climb out of the car. I immediately smell the fire burning and I hear people laughing and yelling over the loud music. Everyone seems to be in the back yard that's blocked from view by a large wooden privacy fence. I follow Alex to the side of the house where a large gate has been propped open.

There's a large pool close to the house and the lawn slopes slowly downward towards a lake where there's a two story dock with a boat tied up. The fire has been set up about halfway between the two.

My mind is blown by the amount of people I see. Some are swimming while others lounge by the fire but it looks like everyone has a cup.

Alex grabs my hand and starts pulling me towards the house. We walk into a kitchen through the wall of windows that have been opened up making the back of the house completely open to the outside. Liquor bottles, beer cans and solo cups cover the counter tops along with a few scattered pizza boxes. Everyone is coming and going filling their cups up from the two large kegs that have been set in trash cans filled with ice.

Alex turns and has to yell into my ear to be heard over the music, "Liquor or beer?! I say let's do a few shots then switch!" I nod my head in response and I can't help but smile. This is gonna be a fun night.

We do three shots of Jack and then a tall lanky guy with a cigarette hanging off his lip walks up. His accent is so thick I have to concentrate to understand what he's saying. "You girls wanna try sumethin?" He pulls out a mason jar and Alex laughs. She leans over, tells me that the guys name is Jonny and he's trying to give us some moonshine.

My eyes go big and they both laugh. I've never tried it before but this is a party and I'm sure this stuff will make me forget about everything. I give them both a smile, "What the hell! Pour me some."

Alex puts her arm around my shoulder and holds her shot glass up to Jonny. "She's gonna be a true southern bell by the end of the night!"

We throw the shots back at the same time and I instantly regret it. I feel like my mouth and stomach are on fire. I cough and take a gulp of the Mountain Dew Alex hands me. She laughs, "Not bad! You kept it down!"

I prop the side of my head on my hand and look at her. "Holy fuck!"

This makes her and Jonny laugh even harder. Alex thanks Jonny for the shot, puts a plastic cup full of beer in my hand and leads me out of the house and onto the pool deck. Alex and I start to talk to a group of people standing around a beer pong table. As I stand there laughing and talking I feel my buzz getting stronger. I sway a little on the spot and Alex puts her hand on my back to steady me. My entire body feels amazing.

I'm watching the beer pong game trying to see if I'd maybe be good enough to play. The teams playing are impressive and I decide there's no way I could play like that.

I'm taking another large swig from my cup when I hear a familiar laugh cut its way through all the noise. I freeze. What is he doing here? It had been almost an hour since I got here and hadn't seen him so I figured he wasn't coming. I slowly turn scanning the crowd and I finally spot him across the pool. He's wearing a shirt that's halfway unbuttoned so I could see the sharp contours of his chest and short swimming trunks that show off this tanned muscular legs. There's a large group of people around him, everyone's talking and laughing.