Chasing Forever

3. Party

     When I got to the house the party was at, I was shocked. There were people all over the place, and the music was blasting so loud. I couldn't believe no one called the cops on a bunch of underage kids partying. 

     "Ever! Over here!" I spotted Macie and Nia dancing together, drinks in their hands, and headed that way. 

     It only took about ten minutes for a guy named Steven to come over. He asked Macie to dance, and she quickly told us not to look for her if she disappeared because she planned to go home with him. 

     The biggest thing I had learned about Macie thus far in our friendship was that she liked having fun. That was what she called it. 

     "Do you want me to get you a drink?" I turned to Nia, and nodded. I followed her to the kitchen and nervously looked at everything. I didn't want to drink out of the open bottles, I had seen enough movies to know you shouldn't take open drinks. No one would put anything in the actual bottle though, right?

     I finally decided to take whatever mixed drink she made me, and we went back out to dance together. 

     Time just blurred together, but I was on my fifth drink when I really started to let loose. I was dancing more freely than I ever had before, and I loved it. The more I drank, the more fun I was having. 

     I was vaguely aware of the feeling of eyes on me, but I didn't care. For once, i was letting things happen as they may. No worries, just fun. 

     A guy named Luke who I remembered from school came up behind me and I danced with him for a few minutes before Nia giggled and yanked my arm. 

     "Come back over here, Ever!" I giggled and stumbled where she pulled me. 

     "I'm here!" I did a little dance where I dropped down in front of her and shimmied back up, and giggled uncontrollably before going back to dancing how I was. 

     "Nia, this is so fun! I'm so glad I decided to do this. You guys are my new best friends. But shh don't tell my old best friend if he comes to visit!" 

      "He, huh? I can be a lot more than your friend if you wanted me to, baby." I turned to Luke and couldn't help but giggle. 

     "You couldn't handle me, baby." I saw the look of lust on his face, and I turned back to Nia. "I'm too hot to handle, right?" She nodded, and I giggled. "Nice try, though, Luke!" 

     "Let me know if I can change your mind." 

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CHASE

     I walked into the party, the last place I ever went on weekends. I wasn't a party kind of guy. I was completely focused on my future, and that's how I liked it. I spotted Bobby coming out of a room with a girl close behind him, and I rolled my eyes. 

     I walked over, and he was asking her for her number and getting shut down. 

     She whispered something in his ear, and headed back towards the room they had just come out of. 

     "Dude." 

     "Chase, buddy, I'm having the best night of my life!" 

     "Then why in the world did you tell me to come here? I thought something was wrong." 

     Bobby gave me a grin, and motioned across the room. My eyes followed his, and they landed on Ever. 

     "Your girl is over there drunk out of her mind, dude.  Luke and Nia look like they're ready to fight over her." 

     "What does that have to do with me?" 

     He shrugged, and rolled his eyes at me. I knew that I had been watching her a lot at school...I didn't even really know why. It bothered me that Bobby noticed. 

     "I figured you're a nice guy and could help her out. You know, get her away from the vultures. Make sure that she gets home safely. If you don't want to, just leave. I'm going to get laid, and if you leave Ever here, she might just do the same later. The difference is, I'm sober." 

     I watched Bobby walk away, and turned my attention back to Ever. She looked amazing. I knew it wasn't my place, but my feet started moving without me meaning for them to. I walked over to their little triangle, and pushed myself between Ever and Luke. 

     "Dude, you're in my way!" Luke pushed me a bit, and I just turned and raised an eyebrow at him. 

     "I don't care. You can leave now." 

     He rolled his eyes at me, and turned to leave. I saw him look back a couple of times at Ever, but he didn't try to come back and make a move on her. 

     "Hey, Ever. Are you having fun?"

     I watched her stumble as she walked the couple of steps over to me, and she grinned at me. 

     "So much fun! Do you want to dance with me?" I nodded, and she turned around and started dancing against me, and I took a breath to steady myself. 

     I found myself dancing with her for so long my legs started to get tired. She was drinking anything that anyone put in her hand, and it was starting to worry me. 

     "I think I should get you home, Ever." 

     "Are you having fun with me, Chase?" She turned to face me, and gave me a flirty wink. "I don't want to go home yet." 

     The truth was, I was having fun with her. Too much fun. More fun than I had ever had with anyone before. 

     "Come on, I'll get you sobered up and then take you home." 

     She turned away from me again, and loudly shouted to anyone listening. 

     "Hey, I'm leaving to go get sober!" 

     "Good luck with that, girl. I'll see you at school on Monday. I had fun." Ever gave Nia a tight hug and told her she had a great time, and then started stumbling towards the door. 

     "I'm so not ready for tonight to end." She sat down on the edge of the curb down the street from the house the party was at, about thirty feet away from my car. 

     "As much as I like your top, it's kind of cold out here." I slid my jacket off, and she put it on. I was in a green tank top, but at least I had jeans on. She was practically in a bathing suit with how much she was covered. 

      "It might be the alcohol talking, but you just got even hotter." She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, and I smiled at how cute she looked blushing. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I thought...I thought I was thinking it." 

     "You look good in my jacket, there. A compliment for a compliment. Come on, I have to feed you and get some fluid in you."

      "What are you feeding me?" She looked genuinely curious, and I gave her an indulgent smile. 

      "I'm not a great cook, but I can't take you out since you're wasted. I'll make you breakfast food. Pancakes, bacon, stuff like that." 

     She stood up and started running, not well, but running nonetheless; towards my car. It was really more of a fast stumbling, and it made me incredibly anxious that she would end up faceplanting on the ground. 

     "Not waiting for me, I see?"

     "I'm hungry! Hurry up!" I couldn't help laughing, as I slowly followed her to my car. 

      I liked this playful side of Ever. At school she always seemed so serious, and reserved. Even a little sad, maybe. I liked seeing her smile. 

     "Okay, come on." I opened her door for her, and she peered up at me for a minute before she slid in. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but I wished she would say it again on accident.