GETTING DRUNK

The bass was a physical force, vibrating through the soles of my sneakers and rattling my ribcage before I even crossed the threshold. It was 7:00 PM and the Sigma Chi house was glowing like a neon-lit monster in the middle of the dark street.

I stood on the sidewalk, my fingers twisting the hem of my denim skirt. Part of me wanted to turn around, call Arthur, and retreat to the silent safety of the Knight mansion. But then I remembered my mother’s fake smile and Xavier’s cold, mocking "Princess," and I realized I’d rather be anywhere else but there.

​I took a breath and walked in.

​The air inside was thick—a mix of cheap beer, expensive perfume, and sweat. It was fucking wild. In the foyer alone, a couple was practically fused together against the wall, oblivious to the crowd surging past them. Red cups were everywhere, and the music was so loud it felt like it was trying to beat my heart for me.

​"Summer! You actually came!"

​I turned to see Maya weaving through the chaos, a bright blue drink in her hand and a glow-stick necklace around her neck. She looked like she had been here for hours.

​"I wasn't sure I’d find you!" I shouted over the beat.

​"Nonsense! Tonight, we forget about everything!" She shoved a cup into my hand. "Drink up. It’s the only way to survive the Evermore social scene."

​I didn't plan on getting drunk. But the first cup went down fast, cutting through the nerves that had been frayed since I arrived in that mansion. Then came the second. Then a third.

​By 9:00 PM, the edges of the room were blurred and golden. The suffocating weight of my father’s death and my mother’s betrayal felt lighter, floating away on a sea of vodka and heavy bass. I was dancing—really dancing—lost in the strobe lights and the heat of the bodies around me.

​Everything was a dizzying, beautiful haze until a pair of hands slid firmly onto my waist from behind.

​I gasped, spinning around, but my head spun faster than my body. A guy was standing there, a few years older, with a practiced, handsome grin and eyes that wandered over me with hungry intent.

​"You look like you're having way too much fun on your own," he shouted, his voice vibrating near my ear. He pulled me slightly closer, his grip tightening on my hips.

​I giggled, the alcohol making me feel floaty and reckless. "It's my first day," I slurred, leaning back slightly.

​The guy leaned in, his breath hot against my neck. "Is that so? I think a girl like you deserves a more... private tour of the house." He lowered his voice, his hand sliding lower. "Wanna go somewhere quiet?"

​My brain sent a tiny warning signal, but it was drowned out by the music. I looked at his smiling face, nodding vaguely. "Quiet sounds... quiet sounds good."

​But as he started to lead me toward the darkened staircase, the crowd suddenly parted. The air didn't just turn cold, it turned sub-zero.

​Leaning against the banister at the top of the stairs, a drink in one hand and his eyes like twin daggers, was Xavier. He wasn't dancing, he wasn't smiling either. He was watching the guy’s hand on my waist with an expression that looked like he was ready to commit a felony.

The guy led me toward a shadowed hallway behind the main staircase, the thumping bass of the party becoming a muffled heartbeat. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton candy, and the world tilted dangerously to the left.

​"You're so pretty," he murmured, backing me against the cold drywall. His hands weren't just on my waist anymore... they were roaming, greedy and hurried. I felt the hem of my denim skirt hitch upward as his fingers brushed my thigh. I tried to giggle, but a wave of nausea rolled through me.

​"Wait..." I started to say, but my voice was lost in the dark.

​"Leave her alone. Now."

​The guy froze, his hands dropping instantly.

​Xavier was standing at the entrance of the hall, his silhouette framed by the strobe lights of the party behind him. He looked like an avenging shadow. His jaw was set so tight I thought his teeth might crack, and his eyes were fixed on the guy with a silent promise of violence.

​The guy took one look at Xavier’s face, realized exactly who he was dealing with, and backed away with his hands raised. "My bad, man. I didn't know she was... yours."

​He didn't wait for a reply. He vanished back into the crowd, leaving me leaning precariously against the wall.

Xavier stepped toward me, his presence suffocating. He didn't offer a hand. He didn't ask if I was okay. Instead, he looked down at me with pure, unadulterated disgust.

​"Were you that desperate to have sex with a total stranger?" he hissed, his voice cutting through my drunken fog like a blade. "Is this what the 'Princess' does the second she gets a taste of freedom? You’re pathetic."

​The insult stung worse than the alcohol. I pushed off the wall, swaying on my feet, my eyes blurring with tears of frustration. "Go away! I hate you! You don't get to tell me what to do!"

​I tried to shove past him, but I was too weak, too drunk. Xavier didn't argue. Without a word, he moved with terrifying speed, hooking one arm behind my knees and the other around my back.

​"Put me down!" I screamed, feebly hitting his chest, but he ignored me as if I were nothing more than an annoying fly.

​He marched back into the main room, carrying me bridal-style through the thick of the party. The music seemed to dip as people noticed. I saw Maya near the keg, her jaw dropping, her drink nearly slipping from her hand.

​"Is she his girlfriend or what?" I heard someone whisper over the music. "I thought he hated everyone."

​Xavier didn't stop until we hit the cool night air. He hauled me toward a black sports car parked at the curb, his grip like iron. He yanked the passenger door open, but as he leaned in to drop me on the leather seat, the world finally did a full 360-degree spin.

​"Xavier—" I gasped, clutching his t-shirt.

​I didn't even have time to finish his name before I leaned over and vomited all over the asphalt, narrowly missing his expensive boots.