The Virtual Affection | #Wattys2018

#9 Party Hard!

When Ellie and I reach Dave's place, my eyes take some time to accustom to the wild uproar in front of me. I've never seen anything so huge.

Dave's house is a three story villa with a humongous swimming pool. The whole place is packed with messy, loud teenagers. The noise is deafening. The DJ's playing My Chemical Romance and everyone's dancing, drinking, screaming or making out. The place smells of alcohol and deodorant and insanity. The whole school is probably over. I wonder how often Dave has parties like this.

"Uh...I'm not sure I belong here," I say over to Ellie as other teenagers jostle past us in the confusion. She's already dancing to the beat of the song. "Woman up, Sarrie! Dave probably won't be impressed if you stand there like a doorpost. Move it!"

The interior is filled with flashy lights. I spot Jake across the room, along with his friends; handing out drinks. I push my way over to him.

"Sarah!" he almost chokes on his drink, "What are you doing here?"

"Hi," I shout over the music and the screaming, "Dave thought I was boring, so I thought let's change his mind!"

"Oh," he says, then scanning the room, calls over to Dave, "Hey Dave, someone special's over!"

"Jake, no!"

Dave makes his way over to us. He's dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. The disco lights dance in his vibrant crystal eyes. He laughs, making me want to melt.

"Hey Sarah," he says, "Didn't expect you here."

He recognises me.

"Hey Dave." I say, hoping I was loud enough for him to hear.

"You look real nice."

"Oh, thanks, you too." I say, blushing like an idiot and wondering that probably this is what he says to all the other girls.

"So have fun, and tell me if you need anything." He flashes me a smirk before disappearing into the crowd.

I realise I'm smiling for no reason.

"Hey!" Jake snaps, "Make a move, will you?"

"What move? He said I look real nice. Isn't that enough?"

Jake stares at me in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? You think he's impressed? Come on, Sarah, don't be pathetic. Go dance with him!"

"No way! I can't dance."

"Everybody can! Just throw your arms and move your hips!"

"Sorry, not happening. I have something called dignity."

"You are boring." He says, "Wait, you know what? Here - drink this."

He passes me a shot.

"What's this?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"Soda."

I narrow my eyes.

"Spiked," he adds, "slightly."

"Alcohol?! I don't know, Jake."

"Look, a few glasses won't matter. Trust me."

I think for a moment and then gulp down the poison. I've got nothing to lose.

It suddenly sends a warm flush through me, pricking every hair on my body. My mouth feels dry and I feel myself wanting more. Jake and his friends smirk at each other and keep passing me glasses. At this point, I don't even care what they give me as long as it leaves this burning, warm sensation down my throat and in my gut. My head goes fuzzy and occasionally my vision blurs. But the temptation is unstoppable.

"One more pleeasse..." My voice slurps unintentionally. Jake passes me another glass. I've lost count by now.

I feel happy all of a sudden. Elated. I start laughing, and the abnormality worries me, "What the hell is happening to me?"

"Life is." Jake grins.

I don't know how to explain the feeling. It's as if all the colours of the world have swirled in together to make a vibrant colourful spectrum of countless hues. The music is suddenly louder and my heartbeat increases with the screams of the crowd. The music, the joy, the wildness - nothing is in separate pieces now but has mixed together in a crazy reckless vibe of temerity that pumps through my blood. I can feel the night resounding in me. I really want to scream. Any moment now.

"WHOOO!" I scream, leaning my head back and then bursting into convulsive laughter. Jake laughs.

"Louder!" One of his friends prods. I realise my scream becomes another etch in the chaos. I must be louder.

I stumble as I get up and stand on top of the counter, and start whooping and dancing to the music. A few heads turn to me this time and many eyes fall on me. But the attention doesn't scare me for some reason. I don't care. In fact, I don't care that I don't care. I'm on top of the world and I'm never coming down.

"THEY SAID ALL TEENAGERS SCARE THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME!" I scream along to the lyrics of my favourite MCR song as many people join me, singing and dancing.

"THEY COULD CARE LESS AS LONG AS SOMEONE WILL BLEED!

SO DARKEN YOUR CLOTHES, OR STRIKE A VIOLENT POSE

MAYBE THEY'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE, BUT NOT ME!"

I hear the hall booming out the lyrics. The noise is above anything, now. Hell, the cops might be here. I've never seen something so bright and full of life before. It's no longer a stupid loud teen party - it's bliss, it's life, it's the beautiful uproar of young blood, wanting their voices to be heard.

"Sarah!" I hear Dave's voice beside me, "That was awesome!" He grabs my hand without a warning and pulls me in to dance with him. Before my overwhelmed mind can process the warmth of his touch and the firmness of his grip, he spins me, flops me sideways and throws me into a wild dance. I try to feel the most of the moment, squeezing through my senses, knowing that moments like these come around once or twice in life.

"You smell amazing!" I tell him, my voice broken from screaming. I don't quite realise how lame that sounds. He laughs anyway.

After that I get too drunk to remember anything else, except the roar of the music, the tapering of hundreds of feet across the dance floor, the smell of alcohol... and then unexpectedly, I feel a churning sensation in my stomach and violently puke up onto Dave's shirt.

**Thank you for reading!
Next time you think you're an embarassment, just think of Sarah XD**