before the pain | luke (JATP)

VI

Loud music playing the summer top 100 and party favorites, was blasting out from the windows of the Black's house. The front yard was filled with empty red cups. The house with neon lights was filled with the smell of beer, sweat, and a hint of vomit. The floors were already sticky and the music was so loud you had to almost yell to hear what anyone was saying. A small party for Caroline Black, was of course inviting half of the school to underage drinking.

Mila and Aera said goodbye a couple of streets away from the Black's house to Mila's dad, who of course couldn't know the house he had been complaining about was the house his daughter and best friend was going to. After walking for a bit, they entered the house, Mila looked around as the party was something she never dreamed to be at. Mila was about to ask Aera something, yet when she looked where Aera had stood two seconds ago, now stood two people kissing, and Mila's eyes widened, looking around Aera was nowhere to be found and Mila could feel her throat twisting and her hands get sweaty, by the thought of having to talk to anyone else. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she imagined Elijah.

"Come on Mila, this is just a party with your school! I was the one who fought to protect my love, you can do it. " Elijah told her, Mila bit her lip and opened her eyes, she looked around seeing all the unknown faces, yet she knew if she had to do this, she had to break one rule, and with that, she walked to the kitchen. The kitchen wasn't as filled as the rest of the house, which was a relief.

Mila saw her target and went directly for the half-filled bottles of alcohol standing by a counter. She looked at the labels, having no idea what any of it was, she took a red cup and began trying to mix it, she was about to put something that smelled horrible in her drink, when a hand took it from her. "Hey!" Mila almost yelled, yet her eyes widened seeing Oliver with a bright smile on his lips.

"You don't want to mix those, trust me" Oliver laughed gently and looked at her horrible mixture of drinks. "That can't be.." Oliver looked worried at Mila and then at her drink, he took it from her and poured it out in the sink. "Here I'll mix you something" Oliver smiled, Mila still just stood there frozen not saying a single word to him. He had a shirt that showed his arms and his small curls had fallen a bit down his face.

"Have you seen Aera by any chance?" He asked while mixing some things together, Mila simply shook her head, still not getting over the fact that Oliver was not only talking to her but cared enough to mix her a drink. "Oh well, we need a team member to beer pong, you want to join instead?" Oliver asked, smiling as he handed her, her drink. She blinked still in shock.

"I-I...I've never played.." Mila said quietly, a little embarrassed, yet Oliver simply chuckled and took her hand, which made Mila's whole body shiver. "I'll teach you, come" Oliver rushed them over to the beer pong table, where Liam was setting up the game, pouring some kind of beer down the red and blue cups. Mila looked scared, she wasn't really a good ballplayer. She began imagining making a fool out of herself in front of Oliver, which made the drink she hadn't even tasted yet, look and smell like vomit.

"Do you have a blue team?" A voice came from the other side of the table, Mila didn't look until Oliver greeted the boys. "Yes if you are ready to lose sunset". Mila looked confused up from her cup and over at the other end of the table, Three boys stood there, yet she only knew two of them Alex and Reggie, who was smiling like idiots to her. "I didn't know you drank Mila"

"She doesn't," Oliver laughed, which made Mila blush. "Okay blue team start," Liam said and gave the small orange table tennis ball to the black-haired boy. "Come on Bobby you got this" Alex cheered, yet his eyes were on Mila, who still didn't understand the rules. Bobby threw the ball and it hit down in one of the red cups, Liam and Oliver sighed and did rock, paper, scissor on who should drink it, Oliver lost and he drank it all in one go.