Student Exchange Program

Fifteen minutes later we got to a street that was overly crowded. There were three cars in the driveway and room for one more. Oliver pulled into the driveway and smiled at me. He offered me another cigarette as we all got out. I graciously took it and lit it before getting out of the car. Carleigh grabbed my arm and brought me towards her.

“Come now Casey. We need to get drinks and to start dancing!” Carleigh exclaimed, as we walked into the house. I gave her a drag of my cigarette and smiled as we walked into a kitchen.

“Hey ladies. What can I get for you?” A guy standing behind a makeshift bar asked. He was cute. He had shaggy hair like Oliver and green eyes. His facial structure looked a lot like Carleigh, if not exactly alike.

“Hey Jake. You can get us two Zebra Drinks.” Carleigh said batting her eyelashes.

“Where's your boyfriend tonight? Isn't that how you got here?” He asked.

“Yes Jake. He and Oli are somewhere. I came to get a fuckin drink.” She laughed. I tapped her on the shoulder. The ash on my cigarette was getting larger by the second. She saw this and giggled. “Just flick it on the floor.” She said pointng to the floor then smiling at me. “Oh, right. This is my twin brother, Jake.” Carleigh introduced. “Jake, this is my new friend Casey. She's the exchange student from America.”

“Well hi. Welcome to Sheffield.” He said handing me a drink in a red plastic cup. “Enjoy your night.” He said winking at me.

“Thanks.” I blushed and sipped my drink. It tasted like Tequila and something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

“Aye, Casey! Come over here! I want you to meet someone.” Oliver yelled across the room. I took a drag of the cigarette and handed it to Carleigh.

“Who?” I asked Oliver.

“Jona. The guy thats throwing the party. He's right ace.” He said taking a swig of the beer in his hand.

“Alright. But do you have to say the word 'right' like that? I mean, people where I live over say it.” I laughed, trying to speak over the music.

Oliver ignored my comment. I didnt mean to sound like a bitch. It just bugged me. I hated it when people in America said it, what would be the difference of someone saying it here. The accent. I answered my own question as Oliver took my small hand in his large one and pulled me away.

“Jona!” Oliver exclaimed, letting go of my hand and hugging a guy with just as many tattoos as Oliver, if not more, short ginger colored hair and huge gauges.

“Oli, how you been, mate?” Jona asked. He looked at me, and smiled. “Who's that?” He asked over the music.

“That's the girl I was telling you about a couple weeks ago. She's gonna be going to school with wee Tommy.” Oliver laughed loudly.

“Aye, I remember now. I'm Jona. What's your name?” Jona asked sticking a tattooed hand out.

“Casey.” I yelled. “Nice to meet you.” I took another sip of the drink in my hand.

“Oliver, I'm going to go find Carleigh. I'll come find you later.” I yelled after a minute of standing there watching Jona and Oliver talk.

“It's Oli, love. Do you want me to go with you?” He asked.

“Nah, that's alright. You stay here and talk. Didn't Matt say Jona was leaving next week, or something?” I asked.

“Aye. I was just offering.” He said looking me up and down before smiling. “Careful.” He called after me as I walked away to find Carleigh.

I found her at the bar still. Or she was already back. Tom was standing next to her. My cellphone vibrated in my hand and I looked to see who had texted me. It was my mom.

Hi sweetheart. Where are you? Thought you were going to skype me?

I thought up a quick lie and texted it to her. I knew that if I was in a different country she wouldn't know what I was doing. I told her the original plan.

On the way to a movie and get coffee. I promise I'll skype you tomorrow. Text me when you wake up. I sent the message and took a sip of my drink as I leaned on the bar.

“There you are. Did Oli take you to meet Jona?” Carleigh asked.

“Yeah. He seems nice.” I shrugged.

“Come on. Let's go dance.” Carleigh said pulling me away from the bar and into the living room. Kat DeLuna's “Whine Up” was blasting over the speakers. I started moving my hips to the music and started to get really into it. Two or three songs passed before I needed another drink.

I had a different concauction in my hands now as I stood up against the wall. Ten minutes later I was taking three shots in a row and another drink was being mixed. I walked back into the living room to find Carleigh. Tom was in the corner in the opposite side of the room with Matt.

Bitch I'm The Bomb by Lil Wayne came over the speakers and I smiled. “I fucking love this song.” I giggled. I saw that Carleigh was smoking something. It smelled good. I knew what it was.

“You said you smoke weed, right?” She said smiling lazily. “This is the best fucking grass in all of England!” She exclaimed, handing me the joint. “Oh, is it now?” I asked. “Is it better than anything in America?”

“Fucking right it is! You've got no fucking clue. This shit is brill!” She yelled as she handed the joint to me. I took a hit and held the smoke in my lungs before letting it out a minute later and coughing a little.

“Fuck! That is the most amazing shit I've ever had!” I exclaimed taking a few more hits. By the time the song was over, and Hips Don't Lie by Shakira came on the joint was finished and Carleigh and I were back to dancing.

I felt hands on my hips halfway through the song and turned to see Oliver standing there. He looked goregous. A little bit sweaty, a little bit high, and very drunk. I smiled at him.

“I was just coming to dance with you. But I won't if you don't want me to.” He said putting his hands up.

“No, no. By all means.” I said, starting to dance again, twirling my hips up, then back down. “I need another drink.” I said to Oliver. “I'll be back later.”

“Are you sure you need another one? You've drinken a lot.” He said.

“I'm fine!” I laughed, hiccupping and walking away. I stumbled a little, but quickly rebalanced myself as I walked to the bar. “Hey Jake, you have any Smirnoff?” I asked, leaning on the bar and checking to see if I had any texts.

“Any what?” He asked.

“Smirnoff. You know, the vodka?” I asked.

“Erm. Never heard of it. But I've got other kinds of vodka if you want some vodka and coke.” He offered.

“Hmm, I'll take a Jack and coke if you've got it.” I said looking at the time. Ten thirty. Already? Jake tapped me on the shoulder when my drink was ready. “Thanks Jake. You're a doll.” I said walking away. I stood against the wall again. Carleigh came over with another girl who looked much like we did. She had bright blonde bangs and chocolate brown hair that had choppy layers and was slightly tousled. She was wearing a plethora of blue and purple bobby pins in her hair as well to keep her bangs out of her face. Her outfit contained blue and black high heels, black jeans, a purple colored t-shirt, purple-ish blue earings and black and white bracelets. She smiled widely at me.

“Casey, this is Devany. Curtis's sister.” Carleigh shouted over the music. I took a sip of the tastey drink in my hand and set it down on the table next to me. I stuck my hand out.

“Nice to meet you Devany.” I said shaking her hand.

“Nice to meet you too Casey. How are you liking England so far?” She asked.

“Well, I just got here today actually.” I laughed. I picked my drink back up, my phone still in my hand, and kept talking with Devany and Carleigh. It was so stuffy in the house, and I needed a cigarette. “Devany, do you have any cigarettes?” I asked. “I need one pretty bad right about now.”

“Oh yeah! She took a pack out of the purse that was hanging from her shoulder. She handed me and Carleigh a cigarette each and took one out for herself. She handed me a lighter and I passed it back to her, which then she passed it to Carleigh.

“Hello, love.” I heard someone say as a Britney Spears song was coming to a close. I jumped and turned to see Oliver.

“Well, hello Oliver.” I said smiling at him.

“Come on and dance with me.” He said as a Cobra Starship song came on. It was my weakness. It was one of the few songs that I loved by Cobra, and it was a good song to dance to. It made it ten times better because Oliver was asking me to dance with him.

Carleigh took my cell phone and drink. “Go on.” She said pushing me with the toe of her shoe. I giggled and walked to Oliver who was waiting for me.

He turned me so I was back to him, his hands on my hips. The room seemed to get hotter as he grinded his hips against me. I leaned into him and moved my hips in sync with his. My hair tickled my arms and made me sweat even more. I turned to face Oliver, one of my legs over his and grinded my hips against his. If I was sober I would have never done anything like this. I had to be completely out of my mind to do something like this.

The song ended and Oliver pulled me close to him. He took the cigarette from my hand and put it in an unattended drink on the windowsill. “Come on. Let's go get a drink and something to smoke.” Oliver said taking my hand in his and walking away. I smiled as he handed me a beer, and took a joint out of his cigarette pack.

We smoked the joint and I leaned against the cold window. It felt good. “Aye, Casey, are you alright?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah. Just really warm.” I giggled. The song Bedrock by Young Money came onto the speakers. “I love this song.” I said pushing myself off the window.

“Well then lets go back in.” Oliver finished off his beer, as did I and we walked into the living room again. I faced Oliver and got into the same position as I was before, one of my hands on his shoulder. In the middle of the song, it cut out.

“COPS! EVERYBODY OUT!” Someone yelled.

“Oh shit.” I said, looking over at Oliver.

“Come on. Tommy! Carleigh! Let's go!” Oliver yelled, his eyes wide. He pushed through everyone, pulling me close to him to get through. The four of us got in the car, Tom driving and Carleigh in the front with him. Oliver and I in the back this time.

As soon as we pulled out of the driveway, and turned the corner at the end of the street we all let out a sigh. Oliver lit a cigarette. “I'll share it with you.” He whispered to me. His voice was raspy, and it was quiet. The car was silent. I leaned my head on his shoulder. I was exhausted.

“I've got your phone, doll.” Carleigh said handing me the blackberry. “I'll get my things from your room in the morning. I'm just gonna go straight to Tommy's room and go to bed.”

“Thanks.” I smiled lazily and took the cigarette from Oliver. I handed the cigarette back to him after having about four or five drags and closed my eyes. His body was still warm. All the windows in the car were still down and I was starting to get a little chilly now. I curled up to Oliver and next thing I knew I was asleep.

I barely opened my eyes when the car turned off. I felt arms on my back and behind my legs. Someone wrapped my arms around a neck and I curled up to whoever it was. I just wanted to sleep now. I took a deep breath in and started to open my eyes a little more. I got a whiff of some strangely good smell.

“You can go back to sleep. I'll carry you upstairs.” Oliver whispered as Tom and Carleigh walked into the house first. I held onto Oliver a little tighter as he walked up the stairs.

He walked into my room and laid me on the bed. He tossed Carleighs bag on the floor and covered me with the blanket. “Have fun?” He asked. reaching under the blanket to take the high heels I was wearing off my feet. “Good night Casey. Sleep well, love.” He said kissing my forehead.

I nodded and smiled. “Thank you, Oliver.” I yawned rolling over in the bed and closing my eyes again.

“Welcome.” He said walking out of my room. “See you in the morning.”

I felt my breathing even out and I soon fell asleep. The night had been a perfect way to start my life in England, and I hadn't even been here for twenty-four hours yet.