Vivacity

No one was at the house except Liz and a few guys when we arrived. It didn't take long for me to realize why there were so few people; the real party didn't start until later. This was the time to get your high.

The cigarette was shoved into Aubrey's hand as soon as she shut the door. I sat down on the couch next to someone I didn't know, waiting for my turn. I inhaled the smoke from the room deeply, enjoying the smell.

"Addicted to the smell?" the guy next to me asked, chuckling. I looked at him, shrugging.

"It's a nice smell," I answered. I crossed my legs, turning my body to face him.

"I'm Brent, Liz's older brother," he offered his hand, and I took it carefully.

"Sarah," I replied, letting his hand fall when Aubrey handed the rolled marijuana to me. This one was more plump than the night before. Eagerly, I pressed it to my mouth and, closing my eyes, inhaled.

---

"The chicken," I started, looking straight into Brent's eyes, "Is the closest living relative to the T-rex."

He snorted, choking on his beer. "That was the randomest shit I've ever heard."

"I'm known for that." I grinned, taking a sip of the vodka in my hand. It burned my throat as it slid down.

The music that was playing beat through my body. With every pulse of the music, I felt it in my bones. It made me shiver, and it didn't help that Brent was making soft trails with his fingers.

"Hey, Sarah," Liz shouted, sitting down in the lawn chair beside me.

"Hello," I replied, giggling. Liz smiled. She was always nice. It made me wonder why she was in this crowed, especially with her looks. She had the pretty smile, the long, blond hair, and blue eyes. She just... Didn't fit in.

"How's it goin', Brent?" she asked, raising her brows. I could tell she was sober, no drugs or alcohol in her system.

"It's going," he said gently. "Shouldn't you be mingling?"

Liz sighed, scrunching her nose up. "They know the rules. God knows this isn't the first party I've thrown for these idiots."

I looked down at Brent's hand. It was still tracing patterns and trails along my arms, slowly making it's way to my hand and lower.

"If we're idiots, why do you throw the parties?" I asked, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

She looked shocked, before shaking her head. "Sarah, you're not an idiot. They are. This is all they do, all they've ever done. You're better than this, you just won't admit it."

"Isn't that an idiot?"

Liz cocked her head to the side, contemplating this. "Maybe." She shrugged, standing. "I'll talk to y'all later, alright? I have to mingle."

Brent chuckled as she walked away, turning his attention back to me. "Thought she'd never leave."

I didn't say anything, just took another drink of the alcohol in my hand. He obviously didn't like that, pulling my face towards his.

"Hey, come with me." His breath smelled like beer as it washed over me. He pulled me to my feet and guided me into the house.

"Where're we going?" I asked as we passed the living the room. A group of people --- mainly guys --- were playing Call of Duty and laughing. Drunken killings. That sounds lovely.

"The basement. My high is wearing off," he answered, opening the door to the lower sections of the house. "I'm guessing your's is, too?"

My heart raced with excitement. I had never had a blunt with just two people. It was almost always more than three. I waited patiently on the couch as he flicked the light on and rummaged around.

"Ah, here it is," he exclaimed. A smile made it's way onto my face at the his tone; like a little kid getting cotton candy for the first time. "Knew she kept a small stash somewhere down here."

"Isn't she afraid your parents would find it?" I curled up in the corner of the couch, resting my head back.

"Exactly why she kept it down here." I watched, intrigued, as he rolled two small joints for us. When he finished one, he handed it to me and went to work on his own. "Okay. You okay with smoking your own?"

I stared at the paper resting on my palm. "I think so. I've never had my own."

Brent cracked a smile, "If you can't finish it, I will. No need to be wasteful."

As soon as they were both lit and we had both taken a few drags, his mouth was on mine. The kiss wasn't like the one I had the night before. The guy from last night was looking for an easier way to get high while waiting for his turn. This was different; Brent had his own and vice versa. He didn't kiss me when I had smoke in my mouth.

We broke apart, each taking another drag. He waited until I blew the smoke out before reconnecting our lips. Even though he was definitely high and probably drunk, his kiss was neat. It wasn't tame, but the opposite. I felt our teeth crash a couple times as we fought to feel every inch of the other's mouth.

It went on like that until the joints were completely smoked. We didn't stop, though. His kisses became more heated, less neat. Thankfully, when his hands began to wonder, they didn't go beneath my clothes. My over-shirt did, however, end up coming off, leaving me in the bikini top and shorts.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't know the basement was occupied," came a giggling voice. Brent jumped away from me while I grabbed my shirt to cover myself. Aubrey stood above the couch, a smirk laced on her face.

"No, you're fine. We weren't doing anything, right, Sarah?" Brent replied coolly. I think I should've been hurt, but I just nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, sit with us," I added, stretching my legs. Aubrey shrugged, motioning for me to scoot over and sat down beside me. I snuggled up on Brent, trying to make room for Tucker, too.

"Aubrey, babe," the blond growled. "I thought we were going somewhere private."

"Tucker, I haven't seen Sarah all night. I've been with you all summer," she snapped, "Chill out."

I grinned, stretching my feet across Aubrey as Tucker sat beside her. "How you doin'?"

The brunette raised her eyebrow, "Are you high again?" I felt my grin widen, nodding.

"I couldn't help it. I had to get her completely high again, you know?" Brent answered. He pulled my ponytail down and started running his fingers through my hair.

"Y'all realize you've been down here for hours now?" Aubrey said after a minute. She took Tucker's hand and squeezed it. "Liz has been freaking out and trying to get everyone to leave."

"I'm guessing you three are staying here for the night?"

"Ah, yeah. I was going to look for you, Sarah, but Tucker distracted me," Aubrey said, looking at me. "Do you need me to give you a ride home? Or are you going to ask your mother if you can stay?"

I looked up at Brent and he gave a smile, so I shrugged. "I'll text her later and tell her I'm staying with you. She won't care if it's you."

"That's awesome," she squeaked happily. "Well, let's get up there. She's probably got everyone out now."

---

As it turned out, Aubrey wasn't lying about us being down in the basement for hours. It was about seven when we went down, and was now ten-thirty.

We were all sprawled out on the trampoline, all touching somehow. My head was on Brent's chest with my feet on Tucker and Aubrey's legs. Aubrey was tucked in beside Tucker, her arm draped over him. Liz's head was resting on my stomach with her boyfriend's head in her lap, his legs also touching Aubrey and Tucker's. It was hot out, but somehow we weren't overheating from all the touching.

It was moments like these that I wondered how all these wonderful people got into the drugs and party scene. Of course, they never showed this side to the public. This... Quiet, peaceful, and content side of them. I listened to the sound of their breathing and just couldn't help but wonder why parents warned their kids about this crowd.

"Hey, guys?" Liz called out sleepily, breaking my thoughts.

There was a chorus of hm's as the crickets chirped and the lightning bugs lit up the yard.

"Can we," she said, "Stay like this forever?"

Tucker chuckled, and I knew Aubrey was smiling in agreement. Brent hummed quietly, brushing his fingers against my skin (I never did put my over-shirt back on).

I was the only one who voiced the answer, "Yeah, Liz."