To tell, or not to tell.

We've been driving for about ten minutes. It's dark outside. The sun is barely there, just peaking up over the horizon. It looks nice. There a a few stars out, shining defiantly despite the fact the sun is still letting it's rays roam weakly across the sky.
I'm really not sure about this car. I didn't know Ashley had a license. In fact, I doubt she does...

Which begs the question, Why the hell does she have a car? And if it's not hers, whose is it then?

"Um, Ashley, whose car is this?" I ask, hesitatingly.

"Mum's."

Well, that answers that question. We revert back to silence, except for the radio playing some sort of rock song. It's turned down to low for me to hear it properly so I just ignore it. Another question ops into my head.

"Is there going to be drink at this party?"

Ashley nods. I blink, slightly surprised. Of course there was going to be drink. How could I not realize? Well, in all honesty, I was expecting it I just didn't think that much of it. But if we're driving...
"Are you going to be drinking?"

She smirks and nods again.
I stutter for a bit. "How the hell are you going to drive us home then?"

"I'm not."

This was proving more difficult than I'd thought. I sigh and give up, deciding to just leave it. Maybe this wasn't the best idea....
Well, too late to turn back now. My Mum probably wouldn't even notice if anything happened until a day or two later anyway. She was quite clueless. In an endearing way, I guess.

I watch the streets go by and realize that we are heading to nearer the our school's side of town. We head down a little side street and pull into a car park for a block of flats. Ashley turns off the engine and pulls the key out, getting out of the car and expecting me to follow.

I do so. She heads to the third block of flats and uses a key to get in, so I assume this is her house. I follow her up the close, sticking near her like a child. It smells like piss and cigarette smoke, a smell which kind of make me want to puke. I scrunch up my nose and watch as Ashley unlocks one of the door on the fifth floor. The door jams and she rolls her eyes, using her shoulder to budge the door open. I flinch at the sudden bang it causes and then mask it with a shiver, pretending I'm cold.

Ashley runs through to some place in her house and has a brief talk with her mum, who seems to give her slurred and impossible to understand responses. I stand awkwardly outside, not sure whether to go in or not. I decide against it and wait for Ashley to return. She does so and heads back down the stairs slamming the door behind her. Again, I follow close behind her, feeling like a duckling.

When we get outside, I shiver at the cold air on my skin. Ashley does not seem affected by it at all. I wait for her to lead the way and soon we are walking briskly down the streets and past houses. I glance at her once throughout the whole ten minute long journey (which is going to kill on the way back if Ashley is drunk) and it just happens to be the only moment she's looking at me, which makes it incredibly awkward.

Eventually we arrive. The door to the normal looking suburban home is left open and I can hear some form of punk or dance music beating out. I hear the rumble of people's voices and as we get closer I can smell the booze and practically feel the teenage hormones pumping through the air like a drug.

It's crowded inside. And incredibly warm. Practically all the windows are cracked open but there are just to many bodies crammed into one small space for it to be of any use. I follow close behind Ashley as she shimmies her way through the mass of people, being greeted and leered at by girls and guys alike whose eyes look hazed and breaths' smell like drink. People arn't so much dancing as... grinding and pressing against each other. Some people are practically having sex right there on the carpet. No, no. That's an exaggeration. Okay, so they're making out but...still! A few people do actually have enough space to dance, but they too are doing sexy, provocative moves. I catch the eye of a few people as I go past. They look kind of shy and worried, as they dance uncomfortably next to someone who clearly outshines them. I assume they have been dragged along by their friends. I shoot them a small sympathetic smile.

Despite the atmosphere, I don't think that many people are actually...dancing. Er...or whatever it is you would call it. As we progress through the house to the living room, I see that most of the people here are sitting about drinking or talking.

I wonder who the hell threw this party anyway. Not that it matters...

Eventually we reach the destination Ashley must have had in mind. It's a couch near the back of the house. It's crowded with teenagers of Ashle's age who are jumping about like five your olds on a sunny day. A guy, who has a girl in a pink tutu sitting on his lap, notices Ashley and shouts above the noise and chaos, "Hey look, guys! Ashley's here! Let the real party begin!"