Taste of a Poison Paradise

It turned out that I could hold my liquor far better than I thought I’d originally done. Unfortunately, I was a queen of the infamous hangover which meant that in about eight hours, I would be feeling the heavy effect of tequila that was sure to have killed many of my very few brain cells that existed in my head. Nonetheless, I always continued to drink no matter the occasion.

However, there was something different about tonight. Maybe it was the fact that Riley had gotten her groove thang on the dance floor or Reece was acting somewhat tolerable, and dare I say it, almost friendly? Either way, it seemed like when everyone had a drink in their system they were much cooler, much more chill than sober. I made a mental note to make sure they drank more often, even if they were underage.

It was about three in the morning when the boys decided that Niall, the resident drunkie, had too much to drink while the rest of us were just able to walk. Paul led us out of a back way of the club, and ushered us into a dark coloured van. Niall had managed to fall asleep on Riley’s shoulder, who seemed to be blushing but was in a fit of giggles every time Niall snored or rolled his head around. Reece was sandwiched between Harry and Liam, and I couldn’t tell whether she was pleased or not, but I soon forgot about her as I was sitting next to Louis. I wanted to sit next to Zayn but he was next to Niall, trying to make sure his Irish friend didn’t do anything stupid. I couldn’t help but stare at Louis as he was in a heated argument with Harry about whether bums or boobs were more appealing. His chiselled jawline became more prominent as he spoke, the width of his mouth increasing as the loudness of his voice moved steadily.

“Jesus Lou,” I mumbled, rubbing my hands against my ears. “Stop yelling.”

“Sorry doll face,” Louis replied, reaching an arm out to fluff my hair. I glared at him in annoyance and he let out a loud laugh. “So sorry honey, am I annoying you?”

With a jawline like that, and the way that his dark blue eyes shone underneath the harsh glare of the light, I was beginning to wonder why I decided to not like him. I mean, with an ass like his how was I supposed to deny the pleasures that was, Louis Tomlinson?

“Alex?” Louis waved a hand in front of my face and I quickly snapped out of it, turning to him with a sheepish grin.

“Sorry,” I apologised. “I was thinking about you.”

Sometimes, when I was drunk, I tended to blurt out things that I would rather keep to myself. This was one of those times.

“Thinking about me naked?” Louis waggled his eyebrows suggestively and I pushed him lightly in the shoulder.

“You wish,” I muttered before climbing out of the van.

---

“Let’s play hide and seek!” I exclaimed in a moment of true drunkenness. The eight of us were slouched around the tour bus, barely awake but not ready to crawl up in our beds just yet. I wanted to keep partying, but unfortunately this was a view shared by me and me only. “Liam, count to 60!”

“Why me?” He asked curiously.

I smiled. “Because you’re the most sober, duh.” It was true; he’d only had one or two drinks and was the only guy who could speak coherently. “Now start counting!”

With that, Liam closed his eyes and began to count, the boys stood up with fits and giggles escaping their lovely mouths as they ran around the tour bus, looking for a place to hide. I planned to hide in the closet, but in a moment of inspiration I grabbed Reece’s hand and Riley’s, pushing them in the closet before closing the door behind me.

“What the-“ Reece began but I silenced her, placing a hand over my mouth.

“I feel like we need to bond,” I whispered seriously to the girls. I couldn’t see their faces but perhaps it was a good thing. “I don’t like the distance between us.”

“What do you want to do?” Riley asked cautiously, and through the dim light of the door I could see her twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

There was a small silence, before I started to speak. “Before I came here, I was in a yearlong relationship with this guy I thought was the one. We had such a good relationship and I thought he was the one, you know? But then I went over to his work to surprise him with a poker set I bought for his birthday and he was at his desk, kissing some stupid blonde chick.” I hadn’t realised that my voice was beginning to close up, tears threatened to spill but I managed to barely keep it in. “And from then on, I promised myself to never get with a blonde. Or like blondes. That’s why I’m so glad that you guys aren’t blondes or know any blondes besides Niall but it’s Niall and how can you not love him, y’know?”

I didn’t hear a response from the girls but I did feel their hands on my arms, a reassuring rub of sorts and from then, I knew that finally, the three of us and not just Riley and I, were going to be close friends.