ᴀᴅ ᴍᴇʟɪᴏʀᴀ ~ ᴅᴘꜱ (ꜱᴛᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴇᴇᴋꜱ)

14 - fuzzybrain

After a cold and treacherous bike ride (interrupted by only a handful of near-collisions), Knox, Meeks, and I finally arrive at the party.

Once we reach the property, Knox is quick to hop off his bike, tossing it into the yard and walking briskly to the door. Meeks allows our bike to come to a complete stop, giving me time to get off before doing the same and putting down the kickstand. He grabs Knox's bike as well, chaining them together to a nearby fence. I wait for him to finish before we walk to the door together. Knox is still standing out front when we get there.

"What are you waiting for, Knox? Go in!" I prompt.

"I'm waiting for some sign to tell me that this is a bad idea." His voice shakes as his hand remains loosely wrapped around the doorknob.

"Hurry up, why don't you? It's cold out here," Meeks complains.

"Shut it, square. I'm going."

Knox looks over his shoulder at Meeks and me, his face softening slightly when he sees us shivering. The brunette boy faces the door yet again, taking a deep breath before cracking it open.

"Hello? Hello, Chris?" Knox calls into the foyer, slipping through the door. Meeks and I share a glance before following him in.

The toastiness of the house wraps around me immediately, pairing nicely with the warm-toned wooden furniture populating the otherwise empty hall. I begin to remove Meek's jacket, intending to keep my promise of returning it when we got to the party. He takes it, although I realize he has little use for it now, opting to drape it over his arm. Knox is preoccupied with a mirror, slicking back his hair for what I assume to be the 100th time tonight judging by the excess of product in his hair. He stops when he hears a call from another room.

"Knox! You made it, great! Did you bring anybody?" a girl (Chris, I assume) asks, splitting away from a group in the dining room. Knox gestures back to Meeks and me. We both offer a small wave.

Chris returns the gesture, saying, "The more the merrier!" She turns her attention back to Knox while heading to a staircase on the right side of the room. "Well, Ginny Danburry is here. I have to go find Chet, why don't you all go downstairs? That's where everybody is. Make yourselves at home!" Her last sentence fades as she ascends the staircase.

"Yeah, but Chris, but I th-" Knox's sentence falters once he realizes the girl is out of earshot.

Nobody speaks for a moment, allowing Knox to wallow in his disappointment. I break the tension, offering, "She's pretty, Knox." Meeks nods in agreement.

"Yeah, Chet thinks so, too," he grumbles, pushing past Meeks and me towards the dining room.

The genius and I once again look to each other for an idea of what to do next, both coming up empty. I take the lead by following Knox. It takes a few seconds for Meeks to catch on and join.

-

I lazily swirl my cup around, watching a small vortex form in the water inside. I interrupt the flow by rotating it in the other direction and watch as the whirlpool dissipates.

This party is a lot lamer than expected, especially sober.

I take another sip of the tap water in my cup while taking a survey of the room. Most of the party-goers are still conscious and enjoying themselves, one way or another. There's a group dancing in the middle of the basement, all of them at least a little inebriated. A couple sits on the opposite end of the couch from Meeks and me, entirely lost in a make-out sesh. They haven't come up for air in a few minutes. I see Meeks take a swig of his cup as well, sitting as stiff as a board. He's on the side closer to the couple and clearly uncomfortable.