"What about this?" Zoey holds up a purple dress from my closet.

"No, I wore that at my eight year old cousins birthday party."

After seeing Mason yesterday, I got into Zoey's car and told her i'd come to the party. I want to forget about him and have fun with Zoe, if she's not too busy with Cole, that is.

"What about this?" She then holds up a silver one. I have never wore it before but my mom got me it for my birthday one year. It has silver glitter all over it with some thin straps holding it up.

"I don't know."

She sighs, "We've been doing this for half an hour. You need to decide on one. I think it's between silver and the black one you wore to Mason's party."

I frown at the word Mason. I don't want to think about him. I want to have a Mason-free night with no drama.

"Sorry," Zoey notices my discomfort.

"It's fine," I pull my attention back to the dresses. "I think i'll go for the silver."

"Finally! Good choice. You're gonna look smokin'."

I take the dress from her and go to my bathroom and put it on. When I look in the mirror, I like what I see. Which isn't often. Zoey had already done my makeup and straightened my hair, and the sparkly silver eyeshadow goes perfect with the dress. The dress is also low-cut, showing my cleavage, which makes me nervous. I usually wear t-shirts that go right up to my neck.

"Holy shit!" Zoey says when I come out of the bathroom. "Zeke is gone die when he sees you."

I roll my eyes, "Zeke isn't interested in me."

"Suuure," she wiggles her eyebrows.

"We probably won't even see him. He might be too busy making out with some blonde," I suddenly feel annoyed.

"Come on, Marnie. When's the last time you saw him getting it on with someone else?"

Come to think of it, I haven't seen Zeke with any desperate girls attached to him in at least a week. Maybe he's getting more mature and keeping his business private.

We go in Zoey's car to Cole's house, where the party is in full swing. Zoey said it was a good thing that I look ages to decide on an outfit because now we can be fashionably late.

"I'd love to live somewhere like this," I tell Zoey while admiring Cole's parents' house.

"You should just move into Cole's room then. He hates it here."

"Why?"

Zoey shrugs, "Who cares, let's stop talking about houses and get drunk!" She leads me into the house, knowing her way around, she takes me into the kitchen.

"I don't wanna drink," I say as she picks up a bottle of vodka.

"Why not? You'll have fun," she hands me the bottle. "Oh look, there's the guys," she waves across the room to where Cole, Zeke and Isaac are standing at the patio doors.

Cole nudges Zeke when he sees us, and Zeke meets my eye. But he doesn't look too happy to see me.

Zoey walks over to them and I follow. Isaac and Cole are standing halfway outside smoking cigarettes, Zeke isn't.

"Hey, babe," Cole puts his arm around Zoey and kisses her cheek.

"What are you doing here?" Zeke asks me.

"I'm here to have fun. Isn't that what you always want me to do?"

"Yeah, but not here. You don't fit in here, you should just go."

"Zeke," Isaac warns and they do the mind conversation thing.

"If it bothers you that much, i'll stay away from you and you can just pretend i'm not here," I glare at him and walk away.

"Where are you going?" He walks beside me.

"Leave me alone."

"No, I don't want you walking around alone here."

I stand next to the kitchen counter, "Why do you care?"

"I don't. I just know if something happens to you i'll be the one that needs to get you out of it."

Asshole. I look at the bottle in my hands. I'll show Zeke that I can fit in. I'm not a pathetic little nerd like he thinks I am.

Marnie opens the bottle of vodka and takes a drink. I cringe at the shock she's gonna feel when it goes down her throat.

"Ouch," her hands go to her throat and I can't help but laugh.

"Yeah, burns like a bitch." I wonder if one day she'll crave that burn the way I do right now.

"Why do people like this? It's disgusting," she looks at it in disgust, then takes another drink.

"What are you doing?" I take it from her and set it on the counter.

"Having fun."

"This isn't the way to have fun."

"Stop being such a hypocrite; you drink all the time," she reaches for the bottle but I stop her.

I try not to look at her chest, popping out of that sexy dress. "Not anymore." I've been trying to stop drinking. Something's changed in me, and I don't know why, but I don't want to be like this anymore. I hate coming home drunk and seeing my mom's sad face. I don't want to disappoint her anymore. I just want to be... better.

"Well I want to try it," once again, she reaches for the bottle but I push her had away.

"If you are going to drink then at least have something lighter," I scan the row of drinks on the counter and pick up a beer, opening it for her and handing it over.

She takes a drink and grimaces, "Ew."

"Marnie, you okay?" Zoey comes over.

"I'm fine. Let's dance," she pulls her away and Zoey laughs.

Left alone, I sit up on the counter and study the idiots around me. I'm having fun watching and judging everyone until Isaac and Maggie appear in front of me. They both smell of cigarettes.

"Where's your girl?" Isaac asks.

"She's not my girl, Wilson."

"You wish she was," Maggie smirks. I look at her, trying to figure out if the smoke stench is coming from her or just Isaac.

"Come here," I motion for her to come closer and jump down from the countertop.

"Why?"

I pull her closer to me she lean in, smelling her. I don't even care if I look like an idiot. I won't let my sister make the mistakes I do.

"What are you doing?" She pushes me away.

"You smell like smoke that's been covered up with perfume."

"I don't smoke," she moves closer to Isaac. "You must just smell it off me because I've been with Isaac."

"Bullshit. Isaac don't influence my sister."

"It wasn't him. My friends were smoking and-"

"Where are your stupid friends?" I step forward, looking around for a group of annoying chicks. That's when I notice Zoey and Cole are together. And there's no sign of Marnie.

My pulse quickens and I rush over to them without another word to Maggie. "Where's Marnie?" I ask Zoey.

"I don't know, she went to the bathroom and when I went to check on her she wasn't in there and I can't find her."

No, fuck.

I run a hand through my hair. Why am I worrying so much? She can handle herself. Fuck, I need to find her.

I walk away from Cole and Zoey and look around for Marnie. She's not in the hallway, or in the living room.

"Zeke-"

"Not now," I push the girl away from me. I hooked up with her a couple times.

I rush up the stairs, my heart racing in my chest. She'll be fine, Zeke. Stop being so dramatic.

When I walk through the hallway, I find her sitting on the floor outside the bathroom, drinking from a bottle of vodka.

"Where the fuck did you go?"

"The bathroom," she breathes, looking up at me.

"Zoey couldn't find you," I sit down beside her on the floor. "What happened to your beer?"

"Finished it. Want some?" She motions to the bottle she's holding.

"No. But you should stop drinking."

"No. I like this," she sighs. "I don't know why i've never had alcohol before; this is great. I'm not even stressing out about school or anything like I usually am."

"Don't talk like that, chica," my eyes go to her tits. Fuck why did she wear that? Thank God I found her. Any guy who saw her around in that dress would take advantage of her and who knows what they'd do.

"Zeke," she nudges me and I realise i've been staring at her tits.

I clear my throat, looking away. "This isn't you. When you realise that alcohol takes away your problems, you'll keep drinking it. But you know what i've learned? Numbing the pain for a while just makes it even worse when you finally feel it."

She watches me with curiosity, "What pain are you trying to get away from?"

I sigh, "The pain of being restless."

"Huh?"

"I feel so... bored. There's nothing that I want. Nothing I look forward to. So whenever I feel this way, I drink. I smoke. I do bad shit. Because what else is there to do?"

Why am I opening up to her like this? She doesn't need to know.

"Just give it time. One day you'll know what you wanna do," she takes a swig of her drink.

"Yo, Zeke. We're playing truth or dare, you in?" Jackson, one of the few people I tolerate asks.

"No-"

"Yes!" Marnie stands up, almost falling. "I'll play."

This damn girl.

Jackson smirks, looking her up and down, "Okay. Come on then, babe."

He did not just fucking go there.

"Back off, dick," I growl at him, standing up and blocking his view of Marnie in that hot dress.

He raises his hands in surrender, "Sorry, dude. Didn't know you called dibs on her."

Dibs? Fucking dibs? Marnie isn't someone you can call dibs on.

He goes downstairs before I can say anything, Marnie following. I follow too, because Marnie can't be with guys like Jackson. I know how bad they are because I'm like them too. Maybe not as much anymore.

"Didn't think you'd play, dude," Kian says when we walk into the living room. He's one of Jackson's friends and someone I used to be close to.

"I had a change of heart," I say sarcastically as I sit beside Cole on the couch. Jackson and Marnie sit on the floor across from us, next to another girl I don't remember the name of.

"Jordan!" Jackson looks behind him, yelling to Jordan who's across the room. Fuck, don't invite him to play.

Jordan whispers to the girl who was grinding against him, then he comes over to us. "What's up?"

"You up for truth or dare?"

"Course," Jordan smirks and sits beside me. "Who's the chick?" He nods toward Marnie.

"Zeke's new toy," Jackson smiles and takes a drink of beer.

"You feel like sharin' that toy?" He speaks so only I can hear him. "She's hot."

My blood boils. "Don't fucking go there, man."

"I'm not his toy," Marnie protests as she drinks her vodka like it's air.

"Can we get on with this?" Cole says.

"Yeah, I'll start," Kian says. "Hollie, truth or dare?" That must be the other chicks name.

"Dare," she responds.

"Give me a lap dance."

Hollie gets up from the floor and straddles Kian's lap who's sitting on the couch next to Cole. I wonder where Zoey is. Cole probably didn't want her hanging out with Jordan's people. I wish I could take Marnie away from here.

"You on the pills?" Jordan whispers to me.

"No."

"You want more discount, is that it?"

"No. I don't do that shit anymore."

"I'll give you it cheaper if that's what you want."

"It's not. I told you, I'm done with it all."

"Man, when did you turn into such a square?"

Since when does not doing drugs make me a square?

"Cole, truth or dare?" Hollie asks after she's done with Kian.

"Truth," he says hesitantly.

"Have you ever had a threesome?"

Cole sighs, "Yeah."

"With who?"

"You only get one question," he turns around, "Jordan."

"Dare," he says.

"Go tell the girl you were with that you're gay."

"Dude, do you see her? I'm not wasting someone as hot as that."

"Either do that or I'll make you lick Jackson's ass."

Jordan scowls before going over to the girl. Cole goes too to make sure he does it. When they come back, Cole is laughing and Jordan looks pissed off.

"My turn," Jordan says, relaxing back in his seat. "Zeke's toy," he points to Marnie. "Truth or dare, sweetheart."

Fuck.

Choose truth. Please choose truth.

"Dare," Marnie says, bravely.

Fuck.

"Take off your dress."

"No," I glare at Jordan. He smirks.

Fuck. If Jordan knows I like her, he won't leave her alone. But I can't let her do that.

Marnie looks unsure and worried. Drunk or not, she wouldn't do it. "I can't."

"Would you like me to change your dare?"

Marnie nods.

"Give me a blowjob."

Thats it.

Cole grips my arm, warning me. "Dude, you sound desperate as fuck right now," he says, cooly.

"Just havin' some fun," Jordan looks at Cole then at me, then back at Marnie. He knows how angry I am. I wouldn't be surprised if my face looked like a tomato and I had steam coming out of my nostrils. "Take off your bra and give it to me."

Marnie shrugs, "Fine."

Cole's fingernails dig into my arm, reminding me not to say anything to piss Jordan off or make him more excited about his stupid little game to piss me off. Jordan and his guys could beat the shit out of me easily. I can't get on the wrong side of him.

I watch as Marnie pulls the straps of her bra over her arms and takes it off, then throws it to Jordan. I'd love to just rip that dress off of her.

"Nice size," Jordan says, examining her bra.

"Creep," I grimace at him. I had to say something or i'd go insane.

"Jealous?" He smirks.

Of the fact that you're so pathetic you need to get entertainment from making me mad? Yes of course, my life goal is to be just like that.

Cole's fingernails dig in deeper to my arm, making sure I don't say something like that. Instead I turn away and look at the floor.

The game goes on, and when it's Hollie's turn, she chooses me. "Dare," I say.

She bites her lip, "Kiss me."

I roll my eyes. I guess word got out that i've been rejecting chicks, so she knows this is the only way she can get me to do it. "No."

"You need to," she walks over to me and tries to get on my lap but I push her off. "Why are you such a dick?"

"You want his dick," Jordan says.

She kneels on the floor in front of me, "Hmm, maybe I should change your dare." Her hand runs up my leg.

I groan, annoyed, and lean down and kiss her before she can say anything else. Her hands cup my face as she kisses back. Her tongue slips into my mouth but I barely give her anything back. She tastes like alcohol.

When the kiss has gone on for a decent amount of time, I pull away. The first thing I notice when I look up is that Marnie is gone.

"Where did she go?" I ask Cole.

"She just got up and left. I think she was headed to the kitchen."

I get up from the couch and step over Hollie. When I get to the kitchen, I look around, and sure enough Marnie is stood at the counter where all the drinks are.

"Why did you leave?"

"Do you like Hollie?" She asks, ignoring my question and looking into my eyes to make sure I won't lie.

"No. Where is this coming from?"

"She's pretty."

"I didn't notice."

She scoffs and looks at the drinks. "Please. You were probably daydreaming about sleeping with her. Have you slept with her before?"

"No."

"Liar."

I step closer and turn her head to look at me. "A couple of weeks ago, I probably would fuck the girl right now. But not anymore."

"What changed?"

We're standing so close that I can smell the alcohol in her breath, distracting me. What's more distracting is the fact that if I look down I'll see right down her...

"Mason," my thoughts are cut off and I notice her eyes are looking at something other than me. I turn look to my right and see Mason. He's talking to the girl from the library.

I am not surprised; I knew he was coming. I didn't know he'd be with that bimbo though. Marnie's eyes are full of hurt, immediately making my fists clench. Not long now.

"I didn't think he'd be here," she says quietly. I don't say anything. She breathes in a sharp breath. "He's looking."

I am about to turn around when Marnie's hands hold my face and she crashes her lips onto mine.

+++

so i did that thing again where i write too much and never actually get to the thing i was excited about 😩😂

teaser: zarnie gets hot 'n' steamy

ly

-e