Chapter 23 #2
I shook my head. I didn’t really want to explain that I had no time for parties back home.
I was too busy working at the café. On the rare occasion when I did go to them, I spent the whole night looking after my ex.
If the party followed a big win and there was alcohol there, he usually took the celebrations a little too far.
Sawyer reached out and grabbed my hand. “In that case, you definitely have to be my partner.”
I sent Cress and Anna a desperate look as he dragged me away. Neither of them came to my rescue. Maybe I was going to have to find new friends.
“Ah, newbie, you’ve come to challenge the beer pong masters?” Luther called as we approached the table.
Sawyer slung an arm over my shoulder. “She sure has. From what I’ve heard, she’s somewhat of a beer pong prodigy.”
I shrugged Sawyer’s arm away and shot him a glare. He was so full of it, but his smile only widened as he caught the look on my face. “Hey, there’s no need to get angry with me. Word was bound to get out sooner or later.”
I pulled him aside before he could keep bragging. “What are you doing?” I hissed. “As soon as we start playing, they’ll know you’re lying. I’m going to be terrible.”
Sawyer shrugged. “Maybe you’re a natural.”
“Not likely,” I muttered. I barely knew the rules of the game. “How do we play again?”
“Ah, Isobel, always joking around.” He ruffled my hair playfully, but I swatted his hand away.
“I’m not kidding.”
“Okay, okay,” he conceded, a smile still on his lips. “Just stand at our end of the table and try to throw the ping-pong ball into one of their cups. If you get one, they have to drink it. It’s easy.”
“We’ll see about that,” I muttered before following him back to the table.
My total lack of skill became blatantly obvious once the game started. My hand-eye coordination was bad to begin with, but after losing several cups and being forced to gulp down the lukewarm beer inside, it became even worse.
The grin on Luther’s face only seemed to grow bigger with each shot I missed. The ping-pong ball was too small, and I kept forgetting just how light it was. Every time I threw it toward the cups of beer, it sailed past them and over the end of the table.
To make matters worse, Kaden and Luther landed every shot.
It barely made a difference when Sawyer did manage to sink one for our team, forcing the boys to drink.
Their aim was consistently good, like the beer didn’t affect them at all.
Before tonight, I’d begun to think Kaden was the nice one out of their little friendship trio, but he didn’t go easy on me at all.
The game proved he was just as headstrong as Luther and Noah.
“You can’t honestly be enjoying this,” I groaned to Sawyer after he drank our second-to-last cup and threw it to the side. There was only one left on our end of the table now, so there was no doubt we were going to lose.
His eyes sparkled with humor as he looked at me. “Of course, I’m enjoying this. I arrived late to the party. Playing beer pong against Kaden and Luther is the quickest way to catch up on all the drinking I’ve missed.”
I let out another groan. “You’re doing this to get us drunk?”
“Well, yeah. Why else would I be stupid enough to challenge them?”
I gave him my darkest glare in response. “If I forget this tomorrow, and I probably will because of all these beers, remind me you’re officially on my shit list.”
Sawyer laughed and draped his arm over my shoulder once again. “Nah, you can’t put me on your shit list. I’m far too lovable.”
I rolled my eyes at him but smiled. Sawyer was sly and cheeky, and I kind of wanted to kill him right now. But I got the feeling he would be impossible to stay mad at.
He aimed the ball at the cups on Luther and Kaden’s end of the table, but his shot sailed wide, and the two boys celebrated. My eyes fell to our lone remaining cup, and I sighed, knowing I was going to have to drink it in a matter of moments.
I didn’t have a chance to look up before the ball happily plopped into the beer I was staring at. I let out a moan and scowled up at Kaden who gave me an apologetic smile.
“Sorry,” he mouthed.
“Traitor,” I mouthed back. He was going on my shit list too. I slouched my shoulders and looked down at the beer once more.
Sawyer laughed when he caught my expression.
“No need to look so sad,” he said as he picked up the cup.
“I believe this is what we call taking one for the team.” He winked before quickly downing the drink.
I was already feeling light-headed and slightly woozy, so I was all too relieved watching him drink it for me.
I didn’t often drink alcohol, so this game had put me right over the edge.
“Bad luck, newbie,” Luther said, walking over to our side of the table and leaning against it. He looked far too composed for a guy who’d been playing beer pong all night. “Care to challenge us again?”
“Ha, no way.” I shook my head. “I think I’m going to retire from beer pong. Forever.”
“Are you sure?”
“Certain.” I went to push past him. “Now, I’m going outside to get some fresh air.”
Luther laughed as he watched me walk away. “Remember, I’m here if you want a rematch.”
I waved him off. There was no way that was happening. As far as I was concerned, I was never playing a drinking game again.