Body Shots
twelve
Bunny
“Fuck this, let’s just move to my house.
I’m sure there’s already a party going on anyway.
If you know where it is, you’re invited.
If you don't, sorry for your luck.” Nicki wrapped her arm around my waist as we walked toward the front door.
She stumbled as I walked us to the car and put her into the passenger’s seat.
“Just leave me here. It’s whatever.” Nicki said as I got in the car.
“No, they were fucking fighting in the backyard.” She groaned, and I slammed the door shut.
Rolling my eyes, I was ready to go home anyway.
Staying at Nicki’s was getting boring, and Dexter had already come looking for me more than once.
She covered for me like a pro, but I was sure he didn’t buy it.
Turning down the road to my house, there were no cars in the yard like normal for parties. Only Rich’s car sat next to Dexter’s.
Weird.
Pulling my car into the driveway, my headlights flashed across the front of the house, and I saw Marlowe sitting on the front porch, her bright orange hair impossible to miss in the bright lights.
The front door swung open and a few more cars pulled in behind me into the yard.
Dexter and Marlowe stood in the bright lights of headlights, confusion painted across their faces.
“What, no party tonight? Come on. Put the fucking music on.” I didn’t want to face them, so I walked around the side of the house to the backyard.
Every light was off. When I flipped the switches to turn them on, the backyard was illuminated.
More groups of people started flooding to the backyard.
Most of them had followed over from Nicki’s.
There were others I didn’t remember seeing over there, but I didn’t question it. The news traveled fast, I guess.
When I got to the pool shed, I noticed the smaller amps and speakers weren’t in here.
Were they really not planning on coming out here tonight?
Coolers were being pulled from cars and brought around back, and our garage fridge was being raided.
Rich and Chris were unplugging the equipment, so I turned and walked into the house.
A few people from the party had already found their way to the couch and turned on the TV.
In the kitchen, Marlowe pulled down the plastic cups and random snacks we had stashed away.
She organized the liquor bottles we had leftover from other parties on the island counter.
When she finally looked up at me, her face was expressionless.
She grabbed a bottle of tequila and walked out the back door.
Dexter walked out of the hallway, pulling a shirt over his head.
Tattoos rippled across his side as he maneuvered it down.
My throat was instantly dry. My feet carried me to the freezer for my bottle of Jager.
Taking off the lid, I tipped my head back and took a shot of the freezing liquid.
Warmth suddenly crowded my back. I immediately felt sweat all over my body despite still standing in front of the open freezer.
The warm citrus scent of Dexter filled my nostrils. “Where the fuck have you been?” His breath was hot on my ear.
Pushing back from the freezer, I shoved him off of me.
“I’m fine. Fuck off. I’m home now.” When I pushed away from him, I immediately felt the loss of his presence.
The truth was I was aching for him and had been for days.
I was taking more pills when I was with Nicki to numb how badly I needed to be with him.
Music started soon after I walked outside, thanks to the twins. They started playing the CDs in the stereo. Much to my dismay, they had been switched out, but whoever switched them picked some decent ones. Godsmack’s Voodoo album played first on rotation, my favorite.
When I surveyed the backyard, Nicki sat in a lounge chair chatting with her friends, smoking a pipe of something.
Marlowe stood by the fire pit with Dojo, adding wood to the small flames, getting the fire started.
She sat down in my chair and watched as the flames began to roar.
I kept watching her as she took a shot out of the tequila bottle now and then.
She wasn’t dressed how she normally was for parties.
She was more casual in black cargos, a little t-shirt with a dragon on it, and her hair down. Dojo stuck to her side like glue.
“Bunny, come over here.” Nicki patted the pool chair by where she was sitting. She tried to pass me the pipe that smelled clearly of meth, and I shook my head, pushing it away.
Continuing to sip my liquor, I watched as Marlowe placed her bottle on the ground when Dexter arrived, bringing her a fruity bottled beverage of some kind.
She smiled up at him and took a sip. They carried on in casual, comfortable conversation, too far away for me to hear what they were saying.
He kept fidgeting awkwardly when she casually touched him, and she blushed adorably now and then at something he said.
The next thing I knew, Dexter was leaning forward and kissing Marlowe lightly on the lips. My gaze quickly shifted to the ground.
“I didn’t know they were a thing,” Nicki said, reaching over me and pointing to Marlowe and Dex.
“They aren’t,” I said sharply before downing a huge gulp of Jager. “Let’s go get you a drink.”
Many people had moved inside now. Someone had booted up the video games, and they were playing some racing game I didn’t even know we had. “How have we never done body shots on this counter?” Nicki asked me. A few of the guys in the room shouted yeah in agreement.
“Maybe because we aren’t in high school, Nicki.”
Her voice took on a whiny tone. “Oh come on! It will be fun.” Nicki jumped up to sit on the island countertop. “Body shots!” She yelled, and everyone cheered along with her.
Dexter walked past me and down the hallway as guys lined up to take body shots off of Nicki. I backed away to the far wall by the living room and just let whatever was going to happen happen.
“Piece of shit, put me down!” My head jerked in the direction of Marlowe’s voice. She had been picked up and sat down on the kitchen table. A guy had her petite legs caged between his much larger ones.
“Body shots, baby.” The guy said before I shoved him off of Marlowe, and he ran out the back door. She jumped down and stood behind me. Dexter stood at the entrance to the kitchen ready to swing at the guy.
“Everyone get the fuck out!” I shouted. Everyone stood still but didn’t move to leave. “I said everyone get out! Now!”
The crowd started scrambling, Dojo barking behind me. I hadn’t even realized he never left Marlowe’s side. Marlowe started to creep out from behind me. “Come on, Dojo.” She whispered.
I put my arm out, stopping her. “You’re not leaving.”