Chapter 3: Pink Intox
Nothing exciting happened. I had my phone in a metal container, acting like a tiny speaker so I could hear my music better.
10:58. Sometimes Ariel closed the store early, but not tonight. I paced back and forth with my hands folded behind my back. I looked out the window toward the parking lot, hoping not to see any lights approaching…
11:00pm! "Clooosing, tiiime," I vocalized while turning off all the kitchen appliances. Ariel took care of the front-half. By 11:03 we walked out the store.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I said to Ariel.
"Ok. Wait. You don't work tomorrow."
"I know," I said with a cheeky smile as I switched to my skate shoes. I slapped my non-slips together to remove any excess liquid before sticking them in my backpack.
Ariel shook her head with a smile. "You need a ride home?"
"Nah, I'm ok. See ya!"
My new house was closer than my mom's. I only had to skate 10 minutes now compared to the usual 20. With my excitement to see Jocelyn tonight I got home in 7 minutes, easy.
Triple S—shit, shower, shave. A few flexes in the mirror for a bit of a testosterone boost. I got dressed in some comfy clothes to get to my room packed with boxes.
Now the defining moment: which outfit to wear? I was normally the guy who'd wear the same pair of jeans 7 days in a row, but ever since I got a J-O-B, I occasionally splurged on some outfits. I considered texting Jocelyn for advice on the atmosphere of the party, but I threw that thought out the window. I didn't want to showcase how much of a loser I was…
I settled for a black long sleeve rolled up at the forearms, blue jeans and Chuck T's. Looking so fresh and so clean… I went to the bathroom and applied a subtle spray of cologne, an extensive brushing of my teeth… Never know where the night will lead, right?
I exited the bathroom. My roommate was in her room, directly across from mine. I could hear tape being stripped from boxes from inside. Empty cardboard boxes lay in the hallway. I grabbed my trusty skateboard and headed out.
12:10pm
I occasionally checked my phone's GPS while skating. The distance to Jocelyn's was getting scarce. I turned into a fancy neighborhood, utilizing the sidewalks whenever available since my wheels were too small to roll over the crusty Arizona asphalt.
I rode past a few mansions until I saw 20+ cars parked at the end of the road, surrounding the biggest house on the block… I checked the address Jocelyn sent me. Of course, this was the place… But wow, I was intimidated. The bass coming from the house vibrated my bones from afar. My heartbeat increased in tune with my anxiety. I skidded to a stop with my heel and looked at my phone again, just to be sure.
I took a deep breath, exhaled and puffed my chest out like a rooster. I can do this. She wants me there. Go in and own the place…
I had no idea Jocelyn was such a wealthy girl. All my life I've been living in apartments with my mom. Why did Jocelyn even have a job? I mean, look at this place! Look at the neighborhood! I started to connect the dots. Jocelyn did have a souped up Mustang, but I figured it was just a gift from her parents. I had no idea. I grew up too poor to buy candy from the gas station, yet here she was…
I'm here, I typed into the phone but then erased it. I'll strike her with the element of surprise… I was never good with girls. I'm grateful nobody can see into my past, otherwise they might perish from cringe overload. Yes, embarrassment leads to social growth, but I'd rather just erase those memories from my mind.
I approached with skateboard in hand, trying my best not to showcase self-consciousness in my walk. There were a ton of people surrounding the house. Guys and girls were in the front yard, tossing bean bags in a wooden gloryhole in the ground. I did not understand this strange game. I stepped around their formation.
I walked up the stairs leading into the mansion. The wobbly dubstep grew louder with each step. It was terrible music. I looked for Jocelyn and avoided eye contact with everyone. Some of the people were clearly underage, yet drinking beers regardless. Some were too old to be at a party like this…
I squeezed through the cluster of people around the front door. Why would you stand there? Stupid. I saw a spiral staircase leading to the upper wards. That's when I saw her, sitting on the staircase with her pale thighs crossed. She was fixated on her phone in one hand, the other holding a red solo cup.
"Hey," I said. It was lost in the wibbly wobbly dubstep trash.
"Hey!"
Jocelyn looked up. Her irritated facial expression relaxed.
"Hey you!" She flashed that smile of hers, those perfect white teeth underneath her rosy cheeks. She uncrossed her thighs, stood up and hugged me. That was our first hug.
"What's the birthday girl doing alone?!" I yelled in her ear.
Jocelyn shrugged. "Waiting for you!"
"Really?!"
"Yeah, the fuck took you so long?!"
"I just got off work!"
"Ohh!" Jocelyn said, then saw my skateboard in hand. She leaned in my ear and yelled again, her voice vibrating against my ear drums. "Do you wanna go somewhere quiet?!"
"Yeah! Yeah!"
Jocelyn smiled and ascended the staircase. I followed, feeling proud at the expressions of the other party members. Who the fuck is this guy? Her house was massive. It was like what I've seen in those rich people TV shows and movies. Family portraits and abstract paintings mounted the walls. I didn't have much time to look. I kept my eyes fixated on Jocelyn as she led me to her room with a pink door.
The walls of her room were pink. The stuffed animals, pink. It felt like I was being filled with a neon pink glow. The only thing not-pink were the boy band posters on the wall for 'My Mangled Heart' and 'Forever and Before'. Even the carpet was a fuzzy pink…
"Hey, shithead, you there?" Jocelyn punched me on the shoulder.
"Yeah, my bad. Just… Taking in all this… pink…"
"Yeah, I know. Doesn't seem like me, does it?" She turned with her hand on her hip. "Welcome to my humble abode!" she shouted with enthusiasm. She sat on her pink bed, her body producing the only wrinkles on the pink sheets. She patted the spot next to her, calling me over like a puppy.
I timidly took a seat. She smelled like strawberry vodka. I was getting woozy from this whole experience. I had never been in a girls room before. I knew I should fill the silence with something. Jocelyn cleared her throat. "So…"
She reached between her thighs and stuck her hand underneath her bed. She pulled out a thick bottle of vodka. "Sorry. I never offered you a drink. Want some?"
"You just keep that under there?" I said as she grabbed some red solo cups.
"Just recently."
"Do your parents… Do they care?"
"It's just my mom, and fuck no, she doesn't care." She seemed more than slightly irritated at me mentioning her parents. Even I, being a clueless virgin could read between the lines. I made a mental note to never bring them up again.
"So, you gonna drink with me?"
After a brief contemplation, I decided to man-up and go for it. "Sure, yeah, I'll drink some."
Jocelyn praised me with that gorgeous smile. She poured me a cup. I made a big mistake—I took a whiff of the substance. It was awful. Jocelyn laughed at how my face twisted up. Jocelyn scooted closer, our outer thighs touching…
"You don't drink a lot, do you? Here, my dad taught me a trick when I was little. First, you breathe in…" She took an exaggerated breath as her palm traveled upward past her chest. She pointed at her own pursed lips holding her breath, then threw back the cup of vodka. After swallowing she exhaled all her breath.
She wiped her lips and pointed at my cup. "Your turn."
I really didn't want to drink. Alcohol is gross and always made me feel sick… But how could I resist those eyes full of anticipation?
I took a deep deep breath, much deeper than necessary, and drank half of the cup. I tried to take the whole thing but was physically incapable, unlike Jocelyn who swallowed it like water. I blew out my liquor-soaked breath.
"Atta-boy," she whispered and patted my thigh. She noticed I didn't drink the whole thing but didn't mention it. My face was flushed. She refilled our cups to the brim. She took a few gulps and exhaled pleasurably.
She pointed at my cup. "Finish it," she said, a malevolent smirk on her face. Her cheeks were much redder than usual, probably from the alcohol. I didn't think I could take any more… But I did, because she told me to.
We repeated the cycle a few times and I wanted so badly to tap out, but she got more and more stern with each repetition. I thought she might just force the vodka down my throat if I told her 'no more'. The only thing keeping me going were those cute giggles of hers as she watched me with amusement.
I was totally drunk for the first time in my life. I felt all my inhibitions flood away in a valley of vodka and I started yapping away about random things. It seemed like everything I said made Jocelyn laugh, so I just kept going and going and…
Jocelyn slipped off her socks, revealing her pink toenails. There were stray pieces of lint in between her slender toes… She spread her toes and I realized what was happening. I looked up to find Jocelyn looking at me with her chin tucked, a ravenous smile, crazy eyes… She set the drink down and pushed me backward, my legs hanging off the edge of the bed. She sat on me and kissed me. It was my first kiss. Sure, I had some kisses when I was younger, but those were simple pecks on the lips, teens being teens…
Jocelyn wrapped her hands around my throat. It felt good at first, but the world started to spin… Subtly at first, but it began to increase in speed with each second.
"Kashi? Are you OK?"
"Yeah… Yeah…" I replied weakly. She got off me.
"I feel a little sick," I said as I clutched my forehead. Jocelyn ran across her room and grabbed a pink trash can with a white plastic liner inside.
"Here, sit up." She lifted me and put the trash can on my lap. "Don't fucking move. I'll be right back."
I nodded at her as she ran out of the room. I started to hyperventilate, whooo, whooo, whooo, blowing out air aggressively. I was leaning in all types of directions with no control on my bodily functions. My hands were tight around the trash can…
I threw up again and again… Jocelyn walked in. And again… I was kneeling on the ground, face in the pink can. My core was clenching against my internal organs with a furious pain. I dry-heaved for a few minutes until finally I felt like there was nothing left. Jocelyn handed me a towel and a cold water bottle.
"Thanks…" I drank the water. She took the towel and wiped my face of all the goo and crud.
"I'm sorry," I groaned. I was madly embarrassed, especially with how the night was going. Damn! It would've been perfect! But nooo, I had to be a poon…
"It's okay, Kashi…" Jocelyn said as she rubbed my sweaty hair.
"I really like you… I do, I swear. I just never made a move…" I exposed all my secrets in my drunken stupor. I thought I could see Jocelyn's face of concern form into one of curiosity, a smile… She poured herself another cup of vodka and downed it as she comforted me, listening to me spill my heart out in her pink sanctuary. I don't remember when it happened, but eventually I passed out.