Opening the door and helping Cole walk in safely, the guys were sitting in a circle in the living room lazily and passing around tequila. They looked over at the door, and it was dark so they didn't really see me or Cole.
"Diana?" I heard one of the guys ask. At this point I was too exhausted from worry and shoving people off me to even detect who's voice it was.
"Yeah." I sighed out, feeling like a little girl as I did so because my voice suddenly grew tired, turning into it's automatic innocent masking tone.
"Wait, where are we now?" Cole asked loudly, beginning to turn in the dark.
"Who's that?" Someone asked.
The lights flicked on and Bailey stood there with his eyes squinted and looked at Cole curiously. Tyler was sitting down but stood up immediately. "Cole, what the hell?" He asked.
"Sh," I shushed him as Cole leaned onto me by accident, and I tried hard to keep him up. "He's drunk."
"And I got my ass- as- ass kicked in slap boxing." Cole slurred, having difficulty pronouncing his 's''.
"Good." Tyler mumbled and looked at me incredously, shaking his head and but giving me a small smile. "Thanks." Was all he said, which was a lot from Tyler but I didn't care at the moment.
"Come on." I said, helping his brother up the stairs. He looked like he was going to be sick, so I quickly brought him to the bathroom and called loudly, barely recognizing the young girl who took control of my voice. "Will one of you bring me water?"
I heard them down stairs, Bailey saying, "Nose goes." And after a few seconds a groan, a low frustrated and familiar groan.
Within less than a minute, Mr. Grant came up and had a bottle of water. Luckily Cole was so drunk-blind to even notice, much less recognize him.
I rubbed Cole's back while he threw up and I sighed, being reminded of why I hated parties. "Thanks." I told Charlie when he held out the water and leaned against the wall, watching me.
"That was your cue to leave." I turned around and told him tiredly.
"What do you need help with?" He asked, ignoring my comment.
"Diana, I'm sorry for kissing you-" Cole stumpled back and I grabbed him, handing him his water and ignoring him. "Connor did, so I thought I could too." He yawned after washing his mouth.
"Cole-"
"I'm tired." He said, pushing past me and going in his own direction, towards my room and plopped onto my bed, passing out.
I groaned silently as Mr. Grant came up behind me. "He kissed you?" He chuckled sinisterly, and as low as it was it was so sexy.
I was too tired to fight back and instead pulled covers over Cole, setting the water by the bed and sitting on the side.
"Diana." His voice growled so deep and husky while Cole was almost fast asleep, probably drunk-deaf as well.
"Hm?" I sighed, leaning on my hand.
He pulled me up with his own and I flew toward him unintentionally.
"Woah there, I'm your teacher remember?" He said in a quietly seductive tone.
I pushed away and that chuckle came back, oh this was definetly not the same man. "Not now, Charlie I'm tired." I sighed.
"I can see that." He said bluntly, his hands steadying me. It made me realize he never corrected me for calling him that. "I thought the party scene isn't you, anyway?"
I scoffed, "What do you know about me?" I said dryly, trying to get out of his hold that was beginning to confuse the hell out of me.
"I know you have three brothers;" He began. "I know you're incredably smart;" His voice grew quieter, "I know you live alone;" And he leaned in towards me. "I know you're independent; I know you like men. And..." Mr. Grant's fingers touched my chin and forced my eyes into his. It was so dark, I could only see the slight radiating warmth of his caramel eyes. "I know you're not aware of how much you drive them crazy."
What's that supposed to mean?
"Diana?" Cole's sleepy voice barged in both Charlie and I's conversation and making me flinch away in shock. That boy probably wasn't aware he was even talking. "Why do you like Andy Carl?"
I watched as Mr. Grant stood up straighter, releasing his grip from me and slipping away downstairs. I sighed and looked at Cole, brushing his hair back, trying to relax him to sleep. "Because he likes me." Was all I thought to say, and it was to my empty room as Cole began to snore.
That was when I changed into a big shirt and shorts to sleep in, but realized I would have to sleep in one of the many guest rooms. As I left my room my name was called quietly by Chris. "Come down with us." He said.
I didn't know if I was awake enough for long conversations and sudden questions but I shrugged and headed down the stairs anyway. "Sorry, you can go back up, you look tired." Bailey said, giving Chris' head a good smack.
"It's fine, I'm already here." I said softly and went the the garage for more water.
"We're playing a game." They said when I came back in, sounding intoxicated. "It's a typical highschool game and I'm pretty sure we're doing it wrong, so tell us if we are." Bailey said.
James reached out to the bottle of tequila and filled all six of the shot glasses for each of them. "So we're asking would-you-rather-questions and then after someone answers and someone else has done it before they take a shot. Is that how it goes?" He asked me.
I chuckled lightly and shrugged. "You're asking the wrong person." I told them.
"It's wrong!" Tyler said, eyes focused on his phone as he slapped his leg roughly. "It's called never-have-I-ever."
And all the guys immediately threw their heads back, saying Ohhhh! in realization.
"Wanna play, Diana?" James asked, having a pillow thrown at him by Austin.
"She probably had enough to drink at the party!"
"Actually, I didn't have anything to drink at the party." I admitted, seeing my brother's impressed faces.
"I guess you can play with us." Austin then said. "But you'll have to share a shotglass with someone."
I sat between James and Tyler and immediately the guys said, "Nose goes."
And everyone's index went to the tip of their nose like teenagers. They all watched Mr. Grant, who was lastly and quickly putting his finger to his nose and he groaned. "I already lost, come on." He said, sounding like a casual man who joked with his friends.
"Alright alright," Tyler said, suddenly acting generous. "She'll share with me.
"Honestly, I don't feel comfortable having shots with an eighteen-yearold." Austin added in.
I rolled my eyes and watched as Tyler stood up and went the kitchen, bringing back a box of cold pinnapple cubes. Mr. Grant glared at Tyler and Chris as they exchanged fruit in front of him and he began to sneeze. "Tyler." James laughed and nodded over to Charlie who was trying not to sneeze. Oh such a cute and manly sneeze.
Tyler look at him in realization and apologized, but all the same looking amused. Charlie raised his middle finger and Tyler shoved him over. "Fine, we'll switch spots then." Tyler told him, and then soon enough my teacher was sitting by me.
"It sucks that you're allergic to pinnapple." Tyler chimed. "Everybody likes pinnapple."
"Not Diana." Bailey added.
I stared at him in sleepy shock and he smiled kindly. "I know you, I promise." He told me and I returned his smile.
"Let's start!" Austin said and looked around at me. "Now she doesn't have anyone to share with." He said.
"We don't have anymore glasses?" I asked in disbelief.
"No, and I'm not sharing with you, I'm getting sick." James said, forcing the rest of us to look at my calculus teacher.
"Well I don't have a choice now." He grumbled.
"Hey, take it as officially becoming part of the brotherhood."
"Yeah, you've got to share germs with D." Bailey joked. "It's funny too because I'm pretty sure Chance has been in her house more times than she knows." He laughed.
"When you say it like that, it doesn't even sound like my house." I added in.
"You guys talk a lot. Who's going first?" Chris asked and then they decided to pull matches, beginning with Tyler, then going in a circle to Chris, to Austin, to Bailey, to James, then to me, then to Mr. Grant. And I couldn't decide what to call him.
Charlie charlie charlie charlie. I tried to think, hoping his proper name wouldn't slip out and give anything away. "Alright." Tyler said, crossing his arms. "Never have I ever... Wait, does it have to be true?" He asked.
"Yes, dumbass." Charlie said.
God it was so adorable watching him be normal.
"Okay, never have I ever gotten a cavity before."
One-by-one the guys looked at eachother and then to me, knowing I have never gotten a cavity. They took a shot, and James followed with a refill for each glass. "Oh, of course." Tyler muttered, rolling his eyes at me and then looking to Chris.
Chris smirked and brought his knees up. "Never have I ever been allergic to pineapple."
The attractive man next to me cursed and took the glass between us, easily slipping it down his throat and setting it down.
"Austin?" Chris nudged him.
"I got one, I got one." He said with confidence. "Never have I ever made out with anyone related to me."
Around the circle it was silent and I looked up, seeing Mr. Grant's face trying not to laugh, which his smile set my insides on fire, and then I realized everyone else was trying not to laugh. Everyone but Tyler who glared while reaching for his shot and taking it with his middle finger up. "I was drunk, it was dark!" He defended himself.
I giggled quietly, also in shock, and his eyes narrowed at me. "You're lucky you're pretty, Diana." He grumbled and I rolled my eyes.
"Like you would do anything." I said with a laugh along with the guys.
"Never have I ever tried Skinny Girl liquor." Bailey said with confidence and all five of the guys groaned.
"Oh come on." Tyler dragged as every other man but Bailey in that circle took their shot.
After Charlie took his they looked at me and I bit my lip to hold in the laugh. "But she's the only girl here." Chris said incredously.
"Obviously the only one who's not a girl is Bailey." I joked.
"Oh shut up." James said, then shook his head. "Whatever, it's my turn." He crossed his arms and stared at the bottle in the center with a concentrated expression. Then a slow and sadistic smile came across his mouth and his eyes darted around the circle, making everyone impatient. "Never have I ever... fucked a rich business man."
Oh no.
I felt the heat rise and color surface on my cheeks. All eyes were suddenly on me as James began to hold in a serious laugh.
"Ew." Austin whispered with an uncomfortable shiver.
I reached for the glass and took the shot with embarrassed and shaky fingers. I felt Charlie's eyes on me and I tried to turn away from his uncomfortable stare.
When it was my turn I had it, but it was lame. "Never have I ever been drunk at a party."
One by one each man picked up a shot glass and slid it down their throats, few cringing and then Charlie who acted as if it were nothing. Then it was his turn.
"This is stupid." He said.
"Oh you're just saying that because you probably had to take the most shots out of us all." Bailey laughed.
"And you can't think of anything." Chris pointed out.
"Never have I ever..."
"Had sex in bathroom stall?" James said beside me.
"No, he has, remember when-"
"Shut up." Charlie snapped in embarrassment.
I chuckled lightly at the suddenly childish men and watched as the man to my right twisted his fingers. I was so used to him being in button-downs and a tie and him with a grumpy concentrated face while his fingers twirled around a pen. It was just so weird, because everything was so wrong.
"I've never..." A smile crept on his face and I thought I would faint then and there at how rare it was. "Never have I ever been attracted to a teacher."
My insides froze.
The guys laughed, "Ah, shit I forgot you were a teacher." Tyler slapped his back, reaching over to the glass and taking the shot along with Austin. "Audie, remember Miss Motley?"
"Oh yes, she was... wow." He said, also taking the shot.
Before Tyler started up again I reached for the glass between Mr. Grant and me. He caught the motion and looked at me in shock, It was perfect, the look on Charlie's face when I drank the tequila, looking into his eyes for a split second it seemed like I was hitting on him... so I guess I was hitting on him.
"What teacher are you attracted to?" James asked in amusement.
"He's a bit of a grump, but he is one good looking guy." I fawned fakely.
They said nothing and I leaned back on my hands for support and then I felt another one over mine as everyone else focused on what Tyler was going to say. I flinched at the contact and looked at Charlie who was smirking faintly. It was a game that began that night, because as soon as he pulled away and was forced to take a shot, I also had to and when he handed the glass to me I held his finger against it for a second and such little force shocked him.
That was how the night went.
Shot after shot, and I was pretty sure the guys were drunk before that. "Never have I ever given a blow job."
That was a cruel one, and it wasn't fair either, considering I was the only one who did that kind of stuff. I reached for the shot and Austin groaned loudly in horror, covering his eyes. "Ew ew ew ew ew...." He said childishly while Chris and Bailey jumped up and ran around in both disgust and misery. I only rolled my eyes.
"We need more tequila." I heard Charlie grumble beside me.
"Wh-what, Diana- wha- who?" Bailey asked cluelessly when he got back to the circle, still having on his grossed out face.
That first night with Andy was my first for many other things, too.
"Hold on." I told them, ignoring Bailey and stood up, reaching for my keys at the counter and going to the very top cabinet, climbing on the counter and sticking the key in, revealing a huge collections of liquors and wines.
"Diana, what the fuck?" Chris asked in confusion when I came back with a new bottle.
"Calm down, it's all locked up." I said slowly.
When I sat back down and we continued the long game, it somehow ended with Charlie lying on one side of the couch while I was on the floor, my back against the couch. Then Tyler sharing the couch with Charlie and on the floor also was James and Chris and Austin, then on the larger couch was Bailey who snored loudly. Everybody was passed out but me.
I didn't know what to do, and it was dark, so I pulled out my bright phone and texted Erin, telling her I was looking for her and hoped that she was okay.
When I hit send I felt a pulling at my head. But it was gentle and it took me a frozen three seconds to realize it was him playing with my hair.
My heartbeat sped up a billion times and I felt hot all the sudden as Mr. Grant's fingers ran through my hair and brushed it back from my shoulder. I stared at the men in the room, everyone else was asleep.
He bunched up my hair and turned my head, so I turned around to fully face him bravely. "You're hot teacher is a grump, huh?" He whispered huskily in my face and I could smell the alcohol on him, but I didn't care.
"Only to me." I said back, surprisingly matching his tone.
I felt as he gripped my hair and tugged me closer to him, his face suddenly close to my hair and breathing at my neck. It was warm, and felt so good. But so surreal.
I swear he was leaning out to kiss me, but my loud damn phone went off. Being the perfect person to have Charlie release my hair, but still have his hand linger as I pulled away and turned around to open my phone.
It was Andy.
Just got off the plane and would like to see you
He said.
I didn't know what to say, so I locked it and stood up, walking around into the kitchen to relax myself. I tried to rid my thoughts of my drunk teacher on my couch and my pounding hormonal heart, if that even made sense.
My phone lit up again, Andy.
I just realized it's like four in the morning, I'm sorry. Call me when you wake up
I couldn't help the sleepy smile that found me and I almost did call him for a second, but I enjoyed being with my teacher, as crazy and illegal as it sounded...
I went back to the living room and threw blankets across the men, then made my way up the stairs and set down a glass of water and pain killers for Cole.
When I slipped off my shorts and threw back the covers to the guest room I slipped in bed and fell into a really comfortable sleep.