Liquors & Chasers

RAINEY

“Zip me up.” Riley spins around, presenting her back to me. I grasp the tiny zipper and slide it up. She turns to face the large mirror hanging on my closet door, her smile lighting up the room.

“Wow, this dress is amazing.”

I grin, struggling to fasten my earring. “You can keep it.”

Her mouth drops open. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I shrug. “It suits you better.”

Her smile is radiant as she twists her body to get a better look at the black dress hugging her slim figure.

“Thanks, Rain.”

Riley is like the sister I was meant to have, but somehow we ended up in two different wombs. The only difference between us is our looks.

Riley has a perfect sun-kissed complexion, and her jet-black eyebrows match her short dark hair. Her lips are full, and she has a movie-star nose that people would pay a fortune for.

Her features are a stark contrast to my shoulder-length brown hair with golden highlights, my full lips, and my deep amber eyes.

“Have you heard from your dad?” Riley asks, carefully applying black eyeliner beneath her eyes.

I shrug. “We talked last night. He’s out of the country. He’s working on a deal in Dubai.”

“Oh.” She presses her lips together, a look of sympathy crossing her face.

My dad’s hectic schedule doesn’t leave much time for us to hang out or have those precious father-daughter moments.

But he always makes sure to spend time with me on my birthdays and holidays.

I don’t blame him for not having much free time. If my mom hadn’t split our family apart, I’d see him more often.

Now he only visits when Jeff isn’t here, and Jeff has been staying here a lot lately.

I’d rather live with him than my mom, but he’s rarely home, and he doesn’t want me to be alone when he’s away on business.

“Your dress is cute.” Riley grins, trying to lighten the mood.

“You think?” I look down at my outfit. The black dress is simple, with a modest V-neckline.

But despite my best efforts to blend in, my curvy hips are hard to ignore. I think about changing into jeans, but Riley is already grabbing her jacket from the bed.

“Ready to go?”

I nod. “Yeah, just need to put on my shoes.”

I bend down to slip on my black leather ankle boots before we leave my room and head downstairs.

Jeff is sprawled on the couch, a beer in his hand, watching the game on TV.

The sound of our footsteps makes him turn our way. He looks us up and down, his brow furrowing. “Where are you girls off to?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Riley laughs. “We’re going to a party.”

Disapproval flashes in his eyes, and he glares at me, his jaw clenching. “I don’t think your mom would be okay with that, Rainey.”

“My mom couldn’t care less about me. You should know that by now. Goodnight.”

I head for the door, and Riley follows, waving mockingly at Jeff, whose eyes are blazing as he watches us leave.

***

The party is in full swing. Drunk and sweaty teenagers are everywhere in the three-story house. The music is so loud, I wish I’d brought some Advil.

This noise is going to give me a killer headache.

The house is massive. It’s clear Tate’s family is loaded. But what else would I expect? He goes to Crosshill, after all.

Riley and I are standing in the outdoor kitchen by the pool, sipping beer and watching some drunk girls make fools of themselves.

I’m laughing at one girl who’s climbing onto the kitchen island when someone steps hard on my foot.

“Ouch.” I wince. A giggle from Olivia and her friend Lisa tells me it was on purpose.

“Sorry,” Olivia gives me a tight smile. “You were in the way.”

I narrow my eyes, my lips pressing into a thin line as they giggle and walk past me.

~Just count to ten, Rainey. Count to ten.~

Riley casually sticks her foot out, and Olivia trips over it, landing face-first on the floor with a loud thud. I snort, covering my mouth, as the whole kitchen erupts in laughter.

Riley gasps in fake surprise, but I know my best friend well enough to know it was no accident.

“Sorry.” She puts a hand over her heart. “You were in the way. These boots can be so tricky. I should probably put a warning sign on them.”

I chuckle quietly, and Olivia grunts as Lisa helps her up.

The laughing faces are too much for her, so she pulls herself up and shoots us a dirty look before storming out of the kitchen.

I giggle at Riley, who’s innocently sipping her drink.

“You’re a troublemaker.”

“She had it coming. Plus, her heels are totally fake.”

I laugh. “How did you even notice that?”

“I have an eye for quality.”

I smile at her, then my gaze drifts to the pool deck. I instantly recognize someone.

Ansel.

He’s standing alone, his lean figure silhouetted against the pool. His hands are shoved in his jeans pockets as he stares down at the shimmering blue water.

I can tell from behind that he’s wearing his glasses, and the black T-shirt he’s wearing clings enticingly to his well-built body.

~Nerds aren’t supposed to be this hot!~

As always, I’m puzzled by his enigmatic personality. I never pegged him as a party guy.

“I see that.” Riley wiggles her eyebrows, following my gaze. “Who’s he?”

My cheeks flush a pretty pink and I quickly look away. “Just a guy from my math class.”

Her eyes widen in a comical fashion. “~The~ guy from your math class?”

I nod, and she raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. “Oh. He’s hot.”

I watch him, entranced, as he pulls his cell phone from his pocket, completely unaware of the two pairs of eyes watching him.

He’s always by himself, lost in his own world, and he seems perfectly content with his own company.

I have to admit, there’s something uniquely attractive about someone who doesn’t need anyone else.

Riley nudges my shoulder. “Wanna go say hi?”

I shoot her a glare. Is she serious?

She frowns. “Come on. You guys are in the same math class.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make us friends.”

“Yeah, but he sits right behind you. You’re practically desk buddies. It’s common courtesy to say hi.”

I sigh. Riley is like the devil tempting the saint to sin.

Without responding, I turn my gaze back in his direction. He’s not standing there anymore, much to my secret disappointment. My eyes scan the deck, but there’s no sign of him. He sure moves fast.

“Darn it. He’s gone.” Riley frowns. “I told you we should have said hi.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s not like we’re friends or anything.”

“Yeah, I know that. But he’s cute. Admit it.”

I shrug, and she squints her eyes and pokes me in the ribcage. I wince.

“Admit that he’s cute.”

I sigh. “Yeah. Yeah, he’s cute.”

“What’s his name?”

“Ansel.” His name feels fresh and foreign on my lips, and I have to admit that I kind of like how the letters roll off my tongue.

“His name is nice.” She grins.

“Yeah, and he seems nice too. We spoke at lunch today.”

“Whoa, you didn’t tell me that. About what?”

“Our literature text for the term, ~To Kill a Mockingbird~. He seems to like reading.

“Well, that’s the most accurate observation I’ve made so far. I mean, he’s so unbothered and mysterious. I can’t tell if he wants to be a nerd or the ‘bad guy’ type, you know?”

“Uh, Rainey?”

“You know, I have great discernment skills, but I just can’t figure him out. And that is rare as shit for someone like me.

“One moment I feel like I have him all figured out, and then the next, he does something that completely contradicts my hypothesis.

“He seems like a well-behaved guy, but he’s way too hot to be one of those guys who bury their head in a book all day or collect creepy spiders for their bug collection, and—”

Riley pokes me again, and I make a face. “Ow. Okay, why’d you do that?”

“Because”—she leans over to my ear, using her palm to guard the side of her mouth—“he’s right behind us.”

“Jesus. You’re lying.”

I glance behind me, and there’s Ansel. If I’m not mistaken, a small smirk is tugging at the corner of his lips as he pours punch into a red party cup.

The close proximity confirms that he probably heard every word that just left my mouth.

But then, the blaring stereo and high-pitched laughter of kids all around us would make it nearly impossible for him to have heard us.

My face turns a deep shade of red as I return my gaze ahead. Riley is pursing her lips while casually staring at her boots, until Ansel steps past us, carrying two red cups as he returns to the pool deck.

“God. How did he even get behind me?”

Riley laughs. “I have no idea. He’s like a horror movie. A cute horror movie.”

“Do you think he heard us?”

“I don’t think so. I know so.”

I droop my eyelids at her, and she grins. “I’m just messing with you. The party is way too loud for him to have heard us. Unless he has some superpowers or something.”

I nod. “Yeah, that’s true.”

She nudges me with her elbow, pointing her head in his direction. “Look.”

Ansel is now extending one of the cups to someone, then a girl with long wavy hair comes into view.

From where I stand, I can tell she has a perfect hourglass figure, and her face is round and quite pretty. She accepts the drink with a bright smile, and he chuckles when she says something to him.

“Who’s that?” Riley’s voice is low and curious.

“I have no idea.”

“Well, it looks like Ansel has a girlfriend,” she sighs, disappointment etched on her face. “How unfortunate.”

I look away, shifting my stance. “It’s whatever. It’s not like I like him or something.”

“Whoa, you made it!” a voice comes from beside us, and both Riley and I tear our gazes away from Ansel and the unknown girl.

Tate flashes me a charming smile beneath the dim lights of his kitchen. He looks good. He’s wearing a blue V-neck shirt with black jeans, and as usual, his hair is a mess.

“I see you couldn’t resist coming.” He smiles, then licks his lips in the most exaggerated way possible.

“Yeah. My house was boring, so…” I give a half-smile, shrugging my shoulders.

“Is that it, or you just couldn’t stop thinking about me?”

“Well, I had to force her, so it turns out that you may not be so irresistible after all,” Riley mutters.

Tate turns his gaze to her, a smile pulling at his lips. “I didn’t know you brought a friend, Rain. The more the merrier, yeah?”

“I’m her sister,” Riley states.

Riley and I are so alike that she often introduces me as her sister. I don’t mind it one bit. Our names are similar, and our personalities are practically identical, so it’s not a stretch for people to believe us.

I flash a smile. “This is my sister, Riley. And Riley, this is Tod.”

“Tate,” he corrects me.

“Right, Tate. He’s the one who invited me here tonight.”

“Nice to meet you.” Riley shakes his hand, then she stares at it, turning it this way and that, examining it closely.

She seems genuinely interested, and poor Tate just looks confused.

“Your hand is so small for a guy. How do you even jerk off?”

I can’t help but laugh.

~She’s something else.~

Tate grins, a glint of desire in his eyes. “Well, wouldn’t you like to know. I could give you a demonstration.”

“Gross. No.” She pulls her hand back, making a face. “I’d like to keep my eyesight, thank you very much.”

He laughs, then says something to her, but my attention is already drifting to Ansel, who’s laughing with the girl he was talking to earlier.

Whoever she is, he sure seems happy around her. Not that it’s any of my business.

“Rainey.” Tate snaps his fingers to get my attention.

I blink at him. “Yes?”

“I’m going to grab some drinks. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” I nod.

As soon as he’s out of sight, Riley nudges me. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

I sneak a glance at Ansel, but he and the girl are gone.

~Wow, he moves fast. Is he secretly the Flash or something?~

Tate comes back quickly with two beers, and Riley and I each take one.

“That’s top-shelf stuff right there,” he says. “Make sure you drink every drop.”

I roll my eyes. I can’t stand when people show off their wealth. It’s nauseating.

I’m about to take a sip when Riley’s antics stop me. She’s sniffing the beer, making a face.

“What are you doing?” I ask, staring at her.

She shakes her head, pursing her lips as she looks Tate straight in the eye. “What the fuck did you put in this?”

His eyes narrow, and he looks genuinely confused. I’m confused too.

“What are you talking about?”

“What’s going on, Riley?” I ask, frowning at her.

“He spiked the drinks. I can tell when a drink’s been messed with. Look at the tiny bubbles on top.”

I look into my cup while Tate laughs nervously.

“That’s just because it’s fresh from the bottle. What are you trying to say? That I spiked it? Are you nuts? Do you think I’m some kind of psycho?”

She gives him a dirty look while I sniff my beer, trying to figure out what’s in it.

“If you didn’t spike it, then drink it.” She steps closer to him.

He scratches his neck, avoiding eye contact. “I’ve had enough already.”

I watch his uneasy expression. His hesitation is all the confirmation I need. “No, she’s right. If you didn’t put anything in our drinks, then drink it.”

He stares at us for a moment. “Are you girls serious?”

We nod, keeping our eyes on him.

“Fine, fine, I’ll drink it. Jeez, what do you think I am?”

He takes the cup from Riley and downs it in one go. He grimaces, shaking his head. “Damn, that’s strong.”

“And this one too.” I hand him my cup, and he looks at me in surprise.

“Go ahead. Drink the ~expensive~ beer.”

I gesture to the cup, and he sighs, lifting the cup to his lips and chugging the beer. We watch as he thumps his chest, sticking out his red tongue.

“God, that’s strong.” He clears his throat, but his face is still flushed. “Happy now?”

“Very,” I reply.

“You girls watch too much Lifetime. You think everyone’s out to get you.”

Riley looks at me, and I shake my head.

Tate stands there, shifting from foot to foot, running his fingers through his hair. “Yeah…this party is really…lit…”

His speech is slightly slurred, and he seems jittery.

Riley smirks, crossing her arms. “You okay?”

“Yeah, totally.”

His eyes are bloodshot. I can tell the alcohol is hitting him hard. I fight back a laugh as Riley and I exchange amused glances. He blinks, shaking his head.

“I’ll catch up with you girls later.”

He stumbles away, and Riley laughs as he wobbles out of the kitchen.

“Jerk.”

I giggle, grabbing two cups from a guy carrying a tray of drinks. “These aren’t spiked, right?”

The guy looks at me, confused, and I wave him off. “Never mind.”

The party continues, and there’s no sign of Ansel and his girl. Riley’s already downed five cups and is working on her sixth when I take it away from her.

“I’m not carrying you home when you start seeing double.”

She scowls. “Give it back.”

“No way.” I take a sip instead while she whines and tries to grab it. I can handle my alcohol much better than she can.

Suddenly the music stops, and a loud whistle draws our attention to a group of kids running for the exit.

“What’s happening?” I ask, my forehead creasing in confusion.

“Everybody out now!” a guy shouts. He’s bare-chested, with a tie hanging loosely around his neck, like a male stripper. “The cops! The cops are here!”

“Damn, I can’t get busted. Riley, let’s go! We need to leave!”

I grab her arm while she’s scratching her head, her slightly drunk brain not grasping the seriousness of the situation.

I follow a group of kids as they bolt through the back gate of the house, and Riley nearly trips over her own feet as I drag her along.

“Slow down, man,” she complains, struggling to keep up with my frantic pace.

“Riley, you know I can’t get caught by the police. I’m on probation!”

“But I’m tired.”

“Stop right there!” a stern male voice calls from behind us, and my heart leaps into my throat when I see a hefty cop is chasing us.

“Damn!” I pick up my pace, but Riley finally trips over her own feet and falls face-first onto the ground, my hand slipping from hers.

“Damn! Riley!”

“Go on!” she cries dramatically, as if we’re in some action movie. “Leave without me! Remember me!”

I reach out to her, but the cop is already helping her up off the ground with a sigh. “All right, you’re coming with me. You’re clearly drunk.”

I freeze as he cuffs her hands behind her back.

“Go, Rainey!” she urges.

She knows I can’t get caught by the police. They already have a record on me, so another offense and I’ll be sent to a juvenile detention center.

But I can’t leave my friend behind. It’s not who I am. Riley always has my back. It’s only fair that I return the favor.

I take a step forward but stop when someone approaches the cop from behind. Recognition hits me when Ansel throws a black garbage bag over the cop’s head.

The cop is taken by surprise as he struggles with the plastic bag, but Ansel spins him around before flipping him onto his back on the ground.

My mouth drops open in disbelief as the cop groans in pain, immobilized from the blow to his back.

~How did he take down such a big guy? Nerds aren’t supposed to be this good at martial arts!~

Ansel pushes his hair out of his eyes then adjusts his glasses on his face as he catches his breath.

Riley stares at him in shock, and I’m frozen as I watch the unexpected hero in front of me.

“Damn. Thanks, Clark Kent. That was hot,” she murmurs in awe.

A whistle breaks the moment, and another cop runs to help his fallen comrade.

Ansel grabs Riley’s hand, then mine, and pulls us away from the scene.

Even though it’s not the best time to admire someone, I take a moment to notice his perfectly smooth face under the dim streetlights.

A car speeds up and screeches to a stop in front of us. The window rolls down to reveal a guy. “Get in, assholes!”

Ansel quickly opens the back door, and I hesitate, looking between him and the stranger behind the wheel.

“I won’t kidnap you,” Ansel promises.

Riley groans. “Just get in the car, Rainey. I don’t want to spend the night in jail.”

I swallow and quickly get in, and she follows. Ansel gets in the front seat, and the car speeds off.

“Wow. Damn, that was awesome!” The driver grins, reaching over to his dashboard and grabbing a cigarette. “That party must have been wild, huh?!”

Riley and I exchange curious glances between the two boys who look exactly alike.

“A cop only shows up at a house party if it’s really good!” he laughs, taking both hands off the steering wheel to light his cigarette.

“Sorry, but are you guys twins?” Riley’s curiosity gets the better of her.

“No, we’re not. He’s my younger brother, Alex,” Ansel answers.

Younger brother? They look the same age.

“How old is he?” Riley asks.

Ansel rolls down his window, grimacing at his brother’s smoking. “Sixteen.”

Alex gapes. “Dude, you just outed my age like that. He’s lying. I’m twenty-three.”

I make a face. “Are you?”

“No, he’s not.” Ansel looks at him. “Is that the lie you use to get older women to pay your tuition?”

“Pfft. No way. I pay my tuition. Ladies, I pay for everything. I work part-time as a mechanic. Our parents don’t baby me like they do Ansel.”

I take note of his statement while Ansel visibly rolls his eyes.

A figure darts into the street, and the car screeches to a halt. Riley and I nearly fly through the windshield, and Ansel grabs his seatbelt.

“Holy shit!” Alex swears, his eyes wide.

“What is that?”

Riley pushes her hair back as a completely naked boy runs across the road like a madman. A few cops are chasing him, blowing their whistles.

It takes a few seconds of squinting and studying the naked figure to recognize who it is.

“Isn’t that Tate? What the hell?!” Riley bursts out laughing.

Alex puts a hand on his forehead, puffing out his cheeks. “Can someone tell me why I just saw that guy’s junk? I’m scarred for life.”

“I guess someone did spike the drinks after all,” Ansel comments.

I pause from my laughter to look at him curiously. “How did you know that?”

Alex floors the accelerator while Ansel just shrugs. “Let’s just say I’m pretty observant.”

“Oh God, I think I’m gonna hurl.” Riley clutches her chest.

“No, no, sweetheart. Please don’t puke in my car. I just got it fixed last week!” Alex pleads, taking a drag from his cigarette.

Riley leans forward in her seat. “Pass me some of that.”

He glances at her, then back at the road. “You serious?”

“Yeah. It’ll help.”

“Alright, go for it.” He extends the joint to her, and she grins as she takes it from him.

~She really loves to smoke.~

“You’re way too chill,” I tell her, and she grins after taking a hit.

She passes it back to Alex, who takes a drag immediately. I pretend it’s not strange that they just shared a joint despite only knowing each other for about fifteen minutes.

Ansel waves away the smoke from his brother’s cigarette, then catches my eye in his side mirror. Our eyes meet, and I quickly look away.

“So where are you girls headed?” Alex asks, making a turn at an intersection.

“I live on Crossview Close,” I say.

“Cool. We live near there. You in the upper or lower part?”

Crossview Close is divided into two parts. The upper part is for the wealthy, and the lower part, well, isn’t.

I hate talking about my financial status. People act differently when they find out my parents are loaded.

“The upper part,” I mumble.

Alex’s eyes widen, and Ansel catches my eye in his mirror again.

“So, you’re like, rich. You’re a rich girl, huh?” Alex grins.

I stare out the window.

~A rich, miserable girl.~

I can feel Ansel’s gaze on me from his mirror, but I keep my eyes on the passing trees to avoid meeting his eyes. It gives me a strange feeling in my stomach every time we do.