Playing with Booze, Pot & Cigarettes

Ethan is fumbling to unzip the girl's dress while she is sloppily cramming her tongue down his throat. He has never been fond of the slobbering and licking (since it reminds him of his four-legged best friend), but at the moment he doesn't care. Thanks to all of her tormenting downstairs, he's hard as a rock and needs his release. "Do you have a condom?" the girl, whose name he can't quite remember, whispers as she breaks away in order to catch her breath.

"Of course," he says as he finally manages to remove the fabric wrapped around her body. Her dress falls to the floor, pooling around her feet and she simpers coyly at him. Ethan reaches into his pocket and pulls out the sealed package, holding it up to show her he's prepared.

She falls onto the bed with her undergarments still on and gestures him to join her by curling her finger. "Come get me," she purrs. Her voice makes him dizzy with excitement and Ethan wastes no time. He steps out his pants (nearly tripping over in the process) and strips off his jacket along with his black V-neck. The girl ogles at his toned body and nibbles on her bottom lip.

He crawls on top of her and just as they inch in for another heated kiss, the girl gags and quickly pushes him off. She leans over the side of the bed and pukes, empting the contents in her stomach. Damn stomach bug. Instantly turned off, Ethan gets up and puts his clothes back on. He shudders at the repulsive smell and makes a break for it.

"Where are you going?" the girl shouts once the light from the hall rushes into the room.

"Anywhere but here," he answers harshly, his face contorted in disgust. She was perfectly fine up until now. Couldn't she have resisted the urge to vomit for another twenty minutes? Annoyed that he couldn't get laid, Ethan stalks outside for some fresh air. His eyes scope out his surroundings and he realizes that he is in Matt's garden. The landscape of the place is well-kept and his eyes fall on a bed of peonies. A bittersweet taste lingers on his tongue and without invitation she intrudes his thoughts.

Peonies are her absolute favorite which is why Ethan hates them so much. Rage surges in the pit of his stomach and he clenches his hands. His mind is quickly redirected when two girls come up to him and begin to shower him with compliments. It's their tactic in the art of flirting. The lights are dim where they're standing, but Ethan can still make out their faces. He ranks their looks on the average side.

Although the boy is in dire need of a quick hook-up, he isn't entirely desperate enough to jump into bed with the first girls to flaunt their assets at him. He does have something called standards. Ethan might be an A-class asshole, whose hormones are out of control, needless to say, but he still has boundaries even he can't cross. He never touches girls who are drunk, high, virgins or all three. Oh yeah, and most importantly, he never ever sleeps with girls who smoke. To him it's a bigger turnoff than the girl he left vomiting in the room.

The stench of cigarettes is adamant, effectively repelling him as he takes a step back from the two girls who continue to talk animatedly.

"Do you want a smoke?" The girl, with her hair in a bun, offers him her last stick. He slowly takes it with the intention of throwing it out. Ethan has his heart set on demolishing these girls and their self-esteems until someone barges up to him and slaps the cigarette out of his hand.

"Are you crazy?" the girl shouts belligerently, her face crimson. His eyes round in astonishment.

When did she get here?

* * *

The rest of the party has been sort of drag after what had happened with the asshole in the kitchen. Charlie doesn't get fazed by this kind of stuff since she has experienced similar situations in the past. Tonight wouldn't have been any different if Jack hadn't tried to play Prince Charming and butted in.

"Why did you do that?" Charlie leans against the railing of the patio and stares down at all of the people lounging around the pool. She takes a swig of the bitter beverage and it has her throat sizzling.

"I saved you. A simple thanks would be nice," he mutters, chugging down a good portion of his beer.

Charlie snaps her head in his direction and glares at him. "You know I didn't need your help." It's the truth. Just because that guy is bigger than her, doesn't mean she doesn't have the capability to beat him up. Like they say: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Plus, growing up Jack has always been her partner in crime. He, out of all people, should have faith in her. "I could have broken his nose if I wanted to."

"Oh come on, Charlie. I couldn't help myself. He just made me so angry." Jack's blood begins to bubble at the recollection and the girl quickly speaks up in order to disperse his rage.

"Okay, okay. I appreciate you jumping in." Charlie surrenders. "But did you have to insinuate that we were together? We're cousins, for fuck's sake!" She punches his chest and he manages to laugh and wince at the same time. "Once people find out we're related, they'll think we're that incestuous family from The Wrong Turn."

The smile from Jack's face abruptly disappears as he stares at her with a patronized expression. "That's not important, Charlie. Didn't you hear what he said? He was bullying you because he thought you were a lesbian. Hell, he's lucky that you aren't or else I would have sent him to the hospital for using such derogatory terms. What's with people nowadays? Why the fuck are they so judgmental? It's the twenty-first century. Love is love."

Charlie couldn't have said it any better. Who someone chooses to love is their business. Nobody has the right to interfere with someone else's happiness simply because it goes against their own beliefs and values. It doesn't make sense. If Charlie decides to go on a diet, something she will never do in a million years because she loves food too much, should she forbid other people from indulging in donuts and ice cream just because she has vowed to live without them? No, she doesn't have the authority to. It's as straightforward as that.

Over the last two years, Charlie has been hit with all sorts of vile and despicable names from the kids in her grade. However, she has not allowed their spiteful opinions of her affect who she is. Why would she? They don't know her and frankly speaking she could give a flying fuck about what they think. At the end of the day, the only thoughts that matter are her own. If she lets this monstrous world dictate her life, she'd be in shambles. Her life wouldn't be hers either.

"Just because he thinks I am, doesn't mean I am," Charlie comments calmly. "People call me names all the time. I don't know why they do it but they do. I guess it makes them feel better about their shitty lives? It doesn't bother me and you shouldn't let it get to you either."

"But you're my cousin, Charlie. I can't just sit back while you're getting ridiculed. You could also tell everyone you're into guys. Wouldn't that solve the issue?" Jack reasons.

"I'm a big kid. I can fight my own battles. And why should I waste my breath explaining myself to people I don't care about? They can think what they want. If you really want to be useful, how about you grab me another beer?" She shakes the empty can and he resigns on the matter.

"I'll be right back."

Ian and Jillian managed to slip away, unseen a while ago which explains why it's only her and Jack.

As she is waiting for him to return, Charlie's stomach gurgles unattractively, telling her that she needs to eat something. She hasn't had a proper meal since lunch at school and consuming alcohol on an empty stomach isn't the smartest idea. She is on the hunt for anything edible and she finally spots a table filled with an assortment of snacks, ranging from brownies (which she assumes has pot in them) to harmless looking chocolate chip cookies.

Mr Whitmen doesn't mind drinking as long as it's controlled and his children never drive while under the influence. He is, however, extremely against the use of marijuana, unless it is for recreational purposes.

Steering clear of the brownies, since she wishes to see daylight again, Charlie reaches for the cookies and stuffs them into her mouth. She swallows about six of them because they're relatively small before she shuffles along and snatches up a bag of popcorn coated in powdered cheddar. As she is wandering around, Charlie starts to feel stuffy and tugs at the collar of her shirt.

A tickling sensation starts to spread throughout her body and she finds herself swaying to Cool for the Summer by Demi Lovato with the popcorn in her arms.

After a few more minutes, the room begins to feel like a sauna and she staggers out through the side entrance, dropping the bag on her way out. The gentle breeze nips at her skin and she closes her eyes as she inhales deeply. Why does she feel so chill and mellow right now?

She glances around and manages to make Ethan's face out in the garden. A burning pit of fire ignites within her when she sees what he's holding onto. Clearly not thinking straight, Charlie marches up to him and swats the cigarette from his hand. "Are you crazy? Why are you smoking?" she exclaims.

"Who the hell are you?" the second girl sniggers. It is obvious she is displeased with Charlie's sudden appearance and Ethan stands back, puzzled.

"That's what I should be asking. Who the fuck are you?" Charlie returns. "I suggest you two leave, before I make you." Not wanting to take their chances, the two girls scurry off. "You." She jabs her finger right in front of Ethan's face and boom goes the dynamite.

"What are you trying to do? End up like your grandpa? Does Layna know about this? Because I'm sure if she found out that you were killing your lungs with that shit, she'd be disappointed. You can go get herpes or even gonorrhea if you want and I wouldn't stop you but this, this is where I draw the line."

He looks at her and arches a brow. "Who do you think you are? I can do whatever I want," Ethan declares boldly. "I didn't know we were friends. Why do you care about what I do with my body?"

Charlie feels light-headed and the trees seem like their sprinting circles around her. She tries to focus on Ethan but keeps seeing doubles. She shakes her head and the images merge together. The boy has a hand tucked into a pocket of his red varsity jacket as he waits for her response. His dark chocolate hair is pushed up out of his face and the color of his outerwear seems to make his eyes pop out.

Her knees buckle and she unexpectedly collapses against the boy's broad and chiseled chest. His cologne is subtle yet alluring. Ethan is shocked by the fall and just as he is about to push her off, Charlie straightens up and starts laughing. He takes notice of her bloodshot eyes and grabs onto her shoulders. He should have noticed it sooner. "Holy shit. Did you have some of the brownies that were in the dining room?" he shouts.

"Hell no," she denies as she shakes her head. "I had the cookies and let me tell you, they were fan-fucking-tastic. The best I've ever had," she sings before she twirls around with her arms spread wide open.

"They should be. There's a shit-ton of weed in there." Ethan crosses his arms in front of his chest and scrutinizes her peculiar behavior.

"What?" the girl gasps. "Who puts weed in cookies? Cookies! I thought you put them in brownies? Fuck. I can't go home high. My dad's going to kill me." Despite the seriousness of the situation, she is chuckling.

He shrugs. "Is this the first time you've tried pot? Whatever. This isn't my problem." As he is about to walk off, he is held back by Jack and Ian who appears out of nowhere.

"Oh my god, Charlie. What are you doing?" Jillian shrieks as she runs past the three boys. She grabs onto her friend's hands and restrains them. Charlie almost took her shirt off!

"Ohhhhhhh look. It's my best friend," Charlie cheers as she pinches the girl's cheeks. "Hi Jill. Did I tell you that I love you? 'Cause I do. You're so easygoing and nice. I wish I could be more like you. Can't you teach me?"

"Aw, you do? You're so sweet, Charlie. This is the first time you've said the L word to me," Jillian coos happily. Then she looks back with a serious expression. "Guys, something's definitely wrong with her."

"What did you do?" Jack snarls as he grabs Ethan's shirt.

"Back off, dude. She got herself stoned. I had nothing to do with it," Ethan scoffs, pushing the taller boy away.

Ian slaps his face. "She ate the hash brownies, didn't she?"

"Nahhh bro," Charlie drawls out as she wags her finger at him. "I had the hash cookies."

"Jill, can't she spend the night at your place? My dad's still up and he's going to kill me for letting her get high."

His girlfriend vehemently shakes her head. "My parents are waiting up for me too. They would probably ban me from ever seeing Charlie again if I bring her over like this."

"Jack, you take her home then," Ian redirects.

The dirty blonde boy also voids the suggestion. "Are you hearing yourself right now? My mom is going to conduct an interrogation when we get back. She's just as bad as your dad. They're siblings!"

"So what are we going to do?" Jillian panics. An idea simultaneously reveals itself; the three of them spin around and stare at Ethan.

He blinks. "Why are you all looking at me?"

"You're the guy who moved in across the street, aren't you?" Ian inquires.

Ethan squints his eyes skeptically. "What's your point?"

"If you even think about taking advantage of Charlie, I will kill you," Jack proclaims menacingly.

"Wait, what?" It dawns on the boy and he takes a step back. "You want me to take her to my house? Are you all insane? That's not happening!"

"If you don't, I'll just tell my dad that you got her high. I'm pretty sure he'll wring your neck," Ian threatens.

"Are you serious?" Ethan exclaims in disbelief. "Where is she going to sleep? We don't have a guest bedroom set up!"

"In your room. Where else?" Jack shoots him a look filled with disdain and Ethan grinds his teeth together, a terrible habit of his. His dentist isn't going to be pleased with him at his next visit. "You take the floor and give her the bed. I don't know if you've heard of it or not, but it's called chivalry."

"We'll just say she crashed at Jill's if my dad asks. Agreed?" The three of them nod, completely ignoring Ethan. "And remember, we know where you live. If you want your balls to stay intact, keep your hands to yourself," Ian warns.

How did he get tangled up in all of this?

The lights to his grandmother's room are off which means she's sound asleep. As quietly as he can, Ethan unlocks the backdoor and, with Charlie thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, he hauls her up the stairs.

She had knocked out on the drive back which was great since Ethan's head was on the verge of exploding due to her incessant rambling.

Maxwell rouses because of the noise and howls in delight at the sight of Charlie. "Quit it, Max. You're going to wake Miss Layna," Ethan chides before he tosses the lifeless body onto his mattress. Rolling his shoulder, he scowls at the girl who snuggles up against his covers. Next, he peers up to the ceiling, exasperated. "This is not what I meant when I asked to bring a girl home with me tonight. You're one diabolical man."

After he takes her shoes and cap off so that she can sleep comfortably, Ethan goes to take a shower. He brings his pajamas with him since he doesn't want a repeat of the incident from last week.

Charlie's body feels like it is being set on fire and she wakes up. Naturally, she kicks off her jeans and removes her shirt in order to cool down. The smooth texture of the satin sheets feels like a bed of fluffy clouds against her bare skin and she moans in content. With her eyes hooded, she moves her hands around until she feels the blanket and burrows herself underneath, succumbing to her tiredness.

Oh how she loves her bed. Too bad she isn't aware that it's not really her bed she's laying in.

Ethan walks in fifteen minutes later, drying his hair with a towel when he freezes at the sight of Charlie's clothes strewn on his bedroom floor. He swallows and stiffens, his gaze traveling to the half-naked girl resting in his bed. Then he recalls what he had heard while he was loading Charlie into his car.

"Doesn't she already have a boyfriend? How trashy."

"Seriously. She shows up with one guy and leaves with another."

Does this mean he has a shot after all? Her exposed skin has him faltering and, unconsciously, Ethan leans down. His lips are almost on top of hers but he stops and pulls himself back. What's he doing? He almost threw away everything he believed in.

He nearly made a move on a girl who is a) drunk, b) high and c) most likely still a virgin in the conventional sense at least.

The deadly triple threat.

Glancing away to spare her from any more indecency, Ethan tugs the cover and conceals her entire body, including her face. He retrieves the spare sheets and pillow from his closet and proceeds to make a place for him to sleep on the floor. What is he doing? Is he actually going to let some girl he barely knows takeover his luxurious bed while he has to suffer on the hardwood floor? It's not too late. He can still drag her down. She probably wouldn't feel a thing.

Ethan turns off the light, lays down on the floor and sighs instead.

He must be losing it. That has to be it.

- - -

Author's Thoughts: I didn't know you could put weed in anything you bake, did you? Poor Charlie! She's buzzed and high which are the only reasons she yelled at Ethan about the cigarette. Her line about him getting herpes and gonorrhea though haha.

Yay for personal time for Elie (Ethan&Charlie) though! At least the guy has morals!

And now we know for sure that Charlie is, in fact, not into girls! Throughout this story I will be trying to incorporate real life problems and issues. Comment and vote if you guys enjoyed :D

How do you think tomorrow morning is going to look like?