Yin & Yang

"It was like I just walked into The Twilight Zone"

Annette P.O.V.

There are a few things you can expect at a high school party:

1.     Someone will puke

2.     Someone will cry

3.     Someone will puke and cry

4.     Many people will hook-up in one of the bedrooms

5.     Someone will get into a fight/ make a fool of themselves

These things are expected and even encouraged for the enjoyment of the party go-ers. All of these things and more were happening at Tanner’s house. This was supposed to be a laid-back pre-party before we had a real one at the cabin, but apparently Brock didn’t get the memo because he showed up with around fifty people.

The party is in full swing by now, beer and every alcoholic drink people could find are flying around everywhere. Being passed out, picked up, and forgotten, until the floor is littered with empty red cups. The air is alive with laughter, music, and chatter. Introductions, innuendoes, and cheesy jokes are quickly forgotten when the night wears on and the drinks disappear.

I have succeeded in avoiding the five things that usually happen at these parties because I have decided to keep my consumption to a bare minimum. Jenna had already puked, no one had cried yet, Brock has been hooking up with girls all night, and Tanner has just been singing and dancing uncontrollably.

I was watching the spectacle when Jenna came wobbling towards me, the straps of her tank-top sliding down her shoulders and her blonde hair, a mass on top of her head.

“Come play truth or dare with us!” She shouted -way too loudly- over the music. I really didn’t want to play because A) I’m not twelve and B) I obviously had a bad streak with these kinds of games.

“I don’t think that’s a good-“ I begin to refuse, but Jenna covers my mouth with her sweaty palm and sighs.

“No, stop! All you ever say is no! Just have a little fun, okay? For me?” She slurred, giving me puppy dog eyes.

She wasn’t completely right. If anything was my problem it was that I said yes too often, but I did need to loosen up tonight. I’ve been way too stressed planning all of my revenge and actually trying in school that I haven’t had any fun. So, I nodded my head and laughed at her ear-splitting smile and followed her lead. We worked our way past the throngs of people dancing or making-out until we walked past Tanner’s living room and through a door. The door lead down a narrow patch of stairs and down to a basement.

It was like I just walked into the twilight zone. The walls of the room had wood-paneling, the floors were covered in green shag carpet, and the furniture consisted of a few bean bags and an orange futon. Records lined the walls and the room was filled with miscellaneous stuff from the 70s.

Tanner had followed behind us, and shyly scratched his neck, before meeting my eyes, “My parents were kind of hippies back in the day and they can’t really let it go.” He mumbled before stumbling down the stairs and plopping down on the futon with the rest of the group. I chuckled under my breath, grabbed a beer from the cooler and sat down next to Jenna to complete the circle.

Adam, Brock, Olivia, Connor, and some other girl with pink hair had already chosen their spots around the “psychedelic” room.

“I’m Molly.” The girl with pink hair announced. She reminded me of a mouse because her ears were a little too big for her face and her nose was pointy at the end.

“I don’t care.” Jenna nudged me and I could hear Adam snicker as the girl pouted, “What, I’m just being honest?” I replied. I really didn’t care. I had made enough friends as is and I couldn’t afford to drag anymore into my life. Plus her hair was pink. Like hot pink. It was weird.