Keiran grunted, but said nothing. He grabbed a shot glass and poured amber liquid into, quickly tossing it back and reaching for more.

"Have you ever been skiing?" Sheldon asked.

"No, I uh…don't know how."

"S'kay, we can teach you," she offered.

The guys had grown silent when Sheldon extended her invitation. Keiran stopped drinking and Keenan was no longer moaning in pain as the awkward silence descended. "Um...no that's okay. I usually just visit my grandmother at the nursing home in Red Rocks."

My maternal grandmother was stricken with Alzheimer's disease five years ago and was unable to stay with us despite my aunt’s protests. “Is that where you are from? I remember you moving here in the second grade.”

“Yeah, actually. It’s about two hours east.”

“Do you miss it?”

“No, I barely remember it,” I lied.

Talking about Red Rocks meant thinking about my parents and how I ended up here in the first place. My grandmother’s health was failing even then and my mother never knew her father so my aunt Carissa took me. I felt eyes on me and looked up to see everyone’s attention on me. Keiran was staring a hole through me and I felt exposed so I quickly averted my gaze.

“I swear if you boneheads make her cry, I’ll castrate you both!”

I chuckled, grateful for Sheldon. We barely knew each other but she was becoming a friend. Her fierce desire to stand up for me was winning me over. I can’t handle Keiran. I was too afraid of him. He’d shown me who he really was on that playground and I knew that boy was still inside – buried deep and waiting to come out.

* * *

            The deafening blare of the speakers and Keiran’s gaze seemed to always find me no matter where I hid. The party had been in full blast for over an hour. I watched the swing and sway of half-naked girls in short skirts and the raucous, hormonal males stumble and party, drunkenly from room to room.

Being a teen, I may not have found this so bad if I had a single friend here. I was isolated to a corner of the room and directly across from me I could see Keiran surrounded by other kids though he didn’t seem to be paying much attention to them. Instead his gaze would find its way

back to me. I’m sure if he gave his group much attention he would notice the hot brunette, who I was sure was one of the girls I saw on campus earlier, checking him out.

I looked around for Sheldon but didn’t immediately see sign of her anywhere. Anya had dragged her off somewhere much to Sheldon’s annoyance which she didn’t try to hide. I didn’t understand why she put up with Anya since she clearly didn’t care for her or the rest of the cheerleaders. They all seemed to band together and didn’t like outsiders. Oh, well. It was Sheldon’s issue, not mine.

I began to brainstorm ways to sneak out of the party and go home without Keiran noticing. He didn’t appear to be drinking beyond the two shots he had earlier. He didn’t even look as if he was having fun, which was strange considering he threw the party.

My thoughts must have been transparent when a suspicious look passed over his face before he headed over to my corner. I tried burrowing deeper into the shadows thinking I could miraculously become invisible.

“Why aren’t you partying?” he asked gruffly.

“I told you I wasn’t interested. You are the one who wanted me here.”

“You’re here because I told you to be.”

“Why are you so angry about this? I did not want to be here,” I stressed yet again.

“Get up and follow me,” he ordered.

“I’m fine right here.” I patted the seat. “The view is great you know. I can see everyone make a fool of themselves and trash your uncles’ place. He must be so proud,” I said sarcastically.

I looked at him feeling smug as I watched his jaw clench and his nostrils flare. I was pissing him off and loving it. There were too many witnesses for me to be afraid.

“I can have everyone out of here in three seconds, flat. Don’t think for a second that you are safe, Monroe. You will never be safe from me.”

I slowly rose from my seat not wanting to draw attention to me. The smug look on his face was meant to provoke me further and it was working. He led me over to the counter that was littered with the illegally purchases alcohol. He grabbed the same bottle of amber liquor I saw him drink earlier and poured a shot. I stared at the glass when he handed it to me.

“I don’t drink.”

“I didn’t ask.”

After a short staring contest of wills I snatched the shot glass out of his hand, spilling some on my hand. He raised an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing. I sniffed the drink quickly and hated the strong, revolting smell. I fought not to gag as I brought the glass to my lips and took a tentative sip. My face tingled, from the strong taste and I reluctantly took another sip.

“That’s not how to take a fucking shot. Toss it back,” he instructed impatiently. I sent him a withering look and then opened my mouth to quickly swallow the liquid. The tingle from before erupted in full flames as my eyes watered and my cheeks flushed. I instantly felt the effects of the liquor to my head. I made a sound of distress and fought to get my bearings.

“Good. Now another.”

“Please, I don’t want to.”

“I don’t care. Drink.” I looked at him in disbelief. It was bad enough that he made me do it the first time. How did people actually have fun drinking this stuff? I’ve had champagne before at one of my aunt’s book functions but never anything this strong and disgusting.

“Do you have anything lighter?”

“Yes, but this is what you’re getting. He poured another shot and this time a second. “I’ll take this one with you.”

Was that supposed to make me feel better?

This time I didn’t wait to be prompted. I tossed the drink back and coughed as it burned down my throat. “Good girl,” he praised. I didn’t feel good at all. I felt sick. Six or seven shots later my body felt loose and heavy at the same time. I was pretty sure my vision was blurry. Either that or I was hallucinating. I didn’t know which because I’d never been drunk before. Or maybe I was just tipsy?

I was staring at the counter top willing my vision to focus and I could feel Keiran watching me from the side. A guy, who I don’t think even goes to our school, had come in during my third shot as I was begging for Keiran to stop making me drink. He was watching me with too with interest in his eyes.

I didn’t bother to beg Keiran to stop this time but surprisingly he did after we had been standing quietly for a few minutes. I found it seriously fucked up that I was drunk but he was not.

“Hey, man if you really want to get her going, you can have her pop a couple of these.” The guy pulled out a Ziploc bag full of pills and waved them at me with a sly grin. “I’ll even give them to you for free if I can get a turn.”

My alcohol-riddled brain was slow to catch on but when I saw the lust in the stoner’s eyes and Keiran take the bag from him, I looked on in astonishment. He was not seriously considering drugging me, was he?

“Can you walk?” Keiran asked.

“If it’s to your car then I can skip if you like.” There was no way in hell I was letting him drug me.

“Go lay down in the guest room and lock the door.”

“But –”

“Now, Lake” I didn’t bother to argue anymore and headed in that direction but just as I made it to the stairs, Trevor intercepted me. I so did not need this right now.

“Well, well, well. I never thought I’d see little Miss Prim at a party, much less Masters’.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. I’m trying to find the nearest exit out of this cesspool.”

“Looks to me like you were sneaking upstairs.”

“No one would ever accuse you of having bad eyes. Excuse me.” I tried to go around but he linked his arm around my waist and leaned into me. I could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath.