Blue Madness: (Blue Raspberry Series #3)

by D. K Lake

  I know this is real, I can feel it. They say when you meet the one you'll just know. And now I do.

  "Hey, you ok?" He cups my face and I smile to reassure him.

  "Yes. Everything is fine."

  "So are we good?"

  "Good?"

  "We're not fighting, you've forgiven me...right?"

  "Yes."

  "And we're kissing...so we're good?"

  "Yes. We're very good."

  "Good. This week has been shit, and I can't remember half of it. I don't like it when you ignore me."

  "I'm sorry."

  "Don't do it again. Just let me explain next time, ok?"

  "Next time? You and JT planning to go after Nessie or Mia next?" I joke.

  "Hell no. I've heard Mia's into the kinky stuff, you know handcuffs and dog collars." We both laugh. "And as for Nessie, I think if I went anywhere near her with the intention of more then just talking to her, JT would break something, and I'm already broken."

  Mitchel holds up his left hand with the cast on that has been wrapped in blue and he wiggles his fingers. I touch his fingers and reach up and softly kiss him on the lips.

  "I missed you." he says quietly.

  "Missed you too."

  He rubs his nose against mine and strokes the back of my head with his good hand.

  "Torres!" A guy calls, walking over from the parking lot.

  Mitchel looks over his shoulder then back at me.

  "It's ok, go and do whatever." I pat his chest.

  "You'll definitely be there tonight, at Stephen's?"

  "Definitely."

  "I'll see you later." He brushes his lips across mine one last time then he looks me in the eyes and I think he's going to say something but he quickly changes his mind and leaves me standing on the grass.

  I look around and realize everyone is leaving and heading back to their cars. I was so busy I hadn't even noticed.

  "There she is." Nessie comes up behind me and hooks an arm around my neck.

  "You ready to party, girlfriend?" she sings.

  "Bring on the jelly shots!"

  Nessie laughs. "I spent all night making those damn things because Stephen practically begged me to so there better be some left by the time we get there."

  "How many did you make?"

  "Two hundred and forty-seven."

  "Wow! I think that's your personal best."

  "You should see how much vodka went into them. So, uh, was that Mitchel I saw you with before?"

  "Maybe."

  "Be careful."

  "Don't worry. I'm not going to crash and burn like Amber."

  "So did you two make up? It looked as though you made up, not unless you make out with everyone like that? I'm pretty sure what you did with your tongue is illegal in some places."

  I laugh. "It was just a kiss."

  I pull out her keys and toss them back to her.

  "Uh-huh, would you kiss my brother like that?"

  "If you paid me enough." I laugh.

  Nessie grins at me and we make our way back to the car but her smile falters as something catches her eye in the parking lot. I glance in the same direction and see JT learning against his Mustang watching her.

  "You know, he'll probably turn up at the party tonight."

  "And why do I care?" She flips her ponytail over her shoulder.

  "Still playing hard to get?" I ask as she presses the button on her keys and unlocks the car.

  "When it comes to JT I will always be hard to get. More like off the table."

  "He likes you." I say, looking at her over the top of the car roof.

  "I know." she replies casually, glancing over at JT once more before climbing into the car.

  "And I think someone feels the same way." I mutter under my breath so she doesn't hear me as I climb in next to her.

  47

  "Wake up! Seriously, what did you do, eat yourself into a coma?" Nessie says, whacking me in the arm.

  "Are we here already?" I mumble.

  "We were here twenty minutes ago. I've already been inside and dropped my bag off and got changed." She gestures to her tight mini dress. "Come on, get out the car!"

  I yawn and look around, the driveway is already crammed full and there are people everywhere. I push the door open and sluggishly climb out.

  "You thirsty?" Nessie asks with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

  "Have you already started drinking?"

  "Only one jelly shot and that doesn't count because it's food."

  "Food? Name one food that gets you shitfaced?"

  "My grandma once made a trifle and brought it over for lunch and Stephen and I scoffed it down and it wasn't until after that Mom realized she had soaked the thing in alcohol. That's probably when I first got a taste for the stuff."

  "Trifle or alcohol?" I tease, knowing Nessie has a sweet tooth.

  "Both." she smirks.

  The 'cabin' as everyone calls it, isn't exactly four walls and a fireplace, no, this cabin has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms, a gym, a games room with a pool table, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a massage room, an outdoor jacuzzi, and there's even a recording studio at the bottom of the garden. Nessie's family rent the place out to musicians now and then. I have been here a few times, the last time was for Nessie and Stephen's sixteenth birthday party. I'll never forget it, Stephen requested a clown. I'm not kidding. Nessie and I both have a phobia of clowns and Stephen hired one on purpose. The poor guy showed up expecting to make balloon animals for a group of six-years-olds and instead he got an immature bunch of teenagers that wanted him to make balloon willies. Nessie asked her dad for a bouncy castle and Stephen decided to spike the punch bowl.

  Mix a bouncy castle and a group of drunk teenagers together and you get a bunch of broken bones. Thirteen to be exact if you add them all together. Including me. Richard launched himself off the bouncy castle and landed on top of me (I think he was aiming for me but he denies it), and squashed me and I ended up with two broken fingers.

  The image of my fingers bent back the wrong way is still there. I shudder at the thought and curl my fingers in and am relieved when I don't see a bouncy castle in sight.

  We make our way inside to the main room which has a large fireplace that is crackling. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to light the fire.

  "Who lit that?" I ask.

  "Who do you think?" Nessie nods her head in Stephen's direction. He's on the other side of the room doing shots off of Toby.

  I cringe when I see it. Toby has more blubber than a whale and his hygiene is to be desired.

  "Oh, that's so gross. I think I just threw up a bit in my mouth." I gag.

  "Stephen's way of thinking is that if the house is too hot all the girls will take off their clothes."

  "Typical boy logic."

  I do a quick scan of the room, I hadn't seen JT's Mustang outside but then again there are cars all the way down the drive and there is probably more on the road so I might have missed it. I don't see any of them and Nessie soon pulls me into the kitchen. I stand in the doorway to the kitchen, blocking the door, staring at the mountain of alcohol in disbelief.

  "Wh-where did all this come from?"

  "Do you remember that summer vacation home I used to go to with my parents near Cali?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Well, Dad sold it and this is what was left of the minibar."

  "I think you and I have a different idea of the meaning of minibar."

  "Jelly shots are in the fridge if you're interested?"

  "I'm interested." I smile.

  She opens the door and I laugh out loud at all the different trays of multicolored jelly shots.

  "You outdid yourself."

  Nessie reaches in and grabs one and knocks it back in one. I can never do that 'cause I'm afraid it will get stuck in my throat.

  "What do you want?" she asks.

  "Hmm...what's that one?"

  "Banana."

  "I didn't even know you
could get banana jelly."

  "Yup. Down in one."

  "You're trying to kill me." I say, taking the plastic shot glass from her.

  "Bottoms up." she smiles, another jelly shot in her hand.

  I swear these will be the death of us.

  I knock mine back but it doesn't go down and I end up chewing it.

  "Eww." Nessie laughs.

  "I like to savor the taste." I laugh, trying to keep it in my mouth. "I think next time I'll just eat it with a spoon."

  "You're so weird." Nessie pulls me over to the counter where the drinks are.

  "So we're getting drunk, drunk?" I ask.

  "Oh, yeah!"

  "Ok, but if Cole shows up and tries to 'put you to bed' I will shove one of those jelly shots up his ass."

  "Not the strawberry ones, they're my favorite."

  I decide on a beer and I make the decision to stick to beer and not drink anything else. Well, apart from the jelly shots. Mixing alcohol is the worst. I always wake up in the middle of the night and forget who I am. Last year I overdid it at Nessie's Halloween party and I woke up convinced I was Sidney Prescott from Scream...'cause some idiot named 'Richard' thought it would be funny to dress up as Ghostface and scare the shit out of me at three in the morning when I was fast asleep.

  Never again.

  "Nessie!" two girls on the cheer squad squeal, running into the kitchen and hugging her. They start talking about cheerleading so I slip out the back door and wander down the garden.

  There is an outdoor pool, a jacuzzi, and an outdoor bar, and someone has already got the barbecue going and I can smell food. The garden looks amazing with lights all the way around the edge and the pool has underwater lighting. The garden is separated by different levels that lead down to a small dock where there are two paddle boats. No doubt some drunken idiot will decide to paddle out into the lake later.

  I sip my beer and search for anyone I know I can speak to. I know nearly everyone here, they're all from school, but I don't normally speak to any of them. Someone bumps into me and I fall forward but manage to stop myself from falling into the flowerbed.

  "Sorry. Didn't see u there." Richard smirks, standing behind me with a beer in his hand. Jerk.

  "Of course not, it's not like I was standing here or anything. Well, I guess if you walk into everything from street signs, cars, and people, you will eventually damage your brain...But I see it's too late for you." I smile and jog down the small steps to get away from him and sit on a brick wall.

  I think he's left when he appears behind me again and I move along the wall to get away from him. I don't trust him behind my back. He just stands there with his beer, watching everyone around us.

  "All this party needs is a bouncy castle, don't you agree?" He leans closer.

  I move along the wall a little more.

  "Why, so you can break some more of my fingers?" I throw over my shoulder.

  "How are your fingers?" he asks.

  I know if I ignore him he'll just keep bugging me so I turn slightly to look at him.

  "I dunno, how do they look?" I flip him the bird and he laughs.

  "You know, I think you've been flipping me off since we were six."

  "And I will continue to flip you off until they lock me away in the old peoples home. I'll be the old lady doing donuts in my wheelchair and flipping the bird."

  Richard chuckles and sits on the wall next to me, facing the other way.

  "I'll be the one trying to catch you."

  "Why, so you can tip me out?"

  "You'll probably tip yourself out, you're so clumsy."

  "Am not!"

  "You trip over everything your feet can find. Last week you fell over a soda can."

  Damn, I thought no one had seen that.

  "Whatever. You shouldn't be spying on me." I snap.

  "In your dreams."

  "You're really not."

  He just laughs to himself and drinks his beer. I have to keep looking over my shoulder to check he's not about to tip something on my head or pull me over the wall.

  "So how's your history assignment coming along? Mr. Anders sure wants a lot from us this year." he says.

  What's with the sudden small talk? This is the most we've said to each other in years.

  "Why do you care? Looking for someone to do the assignment for you?"

  "No. I doubt anyone could do better than me."

  "Cocky much?"

  "Kelsey, if you want to see it so badly all you've gotta do is ask nicely."

  "Ugh. Gross. What do you want? Go away!"

  He ignores me. He doesn't look like he's going to leave anytime soon so I get up and decide to go back to the house. I jog back up the steps and start walking when Richard calls my name and says something I don't quite catch. I don't dare turn around, afraid he might have a water balloon or something else to launch at me.

  "I said, you can thank me later." he says, walking in front of me and stopping me from getting to the house.

  "For what?"

  "For not drawing a penis on your forehead."

  "Excuse me?"

  "I saw you out front earlier when you were asleep in Nessie's car."

  "Yeah, so?"

  "So you can thank me later for leaving you alone."

  "I wish. You're bothering me now, aren't you?"

  "Richard!" a guy in the pool calls.

  "Later, Moon." Richard says before walking around me and over to the pool.

  I can't even be bothered to figure out what that was. I make my way back to the kitchen and grab another beer.

  "Helloooo, you." Stephen walks in behind me.

  "Hey," I reply, not bothering to look at him.

  I'm still pissed he never told me about the bet.

  "You're still mad." he says, leaning against the counter with a red cup in his hand.

  "Maybe."

  "I'm sorry, but you were never a part of the bet. I told them that if they tried anything on with you or my sister then the bet was off and I would burn the money."

  "You do realize Nessie and JT have been getting hot and heavy in the janitor's closet between classes, that is before he got expelled."

  "What?" Stephen barks. "He told me he didn't touch her." he tells me.

  "Well, he lied...but they didn't do that. I think he actually likes her."

  "He was banging Amber."

  "Nessie knows that. I think everyone knows that now. But he never liked Amber."

  "If he touches my sister again I'll-"

  "You'll what? Nessie's eighteen and she can do what she wants. If she wants to dry hump JT then that's her thing and you should let her get on with it."

  "He's not good enough for her."

  "But date-rape Cole is?"

  "He said that was a misunderstanding."

  I laugh. "Good job I found her and JT rescued her."

  "Where is she?"

  "Why? Do you want to lock her in a bedroom?"

  "No, I want to warn her and you to stay away from any blue drinks."

  "Why?"

  "Ryan is already slipping pills into girls drinks."

  "Ohmigosh...You have the worst friends!"

  "Stephen!" Cole yells from the other room.

  "Who invited him?" I mutter.

  Stephen hands me his drink and leaves the kitchen and I stare at the cup and decide to tip it down the drain.

  Note to self: Only drink from unopened bottles.

  I follow Stephen into the other room and see a circle forming on the floor for what looks like truth or dare.

  No thank you.

  I turn around and bump into Nessie.

  "Truth or dare?" she asks.

  "Looks like it."

  "You have gotta be kiddin' me?"

  "Nope."

  "Do you want to get in the pool? It's heated."

  "I didn't bring my swimsuit." I tell her.

  "Really? I didn't bring my swimsuit." Nessie mimics me. "You'll be fine in your underwear and just keep yo
ur t-shirt on. Come on, it will be fun, and they just set up the net in the pool to play ball."

  "Fun? I'll probably end up with a broken nose."

  Nessie walks into the kitchen and picks up a clean red cup and scans the alcohol.

  "Don't drink anything Ryan offers you tonight, nothing blue."

  "Why? Is he up to his usual tricks?"

  "Yup."

  "Everyone knows not to drink or take anything Ryan gives them. Do you remember when he gave Dexter E at school and told him it was Aspirin?"

  "How could I ever forget? He went swimming in the pond, set the fire alarm off, humped Miss. Whitley's car, urinated on my leg, got naked, and started a rave in the science lab."

  Good times. I'm going to miss Radley High School.

  "I can't believe that shit went viral so quickly." Nessie says.

  "I'm still amazed he didn't go to jail...and now he's a celebrity and they're planning to make it into a movie."

  "I wonder who will play you? Your face when he peed on you."

  she bursts out laughing.

  "Yes, haha. You stood there while he did it. I only realized what was happening when I noticed my leg warming up."

  "He was actually supposed to be here tonight but his manager double booked him or something like that."

  Nessie makes herself a fancy cocktail and she insists I try it.

  We leave our clothes on a sunlounger and slide into the pool, no really, we use the slide.

  We play pool volleyball with a group of sophomore girls that had gotten into the party through connections and they are too scared of Nessie to say no to us. I am pleased to report, no broken noses, and I manage to keep my makeup intact and my hair dry. And it is actually fun. I'm not a sporty kinda girl but pool volleyball is fun.

  We finally decide to get out when our skin is wrinkled. We each take a towel from the stack of towels near the pool that Stephen probably just purchased for the party. I wrap a towel around my body and over my wet t-shirt because there is no way I am lifting my t-shirt over my head in front of most of the senior year. We collect our clothes just as a group of loud boys all jump into the pool.

  "Let's change...then party! More drinks. Dancing. Making out with cute guys." Nessie says and I shake my head when she looks at me.

  "Ok, maybe just me making out with cute guys. And more jelly shots!"

  We have a hard job trying to get into the cabin.

  The inside is packed from wall to wall with people, the music is ten times louder, there is what looks like a stripper standing on the pool table, and there's a group of stoners passing a bong around. Nessie bulldozes her way through to the kitchen and hands me a jelly shot, and she soon breaks my willpower and has me sampling cocktails and we spend nearly forty-five-minutes in the kitchen getting tipsy. I almost forget I'm still in a towel.