“Do we really have to do this?” I ask, pleading with her. “Why don’t we go to the library instead?”
Daisy laughs. “We’re already here, and we look hot. We’re not leaving, so just accept it.”
I glance down at our outfits. We really do look hot. For the costume party, we decided to go for a sexy princess look. We’re wearing dresses that barely fall to our knees with barely there necklines, and tiaras we bought for five dollars each. Our outfits aren’t bad, considering we bought the dresses and tiaras today. Daisy has been begging me to go to this party with her for weeks, and she only finally wore me down today.
I could be doing much more productive things with my time, which is what I told Daisy every time she tried to get me to come out with her. The only reason I agreed today is because I was working on my law school application and I got frustrated trying to make it perfect, so I decided it wouldn’t hurt to spend one night out.
I’m regretting that decision with every step we take towards the frat house. Daisy’s boyfriend, Derek, is a brother here. I’ve been inside a few times, and it’s always disgusting. I can’t imagine how much worse it is when they’re in the throes of a party.
Daisy leads the way through the people milling about outside, most of them half-dressed in the costumes they showed up in, sipping who knows what from plastic cups. It’s only ten, but the party has been going since six, if not earlier. Frats are not above day drinking.
Inside, the house is a mess. I wasn’t expecting them to have cleaned before having people over, but they could’ve tidied up a bit. I know for a fact the pizza box on the coffee table has been there since last time I was here, two weeks ago. At least the smell of spilled beer and sweat covers the smell of rotting food.
“Daisy!” a voice calls from our left. Derek comes towards us, his arms open wide. He’s dressed as a prince, which means he’s wearing the crown we bought for him and whatever clothes he found in his closet.
After he hugs his girlfriend and kisses her a bit longer than necessary when in public, Derek turns to me. “Hey, Codie. Welcome to the house!”
I nod, internally cringing. “Thanks, Derek. Where can a girl get a drink around here?”
Derek grins. “There’s punch in the kitchen. Follow me!”
Punch made by a bunch of already drunk frat boys is not what I was hoping for. Derek leads us to the kitchen and points to the dangerous looking concoction. I guarantee not a single person in this house knows what was mixed together to turn the liquid its startling shade of red.
Daisy scrunches up her nose. “I’m not drinking that. Don’t you have beer somewhere?”
Derek laughs. “Yeah, in the fridge. Help yourselves.”
Daisy and I each grab a bottle of Coors Light from the fridge and open them ourselves. I doubt any of the frat boys would drug the entire party, but you never know with this crew. I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Beers in hand, we make our way through the house. In the living room, people are bobbing along to the music playing from some guy’s phone.
Daisy gives her boyfriend those eyes, and I know I’ll be settling in for the long haul by myself. This is what happens every time, and it’s part of why I never go to parties with Daisy anymore. She claims we’re going to have fun and she won’t ditch me, but then she sees her boyfriend, gives him the sex eyes, and they disappear into the nearest bedroom.
Couples in love are gross.
I might be a little bitter because I just broke up with my boyfriend a month ago. And by I broke up with my boyfriend, I mean he dumped me for no reason. I’ve been living the single life since then. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
I should’ve stayed home with my grad school applications.
Daisy bites her lip and turns to me. “Are you okay here for a few minutes?”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever, Daisy. Go ahead.”
“No, not if you’re going to be mad.”
“I’m not mad, I’m annoyed. You dragged me here and now you’re ditching me.”
She pouts. “It’s not like that…”
I sigh. “It’s like that. It’s always like that. You should go. I’m sure I’ll find someone here that I know.”
Daisy hesitates, but one glance at Derek makes up her mind. She apologizes and chases after him toward his room.
The couch definitely has some kind of disease imbedded in it, so I opt to stand in the corner, taking in the party. I scan the faces, hoping to see someone I recognize, but I come up empty. Daisy isn’t my only friend who frequents this frat house, but the others may have already found a hook up or gotten too drunk and gone home.
Sometimes, I really hate Daisy. How could she leave me alone like this? I should’ve known I would end up in the corner by myself, since that happens every time. I just thought maybe this time would be different. It’s been so long since I’ve come to a party with Daisy. I figured maybe she’d want to spend time with me, especially since she sees Derek literally every night.
I figured wrong.
I check my phone. It’s 1015. I could walk back to my apartment and still get some work done on my applications. No one would even notice if I left.
But my apartment is just as lonely as this party. What would I do if I went back there, really? Pretend to work on my law school application and really scroll through Pinterest until I fall asleep?
Honestly, standing here at this stupid party sounds like more fun.
“Codie!”
I jump, startled. My friend Amy pulls me in for a drunken hug before I have a chance to respond.
I smile at her as we pull apart. “Hey, Amy. How’s it going?”
She tilts to the side but rights herself quickly. Her cup is half-full of the toxic red punch from the frat kitchen. Her glassy eyes mean she’s probably had at least two cups on top of this one.
“So good!” Amy slurs. “I can’t believe you’re here!”
I laugh. “Yeah, me neither. Who are you with?”
Amy shrugs. “I don’t know. I came with some people. I don’t know where they are now.”
This is common for Amy. Thankfully, her older brother is in this frat. I catch him out of the corner of my eye, talking to some girl but still glancing over to check on his sister every few seconds. With him around, nothing bad will happen to Amy.
“Want to dance?” Amy asks me, wiggling her hips. I laugh again and let her take my hand. She spins me around between the coffee table and the wall. I have to jump to avoid my shins meeting the edge of the table.
“This is so fun!” Amy yells over the music. She takes another long sip of her drink. “I’m glad you’re here, Codie!”
“Me, too,” I say. It’s only half a lie. Now that I have a friend, my energy has completely changed. It’s amazing how the company of just one person can change your mood.
The song ends and transitions easily into another, slower tune. Everyone in the room boos, not wanting to lose the upbeat mood we’d just had. No one knows where the music is coming from, and I doubt whoever is playing it is coherent enough to change it, so we settle in for a slow song.
Amy pulls me against her, spilling her drink all over the carpet. Why are there carpets in frat houses? It should be all hard wood. Better yet, they should use tile on all the floors. At least those are easily cleaned. I doubt this carpet has ever been sanitized.