better than this

Blair

"Please just come! Poppy and Zoe will be there too so it's not like you'll be alone. Besides, you need to enjoy leaving high school!" Tessa pleads, still trying to convince me to go to this stupid party. Especially after my not so welcoming visit to the neighbours I'm really not in the mood but I give in, sighing. "Okay. Fine I guess I'll go." I say and she squeals, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. I laugh at her and look for an outfit in my wardrobe. I end up with a white vest top with lace edges at the neckline and some black skinny jeans. We both get ready, applying a little makeup as I normally would. Nothing too fancy, there's not many people to impress as Jax, my boyfriend, generally just goes with his friends at these things.

I'm the driver of course and we pick up Poppy and Zoe, playing loud music from Zoe's phone on our way to the party. We dance and sing along before we arrive, not long after leaving. We park the car and start to walk to the door, the sound of muffled music coming from inside. I already spot a few drunk people milling about in the front garden as I walk in the door. The second I step inside I am overwhelmed by the strong scent of alcohol. Tess, Poppy, Zoe and I make our way through the almost crowded house to the drinks area in the kitchen. I find myself a can of lemonade so I'm not spiked with anything from the bottled of juice while I wait for the other three to pour themselves some beer.

We all make our way to the living room, where most of the people are and the music is the loudest. As we walk I see a few friends from school and wave before reaching the middle of the room. I hold hands with Poppy as we dance to the beat of the song. Zoe has gone off with a friend she met and Tessa is dancing with some hot guy she found. Poppy looks at me as we dance, taking a large drink from her beer. "So...how're you and Jax?" She asks, slightly slurring her words and wiggling her eyebrows at me. I laugh at her, slightly drunken. When I think of Jax and I no emotions really come to mind, we're just sort of floating at the moment. "We're good. Why are you asking?" I ask her but as soon as I finish the sentence I feel someone's long and strong arms snake their way around my waist.

"Oh. That's why." I realise as I inhale my boyfriends familiar scent, mixed slightly with the smell of alcohol. I turn so I'm facing him, our faces barely an inch away from each other. "Hey babe." He says, his voice somehow soft and calm over the blaring music. I smile at him and look into his bright blue eyes. "Hey Jax." I greet him. One of his arms retract from round my waist so he can run his hand through his dirty blonde hair, adjusting it as he smiles at me.

We dance together for about an hour before his friends come along and drag him off to play some drinking game. I look around to try and find Poppy, Zoe or even Tess but I can't see them anywhere. I head through to the kitchen to look there but instead collide with something large, tall and solid. I look up to see its the same guy from earlier. He looks down at me and must see I'm shocked as he sighs. "Hey aren't you my new neighbour?" I ask, almost shouting over the loud music. The remnant of a smile he had on his lips vanishes as he nods, rolling his eyes again. He really likes to do that, man what's his problem?

My thoughts are interrupted as someone shoving me extremely hard on their way past, causing me to tumble forward and knock his elbow, spilling his beer onto his white short sleeved t-shirt. My mouth falls open in shock as I apologise, stumbling on my words. His head whips up, frustrated. "Seriously?" He shouts over the music, clearly annoyed. "I'm so so sorry emm...I didn't get your name?" I say, trying to make amends. "It's Hunter. Now can you leave me the fuck alone before you ruin anything else?" He snaps at me and I nod. "Yeh okay. Again I'm so so sorry Hunter. Bye." I say before rushing back into the living room. I quickly sit down on one of the surprisingly empty couches. I lean my head forward into my hands, resting my elbows on my knees and let out a huge sigh.

I sit for a good ten minutes doing nothing until I feel the couch sink next to me at the weight of someone sitting down. I turn to see Jax, grinning a little too widely at me, he's drunk. I've learnt his giveaways over the years. I return his smile and he leans in to kiss me. I kiss him back for a bit before he tries a little harder, putting his hand under my head and pressing his body harder against mine. I try to push him off, turning my head to the side. He starts to kiss my neck instead and smiles between kisses. "Jax come on not here." I say trying to squirm away and he laughs so I push him harder. "Jax, you're drunk." I say and he sits up, glaring at me. He starts to stand, "Bitch." I hear him mutter under his breath as he walks through the room and out the door to the kitchen. I bury my head back into my hands and sigh, all I can smell is the burning scent of alcohol.

I never should have come to this stupid party. I get up and start to walk to the door until someone extremely tall stumbles into me, their elbow hitting my head and spilling their drunk in my face, drenching me in some alcohol. Great. I look up to see who it was and it was my charming new neighbour, of course. This night just couldn't get any better could it? I look into Hunter's shocked eyes, "Oh my. Fuck I am so so sor-ry." He says, stuttering and slurring his words. He goes and grabs a single paper towel from the kitchen counter, handing it to me. "At least we're umm...even sorry I gotta go." He says, rushing the last five words and running out the door. I follow him since I was headed out anyway and find him hunched over, vomiting on the floor. I feel sorry for whoever a house this is, having to clean up no doubt multiple people's sick.

I walk over and pat his back before heading back into the house, fetching a cup of water. I return to see him sitting on the wall of the house, slouched over. When I walk over he smiles sheepishly and takes the water. "Cheers. Sorry 'bout the drink." He says, gesturing to my drenched top and face. "It's no big deal. You need to sober up." I tell him, tying up my soaked hair. "I don't need to do anything, fucks sake." He says while rolling his eyes.

"Seriously? What the fuck is your problem I'm just trying to be nice? It's not exactly like I was having a nice time either or wanted to help sober you up, but you clearly don't want my help!" I say, infuriated at this guys behaviour. A brief smile flickers across his face as he stares at me. I huff and turn on my heel, starting to walk to my car. What a joke. "Wait! I'm sorry..." He shouts. I stop in my tracks and turn around slowly, my interests perked. "Please help me be sober?" He says and I laugh, oh for gods sake. I might as well give him another chance. "Okay. Just stop being such a dick?" I say and he nods his head.

"Can we please get out of here?" he asks, still extremely drunk and looking at me with puppy dog eyes. I smile and stand, holding out a hand to help him stand. He stumbles on the way to the car before opening the door and falling in. "You really are drunk aren't you?" I say to him as I open the door to my own side and sit down. "Yep. I'm hammered. Totally pissed." He slurs, before giggling like a small child, I can't help but laugh at him as I put my key into the car and start up the engine. "So where are we headed?" I ask him, surprised at myself for driving around a drunk stranger in the middle of the night.

"I don't know I'm not from here remember? Neighbour. That's me." He says and jabs a finger into his own chest. But then his face lights up "Oh! Can we please get a chippy?" He says, pleading with his eyes and interlocking his fingers. "Yes but you can pay." I say, he kind of owes me from the attitude to the drink spilling. He sighs and folds his arms over his chest, furrowing his eyebrows in consideration. "Okay fine, but you can't get more than chips, I'm skint." He says and I laugh at him. "I am! 2 pounds is a lot of money these days." He says, laughing along with me. I nod at him. "I'm sure it is. Fine I'll just get chips." I say and he nods his defiantly.

His face quickly changes to one of guilt as I pull into the nearest chippy that's open at 1AM. "Hey I'm sorry for being such a dick you just seemed so...annoying and wired to be honest. And that's not the typical person I hang out with. Or even like. Also you're my neighbour so looking at you kind of reminds me that I moved here and why which is annoying." He says, it kind of makes sense in a way. "I am not wired. I think you'll find actually, that I'm quite chill." I tell him and he laughs. "You are? You spent half the party sat on a couch alone," so he did notice me, huh "and I bet you didn't even want to go in the first place. You don't drink either do you, because you're driving." He sits back, satisfied in knowing that he was completely right.

"Okay so that may be true but I still danced and had fun for a bit." I defend myself weakly and he smiles. "You were all nervy and tense whenever I saw you but okay, whatever you say." He says, raising his hands in surrender as we get out the car and walk the short distance to the fish and chip shop. We both get there and order a large portion of chips each before going outside and sitting on a bench.