Regularly Irregular

CHAPTER 9 - The Party

Kakyoin had taken the lead in front of you and Jotaro, switching on the flash of his phone. He turned around for a second to talk to you. "If you feel uncomfortable or like we're gonna get separated, just grab onto my shirt, okay?" You swallowed harshly and nodded your head. He offered you a small smile before diving into the sea of bodies. You felt like you were going to lose him right away, and quickly latched onto the tail of his school uniform. From the corner of your eye you noticed Jotaro still frozen in the doorway, and you stretched your hand out to grab the thick chain connected to the collar of his uniform. You gave it a slight tug to get his attention, pulling him out of whatever haze he had entranced himself in.

For some reason you felt bad for the depressing giant, keeping hold of his chain as Kakyoin dragged you through various rooms and hallways. Everywhere you looked you saw the same thing: people drinking or smoking, some of them grinding against boyfriends or random strangers while others just jumped around, seemingly having the time of their lives. The three of you eventually ended up in kitchen, which was the only room that was lit by the fluorescent lights of the house. You sighed happily at the return of normal light, not realizing you were still holding onto Jotaro's chain until he tugged it out of your grasp.

You shot him an annoyed look, silently telling him he could have just asked you to let go. You turned back around to see Kakyoin wearing a huge grin on his face, three open bottles of beer held between his fingers. You and Jotaro both reached for one willingly, knowing getting drunk would probably be the only way you were going to get through this party without shoving your fist in someone's face.

"Cheers!" Kakyoin clinked his bottle against yours, taking a gulp from it seconds after. You did the same, allowing the warm liquid to pour down your throat. A burning sensation erupted in your chest as the alcoholic beverage started its course through your body.

The three of you drank down a whole bottle, each of you going to grab a second. You were pretty confident in your ability to hold down alcohol, but you were a little worried about Kakyoin. From what you knew, he never drank much, if ever.

"Nori, are you sure you aren't drinking too much?" You watched with furrowed brows as he finished chugging his second beer, looking around for a third.

"Yeeesh, I'll be fine," he slurred, words already laced with drunkenness. You were going to speak up and tell him to stop, but he suddenly stated that he was going to go into the main room to dance, leaving you alone with Jotaro. You made eye contact with the taller only for a second before he walked away, most likely following Kakyoin to make sure he didn't get himself into trouble.

So much for spending the night together. 

You were thankful that you didn't have to awkwardly spend time alone with Jotaro, but at the same time you felt out of place now that you were alone. There weren't that many people in the kitchen, only a few pairs of people who still seemed mostly sober. You usually weren't nervous around crowds of people, but the context of your situation made your anxiety skyrocket. You tried looking for another bottle of beer, only to find them all empty or half drunk and forgotten about. Sighing through your nose, you searched around the kitchen for any other traces of alcohol, eventually settling on a cheap looking whiskey. You poured the golden liquid into a clean red solo cup you snatched off the counter. How original, you thought to yourself as you took sips of the liquor.

It definitely was cheap, tasting much worse than anything you had drank before. You shrugged off the somewhat rancid aftertaste, being able to look past it as long as it got you drunk. You stayed in the kitchen for what felt like another 45 minutes and about five more cups of the shitty whiskey. You weren't really sure how much time had really passed though, as everything that was going on began to blend together.