The Strange House (Patreon)

Category: Erotic Horror

Author's note: Just a heads up will not be a NTR story, even if it features some elements here and there that might lean that way. It'll likely be more like an coming of age story, I'd say, but maybe that is for others to judge.

Sorry I posted a day late. From now on, these chapters will come fast and furious, likely 2 a month for a little bit.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and happy reading. 

*

The house on the corner of the small cul-de-sac neighborhood Milton Avenue had always stood empty. Never, at least as long as the other residents could recollect, had they seen anyone there. Their mailbox stood on the street in stoic solitude as the house the mailbox belonged to was slowly decaying. Rotting, more like. Mold and boards were equally strewn about the overgrown bushes and shrub in the yard.

Gray and sad. That’s what the small two-story building was. Even when the sun was out the structure stuck out like a sore thumb in an otherwise neat cul-de-sac neighborhood. Pulsing and hammering like a fresh wound in an otherwise splendid street. Wrought iron fences, and small vintage gates surrounding the property, designed for another time, and forgotten ever since.

And of course, with anything dark and abandoned, the rumors of it being haunted emerged as time befitted it. It had become a common dare among the local rascals to challenge each other to venture inside the front gate, and for the most daring, even the house itself. For a short few years, there were children's laughter, and scared screams, and multiple cherished memories were made due to the old house. But none ever actually ventures inside the structure itself. Ever.

It was dangerous, folk said. Either there were rotten boards you could step through, or the whole structure could fall on your head at any minute. At least that is what people said. But as much as people said it, it never happened. The old house was surely decaying, but it never fell down. It remained in its place decade after decade.

However, in time, as the local kids grew older, the house found its loneliness once again. Generations came and went, but everytime a new set of kids grew just a bit too old for silly superstition, it was no longer the mysterious, slightly scary house. Just a rundown old building.

It became a relic of a few children’s wild imagination, a distant part of their upbringing. A part where some would grow up to adult life, and the next time someone brought up the old scary house on the corner of Milton Avenue they’d say “Oh yeah, I remember that one. They haven’t torn that one down yet?”

This was the norm for most things in one's childhood. As you grow up you forget. As you grow up, there will be a moment, where you don’t even realize it, where it will be the last time you think of that one piece of your childhood. Maybe it is a friend, maybe it is an event, or maybe it is a special place.

*

You know that feeling when you try to stay awake to read just another page? Then you’ll jolt up every ten seconds as you inevitably fall asleep anyway? That was me. Right now. It was a regular school night, last year of high school, and I was spending it reading one of my new favorite books. Lord of the Rings. I had always thought it would be so corny, so pedestrian, so… I don’t know, pretentious? Boy was I wrong. It was a magnificent tale. Strong men, wise women, strong women, wise men. Courage, hope, and faith. A courageous person who had to leave the home he loved to save it. The perfect tale. Except Tom Bombadil, what the fuck was that?

Trying to remedy the awful last season of Game of Thrones, I had ventured out to find myself the new fantasy world to immerse myself in. With the next Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls title nowhere near, I thought, why not explore the most explored universe of them all? Where it all began. In a hole in the ground, where the hobbits live. Heh heh.

“Shouldn’t you get some sleep, kid?” Dad said in his deep voice. He was back from patrol, leaning through my door, still in his dark blue uniform.

“Right,” I said, yawning. I looked at the clock. It was 2 am.

“Shouldn’t you be out chasing girls, instead of sneaking in a few extra pages?” Dad said with a half-cocked smile.

I knew he was just looking after me. And his question was more of a reassurance of him being happy that I, in fact, wasn't chasing girls and being a general nuisance. I was perhaps a tad bit more secluded than your average teenager, and being secluded meant few girls. It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested in girls, it was more that I didn’t interest them. I was incredibly shy and was more or less the definition of the boy they all stood well away from. But Dad always wanted a small chat before bed, if he caught me awake. Which he always did.

“Nah. I think I’m too young for that sort of thing,” I excused.

“Eighteen isn’t too young to have fun,” Dad said, sitting down on the foot of my bed, and ruffling my hair. “Nah, you’re too responsible for that,” he said, smiling proudly.

“Fun is subjective,” I yawned. Dad gave a chuckle at that. “Why did you become a cop, dad?”

I had a habit of doing that. Blurting out questions I wanted answers to. My curiosity was both a blessing and a curse.

“Well. It has perks and benefits. Retirement plan for one,” Dad admitted, looking out into the room as if he was reading off a list. Then he shot me a side glance and a smirk under his thick mustache. He was a pragmatic man, and we both knew it. Almost to a fault. But that is why Dad was such a great guy.

“Well,” Dad repeated himself. “I’ll let ya get your sleep. G’night.”

“G’night, Dad,” I said and yawned for a third time.

As it was foretold by all the ancient gods, I was a zombie in the morning. Mom eyed me as I came down, knowing full well I had been up all night nerding myself up. Mom was beautiful and kind in her own way but could be… somewhat judgmental and perhaps not always as understanding to the prospect of having a nerd for a son. She married my dad who was an athletic football player in high school, who worked as a cop, and was a man's man in all the non-toxic ways.

My mom had hopes of me becoming the same, hence giving me the ‘masculine’ name of Logan. But that just wasn’t me. It wasn’t like I was fat or anything, or too skinny. I was just normal. A normal nerd. Though, I was given my dad’s hawkeyes, and thus needed no glasses. I saw my own reflection in the microwave. Scruffy, brown haired, and sleep still in my blue-gray eyes. I guess I could be handsome, but I was sort of never able to find that out.

Why? Zach and Jeremy. Since we moved to the area in eighth grade I had never gotten a minute's break. The first winter up here, they took the brand new hat Mom had given me and filled it with snow, then they emptied my backpack all over the place. Dad tried to talk with their parents, but apparently that wasn’t so easy. There were three main ones. One, Jeremy’s dad was powerful, and a huge sponsor of this and that, the police’s christmas dinner for one. Second, according to their own parents they were good kids. And third, Zach and Jeremy didn’t care what anyone told them. Neither the parents who bailed them out nor the cops.

Thus, as a result of me snitching, they found me and shoved me down all the stairs from the top floor and to the bottom floor at our school. And when I came with a bandaged hand the next day, they at first seemed to be understanding of my predicament, only to force vicodin down my throat as they thought I needed medicine. I had to go to the nurses office, but I begged her to not tell my parents so it wouldn’t get worse. Short and sweet, I learned to endure and to shut up. Year after year.

Nope. I was just happy with the worlds I could disappear into, so that I could forget about mine. Yeah, I didn’t really have it all that great in high school, but at least I had my games, my books, and from time to time I met the occasional nice person online through various communities. It was senior year, so there was only a semester left after winter break, but it was still a period of time I had to survive.

Though, I have to say, I kinda made Mom out to sound like a cold bitch before, which she wasn’t. She was creative, and kind in her own way, and she cared greatly about me. I remember when I was little, she’d sneak out during the night when the first snow fell and make snow angels, and then diligently remove her steps, making me wholeheartedly believe in angels for years. And in the summer she’d take me camping, as she was no squeamish housewife. In fact, she had a job as a secretary. While that was a cliche I guess, she had that whole office under her finger. And one Halloween she hand-crafted me a costume straight out of Harry Potter. I had pretended to be clumsy, but Jeremy had ripped it open.

“Toast or pancakes, honey?” Mom asked. “Oh darling, you shouldn’t stay up so late.”

I guess my attempt at hiding my yawn was futile. It was an extra large one, one of those that give your parents the tell-tale sign of a long night of not sleeping. Today was a special day. The last day of the year before Christmas, aka winter break. And Friday. I wouldn’t have to face Zach, Jeremy, or any of the other idiot jocks from school, for two whole weeks. I could just stay at home and read my books, play my games, and have the best vacation away from all of them.

Even better, there was a party this weekend I wasn’t invited to. Not that I wanted to, or would’ve gone anyway, it just would’ve felt nice to feel included. I wasn’t sure it was because the guys throwing the party knew who I was, or precisely because they knew who I was. Either or, neither here nor there, it still landed me where I would’ve been anyway. At home.

“Did you get that math homework done, Logan?” Robert asked, one of my classmates, as we stood waiting for the bus, on the corner next to the old creepy house and its thoroughly unkempt garden.

“Yeah,” I replied. I did. It just took me a while.

“Could I just… erh… look a bit?” Robert asked. He had been struggling with his math, so he often asked me. I guess because I was a nerd people thought I was smart. I wasn’t. I just didn’t have much else to do.

So here’s the thing about Robert. He was a part of the jock crew, or something adjacent to the jock crew. Tall, muscular, flat top, getting all the girls, the whole nine yards. So I wasn’t about to say no. It just made it easier that Robert at least was one of the nicer ones. He had never thrown me into a bathroom stall and broken the lock to the door so I was late for class, nor had he ever robbed me of my lunch money and spent it on cigarettes so I would go starving. Once he even paired up with me voluntarily for a project, but I had a suspicion that it was so I could do all the work. Which I did. But at least Robert had the courtesy to feel bad about it, praising my work even when it was mediocre, and being an okay guy to even talk to.

“Sure,” I replied, handing him my backpack.

“Jeez, this thing is fucking heavy,” Robert muttered, picking up my thick Lord of the Rings book. “You carry this around?”

I didn’t reply, as Robert just shoved it back down, finding the correct book.

“Awesome. I’ll borrow it on the bus. You’ll have it back before math,” Robert said, studying the pages of my horrible handwriting as if it was the finest art that needed the most thorough inspection.

“Sure thing,” I mumbled.

And then the bus came. Luckily Zach had gotten his license last year, so he and Jeremy didn’t take the bus any longer. His dad had money from running a company that made roads. I know there is a proper word for it, but I couldn’t quite catch it right now.

Someone who still took the bus was Anna. The girl of my dreams. The only reason it was worth bothering showing up to school everyday. I had admired her divine beauty for the longest, as long as I could remember. Everyone did. Blonde, big breasts, athletically built like none other. Cheerleader, of course. An utter bombshell. I don’t think I had even said a single sentence cohesively to her, as words failed me whenever I got near her.

Her bubbly bubblegum-like perfume filled my nostrils as I made my way past her, and her blonde locks became objects for my admiration as I slumped down in a seat two rows behind her.

The best part about her, besides being hot and perfect, was that I was convinced she was a closet nerd. I had seen her cosplays on Instagram, after all. Anna and I could probably talk about nerdy stuff for hours, I just knew it. If I only dared talk to her. Though, she was one of those girls who always gawked at the bad boys. Jeremy, in particular. Quarterbacks tended to do that. Meanwhile, I was a five-foot-six little guy who had no athletic talent whatsoever. Nothing the girls would flaunt over.

Bus rides without your bully tagging along are like most bus rides. Uneventful. So was the rest of the school day. I guess I should count my blessings, as neither Zach nor Jeremy had done anything yet except shoving past me. Everyone was busy talking about the upcoming party. And Jeremy’s new watch. I never knew what the fuss was about it, but I guess it was expensive and classy. To me, it was all too big and clunky. It would swallow my whole wrist.

“Logan, what you think? You gonna get one of these?” Zach called over to me. It was after the last period. For some reason, a calm weekend wasn’t good enough for these assholes.

Jeremy and Zach made their way across the hallway and slammed my locker shut right in my face. Why did they have to come over? The whole day had been nice and quiet. Robert even remembered to give back my homework without me having to remind him.

But I didn’t reply. That would just entice them further to mess with me. I had no business talking about expensive watches anyway, and neither did it interest me. Materialistic things weren’t what made your character good or bad, in my book at least.

“Of course you don’t,” Jeremy chimed in, hinting at his family’s wealth compared to mine.

While we weren’t poor, we also didn’t have a large excess of money. And certainly not like the parents of Jeremy and Zach. So no watches for me, and perhaps I sometimes could look a bit ragged. Half of that last equation was also due to the constant harassment, though.

“I’ve got the time on my phone?” I suggested, relenting my silence.

“That old thing? Does it even qualify as a phone?” Zach chuckled, brows high at me bringing up my phone of two years.

“By the way, what the fuck is that sweater? Is that Walmart?!” Jeremy exclaimed, as if the very product offended him by its presence. I had gotten a new sweater from Mom, and Jeremy was displeased. Not that anything I ever wore, or did, would impress Zach and Jeremy.

“Leave me alone,” I muttered, starting down the hallway.

“Hey, Jer, you heard of that party later?” Zach said to Jeremy as they were following just behind me as if we were buddies.

“Yeah, the whole school is going,” Jeremy said loud enough for anybody to hear.

“You going, Logan? Gay boy?” That was my nickname. I never talked with girls, I wasn’t some overly dominant alpha meathead, and thus I had to be gay. Right? The creativity of high school bullies never ceased to amaze me.

“I’m sure there is going to be some cock to suck at the party,” Zach suggested, pretending to be serious about my imagined ambition to fellate someone.

“Hey, what about Anna?” Jeremy said. “You think she’s going?”

My ears perked. That piqued my interest. Slightly. Or a whole lot. I didn’t stand a chance, but with partying and alcohol involved, who knows? For once I regretted not being invited. Everyone knew I had a crush on her. At least Zach and Jeremy did. Suddenly, not getting invited got a little bit worse.

“Man, it sure sucks that good ol’ gay boy can’t join, then,” Zach said. “Despite being so incredibly gay, he sure likes to gawk at women in their underwear.”

I froze for a mere second but regained my composure. It was once. And it was an accident. Truly. It wasn’t in my nature to peek, to be a creep, to stalk, or anything like that. But Zach had been the one who had caught me. That one time.

“Man, I sure want that bitch to suck my cock,” Jeremy groaned. Now I certainly froze, as the two big fuckers loomed behind me.

“Me too, that bitch has dick-sucking lips for days,” Zach agreed.

“She’s mine. You got Amanda, you fucking idiot,” Jeremy chuckled.

“What do you say, Logan? Anna got dick-sucking lips?” Zach asked me. I didn’t reply. Why did they have to be so disrespectful? Anna was more than proper. She was a queen. They only wanted to degrade her, to put her on their list of girls they’d banged. Surely.

I instead decided to speed up. But so did Zach and Jeremy. They weren’t done yet. They had gone the entire day without tormenting me, so here we are.

“You don’t mind if I fuck her mouth, do you?” Jeremy asked. “I mean, it’s not like she’s your girlfriend or anything.”

“Not that she ever would be anyway,” Zach chuckled. “Or any other girl, for that matter.”

The two boys rounded me and blocked my exit as we neared the parking lot. What now? I knew they wouldn’t fuck me up too bad as most of the teachers parked around here too. I saw that Louise, our PE teacher, had parked here too, and she was always the first out the door on Fridays.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Zach said. “Why don’t we get Logan an invite?”

Invite? To what? The party? Why in the fuck would they do that? And why did I even bother to ask, “You’d do that?”

“Sure!” Jeremy said with utmost sincerity. “I mean, I know we’ve fucked around with you for a bit, but hey, it’s not your fault you’re a fucking loser. I mean, everyone should have a chance at their crush, and what better place than at a party? You could bring roofies and be the true little creep you were meant to be.”

“Yeah, and trust me, Anna’s gonna need all the booze she can handle if you’ll stand a chance,” Zach said, chuckling still. The most annoying chuckle of all time.

“Whatever,” I muttered, shoving past them.

“No wait, Logan,” Zach said, grabbing my shoulder, suddenly sounding more serious. “Listen, Jeremy is right. We don’t know how to not act like total juveniles, we get that, but trust us. We can get you in on that party.”

“Truly,” Jeremy chimed. “And we’ll even help you with Anna.”

“All you gotta do is get us some beer,” Zach said, and after thinking a mere moment adding, “And shots.”

“I’m not 21. In fact, I’m a few months younger than you, remember?” I said, tired of these idiots.

“If you decide to pay, yeah. You just need to get it out of the store,” Jeremy said eagerly.

They were trying to get me to steal booze for them? What the fuck?

“What? No! Why don’t you do it? My dad’s a cop, remember?” I said.

“Exactly! He’ll bail you out! Me? I got a scholarship on my way, so I can’t get caught. And my cousin owns the store, so I can’t,” Jeremy explained.

“And Zach?”

“Zach is a fucking idiot,” Jeremy said without missing a beat. I had to stifle a chuckle when Zach didn’t even react.

I didn’t like the sound of this, nor where this was heading.

“In return, we’ll help you get laid with Anna, and we’ll even let you off the hook for a week,” Zach said.

“Or a whole month,” Jeremy shot in.

They seemed desperate enough, throwing such propositions idly around. Maybe they were sincere after all. Every fiber of my being told me this was some trick. That this was fucking stupid. There was no good reason for this to happen. But… A tiny unruly part of my brain told me that this was my chance. Finally, Logan could show his mettle. I could show them I wasn’t a total dork, and hell, girls likes bad boys. Maybe this was my chance to show I could be that too when the situation warranted it? Anna would surely think so. Nerd and a badass?

And like they said, Dad was my dad and he was a cop. It wasn’t likely I’d get in real trouble. A slap on the wrist, as they say.

“Hell, we’ll even give you a ride. To the party, and to the store,” Jeremy offered. “So what do you say gay– Logan?”

Fuck it. This was my chance. If not to befriend these idiots, then at least I’d get to be with Anna, or get closer to her. All the things we do for love.

“How much do you need anyway?” I began.

“Nothing backbreaking, just some forties,” Zach said.

“And Everclear,” Jeremy shot in.

It sounded like a bit much. How the fuck would I even get that much out of there? If I remember, the liquor was all the way in the back anyway over at Jeremy’s cousin’s store. I guess I hadn’t really thought of the logistics of this.

“It's a victimless crime. They got that shit insured anyway,” Jeremy explained, seeing I was getting cold feet.

“How do I even get in and out?” I asked.

“I knew we could rely on this motherfucker!” Jeremy exclaimed. For some reason that filled me with a small portion of pride. Adoration from the cool boys, rather than the torment I usually got.

“You just walk casually. The shit people always get wrong is that they run. That shit’s suspicious,” Zach said, opening the door of his big SUV to let us in, like I was part of the gang already.

“You boys alright?” a teacher asked concerned.

“Just peachy, Miss!” Jeremy said, giving a thumbs up. I guess I gave one too. The teacher turned and walked away.

“Talkin’ of peach, look at at that fucking ASS!” Jeremy said, nudging me.

“Yeah,” I half-muttered, half-chuckled.

“See? Man of class. All class and ass that one,” Jeremy cheered. “Let’s go.”

“Nah, we’re waiting for Amanda,” Zach said.

“You guys going steady?” Jeremy asked his friend.

“Think so. We’re probably gonna go to the same college even,” Zach said, and so the two commenced a conversation I was barely able to keep up with. This and that. Football, girls, teachers, hot girls, hot teachers.

“Who’s the loser?” Amanda suddenly said, looking at me with disgust. She had opened the door on my side but hesitated to get in when she saw who was sitting there. The thing is, she knew who I was. We had been classmates all our lives. She was just being a bitch.

“He’s helping us get the shit we need,” Zach explained.

Amanda gave an annoyed sigh, then waved her hand for me to scoot over. I obeyed. I was in the back of Zach’s car, next to Amanda, who could even give Anna a run for her hotness, and with Jeremy. I was one of them now! So I happily gave my seat to her.

“Don’t drool, idiot. This is brand new baby cashmere and I don’t want any of your nerd gunk on it, got it?” Amanda reprimanded.

“Of course,” I said, wanting to not be a total mute. I gave her a blue wool-looking crop top. It was… very flattering. So I looked away quickly, so I wasn’t caught staring.

Amanda gave an annoyed sigh and moved her attention away from me and to the people in the front. The rest of the ride to the store I was mostly mute. I didn’t have much to say, being both shy and kind also kind of out of my element. But I was just happy to be along for the ride.

But as we pulled up to the parking lot at the front of the store, reality dawned on me. This had to happen. Now. And it was going to happen. Now. My heart thudded against my chest, my vision blurry. I was nervous, to say the least. My palms were sweaty. Would I even be able to carry anything with these greasy things? I’d drop everything!

“You got this,” Zach encouraged, as he turned in his seat. “I’ll keep the engine going. Remember. Casual. Go look at some candy first, like you’re figuring to buy something, but change your mind and leave.”

“Yeah, he ain’t got an alarm system,” Jeremy explained. “So nothing will go off unless you’re suspicious.”

They made it sound so easy. Maybe it was, in some sense. In a physical sense. The motions and action of grabbing a bottle or two, then walking out of the store with said bottle, was easy enough. But it was the morality of it, and the ramifications, that made it hard. Yet, when Amanda reached across my lap and shoved the door open, I exited the vehicle. I looked at the store in front of me. It was a local store. I didn’t know the owners other than, as Zach said, that Jeremy’s cousin ran it, so by default, I knew of the owners. And I have shopped myself here a few times.

I opened the door and pushed inside. I saw the liquor way in the back, away from prying eyes, but with Zach’s plan fresh in my mind, I turned right and went to the candy. I didn’t really look at anything. I just picked up a bag of chips and put it back down. Next were the sodas, which led to liquor. After pretending a bit in the sodas, I went to get this over with. I had decided I’d be quick and not linger around the booze, so as to not be suspicious, to make it seem like I was making a detour. I was quite pleased with that little plan. So I zipped up my jacket, found the liquor, and stuffed the bottles inside, shoving my hands into my pockets so they wouldn’t smash to the ground.

Before I knew it, I felt the cool air against my skin as I exited the store. I did it! I fucking did it! I looked at the car and was met with the excited faces of Zach and Jeremy. Amanda barely took notice, as she was busy scrolling Snapchat or something.

“There ya go! Now let's go,” Jeremy said happily. “Time to get fucked up!”

“The party is today? I thought it was tomorrow,” I said, turning a bit unsure.

“Yeah, can we drop the baby off?” Amanda asked.

“Don’t be a wuss,” Jeremy chuckled, slapping my back like a real bro, and yanking me back into the car. “There’s a few extra shirts in the back if that’s what you’re worried about. Or call your parents and tell them you’re sleeping over or some shit. I don’t know.”

“Yeah, we gotta pick up Anna on the way anyway,” Zach muttered.

My eyes went wide. Anna? Holy shit. Did I get to sit between Amanda and Anna? This Friday was getting quite exciting already. I figured I’d call my parents when I got to the party and let them know. I knew they wanted me to get out more often, so here I was. Getting out. And hopefully, I’d get to talk with Anna for real.

“Hey bud, mind jumping in the trunk?” Zach suddenly asked as we pulled up to what I knew was Anna’s house. Like me, she lived in suburbia, though not on the same street.

“What?” I asked confused. Didn’t I get to sit between the two prettiest girls in school?

“It’s gonna get really crammed. Hey, don’t worry about it. Better view from back there, eh?” Zach said. The words were meant to be encouraging but came across as excessively condescending.

But if this was my ticket to a better status in my senior year, then I’d climb in the back. So in the back, I climbed. It was a big SUV anyway, so plenty of space.

And there she was, Anna came marching out of her house. I had to wonder if her parents knew where she was heading. By the looks of it, not really. She dressed way skimpier than I was used to seeing her, and by the lack of lights in the house, I had to guess her parents were out. My eyes enjoyed her new attire however. Short skirt, torn nylon stockings, and a top that screamed all the right things for the brain of an eighteen year old kid. Her makeup was way crasser than she wore it in school too. I guess I didn’t really see her much outside of Courtington High.

“Who’s in the back?” Anna asked as she jumped in.

That stung. This time it was sincere, unlike with Amanda. She had no clue who I was.

“It’s our burglar,” Zach said.

“L-like B-Bilbo,” I said, without thinking. Awkward silence followed, which in turn was followed by laughter by the others. I even chuckled a bit, though I knew it was at my expense, rather than my ‘clever’ remark.

“It’s Logan. You know Logan right?” Jeremy asked cruelly, turning in his seat so I could see his knowing smirk. He knew full well Anna didn’t, so he wanted to rub it in.

“Oh yeah, sure,” Anna said, looking back at me, her blue eyes sparkling as she seemed to draw some recognition. My face became beet red as I crumbled under her stare.

“So w-where is th-this party?” I asked, not wanting the topic to remain on me much longer. I had fucked it up enough already. My nervous stutter didn’t help either.

“The woods. You know the small forest near Milton Avenue?” Zach asked.

“Fuck no, we’re not partying there?” Anna exclaimed. I was shocked at her language. She always seemed so proper.

Amanda snorted, but Zach ignored them both and went on. “So I hope you packed your warm jackets!”

I hadn’t. I only had my regular day-to-day jacket on, and a regular set of jeans, t-shirt, flannel. That was it. That would be freezing! The girls didn’t seem to fare much better, being dressed in skimpy skirts both of them.

“God damn it, Zach,” Amanda exclaimed. “It’s gonna be cold as fuck!”

“Don’t worry, babe, I’ll keep you warm in here,” Zach said confidently.

Amanda snorted again. Anna then started to rummage her pockets as if she was looking for something, making Zach react.

“No smoking in my car!” Zach yelled. Anna rolled her eyes.

“It’s just pot,” she retorted.

“It stinks!” Zach replied.

Then the four of them continued talking about this and that as I sat back, delighted to even be here. I sorta zoned out as they drove. At least we wouldn’t be too far from where I lived. I could just walk home if it got too bad.

*

The party itself wasn’t something to write home about. Nothing happened out of the ordinary outta what you’d expect. Loud music, drunk people, all that. And like at school, no one talked to me. No one. Not even the people I got here with. So I just sat on a worn out sofa, drinking some vile tasting stuff, amusing myself as I felt slightly warmer inside due to the alcohol, despite it being outdoors. I was slowly but surely realizing I wasn’t enjoying this party. Or perhaps parties in general. But I’d endure if it meant being slightly cooler, and perhaps getting a chance to talk with Anna.

What is that expression anyhow? Write home about? I chuckled to myself, imagining myself sitting here among all these people, at a party, writing a war-time letter to my folks who lived right through a cluster of trees, the old houses’ garden, then up the street a bit. Funny. Like some soldier in a war far away from home.

“What you laughing for?” a bubbly voice suddenly said in front of me. It was Anna.

Apparently my ability to speak stopped functioning, as I sat there and stared dumbfounded at her as she sat down next to me. Jeremy had been flirting with her all party long, much to my dismay, but here she was. Despite one of the most popular folks trying his luck with her, she sat down next to me!

“I– I just thought of s-something funny,” I said, desperately looking around for something funny I could use as an excuse. But Anna didn’t follow up.

“Sorry I didn’t recognize you earlier,” Anna said softly. Almost as if she was purring. Jesus, my heart felt like it was going to explode.

“I-it’s okay, it-it was d-dark,” I replied. I couldn’t tell the shivers were from the cold or from the hottest girl in school talking to me.

“Still, it’s fucked up,” Anna said, then her sparkling eyes trailed me. “You cold? You're shivering and stuttering all over. Here, take some vodka.”

She handed me her cup. Her own cup. I took a sip, savoring every ounce of liquid I dared to let past my lips, carefully not drinking all of it. Her eyes and mouth curled beautifully into a smile. I stifled a cough at the worst shit I had ever tasted, and handed her the cup. She then did something that I would never have guessed.

She leaned over and pressed her luscious, scolding hot lips into my cheek. It lasted for a brief second, and when she leaned back Anna smiled warmly and said, “You’re cute. Anyway, I have some mingling to do. Just wanted to say thanks. For helping us with the stuff, I mean.” She stood and moved into the crowd surrounding the small bonfire we had got going.

I briefly touched my cheek where she had kissed me. It burned into my skin, kinda like someone had branded me like they did with cattle. But as much as it felt like my skin was steaming and burning from her moist lips pecking me, I liked it. Sign me up for more parties!

One drink to another, and some time later I found myself chatting with Robert. I can’t really recall what we talked about. Something about football. I made the mistake of saying I didn’t understand the rules, so Robert took it upon himself to teach me. I nodded and tried to follow along, but it was honestly lost on me. In return, I tried to explain the joy of reading fiction, but it was honestly lost on him. Agree to disagree on what is interesting in the world. Booze helped me out, though. But toward the tail end of the conversation, as Robert strolled away, I noticed Jeremy and Anna returning from the woods. When Anna caught me staring, she blushed but came back over. I quickly stood up and for some reason I suddenly felt very dizzy.

“Here, take a shot with me,” she said, rosy cheeked and her breath steaming. “It’s getting way too cold.”

“Yeah, thanksh,” I said, slurring my speech. Where did that come from? “What did you and Sheremy do?”

Anna moved a bit closer, and I could almost smell her as she stood close. Roses, matching her flushed cheeks. Her hand moved to cup my face for a brief moment, then down to rest on my chest as she looked into my eyes. The warmness of her palm pressed right through my clothing, and it was a much welcomed warmth among the shivers.

“Don’t you worry about that,” Anna said, looking over her shoulder conspicuously. “You know that creepy house?”

“Yesh, I live n-near it,” I slurred.

“Yeah we just explored near it a bit,” Anna said, looking at my chest more than my eyes. She seemed somewhat abashed talking to me, suddenly. Shy even.

“So you like Overwatch?” I asked, feeling a bit more confident by now, though stifling something brewing in my stomach.

“I like what?” Anna asked, a bit confused.

“Overwatch. Y-your coshplays on Instagram?” I asked, taking another sip from my cup. Man, my stomach was really not cooperating right now.

“Oooh. Yeah, I have no clue what that is. I just google popular cosplays and do them because they look kinda good for extra clicks on Insta. What, you enjoy my cosplay?” Anna teased, flicking me a so sexy smile. “JESUS CHRIST!” she suddenly screamed as I threw up all over her cleavage, and her splendid clothes. Fuck.

“I’m s-sorry!” I said, as I truly was. How fucking embaressing coulnd’t it get?

Well, I was about to find out. I spun around and hit the ground, my face numb with pain as it collided with the snow. I quickly turned around and saw Jeremy’s angry face and his closed fist. But he stopped. I saw Robert hold one of his arms back. At least someone would be my savior. For once.

But as they argued, and as Anna cursed my name, I just slinked away in the darkness, wanting to disappear forever.

*

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