Drunk

Ben and Lucus both wandered around separately searching desperately for their friend. Lucus walked the second hallway filled with fancy people just mingling with more important people wanting to get something out of them. Nothing wasn't a meeting. Some just happened to be unplanned. Every note in the way they talked sounded eerily like Ben when they were downstairs at one of the buffets. He continuously whisper-yelled Allicia's name, sticking his head into each of the rooms. He was usually met with an embarrassed response of no, or that they hadn't heard anything. Most people slurred their words in the same drunken way Allicia had. Every time he opened the door to broken glass, he began to worry more and more. Ben had said she would most likely be fine, however, doubt was beginning to set in. He wandered around and with each door opened, and each without Allicia in them, Lucus fell further and further into despair. He held his phone up to his ear, and it read out the time. He had been going for twenty five of his precious fifty five. Lucus blocked out the whispers and focussed on the voice he was looking for as he did most days at school. Where was Allicia?

Somewhere in one of the karaoke rooms Allicia threw an explicit throw pillow at a boy. There were a few people in the room. Perhaps four or five. Three boys and two more girls. Out of that, two other people were drunk. One other girl, and one boy. Allicia was somewhat in the middle at this point. It had been about an hour since her yell, so the alcohol was beginning to wear off. Apparently, she had quite the alcohol tolerance. She still wasn't thinking straight. The room was small, and Allicia was singing. She began belting her third song with another girl in a duet to a popular new idol group that had recently debuted. Most were either filming her on their phones, or nodding off to sleep. Allicia, even in her drunken state, was rather good. Her moves were on point with the original music videos and her pitch was perfect. Two semi-drunk boys were swaying back and forth half asleep with their arms on each other's shoulder. Allicia put down the mic mid-song and a few people booed as she snickered and took a bow. She plopped down next to a boy with blond hair and popped a mint in her mouth before spitting it out in disgust and unwrapping another strawberry lollipop. She leaned back and groaned like an old man, before hopping back up and taking a sip of alcohol. It was strong, and she returned back to her drunken state. She had a cut on her ankle, most likely from a broken glass at the buffet, so she poured some on it to disinfect it like in the movies. Another boy picked up a shot and passed it over to one of the not-drunk girls. Everybody else reeked of alcohol, but not her.

"Cmon, scared of a little shot?" He taunted, waving it under her nose. She held up her hands to block it. Allicia was still staggering around.

"No, I don't want-" She began to argue, her smile fading and backing up when the boy cut her off.

"Don't wanna, don't wanna go home and disappoint daddy? A little alcohol won't hurt nobody." The boy sounded breathless. He staggered forwards, spilling a little. "I bet your daddy still drinks." Allicia's smile faded, and she put down her shot glass. She walked over. Well, walking would be an overstatement. She wobbled with every step, leaning forward. The blaring lights didn't help with the nausea. Allicia leaned on the low table, practically dragging herself along. She reached the boy and tapped his shoulder. One light tap, and two hard ones that might have just been her falling.

"Hey." Her voice was rasped and slurred at the same time. The boy turned around with a goofy smile on his face.

"Yeaaaah?" his eyes lolled a little bit and he stood very unsteadily. "What is it?" Allicia slapped him across the face. It was hard too. Everybody stopped what they were doing and turned to look for the cause of the loud crack. It was satisfying too. Loud and perfect. It even left a red hand mark on the side of his ghostly pale cheek. The boy cocked his head to the side, trying to understand what this weird girl he didn't even know the name of was slapping him. She was pretty though.

"Who's old man are you calling a drunky?" She leaned in close and pointed a finger in what she was aiming for the face. She missed and it was closer to his ear. The boy figured out that she meant some sort of hostility and stood up a little straighter and punched her in the side. Allicia doubled back, but then seemed unfazed. Her lollipop didn't even fall out.

"Don't you, don't you know who I am?" He lunged forward to punch her again, but Allicia ducked and delivered a sturdy punch to the jaw. "And who are-" he grunted as it made contact and fell to the ground in a puddle of spilled alcohol. Allicia didn't speak. The boy looked at his friends, both of whom staggered over to try and pin Allicia down. Allicia let them and they backed her to the wall. The boy who she punched, touched the place she punched him and wiped off the blood, before getting up and kicking bottles out of the way towards her. "I'll teach you a good lesson today. I bet your daddy didn't teach you well enough, so I guess I can." He readied his fist to throw a punch. "Shame I have to ruin such a pretty face." He touched her cheek. She was looking down at the floor, so they couldn't see her expression. He slapped her when she didn't look up, and then held up his fist to punch her. Allicia didn't flinch. Instead, the moment he swung, she ducked out of the way and broke free from their grasps. That was the last thing the boy saw, before he was knocked unconscious.