"When I'm low, she take me high,

I can teach you all the sounds of love."

Wale Lotus flower bomb

0 9

Adrian

It was a lukewarm night, with a cloudless sky and a dozen of twinkling lights. An intense remix of some summer-hit thudded against the walls of the colossal residence. The front door was wide open and partygoers flocked the front yard, whilst others entered the home or made a bee-line for the backyard. Plenty of tall wine glasses laid marooned on the neatly-chipped grass, obviously abandoned by whoever were drinking out of them. Of course a party in the Upper East Side would provide wine-glasses instead of the usual red cups.

Adrian rolled his eyes at the sight, needlessly kicking a glass. It swooped through the air before it ended up on the tiles creating a pathway to the front door, soundlessly shattering. The noise of the riving glass was completely excelled by the whopping music blaring through the sky. He gritted his teeth and pushed his way through the drunken crowds outside. Some recognized him, instantly stepping back, but most of them were too intoxicated to think clearly.

He decided he probably wasn't a pleasure to look at anyway. With his ears still slightly buzzing and his mind still faintly spinning, he wasn't certain how sane he looked from the outside. He hadn't gotten to taking a shower yet, instead he came to Asher's party right away. He doubted anyone would notice the scent on him, or his already worn-off intoxication, for that matter.

The music was louder inside. Adrian recognized some Dalton students dancing, and further into the living room, it got more passionate. Students were either grinding and making out or passed out on the floor. He swiftly avoided a girl who was trying to do a handstand and continued shimmying his way through, irritably pushing away the people who wouldn't leave their spot.

Asher, fully dressed in designer jeans and a shirt that was probably half the price of his mansion, noticed Adrian immediately. He excused himself and walked over to where Adrian was standing, two drinks in his hands. "Adrian! Dude, I thought you wouldn't be able to make it!"

With both being on the soccer team, Adrian was forced to get to know Asher, and to be fair, he was a nice guy. Perhaps not Nate-nice, but he also wasn't as sinful as Tyler was, that's for sure. Adrian wrung out a smile, gratefully accepting the drink. "Me neither, but they let me off early."

"You were working, right?" Asher blasted, trying to make himself audible over the music. He sipped from his whatever, big eyes on Adrian. Adrian nodded, aware that teenagers from the Upper East Side barely ever worked. Work was for the poor. "Yeah."

"Cool!" Asher grinned, albeit Adrian had seen the twinge of disgust in his face. "Excuse me," Adrian spoke. "I'm going to find Nate and the others."

"I think I saw them upstairs. The new girl was with them?" Asher's grin expanded, his eyes darkening. Adrian frowned. "I think so."

"She's hot," Asher snickered. "Don't know if she's single though, people say they've seen her making out with you after the line-up, and others say she was cuddling up to Clayton yesterday. You don't happen to know, do you?"

"Etienne and her are just friends." Adrian snapped in annoyance, stepping away from Asher. He couldn't help but scowl, guzzling his sharp drink before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, throwing the glass to the side. He hurriedly ambled up the stairs, knowingly striding through the hallway on the first floor. Adrian had been to Asher's house enough times to memorize the way.

He found Tyler first, who was leaning against the door opening. Tyler looked buzzed, but he wasn't all over the place. That was one of the things Tyler and Adrian acted similarly in; they both drank, often, but they hardly ever tried to cross their boundaries. They liked staying in control, they felt responsible. Nate didn't drink as regularly as they did—but when he does, he goes all in. Etienne beat all three of them. He liked getting as wasted as possible.

Nevertheless, clearly Adrian had been pushing his limits the past few weeks. In fact, he realized he hadn't been just tipsy ever since he started doing the harder stuff.

Oh well.

"Adrian," Tyler nodded, the faintest smile tugging his lips. His arms were folded against his chest and his dark hair looked ruffled, as much as those choppy strands could. Adrian seemingly relaxed upon meeting his best friend. "Hey, Tyler. Did I miss anything?"

"Sure," he snickered. "Look at those fuckfaces." He jabbed his head into the room's directions. Adrian raised his brows, looking inside.

Inside was chaos. People laid on the floor in a jumble of limbs and arms, approximately five girls were topless (of which three were braless), two guys were on the pool table making out, a group sat on the ground, all drinking from separate bottles and then switching and in the back there was the unmistakable sound of somebody retching. Adrian's eyes widened and he chortled, ripping his gaze from the pairs of breasts saliently dangling in front of him. He looked at Tyler in confusion.

Tyler nodded, another chuckle emitting his throat. "I know."

"And the others—"

"—all in here. I'm going to get another drink, you want some?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Alright," Tyler said. "I'll be back." And then he pushed himself off the wall, hastily making his way through the corridor. Adrian blinked and then entered the room, eyes tracing to find his other friends. He noticed Gigi's blonde mop of hair and sauntered over to where she sat on the ground, kneeling down. "Gi?" He asked, disbelief crossing his face. Albeit Gigi drank whenever everyone else did, he hadn't ever experienced her this drunk. Her eyes were closed, her make-up was smudged and her top was tucked into her bra—he was certain she didn't do that on purpose.

"Gigi," he said, forceful this time. He tapped her cheek and her eyes flew open, revealing her not-so-radiant blues. "Adrian!" She drawled, a genuine smile etching all over her face. "This party rocks."

"I'm sure it does." Adrian laughed softly, hooking his arms through her elbows. She moaned miserably as he lifted her to her feet, carefully dragging her over to the couch. "I have to tell you something," she mumbled incoherently whilst he put her legs on the cushions and pushed her flatly against the couch. "Uhuh?"

"Ben is nice, but not as much as Tyler," Gigi whispered, her eyes closing again. Adrian chuckled, making sure her neck was comfortable with a pillow propped behind her head. "Scream if you need anything," he said. Gigi was already fast asleep.

He warned a few students not to touch her before he set on finding the others again, which wasn't much of a task. Etienne was pushed against a window, a lewd, villainous smirk gracing his lips. His brown curls were messy and his eyes were red, half-narrowed and sinful. When Adrian followed Etienne's gaze to the ground, he wished he hadn't.

Two girls were on their knees, of which Adrian only recognized the Asian one—Sophie, Ava's best friend. They had their hands all over Etienne's body, but the worst part was that his jeans were lowered to his knees, just like his boxers.

It wasn't that Adrian had never seen Etienne's dick before. They were best friends, and sadly, there had been numerous occasions where it had occurred that they were unwillingly granted a look. Especially with Etienne, who simply didn't care who saw and who didn't. Yet, Adrian wasn't keen on seeing how Sophie's pale, little hands fondled Etienne's balls while the other girl swirled her tongue around the top of Etienne's cock.

"For fuck's sake," Adrian hissed, glancing at Etienne. Etienne's smirk only stretched out further on his face, his hands clasping the two girls' heads. "I didn't think you'd be able to make it." He said slowly, rocking his hips.

Adrian laughed blatantly. "Why can't you get head in the bathroom?"

"Mindy Remington is vomiting in there. Besides, who cares? If the ladies want a taste of my pipe, they can have one."

"Please don't call it a pipe."

"Mate," Etienne grunted hauntingly, "I am in fucking heaven." He paused shortly before groaning again. "Fucking hell, Sophie. I never knew you liked having my dick so far up your throat."

That was Adrian's cue to leave. "I'll see you later, champ," he quickly muttered, patting Etienne's shoulder before sharply turning around. He desperately tried to block out his best friend's hisses by fixating on the music and focusing on finding Nate and Alia.

Nate's broad shoulders weren't easy to miss. He sat perched on a chair, three girls circling around him. Alia sat on a chair across from Nate and the two were in an obvious conversation, though the girls around Nate didn't let that stop them. They roamed their hands over his chest, to his shoulders, along his arms and over his thighs, but Nate didn't budge. Admittedly, Nate looked dubious. His jaw was clenched and he was breathing heavily. Adrian knew that whenever Nate got drunk, he really just got horny.

"Adrian!" Nate looked happy to see Adrian. "My man! So glad you're here!"

"Dude." Adrian laughed, plopping down on the chair between Nate and Alia. Nate grinned, "Should I or should I not have a foursome?"

"Is that even a question?" Adrian responded immediately, laughing again. Nate's eyes lit up as he got up off the chair, towering over the three fleeting girls. They squealed, squeezing his biceps and touching his packs. "I'm sorry, Al," Nate husked. "You're fine with Adrian keeping you company, right?"

Adrian didn't hear Alia's reply, nor did he see her nod, because his eyes were proudly on Nate, who had arms so big he effortlessly wrapped them around the shoulders of the three girls as they walked away. However, when he turned to meet her eyes, he realized it should've been the first thing he did.

Alia looked dazzling. Her black hair was flicked over one shoulder and she wore a top with a tight-fitting skirt that reached mid-thigh. Of course her feet were clad in a pair of tall heels, which she pulled off impeccably. Her plump lips were an enchanting colour of pink and her eyelashes curled sultrily. Adrian tore his gaze off her tan legs and looked her in the eyes, his heart thudding against his chest.

"Adrian," she uttered lowly. Her voice was sensual and slow, and Adrian was all for it.

"You look amazing," he replied, grabbing her wrist. She simpered and let him pull her to her feet. "Thank you."

He took an abrupt step closer, filling the small space of air between them to push his body against hers. He let go of her wrist and curved his hand around her hip, his other hand joining in. "You're welcome."

Adrian was aware that Alia was drunk. She staggered on her feet and clasped his shoulders tightly, as if restraining herself from falling over. She also spoke a tad too slow, albeit he didn't really care.

Alia buried her face in his neck, and for a moment he thought she fell asleep, but then he felt two feathery, velvet-like lips against his skin. A shiver ran up his spine as he ran his hands down her hips to her thighs, slightly craning his neck to give her more space. "Babe," he grunted, squeezing her curves. "If I knew you were going to do this to me, I would've come sooner."

Her tongue flicked his skin hotly, which caused him to grip her tighter. Her lips were against his Adam's apple as she spoke, "For you I would, babe."

He almost felt his eyes roll back into their carcasses as she proceeded to satisfy his neck in ways he'd never received before.

When she stopped, he knew what to do.

They were in a hurry, pushing people out of the way to exit the room. His hand was on her ass and she had an arm around his waist, letting him haul her to wherever. They passed Tyler on the way out, had stolen the two drinks in his hands, and then continued to dither through the corridor. When they reached the stairs, Adrian swept her off her feet—literally—and carried her downstairs, attempting to ignore the warm hand she'd slipped into his jeans.

They were stopped by Asher, who stared at them incredulously. "Adrian and... the new girl?"

"Alia." Adrian and Alia snapped at the same time, which caused them both to risk a glance at each other. She snickered and Adrian grinned lopsidedly.

"Right. Sorry. I mean, Alia. Sorry. I just—didn't expect this. I thought you were with Clayton, or something." Asher looked at Alia. She frowned. "Etienne and I are just friends. God, why is it so hard for people to accept this?"

Adrian glared at Asher. He discarded Alia's response, because he'd been one of the people who'd doubted their claims, although he knew he should've known better. Etienne promised him nothing was going on between them, and he shouldn't have been stupid enough to ignore those promises.

Asher shrugged, avoiding Adrian's gaze. "Well, enjoy the party."

"We are," Adrian spoke, putting Alia on the ground before dragging her off with him again. She giggled, her fingers entwining with his. "Where are we going?"

"Outside?"

"Yeah, it's pretty hot in here." She gave Adrian a pointy look, as if to say 'don't you dare make a comment about it'.

He, of course, only smirked. "That's because you're with me."

Alia groaned loudly. "I knew you were going to say that."

Outside, they let themselves fall on the grass. Adrian inhaled the fresh air, sighing, as he wrapped an arm around Alia's small shoulders. She snuggled up to him and put a hand on his chest, sighing too.

It was peaceful. He allowed his eyes to shut, rejoicing in the now chilly, breezy air and the undeniable warmth coming from the girl beside him. Though she smelled mainly like vodka, Adrian sniffed past that and whiffed a complex mixture of pancakes and Chanel No. 5.

He stiffened. Instantly, a myriad of flashes went through his head, his stomach churning at the thoughts.

But Alia calmed him down immediately, unaware of the turn his mood had taken. She pressed her lips against his ever so slightly, kissing away all of his worries, and then went back to gazing the dark sky.

He exhaled in utter relief, forcing himself to not think about it. "Thank you," he murmured.

"For what?" She mumbled back carelessly. Adrian squeezed her shoulders, ignoring the part of him that wondered why he kept seeking refuge by her side. "Nothing."

"You know," she jabbered. "I thought we were going to have sex."

"Me too."

"But I'm glad we didn't."

"I wouldn't have done it anyway. You're drunk."

"So?" She raised a brow, peeking at Adrian. He simpered. "So, you aren't in your right mind."

"Oh come on. The first time we had sex, I was drunk too." She countered, rolling her eyes. Adrian snickered, nodding. "Yes, but I was drunk as well. I wasn't in my right mind."

Alia seemed satisfied with his answer. She put her head on his chest and rolled on her back, her silvery eyes wide and focused on the navy sky above her. Adrian's gaze was on her. Her silky hair, her pouty lips, her curvy body...

"When we were in the elevator," she said. "You said some things. I'm curious, but if you don't want to tell me you don't have to, obviously."

"Shoot." He smiled, curling a strand of her hair around his finger.

"You said your mom's never home. Is that true?"

Adrian gritted his teeth, his brows downing on his eyes as he gulped. "Yeah." He didn't like to be reminded, although he was. Many times, whether he was at school, work or simply with his friends.

His mom... he loved her, a lot. She was easily one of the few people he didn't mind being affectionate toward. Whenever she complimented him, hugged him or even kissed him, Adrian felt like he was on top of the world. Those little gestures meant more to him than anything ever could. He didn't hesitate whenever she asked him to do something. Hell, he would kill if that made her happy.

She was the whole reason he was doing what he was doing in the first place.

Unfortunately, his mother wasn't as affectionate. Though she'd always been like this, it only drastically changed after Adrian's father left them a couple of years ago. Not many people knew this, and it astounded him that there were people in the community that believed Sallie Lancaster was still married to John Lancaster. Perhaps it was the last name.

In the scarce amount of times that Sallie was home, her entire attention-span went to her current boyfriend, and not to her son. Adrian hated it. He hated all of her boyfriends, who were total dirtbags, and hated that his mom wouldn't grant him more attention. It made his skin crawl whenever he thought about the assholes that dumped their shit in his room, put their filthy feet on his sofa and used his bathroom. And because Sallie was barely ever home anyway, Adrian made sure he stayed over at his friends' houses as much as he possibly could.

"I would hate that," Alia mumbled softly. "I'm sorry she's like that."

Adrian played with her hair, his belly swooping miserably. "I wish she wasn't." his voice cracked, which he hated himself for. He didn't like talking about his mother, it was something he never did.

"Yeah," Alia spoke, lovingly rubbing his arm. "I understand. I mean—I can't relate, but I understand the feeling."

"I get you, Shorty." Adrian simpered, playfully squeezing her. He thought it was adorable how she stressed about not saying the wrong thing. "I wouldn't want you to be able to relate, anyway."

"Have you talked to her about it, though? If my mom was still here, I wouldn't hesitate to tell her that her behaviour bothered me." Her voice seemingly lowered and her throat caught. Adrian clenched his jaw, running his fingers through her hair to make her relax. Suddenly, his complaints seemed bland compared to Alia's experience.

"I've tried," Adrian muttered. "She just... doesn't care."

"I'm sure that's not true." Alia repositioned herself on his chest, tangling her fingers through his. "She loves you, she just doesn't know how to express it."

"You don't know her."

"I don't have to. Mothers love their children, period." She momentarily leaned on her elbows to glance at Adrian, a warm, honest smile curling her lips. Adrian smiled too and decided he wouldn't push the subject. As much as he wished that she was right, he knew she wasn't. There definitely were a couple of self-centred, nutty moms out there. Some were abusive. Some were neglecting their child. It didn't matter; not all mothers out there truly loved their children.

But Adrian didn't want to spring this on Alia. She was clearly raised in a cordial, kind home with two parents that adored her and her brother. Even with her mother passed away, it hadn't changed. He didn't want to change her way of remembering her mother, of remembering all mothers.

"What happened to your mom, Al?" He cautiously whispered, not wanting to ruin her mood. The smile on her face didn't falter and he was glad.

"Cancer," she replied with a shrug. Adrian winced and nodded, not knowing what to say.

"She battled it for very long, too. She was so strong." Alia's smile widened.

"And your dad? And brother? How do they handle it?"

She shrugged again. "My dad is... dealing. They loved each other a lot, my mom and dad. They were in one of those embarrassing relationships where your parents think they're still teenagers, you know?" She looked at him expectantly. Adrian didn't know, but he nodded regardless. "So like, when she died, my dad's world practically imploded. But he's fine now. He's just extra focused on Alim and I."

Adrian hummed, eagerly listening to Alia's drunken blabs.

"And Alim is fine too. He's just extra protective of me, and he has some bottled up anger he continuously takes out on dad, but other than that he's okay. We're all helping each other with it."

"I'm glad to hear that," Adrian cupped her cheek, the corners of his lips tugging up. Alia wrapped her arms around his neck and softly pecked his lips again, the taste of freedom that came with being with her lingering.

"Yeah. Adrian?"

"Hm, babe?"

She squealed, and Adrian barked out a husky laugh. "Anyway," she giggled dismissively, which was freaking adorable. "I wanted to ask you something."

"You can ask me anything."

"Do you still love Ava?"

"No."

"Is Tyler good for Gigi?"

"Yes."

"Do you like me?" She blushed, something she probably would've never done if she was sober. Adrian laughed soundlessly, chastely kissing her nose. "No," but his actions clearly stated yes. Alia smirked in satisfaction. "Good, last question. How many people did you fuck this past week?"

Fuck.

Adrian's heart plummeted into his stomach, his lungs jamming into his throat as he raked his mind for an answer. "Only you," he lied, his heart ramming against his ribcage. "On Saturday at the soirée blanche."

"Okay..." she raised a brow, her eyes narrowing. "Then why do you always smell like women's perfume?"

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

"I do? I didn't know." Adrian snickered blatantly, which came out more awkward than he had intended for it to be. Fortunately, Alia was too drunk to care. She shrugged, kissed his lips and laid back on the grass, her eyes fluttering shut. "I'm tired," she slurred.

"Go sleep, baby," Adrian mumbled nervously. She simpered and interlaced her hand with his before drifting off.

Then, Adrian was left alone with his unhinged thoughts, that went absolutely berserk.

He needed a drink.