Chapter TWO             

I was already drinking by seven o'clock, right as the party started. Our high school was mid-sized, but everyone knew me - either as the girl who dated everyone, or the girl who tried to kill herself in junior high. I had, mostly, lived that one down. It wasn't like it was appropriate to talk about casually.

Mickey's house was big, but it was crowded by eight.

"This is awesome!" I yelled to her, over the music.

"Yeah, it's actually really awesome!" TJ Owens, Mickey's boyfriend of six months, agreed.

I'd already decided I wanted to have sex that night, but with who? Tucker did not deserve the title of ONLY GUY WHO'S BEEN WITH BEA WINTERS anymore. Tucker deserved nothing.

Every guy I passed, walking through the house, flirted with me, calling out "Happy Birthday!", a couple of them being guys I'd previously dated. Most of the guys that I hadn't dated were in relationships, or very likely gay. Carter Paul was there, with his fairly new girlfriend, Sasha Williams.

"Hey, C," I said to him, giving him a half hug. "Sasha."

"Hey, birthday girl," Carter replied, hugging me back. "How's it going?"

"Oh, I'm good." I smiled, not about to tell him that I was on the hunt for someone to sleep with.

"Have a drink with us?" he asked.

I smiled at Sasha, who forced a smile back at me. She was taller than Carter, though most people were. I didn't know her well and I just wasn't sure if she even liked me.

"Yeah," I nodded at Carter. "Soon."

But I continued on, walking through into the dining room. Jocks, cheerleaders, lots of average Joes. I saw a group of juniors who I knew were stoners, huddled in the corner of the room. Lots of people were dancing, laughing, having fun. It was a good old high school Saturday night party.

Until I saw him - Nate Davis. He was a senior, a year older than me, popular and hot. He had this thick blond hair that kind of did whatever it wanted, and his skin was always tanned, even though it was winter. He was wearing a hoodie with a leather jacket over top, and playing beer pong with a group of guys, on the dining room table.

I basically stared in his direction until we made eye contact. I'd flirted with him before, at school, at other parties. But I had been with Tucker, then. Now, Nate seemed like the only other person in the room.

My heart was pounding as he took a few steps towards me, leaving the beer pong game behind.

"Happy birthday, lady," he grinned. "Drink?" I was already drunk, but nodded. "Don't go anywhere," he told me.

He returned a few minutes later with two beers, pulling my hand towards the back room. It was sort of like a porch area, where the door leading to the backyard was. It wasn't any quieter there, but there were less people. I held the beer can that he passed to me, but didn't open it. My heart was pounding.

"How've you been?" he asked, leaning against the patio door, clicking his beer open.

"I'm... great," I said, finally opening mine.

"You and Kingston were together for a long time," he said plainly, like this was something I didn't know.

"Good observation," I said back.

"I just mean, you must be upset." He shrugged.

"I'm not. It was mutual."

Everyone knew it was not mutual. Everyone apparently knew that Megan had given Tucker a hand job at the party that I wasn't at. And worst of all, everyone knew that he broke up with me, after all.

"Okay," Nate said, smiling.

"You know... you're really sexy," I told him quickly. Guys liked being complimented.  I knew that.

"You are really drunk," he noted, trying to keep a straight face.

I moved closer to him. "Yeah, so?"

He smiled again, and I knew he was considering this. He had to have been. I moved even closer, so I was brushing against him. And then I was kissing him, far too sloppy, rubbing against him, fast. He pushed me away, but not hard. He actually sort of moved away from me.

"I'm not a drunk girl's rebound," he said, looking slightly offended. He was totally serious. "But I'm sure there's plenty of guys here who would like to be."

"Something in your pants seems to think otherwise," I told him. In my head it sounded sexier.

"Just because I'm turned on, doesn't mean I'm going to have sex with you, Bea. I'm not... like that. I wouldn't take advantage of you."

"I'm the one who started it," I said, stepping back, feeling irritated.

"I know, but still."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes at him and spun around, walking away. I was embarrassed and I didn't want him to know that.

"Find your rebound yet?" Mickey asked me an hour later, when I finally found her in the front hall, dancing with TJ.

I'd already had two drinks with Carter and Sasha, and then another with two senior guys who I wasn't sure the names of. Now, the room was becoming a bit unsteady. I was past drunk, wobbling as I walked.

I was still drinking. "Yes," I said to Mickey.

"So... why aren't you having sex yet?" she asked, then laughed.

"Well... he said no," I said awkwardly, hoping TJ didn't hear.

"Who the hell says no to you at your birthday party?" Mickey was shocked, and angry for me. 

I shook my head, "It doesn't matter."

Another hour later, I was making out with Dean Walters, who was a friend of TJ's. They had apparently known each other since grade school. I didn't particularly feel anything for Dean, but he was into me and I was drunk. Really drunk. We were on the love seat in the main room, people still partying all around us.

"We should... go find a bedroom..." Dean mumbled, and I thought for a second whether or not I actually wanted to have sex with him. But it was all part of the plan.

"I know where the guest room is," I told him, but as I stood up I knew I was too drunk.

I led him up the stairs anyway, my stomach turning. I didn't feel good, at all. I froze, just at the top of the stairs. The room was spinning.

"Bea?" Dean asked, confused. He obviously didn't know how drunk I really was.

Without a word to him, I ran at top speed down the hall, and barely made it to the toilet before puking, full force. It had been a while since I'd gotten this drunk. But hell, it was my birthday. Dean must have realized what had happened, because he didn't follow me. Surprise, surprise. What guy wants to have sex with the girl who just puked her guts out?

I closed my eyes. Now my head was pounding and I felt like puking again. All plans were out the window; now I just had to make it through this night. I prayed Mickey would come, but she didn't know where I was. She likely assumed I was getting it on with Dean by now.

"Bea? You okay?" I heard a voice. It seemed far away.

When I got the strength to look up, I noticed it was Nate Davis. I closed my eyes again, instead of answering.

"I saw you running down the hall. I just wanted to make sure you didn't pass out or anything."

"I'm fine," I said, not looking at him.

"Okay..."

"Stop judging me," I snapped, looking back at the toilet again. Reaching up, I flushed it quickly.

"I'm not judging." I didn't look back at him to see his face.

"Yes, you are." I tried to get up, but my stomach started turning again.   And then with Nate right there in the bathroom doorway, I gagged and threw up again. He came closer and was rubbing my back a moment later. When I finally turned to look at him, he smiled sweetly.

"Let me take you to lay down."

He helped me up and walked down the hallway with me, to the guest room. It was dark and clean. The bed was made with fresh sheets, like always. When I stayed at Mickey's, we always slept in her king-sized bed together. But now, I laid down onto this guest room bed, sinking in and closing my eyes.

"Happy birthday, Bea," Nate whispered to me, pulling the blanket up over my body.

I reached for his arm. "Will you just stay until I'm asleep?" I asked.

He didn't move, at first. But a minute later I opened my eyes to see him stepping forward, then climbing into the huge bed beside me. I wrapped my arms around him without even caring, and was asleep in minutes.