Chapter 3 'She Smells Good' / The party scene

We arrive after driving up some hills with big houses and park between a Fiat and a Suzuki Samurai. I step out and glance around and there are a couple of people standing outside the front door but then they go inside. It’s at that moment that Gary comes over.
“Okay here’s the deal. It’s my bros party so he’s just invited some of his friends over and it’s cool if I bring some too, but we’re keeping it mellow so the cops don’t come.”
“And your parents?” Kirtis calmly adds.
“They’re away for the weekend,” he smiles. “So like there’s plenty to drink but like just keep it cool ‘cause we don’t want to fuck it up,” he tells everyone.
“Cool man. What’s your brother’s name?” Traney asks.
“His name’s Mike. He looks like me but taller,” he says and looks toward the house.
“So Becky says all of you are cool. And I already know you,” he says and rubs Kim’s head and she tickles him but he deflects her hand and then rubs her head again. “So just go in and hang out, have a good time,” he says and nods at Traney.
“Cool,” Traney says and then they slap hands and bang fists and it’s all solid and perfect and then Gary heads back to his car to meet up with his friends.
“Hey thanks for the invites Becky,” Kirtis smiles and pats her on the shoulder. “He seems pretty cool. How do you know him?”
“Oh we used to be neighbors when I was little. My parents adore him,” she smiles. “We used to take vacations together, like our families and stuff and we still get together for parties and things like that.”
“Oh okay so…which one was your house?” Kirtis looks around as if he would be able to figure it out.
“Not here dummy! I told you I moved from the valley like when I was ten,” she says and sighs.
“Oh yeah that’s right…you did,” he says and gives her a lower lip of reassurance.
I look back at the house and see Gary heading toward the door, some girl holding his hand and some other guy following. I check out the girl’s ass and I see Kirtis glancing at it as well. We start walking toward the front yard as Becky goes over the story with Kirtis again.
“So yeah like first they moved when I was around nine I guess and then after fifth grade during the summer we moved to Irvine,” she says and she’s all hand gestures and things.
“Yep and now she’s my neighbor!” Kim adds and shows teeth while hugging Becky.
Kirtis leads the way into the house and as the door opens, a Yaz tune starts playing and it's like perfect timing. We all stand around and we’re all lame for a moment but then everyone starts moving around and soon enough we’re absorbed by the party. As usual Kirtis and I scan the place looking for babes. Kim and Becky have beers and talk to Gary and some tall dude who looks just like him while we head for the kitchen. The counter is piled with various bottles of hard liquor and some guy is working the blender.
“Dude just fucking go for it. You are all over that man!” he tells me and he’s all loud and his breath reeks of tequila. Kirtis goes over to him.
“Hmm...margaritas. Are those strawberry flavored?” He smiles at the guy and introduces himself.
“Dude you don’t even know how good my margaritas are,” he smiles at Kirtis and hands him a red plastic cup.
I decide on a rum and coke and go for the Bacardi. I feel funny in some stranger’s kitchen but no one says anything so I just make the drink. I spot a cut up lemon and squeeze some into the cup and toss in a few ice cubes which I snag from a bucket on the counter.
“Oh dude…duuude! Please make me one of those,” I hear and look over at this tall brunette pointing at me from the dining room. Some guy is hanging all over her while kissing and messaging her neck.
“Yea guy, me too…and…yeah like easy on the coke but put lots of rum,” he says and I can hear his lips smacking. Then the brunette turns and they start making out and fall on a couch.
I make two more drinks while downing mine when Traney appears. I stare at him and then at his eight-buckle boots while he tosses a shot of something, probably tequila and then he heads toward the patio. I leave the two drinks on a coffee table next to the couch and the guy tells me “right on bro” with his mouth full of the brunette’s tongue.
On my way to the living room I say “what’s up” to a tall dude that looks like Gary’s brother.
“Hey dude, you one of my bro’s friends? I’m Mike,” he says and nods with glassy eyes. I slap hands with him and when that happens I feel okay to be here and make my way upstairs. I pass some photos on the wall and notice that both brothers play a lot of sports. I reach the top and there is a large room to the right where people are hanging out. I glance to the left and down a small hallway where there are other doors, all of them closed. I take a sip from my cup,almost finishing it and take a right.
“What’s up dude want some smoke?” some long haired blond surfer type asks me as I walk into a large entertainment room with a pool table, couches and lots of space. There are trophies on shelves and other shit but there are no lights on, only the TV.
“No I’m cool,” I say while holding up my cup.
“Yeah...get the nasty head spins that way,” some girl adds with a glazed look on her face. I glance at the TV and some scary movie is on.
“Well chill out man. Plenty of room on the sofa,” he adds and various people move legs and things so I can sit down.
“Just going to go downstairs and make another drink. So does anyone want something?”
A hand pops up from the floor and I hear “screw driver” and then the hand disappears and the girl with glazed eyes laughs. I nod and glance at the TV as a throat gets slit and I decide that a cigarette sounds good. I turn to go back downstairs and see the drunk couple I just met heading down the hallway, laughing and drinking.
“Okay you win. But we’ll be careful and not break anything,” she warns and shakes a wasted, mocking finger at him.
“Alright...gees mom.” He drops his head and then starts cracking up while she slaps his shoulder.
“Hey how are the drinks?” I ask.
“Oh hey, it’s the bartender dude! Hey man what’s your name again?” He stumbles backwards a little but doesn’t spill his drink.
“Brent,” I tell him and I can feel the rum and coke hitting me.
“Casey man,” he tells me and leans forward. We slap hands while I look over at the girl and she turns towards me, sipping her drink.
“Michelle,” she says with an ice cube in her mouth and then I hear a crunch. “Excellent rum and coke,” she nods while holding up her drink.
“Cool you liked the splash of lemon,” I smile at her and then toss the last sip from my own cup.
“Fuck yeah…perfect,” she smiles and I realize that she’s staring at me strongly. I check her out and she’s all athletic looking like a volleyball player or something. She is tall and all shoulders with a full tan and long hair which is in a pony-tail.
“Well bartender Brent…we’re going in there for awhile,” he tells me and winks while pointing to a room with double doors. “So like maybe we’ll see ya downstairs for another drink Next round is on me,” he smiles and opens the door.
“Where do you think the bathroom is?” Michelle looks at me and then I open a door just behind me and point to it somehow knowing it’s a bathroom. I look over at Casey, but he has already gone into the bedroom and then all of a sudden I smell girl and rum and then feel a tongue and lips all over my ear. Michelle has her arms around me and I look over her shoulder towards the bedroom but don’t see Casey.
“Thanks sooo much for being cool,” she says and kisses me hard on the mouth and then smiles at me. She stares at me for a moment and I’m just gay and lame. Then she’s gone and the door closes behind her and there’s no way that just happened. I walk over to the bedroom where one of the double doors is open and I see Casey face first on the bed.
“Have fun in there,” I tell him.
“Thanks dude. Plan on it,” he tells me, his voice muffled by the bed.
I stand in the hallway between the bedroom and the bathroom and I am out of Casey’s view. I focus on the talking and music coming from downstairs and can hear some Van Halen. It seems like a long time before I look at the bathroom and stare at the light coming from under the door and imagine Michelle in there with her pants down. Then I have the balls and go for the door but then I hear the knob turning so I turn and head down the stairs just as she comes out. I look back with one foot on the stairs and “take it easy” comes out and it is all efforts and lame sounding.
“See ya,” she says while smiling and waving and then heads to the bedroom. She’s so insanely hot at that moment and I totally want her. I turn back downstairs and see Kirtis at the bottom.
“What’s up dude…been looking for your ass,” he smiles while pointing at me.
“My ass is here,” I laugh and then float down the stairs. “Fuck dude I am getting trashed.”
“Yeah my ass is already there. Shit, Van Halen rocks man,” he tells me while we high five each other.
“Fuckin’ A it does. The last time I heard this album was in Parkwood.”
“Exactly! Listening to ‘Jump’ and dancing around Stephanie’s apartment.”
“Yeah we just need to turn off some lights and put the Duran Duran album on,” I tell him while checking out the crowd in the living room. I see Traney as I glance down the hall, past the kitchen and out the sliding door. He’s on the patio smoking a cigarette and talking to Kim.
“That’s fucking funny man, the Duran Duran record. It was those last two songs, ‘Save a Prayer’ and ‘The Chauffeur’. Fucking rad make out tunes,” he tells me and I can see him remembering.
“Yeah and like where the fuck were her parents? There was just like a bunch of us in her living room making out,” I say and start laughing.
“No shit. Well it was like just Stephanie and her mom. The mom would go out on dates and Stephanie would have those make out parties. She was fucking hot too, her mom.”
“I don’t remember the mom too much, but I remember having to get up and start the record over,” I tell him and lean over, cracking up.
“Fuck, that is too funny! Someone would have to get up and start the record over and then everyone would just start making out again,” he laughs.
“Dude your killing me. It was always a different person getting up to change the record. No one like said anything, it just happened!” And now I’m doubling over it’s so funny.
Kirtis wipes his eyes and then looks toward the kitchen. “Dude is still in there making margaritas,” he tells me and shakes his head. “I drank a few with him and there he is still going. So you went up stairs? What’s going on up there?” he asks and looks up the stairs.
“Oh there’s just some stoners watching a scary movie. Friday the 13th I think. Shit I’m supposed to make a drink for some dude on the floor. What the fuck was it? Shit…oh yeah a fucking screwdriver. How did I become the freaking bartender? You want another drink?” I point a finger at him.
“Another drink? I still have this margarita!” He looks at me and then tosses the rest of it. “Okay I’m good for another,” he says and nods his lower lip.
I tell him about Michelle and he tells me to go for it. Then I mention the other guy Casey and we agree that they are probably doing it and my chance is gone.
“Well... I’m going to take the dude his drink and maybe I’ll see her,” I say, looking around the party. I make the screwdriver and Kirtis is all questions about how Michelle made the moves on me and why I just stood there and didn’t kiss her back or anything.
“So I’m like on the patio and there’s like lounge chairs and shit,” Kirtis tells me and then I watch him open the slider and I notice Traney with an arm around Kim. Someone has changed the music and now some Oingo Boingo is playing.
“Lounge chairs...what’s going on? Where did they come into the story?” I ask, confused.
“Okay where like the fuck have you two been?” Traney is all eyes and teeth and hugs both of us.
“Well I was like around and upstairs and what not and I think Kirtis has something to say about lounge chairs,” I say looking at Kirtis. He walks behind Kim and does this trick thing to remove the cigarette and takes a drag. I notice three other people sitting on lounge chairs.
“Kirtis, what’s this about lounge chairs?” Traney asks and takes a drag off his cigarette.
“Brent, let me have a sip of your drink!” Kim yells me and goes for the cup.
“Well okay you can have it, but it’s for some dude upstairs so like you can make another then?”
“Yeah of course,” she says and she is quicker than light while swiping the drink. She takes a sip while Kirtis and Traney are laughing and I look at my watch which tells me it’s almost midnight. Becky walks over and says that we need to go soon.
“Cool party eh?” Kim asks us.
“Yeah man. Everyone’s cool...no assholes or anything,” Kirtis nods.
“Drinks flowing,” Traney adds.
I nod while looking around the yard and out past the fence at all the city lights blinking. Up here in the hills it’s quiet and there’s just a light wind blowing, some voices and the music inside the house. I close my eyes and get the spins again.
“Okay that guy keeps wiggling his finger at me. Like what is that?” Kim asks while looking into the house.
“Um...it means come over here so I can lick you,” Traney says and he’s all serious and then Kim smacks him in the arm. I look at an upstairs window wondering if Michelle and Casey are in there but there are no lights on. I picture them up there having sex and…then we’re in the car and I’m in the back seat with Kim and Traney who are all over each other and I wish I had a Del Burrito and fries.