When I start to see double, I come to a conclusion. I've never been this drunk before.

Seeing that I've only ever been on this planet for seventeen years, that's not very surprising at all. Especially when you take into consideration that I rarely ever drink in the first place. Could my very-drunkenness be an average buzz to someone else? Am I experiencing the placebo effect? Or maybe, the most realistic explanation, everyone in this room has a twin.

As I'm sunken into my best friends couch, my eyes fixate on the dancing people around me. If it were anyone's party but hers, I wouldn't have allowed myself to drink. While her parents are away on a two day vacation, her and her step-brother have the house all to themselves. And seeing that they hate each other, they wanted to fill it with more people.

In all actuality, throwing this party and coming up with the idea, was probably the first thing that her and her step-brother have ever agreed on. Like, ever.

For the past twenty minutes, since I've been swallowed by this couch, some great things have happened to me. From my aimless fidgeting, I've managed to find 6.21$ in change under the cushions, and an orange hair beret. I'm actually pretty sure it's my hair beret from middle school that Violet never gave back to me.

Without hesitation, I clip it into my hair.

"Maddi?" I hear Violet call my name, but I don't see her through the walls of people. "Move! Move. Excuse me. Stop messing with that! Where is Maddi?"

When her blond head peeks out from behind a body, a goofy smile pulls to my lips. My best friend is beautiful. Beautiful is actually an understatement. With long locks of golden, and bright blue eyes that could hold all of the oceans mysteries, I've grown to admire her a lot.

"Why did I know I would find you here?" She teases, plopping down next to me. The bounce causes my hand full of change to jolt upward, the dimes and quarters spilling across my lap and floor.

I pout, an extreme sadness coming over me.

A proud smile splays across Violet's face. "No way. Maddi, you're drunk."

I scrunch my nose, reaching down to pick up a dime. Despite it being right in front of my face, I can't seem to locate it with my fingers. "And you're beautiful."

"This is ground breaking! Revolutionary some might say. We can't pass this moment up." Violet exclaims, jumping up so suddenly that the dime I've finally manged to find, rolls away from my finger tips. "Come on, follow me!"

Without giving me a decision of my own, Violet pulls me away from my comfort. A deep indentation of my presence is left on the couch.

"It's okay. I'll be back soon, don't worry." I mutter, giving the couch a reassuring smile.

"What was that?" Violet looks back at me as she pulls me through the crowds.

I whisper too low for her to hear, "you wouldn't understand. The bond you've broken."

                                                                      *****

After a numerous amount of games—drinking and non-drinking— Violet ends up becoming quite tipsy herself. She holds herself well, though. And for good reason, too. She's always party hopping. I usually come with to hang out with her and others, but I never drink. I'm always there to watch out for her. 

Over about an hour ago, Violet declared my consumption limit. For awhile now, we've been sitting in her upstairs hallway. Before this, she sat with me in the bathroom as I blew chunks. Needless to say, I feel a lot better.

Leaning against the wall, I watch the ceiling fan go around and around and around and around. A multitude of people step over us and in fact, someone tripped over my foot earlier, face planting directly into her mom's potted plant. 

The plant was okay.

I'm showing Violet the hair beret I found in her couch, when a loud crash sounds from downstairs.

Violet's body jolts at the sound of it. "What the fuck?"

My eyes widen, "that didn't sound good."

Not wasting anytime, Violet pulls herself to her feet. "I'll be right back, Maddi."

And just like that, I'm back to watching the fan go around and around and around and around.

Not long passes before the shadow of a person cascades over me. Breaking my trance, I look to my left, only to see a group of three. The group of three, to be more specific. The ones that most definitely were not invited to this party by Violet. 

"Hey, Madison." Amelia Vanderwood greets me, her tone oddly innocent. Around school, she's known to be kind of invasive and bitchy. But I personally don't know her well. The only thing that I do know, is that she's on Violet's shit-list. For some very specific reasons. And has been, ever since middle school.

Her two friends, Nina and Josh were pretty much irrelevant to Violet. But because they follow Amelia nearly everywhere, when she's not wanted, neither are they. 

"I don't know who said you could be here, but you're uninvited." I look away from her.

"Look at you, talking as if you have a say in anything." Amelia crosses her arms.

"This is practically my second home, so—"

"Grayson invited me." She sighs, appearing annoyed at my persistence. 

Inhaling slowly, I swear I can feel the oxygen heat up inside of me. "Of course he did."

Every since a young boy, Grayson's never been on the right side of things. He use to run when his parents said to walk, he use to wrestle around with Violet and I despite us being small and fragile. His hair was always messy when it needed to be presentable, and most interestingly, his taste in women has always been questionable.

His father marrying Violet's mother was probably worse than a wildfire consuming all of the world. Ever since the very beginning of it all, everything around the two children has been set ablaze with arguments and fights. Meanwhile, their parents try really hard to make them get along, so that they can all just be a happy family.

I'm basically just the third child Violet's parents never had. I've been around since day one, and I'm glad I have been. If not for our forces combining, Grayson would walk the earth unrivaled.

"I'm kinda wishing he didn't though, this is a total bore." Josh speaks up from the back, Amelia giving an agreeable nod.

"Good, then leave." I flash my pearly whites. 

Amelia and her death glare pierce my soul. "Fine."

I feel my eyebrows rise, but I try to wipe the surprised look off my face as quick as possible. Never in a million years would I expect my words to actually effect her. Most of the time, she treats me like I'm invisible and honestly I don't mind—

The abrupt sensation of warm, musty liquid engulfs me.

"Oh my gosh, my bad." Nina squeaks. "Someone rammed into my back."

The smell of alcohol reeks. My body gives a sudden shiver of disgust, my hair sticking to my face. I really, really miss my couch.

"You're so dumb, Nina." Amelia rolls her eyes, but soon has to muffle a laugh. Leaning down, she opens her hand out to me. "Here, let's go to the bathroom." 

"Uh, I'm okay—"

Amelia slips her hand under mine and pulls me up. My legs automatically feel like jello, my body slamming into the wall. She helps me catch my balance, leading me just a little ways down the hall. Of course she knew where the bathroom was. Grayson's had her over more than once. 

"Really, I'm fine." I grumble, trying to retract my arm into my own possession again. 

She doesn't fire back because we've already arrived at the bathroom. Kicking open the door with her foot, a hand from behind her flicks on the lights. I squeeze my eyes shut, the room suddenly beginning to spin. In the back of my throat, I feel a heavy weight. 

"Close the door." Amelia demands, and her friends do just that.

I push her away from me, my back pressing against the sink.

"Relax," she snaps. "If we're going to help change you out of your clothes, we need privacy."

Unable to really refuse the situation in my state, I place my warm forehead into my palm. When I look back up, I see the three of them talking about something.

"Not with him in here," I declare.

A silent wave falls over the tiny, tiled room.

"You heard her," Amelia nods at Josh to leave. "Just wait outside or something."

When he leaves, Amelia sits me down on the toilet seat. Despite apart of me feeling completely violated and uncomfortable with this situation— I can't deny the excessive need I feel to get out of these sticky clothing. 

"Arms up," she says, and I raise them high. Grabbing the hem of my t-shirt, she slides it off. 

As she begins to reach for my pants, I push her hand away. "I'm not so fucked up that I can't unzip my own pants."

Despite my declaration, I spend a good minute fidgeting with the button. Eventually, I manage to pull my jeans off. With a good few kicks, my pants go flying into the corner of the room.

Sitting in my dry garments, a lazy smile plasters onto my face. While Amelia tries to neatly gather my clothing, Nina is just on her phone.

"Okay, all better, right?" Amelia smiles.

"Why are you being nice to me." I question her.

"Don't act like you know my motives," she quickly gathers and folds my clothing, placing them on the sink.

My eyebrows furrow inward. Okay, then... whatever. My head is throbbing. That vague feeling in the back of my throat suddenly becomes very apparent. Without a thought in my mind, I drop to my knees and slam the toilet lid open. After upchucking my intestines, I rinse my face with cold water. 

When my mind comes back to the present, I realize that Amelia and Nina are gone. I begin to feel like they've just vanished into thin air, but then I notice that the door is cracked open. 

She helped me get out of my sticky clothing but couldn't stay to make sure I didn't choke on my own vomit. Makes sense. 

Completely exhausted and sweaty, I allow myself to sit on the cold, tiled floor. After sitting for what feels like hours, I regret nothing. Similarly to the ceiling fan going around and around and around, my head is doing the same. 

Just as I'm about to pick up a shampoo bottle and read the back of it, the door swings open. In shock, my hand flails, knocking over the bottle. The person seems in a hurry, wasting no time to shut the door. When they start towards the toilet, a shocked, yet familiar voice sounds.

"Madison?" Grayson questions.

I look up at the tall, handsome boy. His dark hair is messy like always, the tips of it falling over his green eyes. His sharp jaw tenses at the sight of me, but I drop my eyes to his body. Lean and lazy all at once. 

Suddenly, I grow irritated. "Grayson! This is the girls bathroom. You can't be in here."

There's a moment of silence before he muffles a laugh. "You're plastered."

"And you're going to get expelled." A hiccup escapes my mouth.

His eyes drop to my chest, slowly scanning over my body. "... and half naked."

"What?" I allow my head to fall, looking over myself. "When did that happen?"

I shuffle through my memories. Drawing a blank on every possibility, I can't seem to remember how I ended up in this situation. 

Grayson kneels down next to me, his sweatpants grazing my bare thigh. "You don't know how you got undressed?"

"No. But I'm sure I'll remember eventually." I wave my hand around. "Why are you begin so civil to me? You're never this nice."

He shakes his head. "Shut up, Maddi."

Sighing, he slips his arms underneath my body, picking me up bridal style. When he stands up, I can't help but giggle and kick my feet around. It doesn't dawn on me until a moment later that I might be annoying him with my movements, but at the same time I don't care.

"I haven't been picked up like this since I was little!" I laugh.

"Yeah, cause you're heavy as shit." Grayson tries to get my weight balanced properly in his arms.

"Hey..." I grumble, but then smile. "That's the Grayson I know!"

He takes a moment before starting towards the door. Inhaling a breath, he finds a way to turn the knob with one of his hands. As a last thought, he reaches back and grabs my damp clothing on the sink, tossing it into my lap as he carries me.

The last thing I hear before I lean my head onto his shoulder is a sentence I can agree with. "For Gods Sake, let's hope no one see's me carrying you like this."

Then, a dark sleep engulfs me, the smell of Grayson's neck sending me to bed.

*****