Page 138 of His Big Bad Stick

I was such an asshole back then to her.

It could have been anybody.

Actually, if it was someone else, it would have been worse.

I guess you could say from the moment I met Abrielle, I felt something.

Don’t go swooning too hard yet…

Or maybe you should swoon a little. I don’t know.

When I found out her and her mother were finally leaving my father’s house, it didn’t sit well with me. I tortured Abrielle even worse. I wanted her to hate me so much it would be a relief to be gone.

But then she had to show up to that fucking party.

She showed up to act like a brat.

And I became her fucking hero.

Andy has a system with the cups.

Red are booze. Blue are water.

He does this every time there’s a party and it takes maybe an hour at best before everyone’s cup is filled with booze.

Assholes switching out the colors of the cups, wanting some girl to drink and get drunk and not realize it…

Guys like Chad Orbeler.

His old man owned all the car dealerships in town and was dead set on paying whatever it took to get his kid into the pros.

Problem though? Chad isn’t that great at hockey.

Decent for high school. Maybe for college.

But the pros? Not a chance.

Chad lives in a world where his shit doesn’t stink and every girl wants him.

He’s also known to make sure situations advance in his favor.

I can never be sure what’s a rumor or not.

I’m stuck dealing with Chad every single day of my life. I can ignore him though.

What I can’t ignore tonight is that Chad is being annoying and that I swore I just saw Abrielle enter the house.

I know I’m drinking out of a red cup and I’m feeling buzzed up…

I push through the party and hand my cup off to someone.

Taylor Haidens jumps in front of me, wearing a low-cut shirt, bright blue eyes, messy hair… drunk for sure. She’s finally worked up the guts to talk to me. Guided by the booze in her red cup.

Even if I wasn’t trying to find Abrielle, I would not go near Taylor.

There’s a line between being silly and having fun and then being too drunk.

Taylor is beyond that line.

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