Page 15 of Hell House
But, when I arrived at the art room, I’d found it occupied by a paint splattered menace with pigtails. I flex my hand trying to shove the feel of her skin off of my fingers. Touching her had sent a jolt of desire straight to my groin. Usually, Lust woke that part of me, but this? This happened all on its own for the first time in I couldn’t even remember. Maybe before we’d all been possessed on Initiation Night.
I rub absently at my chest, scowling as I rush out of the building trying to make sense of what just happened. Were the demons loosing it’s clutch on us finally? Or had I started gaining more control over it? I reign in the hope I feel bubbling up inside of me. I can’t let my thoughts run away with me.
I wrestle with what to do, and decide I need to talk to Pierce. My twin usually knew what to make of things. I just hope I can catch him before he’s too many beers down for the night.
The house practically glows against the setting sun, making the tall spires cast a long shadow against the grass. The tower sits in the center, jutting out like a middle finger to the heavens. I tuck the image away in my brain to sketch it later. The gravel path crackles beneath my long strides as I jog up to the house, passing several revelers who are already swaggering with some kind of substance. I can already hear the thumping bass that rattles the panes, scaring off any small creatures that might hang around this end of the woods.
“LUKASS!!” Pierce calls out as he hangs off of the porch, his arm wrapped around a beam as he balances precariously on the black painted rail, his outstretched hand clutching a red solo cup. Yeah, he was already wasted.
Pierce wobbles then jumps off the railing into the grass without spilling his beer.
“DUUUUDE! Did-ja seeee that? Not evena drop on me!” As he goes to put the beer to his lips, he misses, spilling the contents down his shirt, to which he just frowns patting it in confusion.
“My God, how much have you had?” I laugh shaking my head at him as I take his arm directing him back into the house.
He dismisses me still patting his drenched shirt like it will magically dry if he keeps pushing at it. Pierce is ridiculous when he’s drunk. He can go from being the life of the party to having an all out fight with whoever’s “insulted” him in a matter of seconds. Hopefully he stays in more of the life of the party mode because I’m in no mood to break up any of his fights tonight. In fact, I was beginning to wish I hadn’t come back to the house at all as several people start eye fucking me. They’re not even subtle about it.
“Let’s get you some water.” I say, pulling him with me into the house, eager to get away from all the leering. The music is pulsing through my body as Pierce stumbles against me, his breath reeking of stale beer as he pulls on my shirt for balance. You’d think with how much money all of our families had combined, we’d at least be able to have quality beer shipped out here, but I guess that’s what made it college. Crap beer and weekly parties while we stumbled blindly towards becoming adults.
“LuKAAASSS!” Graham says as we stagger through the door. He pops a cheese ball into his mouth as he sways his hips to the beat of the techno pulsing out of our speakers. A gaggle of girls circle him as he tosses one of his cheese balls at a girl wearing what looks like a disco ball for a dress. She catches the ball easily in her mouth, doing a little victory dance that causes the flashing lights to bounce straight off of her. Jesus, that dress was a fucking hazard. My eyes burned just from briefly watching them as we pushed our way through to the kitchen.
Pierce follows me without complaint, more occupied by his wet shirt than the surroundings of the party.
I prop him down on one of the stools. “Sit.” I command, seeing him slouch over the table, his ass barely staying on the stool. I roll my eyes, grabbing a water from the fridge and plopping it in front of Pierce.
He makes a cheers gesture at me with a smirk before pounding it back like he’s taking a shot.
The music pulses on, becoming louder. I can barely hear myself think.
“You good?” I ask Pierce, making sure he doesn’t slip off the stool and crack his head open. He stands up suddenly and pulls me into a hug so tight that it squeezes my lungs. He holds me for a second slapping my back several times before pulling away. He points his finger at me.
“You’re like a mirror, but like… I can hug you.” I can’t help but bust out laughing.
“Yeah, man. That’s what happens when you have a twin.” He’s more wasted than I thought.
“DUDE! Let’s go play poooool. You know. Likes we usssed to.” He hiccups.
“Yeah, I don’t think…” but he’s already weaving through the crowd. “Shit.”
I go after him, dodging arms that are raised up as they dance to the music. I barely miss being whacked by a rogue elbow that belongs to one of the frat brothers. He looks like he’s attempting to do the chicken dance while a few girls giggle at his antics.
I see a flash of blonde pigtails and immediately feel my pulse speed up wondering if it belonged to the girl I’d run into earlier. Was she here? I scan the room feeling my heart in my ears, but I see nothing but sweaty bodies belonging to the same people who usually frequent our parties. I let out a note of frustration before heading into the billiard room where I find my brother standing on top of the pool table with a stick in his hand.
“DUUUUDE. You made it!”
Several eyes swivel in my direction, and I feel Lust begin to stretch out in my chest, taking note of the interest that surrounds me.
“Here!” Pierce tosses the stick down at me, and I catch it easily, wrapping my fingers one by one around the well-worn wood.
“Fine. One game.”
Pierce jumps down, managing to land on his feet like a goddamn cat, and I can’t help but shake my head at him letting a small laugh out at his crazy ass.
“You won’t regret it.” He says, snatching the pole from my hands with a smirk plastered on his face.
Guess I’m playing pool with my brother. I resolve to talk to him about my encounter later, the feeling leaving me unsettled, like that moment you go down the stairs and forget that there’s one more step.
I push it down, focusing on Pierce attempting to gather all the pool balls at one time and failing miserably.
