Chapter 7: Cleaning Up After Chaos

James stayed the champion.

He continued his winning streak in beer pong, defeating both Lucas and Matt with apparent ease. I admired his competitive spirit. However, I knew that if left unchecked, he would likely spend the entire night at the beer pong table.

Determined to shake things up and inject some variety into the evening, I walked over to him. I snatched the beer cup out of his hand and drank it. James’s eyebrows shot to his hairline.

“It’s time to dance,” I declared.

He flashed me a charming smile as we made our way to the makeshift dance floor. Lucas and Matt had moved the furniture out of the way earlier. As we swayed to the music, the world around us faded away, leaving only the rhythm and the warmth of James’s presence. His hands were strong yet gentle as they rested on my waist, leading me effortlessly across the floor.

Just as I began to lose myself in the moment, the front door opened.

There was an unfamiliar man—I assumed he had knocked but we hadn’t heard him over the sound of the music. James excused himself to answer it, leaving me momentarily alone.

To my surprise, James returned with the guy.

“Our DJ is here!” James announced.

“DJ?” Lucas asked.

Everyone looked as surprised as I felt. We hadn’t known that James had gotten a DJ. The DJ quickly set up his things. In the meantime, we snacked and talked. James continued drinking…

I noticed Addison eat one edible and then another.

As the music filled the room again, James pulled me back into his arms. We resumed our dance with renewed enthusiasm. The DJ spun a mix of upbeat tracks, filling the air with infectious energy as we moved in sync to the rhythm.

“Do you know how attracted I am to you?” James breathed in my ear.

It was a rhetorical question, but I answered anyway, “Almost as attracted as I am to you.”

In response, he grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to him. With James’s body pressed close to mine, I felt a surge of heat coursing through me. The proximity stirred something deep within me. His presence was intoxicating. His touch sent shivers down my spine as we danced together.

After a while, I felt overheated and in need of a break from the dance floor.

“I want a glass of water,” I told James.

He dropped his hands from my hips but continued dancing. As I made my way to the refreshment table, I noticed the heightened energy in the room. James seemed to be letting loose more than usual. His movements became wilder and more uninhibited with each passing song.

Returning with my water, I took a moment to survey the scene. My friends, too, seemed to be reveling in the moment, embracing the carefree atmosphere of our “last hurrah” before we all went off to college life. Addison was twerking like her life depended on it. Lucas had lost his shirt. Lola and Sadhvi were taking shots as if they were water. And Matt was smoking something in a pipe.

“What is that?” I asked Matt. I had to yell because of the music.

“You don’t wanna know,” was his response before he pulled it into his lungs.

James caught my eye from across the room. He grinned at me as he danced. His usual calm and collected demeanor seemed to have been replaced by a sense of reckless abandon, as if he were determined to make the most of every moment.

I drank my water and caught my breath.

“Vodka!” Lola cried and snatched the glass from me.

She took a sip, pulled a face, and then spat the water out on the floor. For a moment, we just looked at each other and then she handed me the glass back.

“That’s not vodka,” she mumbled, before making her way over to the beer.

“No, it isn’t,” I mumbled and set the glass down on the counter.

As the night wore on, the energy in the room only seemed to escalate. The music grew louder and the laughter more infectious with each passing hour. It was a night of celebration, a chance to let go of the worries and stresses of everyday life and simply embrace the joy of being alive.

But maybe things were going a bit far.

I noticed Addison stumbling in my direction with a glass in her hand. Her movements were unsteady and her gaze unfocused. It was clear that she had indulged a bit too much. Her intoxication was evident as she struggled to maintain her balance. The liquid in the glass sloshed around, threatening to spill over.

Suddenly, Addison’s glass slipped from her grasp. It shattered into pieces as it hit the floor. I rushed to her side.

“Addison, are you okay?” I asked, reaching out to steady her as she swayed unsteadily on her feet.

But before I could get a response, Addison bolted towards the nearest bathroom. Without a second thought, I followed after her.

As I entered the bathroom, I found Addison hunched over the toilet. She was retching violently as she emptied the contents of her stomach. The sight was enough to make my own stomach churn, but I pushed aside my discomfort. Instead, I focused on providing comfort and support for my cousin in her time of need.

Kneeling beside her, I gently held back Addison’s hair. She mumbled unintelligibly, her words slurred and incomprehensible, but I stayed by her side.

“You’re going to be just fine,” I told her.

Once Addison had finished puking, I helped her to her feet. I guided her slowly back to her room with steady hands. With each step, I could feel the weight of her drunkenness.

As I laid Addison down and tucked her in, she continued to mumble incoherently. Her words were a jumbled mess of sounds that I couldn’t decipher.

“Sleep well,” I told her.

There was a sound at the door. I turned toward it to see Sadhvi stumbling inside. Her unsteady movements mirrored Addison’s intoxicated state. I watched as she leaned against the wall for support, her words slurred and barely coherent as she mumbled something.

“Can you repeat that?” I asked her.

“It’s bedtime already…” she slurred.

I was unsure if she was making a statement or asking a question. But before I could respond, Sadhvi made her way to the small bed and climbed in next to Addison.

“Keily, this is just a taste of what is to come. Apparently, college parties are even crazier,” she mumbled. With that said, she closed her eyes.

I stood there for a moment, processing Sadhvi’s words. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, imagining the chaos and excess that awaited us in the future. How would I survive if college parties were indeed crazier than this?

With a heavy heart, I left the room, only to find several bottles scattered in the hallway. It seemed that Sadhvi had left them behind, a rare oversight from someone who was usually good at cleaning up after herself.

Sighing, I made a mental note to clean up the mess later. Speaking of a mess… someone had to clean Addison’s broken glass. The shards could be dangerous when stepped on. I guess it was going to be me.

I hurried back to the dance floor, only to find it deserted. I realized the DJ was nowhere to be seen. An arm wrapped around me and pulled me close. I squealed. James stumbled, dragging me with him. His breath smelled horrible!

“James!” I said, pulling away from him. “Where is the DJ?”

“He went home,” James said. “Come to the bedroom with me…”

“I’ll be there in a moment,” I replied.

He accepted my answer and stumbled away. With a deep breath, I turned my attention to the broken glass, determined to clean up the mess before going to sleep.

Was I too sober? Was that why I was feeling so overwhelmed?

As I swept up the shards, my mind raced with worry. But before I could finish, my attention was drawn to Lucas, who lay passed out on the floor nearby. Overwhelmed by the sight, I hesitated, unsure of what to do next.

I glanced around for help, but both Matt and James were nowhere to be found. I bit down hard on my teeth. There was no way I could carry him to bed. Determined to help Lucas, I made my way to Matt’s room. It was closer than James. Besides, James was so drunk I doubt he’d be of any help. When I reached the room, I heard sounds of intimacy. They stopped me in my tracks. With a sigh, I turned away, knowing it wasn’t the time to interrupt.

Returning to my room, I found James passed out on the bed. He was snoring loudly. Since when did James snore?

Feeling even more overwhelmed, I paused for a moment, unsure of what to do next. But then I remembered shirtless Lucas, still lying unconscious on the floor. I switched off the light and walked out of the room.

With a heavy heart, I made my way back to him, gently draping a blanket over his sleeping form. There was nothing more I could do to help.

I switched off the music and lights and returned back to the master bedroom. Something smelled bad, making me switch the light back on.

Grimacing at the sight before me, I entered my room to find James in a sorry state. He lay sprawled halfway on the bed, halfway on the floor, a puddle of vomit beside him. The stench assaulted my senses, and I fought back the urge to retch myself.

I had to clean it.

I couldn’t sleep with this mess and I couldn’t leave James like that. Summoning every ounce of resolve, I steeled myself and set to work. I got a bucket, soap, and sponge from the kitchen. With a determined grimace, I knelt down and began cleaning the vomit from the floor, trying not to dwell on the unpleasantness of the task at hand.

I was disgusted.

Once the floor was spotless, I turned my attention to James, who lay unconscious on the bed. With a heavy sigh, I carefully maneuvered him back onto the bed, his limbs limp and unresponsive.

It was a messy, unpleasant task, but I refused to let it defeat me. With each movement, I focused on the end goal: getting James settled and comfortable so that he could rest and recover from the night’s excesses.

I got a washing cloth and wiped his mouth off. But there was nothing I could do about his bad breath…

Finally, with James back on the bed and the room cleaned to the best of my abilities, I collapsed onto the mattress beside him. Wow, I was exhausted.

I sighed and hoped that it wasn’t really going to get worse than this.