Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

music. “Great party!”
    “Have you seen Molly?” I shouted back.
    “In the hot tub.”
    I squirmed out of the grasp of an inebriated boy who was trying to drag me into the mêlée of dancers and dodged another who called me “bro” and tried to give me a bear hug. A girl pulled him off me apologetically. “Sorry about Stefan,” she yelled. “He’s wasted already.”
    I nodded and slipped outside, making a mental note to add the new words to the glossary I was compiling.
    More empty bottles and cans littered the ground outside, and I had to pick my way carefully around them. Despite the cold, teenagers in bikinis and shorts lounged by the pool and crowded the hot tub. The lights threw an eerie blue glow over the frolicking bodies. Suddenly a naked boy streaked past me and dived into the pool. He emerged shivering but looking pleased with the loud cheers he drew from the others. I tried not to look as horrified as I felt.
    I felt a flood of relief when I finally located Molly sandwiched between two boys in the hot tub. Seeing me, she hoisted herself out, stretching like a cat, and lingered long enough for the boys to admire her wet, toned body.
    “Bethie, when did you get here?” she said in a singsong voice.
    “Just now,” I said. “Has there been a change of plans? What happened to the facials?”
    “Oh, babe, we ditched that idea!” Molly said as if this detail was of minor importance. “My auntie’s sick, so Mom and Dad are out of town for the weekend. Couldn’t pass on an opportunity to partay !”
    “I’ve just come in to say hello. I can’t stay,” I said. “My brother thinks we’re testing out face masks.”
    “Well, he isn’t here, is he?” Molly grinned mischievously. “And what Brother Gabriel doesn’t know can’t hurt him. Come on, just have one drink before you head off. I don’t want you in trouble because of me.”
    In the kitchen we met up with Taylah, who was standing behind the kitchen counter mixing something in a blender. An impressive array of bottles were scattered around her. I read a few of the labels: Caribbean white rum, single malt scotch, whiskey, tequila, absinthe, Midori, bourbon, champagne. The names didn’t mean much to me. Alcohol had been omitted from my training—a gap in my education.
    “Can I get two Taylah Specials for Beth and me?” Molly asked, draping her arms around her friend and swaying her hips in time to the music.
    “Comin’ right up,” said Taylah, filling two cocktail glasses almost to the brim with a greenish brew.
    Molly shoved one of the drinks into my hand and took a big gulp of her own. We made our way into the living room. The music was blaring so loudly from two colossal speakers positioned in the corners of the room that even the floor was vibrating. I sniffed my drink cautiously.
    “What’s in this?” I asked Molly over the din.
    “It’s a cocktail,” she said. “Cheers!”
    I took a swig out of politeness and regretted it instantly. It was sickly sweet but at the same time burned my throat. Determined not to be labeled a buzzkill, I continued sipping at the mixture. Molly was enjoying herself and led me into the seething mass of dancers. For a few minutes we danced together, and then I lost sight of her, and a throng of strangers closed in around me. I tried to find a gap in the bodies to worm through and escape, but the moment one appeared it closed up again just as quickly. Several times I noticed that each time my glass was empty it was refilled as if by invisible servers.
    By now I was feeling light-headed and unsteady on my feet. I blamed it on my being unused to loud music and crowds. I sipped at my drink, hoping it would refresh me. Gabriel was always going on about the importance of keeping our bodies hydrated.
    I was just finishing my third cocktail when I felt an overwhelming desire to sink down to the floor. But I didn’t reach it. Instead, I felt a strong hand take hold of me and lead me away from the throng.