Beneath Our Faults

by Charity Ferrell

  “Holy house,” I muttered. Cora pushed a button on her visor and one of the six garage doors opened. Pulling in, she parked next to a black Escalade, like it was her own personal spot, and turned off the ignition.

  "Lane’s dad is like super loaded. He owns one of the top music labels in Atlanta,” Gabby explained, turning around to look at me from the passenger seat. "And Cora's lucky ass gets to meet famous people all the time." Her elbow nudged Cora but she was too caught up in her phone to pay any attention.

  Speaking of phone. “Hey Cora, is it alright if I leave my phone in here?” I asked, unbuckling my seatbelt. I ran my hands through my hair and pulled down my pocketless dress again.

  “Yeah,” she mumbled, her fingers stopped tapping and she looked back at me. "No one else is allowed in here so it will be fine." Pulling down her visor, she checked her reflection one last time before opening up her door. "Alright, let's do this."

  I internally counted to ten before opening up my door, ignoring the building tension in the pit of my stomach. I already had a bad feeling about tonight. It was too soon. What if I freaked out in front of everyone? People would start calling me a freak again. Gabby stopped at my door and squatted down to look at me.

  "Hey babe, everything is going to be fine. I'll be with you the entire time and if you want to leave early, we can. I got your back." I nodded, setting my phone down in the seat and she grinned. Gabby grabbed my hand and the three of us walked towards the door.

  I heard the pulsating sounds of the music before we even walked into the chaos. The place was overflowing with sweaty, costumed teenagers. Every piece of furniture was covered with large blankets and pushed back against the walls. A giant staircase in the middle of the entry way was roped off with a "DO NOT ENTER" sign taped to it.

  "Let's find Lane and get our drinks," Cora yelled over the deafening noise, grabbing my arm. She dragged me through the large crowd and I kept my eyes on the pigtails in front of me while Gabby held onto my back. She stopped at the kitchen and I scanned the giant crowd surrounding us. Granite counter tops were covered with food, drinks or someone's ass. Two kegs were set up on the floor with drunken kids circled around it. The entire house had an open concept design (I had been reading my aunt's interior design magazines), so you could see everything that was happening from the kitchen.

  My eyes immediately landed on Piper and her goon squad dancing in the living room. Her “costume” was a tiny, sparkly, pink tutu, a crop halter-top showing off her dream catcher belly ring and a pair of heels that were even taller than mine. Maybe she would trip, fall and break a leg so I could get a break from her sassy attitude and elbows to the body. She finished her ensemble with a sparkly tiara perched on top of her overly teased blonde hair.

  “What is she even suppose to be?” Cora asked, appearing beside me.

  “Toddlers and Tiaras All Grown Up: The Street Corner Edition,” Gabby joked. "Looks like Queen Bitch Face decided to bedazzle her horns tonight to look like a tiara," she added, shaking her head. “Our costumes totally kill hers.”

  "Duh they do. I'm just confused because I thought you were supposed to dress up as something you weren't already when it's Halloween," Cora laughed, shaking her head.

  "Ladies, you look ravishing!" Lane's voice boomed out from behind us. I turned around, spotting him holding a red cup in his hand and wearing a football jersey and jeans. I guess he didn't go with the Bam Bam idea. "Mmmm pigtails," he grinned, grabbing Cora around the waist and hoisting her up onto a small open space on the counter. Flicking a pigtail, he kissed her neck.

  "Um gross. Get a room," Piper spat out, strutting into the kitchen with a pissed off, constipated look on her face. The four of us moved so our backs were turned away from her, ignoring the demon's presence.

  “Pick your poison,” Lane shouted, signaling to the countless choices on the counter. Where did he even manage to get all this?

  “Vodka, por favor,” Gabby bursted, grabbing three cups and a bottle. "Where is the cranberry?"

  “There is no cranberry juice,” Piper claimed, apparently still in the room.

  “There is cranberry juice,” Lane corrected, opening up the stainless steel fridge. “Just not for you.” Still not bothering to turn around and acknowledge Piper, he grabbed a bottle of cranberry juice from the bottom compartment and handed it to Gabby.

  “Why are you always such an asshole?” The four of us turned around to finally face Piper. Her hands were perched on her hips with hate lining her face. Damn, she was really pissed.

  Without giving Lane a chance to argue back, Cora jumped off the counter quickly, getting in to Piper's face. "Happy Halloween, Skankenstein. Nice dream catcher belly ring, Piper. Your vagina must have seriously bad nightmares from all the guys it's been around." She let out a disgusted snort and my mouth fell open. I had never witnessed Cora being so nasty to anyone.

  Piper grumbled out a sarcastic laugh. "Please. I don't even understand what he sees in you," she sneered, pinching her face together. Her voice had always been irritating, but adding alcohol to her system made it excruciating to listen to. She moved her vision from Cora over to Lane, giving him a sly smile. "I'll repeat what I've always told you. You definitely downgraded." Downgraded? Confusion smacked into me. Did Lane used to date Piper?

  A crowd quickly formed around us, watching the heated show on display. Cora's fists balled up and I was positive she was gearing to drop kick the skank in front of her. Lane must have been thinking the same thing, because he raced forward, pulling Cora behind his broad chest. "Shut the fuck up, Piper," he warned the angry blonde, his voice ice cold. "Or get the hell out of my house. You're lucky I even let you step foot in here. But if you EVER talk to Cora like that again, you will be banned from every single goddamn party that happens here or anywhere else."

  Damn, go Lane.

  For the first time since I've known Piper, she was speechless. Her mouth was pressed into a tight line. She glanced around suddenly, realizing no one was coming to her defense. I spotted her groupies in the corner, refusing to look her way. They might want to be like her, but they weren't willing to get banned from parties for their ringleader. She pointed her perfectly contoured chin in the air, tossing her shiny hair over her shoulder and strutted out of the room, shoving through the crowd with her elbows.

  "I can't stand that fucking chick," Lane bit out, his voice cracking with anger. "Shows fucking over," he shouted to the crowd, waving them out of the kitchen. They scurried away like ants back to the music gyrating in the living room. From the look on Lane's face, my ass would have scurried away too. So far, the party had been exactly what I assumed. Pure freaking torture- and I hadn't even started drinking yet.

  Lane turned around, wrapping his arms around Cora and kissing her on the top of her head. Tilting her head up, she stepped up to give him a peck on the lips. "That made me feel better," she smiled, breaking away from his hold.

  “Are you okay, girl?” Gabby asked Cora, pulling her in for a hug. “I am so going to plant bugs in that girl’s bed next time I'm forced to go over to her house for a dinner."

  Cora let out a deep sigh and nodded. “I’m just going to run to your bathroom real quick and put my phone in your room,” she told Lane, turning around and walking out of the kitchen.

  “Kay, I’m coming with you.” His voice sounded bossy, but caring at the same time. Grabbing her hand, he followed her out of the kitchen. When I could no longer make out their bodies in the crowd, I turned to Gabby and raised an eyebrow. It might have not been my business, but I was curious. “Did Piper and Lane used to date?”

  Grabbing the vodka bottle, she let out a deep sigh. “Lane's going to kill me for this. Cora and Lane broke up for like a week during their junior year.” She held her cup and poured two shots inside before handing the bottle to me. “During those two weeks, he went to a homecoming dance with Piper. They didn’t do shit,” she explained, waving her arms. “But Piper enjoys giving Cora a hard time about it, saying she is ge
tting her sloppy seconds when everyone, even Cora, knows that Lane would never do that to her. Break or no break.” She grabbed the cranberry juice and filled up the rest of her cup. “She’s just jealous because neither Lane nor his cousin want her for anything serious. She’s either a fuck buddy or a girl to take to homecoming to piss of the girl you’re in love with.”

  “Sounds like she wants to keep it in the family,” I replied, grabbing my own cup.

  She took a sip from her cup. “Piper just needs attention since her daddy is always gone with his secretary and her mom bangs the pool boy on a regular basis.” I tilted my head to the side, blinking.

  “Her dad is my step-dad’s brother,” she clarified, and I immediately felt bad for her. “The first time I met Piper she called me white trash because my mom drives a Honda and has a full time job.”

  Nodding as she talked, I gripped the vodka bottle in my hand and started to fill my glass over halfway full. Screw it.

  Hello stomach, meet my new friend, Mr. Vodka.

  "Shit Daisy, slow it down," Gabby said, grabbing the bottle from me.

  "I'm fine," I insisted, filling the rest of my cup up with cranberry juice. Or I will be fine in about twenty minutes when this alcohol sets in and my brain can't process how lonely my life is.

  I wanted to drink away the memories that kept me awake at night. I took a giant gulp, choking as I felt the burn of the hot liquid traveling down my throat. Why couldn't they make this stuff taste like candy?

  "Uh no, you're not fine and my mom will seriously kick my ass if anything happens to you," she said, worriedly. I faked a laugh, trying to look non-chalant and waving her off like I drank this much all the time.

  "I'm not going to drink it all," I lied. "I just wasn't paying attention when I poured, but I didn't want to waste the alcohol," I added, trying my best to sound convincing.

  Her smile faltered and I knew she was fully aware I was bullshitting her. "Okay," she said slowly, "but stick with me, okay?"

  I nodded and she grabbed my hand in hers. We walked into the living room that was packed with dancing bodies again. My eyes zoned in on the colors of the disco ball hanging on the crystal chandelier. The array of hues bounced around the room, reflecting off the bodies grinding into each other to the beat of the music. Everywhere I turned, there was either a dry humping couple or someone with their tongue down another's throat. The cup in my hands grew slippery around my sweaty hands as the room started to grow hotter. The hurt I had been carrying around like a backpack began to loosen its straps and slowly fade away.

  ONE MORE phone call

  If my phone lit up her name one more fucking time, I was going to toss it out the window. Piper's incessant phone calls were beginning to irritate the shit out of me. The girl had been up my ass since I quit taking her to school. Yeah, she was annoying before but it was never that ridiculous. She even tried to pull the waterworks with me when I told her I was driving to Lane's party solo, so she needed to find another ride. It was about that time to cut her ass off.

  I passed the driveway packed with cars and drove straight to the garage. I was already running late because Theo was out of treats and the little runt gets angry if he doesn't have his daily dose of Beggin' Strips. Someone had to take care of the little guy, since my mom basically ditched him. Typical Layla fucking Hudson. I remember the day she brought him home. She was in one of her "moods" again and showed up with some dog I knew she would get tired of. And I was right. Her "mothership" with Theo lasted about a week before she was MIA again.

  Rifling through my center console, I found the garage door opener my aunt had given me. The only times I ever used it was for these parties. I always parked in the garage for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I didn't want my car to get fucked with. There were too many pissed off girls that would love to take their anger out on my poor car. Plus, if the cops came, they wouldn't see my car. I would just hide out until they left.

  I hit the button, waiting for the door to open all the way before parking in my usual spot. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I turned off the ignition and got ready for the mayhem. Lane's parties were always fucking killer.

  I headed straight to the kitchen, dodging conversations with everyone. I needed a beer first. I turned the corner and wasn't surprised what I was walking into. Piper was dancing on the counter, giving me a clear view up some hideous pink fluffy shit she had around her waist.

  She looked down, spotting me. Well shit.

  "Keegan!" She screeched, her voice eager and drunk. I watched her jump off the bar in her heels, but instead of landing, she ended up falling down to her knees. Damn, drunk girls were not attractive. "I've been trying to call you," she slurred, looking up at me from the floor. Nodding my head, I moved around her to the keg and started filling up my cup while her little friends helped her back up to her feet. I knew I was being an asshole but I needed some alcohol in my system before I could deal with her.

  She stumbled over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck and licking it. "I've missed you so much, baby. We never see each other anymore," she whined. Did I mention drunk girls were a major turnoff?

  "I gotta find Lane." I shrugged, dragging her hands off me. "Find me later." Did I want to see her later? Probably not but you never know how drunk or horny I would get and things might change. When I'm drunk, I like to get laid.

  I left the room on the hunt for my dumbass cousin, shuffling through the swaying bodies and ignoring the girls who wanted me to dance with them.

  After checking the back deck and walking in on a couple having sex on the dining room floor with no trace of him, I stepped over the rope blocking off the stairs and walked up. As my foot hit the top step, I dug into my coat pocket for my phone. I needed to call Lane before barging into his room to double check he wasn't banging his girlfriend. Last time that happened, Cora threw his damn alarm clock at my head giving me a black eye. I was just about to hit his name in my contacts when a soft body ran right into me, causing my beer to spill over the two of us. What the fuck?

  "Shit!" A soft voice mumbled, tripping over my legs. I caught her before she stumbled down the stairs. Damnit, the last thing Lane needed was some drunk broad falling down the stairs and getting hurt.

  Grabbing her around her hips, I lifted her back up above the steps. "What the fuck! You're not even suppose to be up here," I growled.

  "Ss-sorry," she squeaked, stuttering. "I just really had to pee and apparently some girl named Monica was banging some guy named Peter downstairs and my bladder doesn't do too well when I've been drinking and," the girl continued to ramble, but there was something familiar in her voice.

  My grip lightened on her and she stumbled back a few steps until she was away from me. My mouth gaped when I finally took a good look at her. Daisy was staring at me, dressed in a tiny green dress that hugged every curve and high heels that still didn't bring her anywhere near my 6'3 height. Her jet colored hair was damp, with my beer dripping down from it onto the floor. She was also clearly wasted off her ass. No, I take that back. She was beyond wasted. The chick was completely inebriated.

  "Fuck, Daisy," I snapped, leveling my gaze on her. "Is this your first time drinking?" I stepped closer as she began to stumble around again.

  "Nooooo," she slurred. Her face crunched up and she giggled. "But it has been awhile."

  Leaning down, I grabbed my phone from the floor. Clutching onto her arms and leveling her wavering body, I dragged her tiny frame down the hallway until we reached the room I usually stayed in when I slept over. I brushed my fingers over the switch and the room's light flashed on. Shutting the door behind us, I warily set her down on the edge of the bed.

  "Uhhhh," she mumbled, nervously, glancing around the room.

  "Stay here," I demanded, walking into the adjoining bathroom. Dumping the rest of my beer into the sink, I rinsed the cup out before filling it back up with water while trying to keep my cool. I was going to rip Cora a new asshole when I found her.

 
"You need to drink this," I instructed, walking back into the room and shoving the red cup her way. She hurriedly grabbed the cup in her tiny hands and chugged it until she started choking.

  "Whoa, easy there, killer," I chuckled, grabbing the cup before she ended up with more beer spilled all over her dress. She sent a glare my way, giving me the evil eye before collapsing back onto the bed.

  "God," she groaned. "Why does it always freaking hurt? I just want it to all go away. That's why I drank so much but of freaking course, it didn't work." Her arms crashed against the bed while she mumbled shit I couldn't make out. "Why did I get everything taken from me? I'm a decent person. I go to church regularly," she paused, smacking her palm against her forehead. "Okay, crap, sorry God. I go to church sometimes. Not as much as I should, but I swear to you I will try harder."

  I stifled back my laugher at her drunken rambles and sat down on the bed beside her but she wasn't done. "Then people like Piper," she hissed her name like it was poison hitting her tongue, "get to be all beautiful and rich then treat me like freaking shit when I didn't even want to come to this place!" Her voice grew louder and I peeked down at her body, sprawled out on top of the comforter. A few tears escaped and ran down her cheeks.

  She looked pained.

  Fuck.

  I hated dealing with drunken girls and I tried to steer clear of it the best I could. Sure, I went to parties and they were around, but I never dealt with them sober. I needed a few more drinks in me before I could handle situations like this, especially crying. Shit, I hated when chicks cried. But being around a whimpering Daisy was different. I didn’t want to run for the hills at the sight of her tears, I wanted to stop them. I wanted to erase all the bad shit that was running through her head.

  "Daisy," I whispered, leaning down to wipe away the hot tears with my index finger. My teeth grinded against each other at her words, assuming Piper was better than her. "Piper's beauty is nothing compared to yours. You hear me?" My hand grabbed her jaw and I stroked the soft skin covering her high cheekbones. "You have real fucking beauty that daddy can't put on his credit card. You are one of those most beautiful girls I have ever laid eyes on." I wasn't bullshitting her either. It was true. Even with her red, puffy eyes and mascara running down her face, she still looked gorgeous.