She's beautiful, isn't she? (21.6.2020)

Annie and co did a good job rounding everyone up. By the time midnight rolls around, there’s only a handful of couples left in the garden, mostly those that were too horny or depressed to make it back inside.

Aaron’s self-cleaning pool has done a fantastic job, for the number of people eating and drinking near it, there’s not a trace of debris anywhere along the surface.

I dip my foot in. It’s very cold. Of course it is, it’s nearly midnight.

I ease myself in and swim across to the other side. I lean against the edge of the pool and look in the garden window at the mass of people squashed inside.

Trish is standing up on the table, having changed into a white dress. Everyone is counting down and she’s holding a knife, wobbling. If she falls and hurts someone, I hope it’s Aaron.

The countdown reaches its final 10 seconds.

“10, 9!”

The people who just couldn’t wait to start eating each other’s faces have already gotten started.

“8,7”

I see guys and girls, guys and guys, girls and girls. People are drunk enough that they’re just grabbing the nearest person.

“6,5”

I spot Aaron and that girl from earlier. If it was someone even slightly more attractive it might’ve raised my opinion of him.

“4,3”

I spot Chelsea and Becky.

“2,1”

The garden wall looks nice in the moonlight.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRISH!!!”

Everyone shouts in unison. I’m not turned around to see it but since their shouts don’t turn from jubilation to horror, I assume no one got injured in the process.

I’m glad Trish has so many people to wish her a happy birthday. She wants that, she deserves that.

Suddenly, the calm water ripples and I hear a splash behind me. Someone jumped into the pool behind me. I turn around to face them, only to be met with a flailing Trish.

“Hwelph..”

I swim over as fast as I can, and she grabs onto me. She jumped into a part of the pool just shallow enough for me to stand with my head above water. She’s only a bit shorter than me but it seems her problem right now is standing up straight.

“Kai! Kai! You stayed!”

“What the hell are you doing? You’ve just ruined that dress.”

“You said I should swim during the party, so that’s what the hell I’m doing.”

“You should’ve changed back before you did.”

“I thought you might swim away if I didn’t sneak up on you…”

She’s hanging out of my neck with both arms and pushing her body up against me to stay afloat. She squeezes her breasts up against mine, which makes me very uncomfortable.

“Your boobs are smaller than mine!!”

“What the hell are you saying?!”

“Did I get you the right size? I didn’t have your measurements, so I just got the smallest one they had.”

She sticks her tongue out at me.

“I know my tits are small, you don’t have to rub it in.”

“But sure I do, you deserve it.”

“Why?”

“You didn’t get me a present.”

Her eyelids close over a bit and her head sinks underneath the water.

“Hey Trish, wake up!”

I lift her head back above the water and she blinks herself awake.

“Come on, you’re out of it, we need to get you out of the pool.”

“No!”

“No?”

“I have you right where I want you.”

She wraps her arms back around my neck and locks her legs behind my back.

“Trish knock it off, people are gonna start-“

Without warning, she kisses me on the lips. I try to push her off me, but she’s attached herself too well.

“What the hell was that?!”

“That’s my revenge. You didn’t get me a present, so I took it from you.”

“…don’t do that….”

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t go kissing people for a stupid reason like that. Don’t you want your kisses to mean something?”

Trish thinks over what I say for a second but instead of letting go she just brings herself closer to me by tightening her arms and legs.

“So, if I mean it then is it OK to kiss you?”

“Don’t mess with me like this Trish, please….”

“I’m not messing.”

“Let go of me.”

“I’m not letting go until you tell me if it's ok to kiss you.”

She’s drunk. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. She’s messing with me. She’s not thinking straight. There’s no way she-

She kisses me again.

I hesitated too long, and Trish took the initiative, pressing her lips against mine. She doesn’t stop there though, parting my lips with her tongue and invading my mouth with it.

I don’t move. I’ve never reciprocated a kiss before, I don’t know what to do. I just let her kiss me.

I don’t hate it. I like it. I knew I’d like it. But I was scared Trish wouldn’t really want this. In the moment though, I don’t think about anything like that.

With her lips pressed against mine, all I can think about is how different the two were. My lips were dry and tasteless. Hers were…. Well, they were different.

After what seemed like much longer than it actually was, Trish finally relented on her assault and let me breathe. As I’m gasping for air, she hugs me tight and rests her chin on my shoulder.

“Did that feel like I meant it? Was that enough?”

I don’t answer her, I don’t have an answer for her.

“Kai, carry me to my bed, I’m tired.”

“Look, Trish…”

“Zzzzzz….”

Oh. She was being serious. Guess she really was just that drunk.

I carry her out of the pool and into the house. The lack of cheers and jeers as I enter suggest that not many saw our little episode, if anyone.

In the hallway, I pass Annie, who gives me a wink. She saw. Oh god, she saw.

“Please don’t say anything to Trish.”

“What do you mean?”

I don’t bother answering and just carry her up the stairs.

“Kai, where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to your bed.”

“Ohhhhhh, good. No taking advantage of me, OK? I’m drunk.”

“I know.”

I slip into Trish’s room when no one is looking, put a towel on her bed and then lay her down.

She’s put me in a position where I have to strip her down and dress her again. When I have her pyjamas back on, she wakes up for a second.

“Kai.”

“What is it?”

“I’m drunk.”

“I know that.”

“Please don’t pretend it didn’t happen.”

“….”

“Kai? K..zzzzzz”

She drifts back to sleep again, this time for good. I brush her colourful hair out of the way and whisper in her ear.

“Happy birthday Trish.”