Young Writers Society

A/N: So the plot is starting to become a little more evident in this chapter – I know it was a slow start. This is also the chapter where the 16 + rating becomes necessary – it's only for a little (okay, quite a bit) under age drinking as well as some language. You've been warned. Read and Review!

+ + +

Ruby now found herself at college. Or, more specifically, in her dorm room, stuff unpacked, awaiting the arrival of her roommate. Ruby told her parents to go ahead to lunch, while she waited. She had moved in anyway – there was no going back to her aunt and uncles house that night, along with her mom, dad, and brother.

She took a seat in the middle of the floor, and lay on her back, and tried to not think about it.

"Knock, knock."

Ruby lurched upward, thus causing a crick in her neck. "Oh. Hi."

"Sorry," said the girl standing in the doorway, carrying a cardboard box. She had short blue hair and smile on her face. "I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Brisa. You're Ruby, right?"

"Yeah." said Ruby. She hauled herself upright and hoisted up her jeans. "That's me."

"Sorry I'm late. My sister thought we could make a quick run to the dry cleaners, and then the grocery store, and then drop my niece off at my mom's house – all before coming here." Brisa set down her box. "Mind coming down and helping me to unload the rest of the boxes? My sister's parking."

"Yeah, no problem."

The pair of them trekked across the quad that was still swarming with parents and students, pushing carts and carrying boxes. Once they made their way to the street, it became very clear that this was as much Chicago as it was the DePaul University campus. Ruby could see the brownstones that were distinctive to Lincoln Park further down the street. Massive, flowering trees lined the streets, and a moist heat hung in the air like a damp washcloth.

Brisa's sister was parked in the parking lot at the Welcome Center across the street. She introduced herself as Daria, and shook Ruby's hand.

"Do you two mind taking the shit up? I have to watch the car – I don't think people are supposed to park here without a permit or something."

"Liar," said Brisa, picking up a box out of the trunk, and handing it to Ruby. "You just want to sit on your fat ass."

Daria raised her eyebrows. "Watch it, cabrona. I drove your lazy ass here."

Brisa stuck out her tongue, and picked up a box of her own. "Go ahead. Sit in the car."

"I will."

"Good."

They made their way back across the quad. Ruby spotted another student ahead of them carrying his own boxes. A man wearing a polo shirt tucked into his jeans walked next to him, also carrying boxes. The student glanced behind him as they walked the pathway up to Quincy Hall – he had probably heard Brisa and Ruby's flip flops slapping on pavement.

He smiled a little, and dropped his boxes on the ground, to hold the door for his dad, but then continued to hold it as Brisa and Ruby approached, and Ruby got the distinct impression that he was really holding the door for Brisa. He was just being polite when he held it for Ruby.

This became very evident as Ruby and Brisa passed through the doorway: his eyes followed her, and when she smiled at him he said a soft, "Hey."

Brisa and Ruby were silent until they reached the stair well, and Brisa gave Ruby a wide-eyed look. "Was it just me, or was that really weird?"

"It was totally weird, oh my God."

"I mean, he was carrying stuff too, and he just put it down, and – and opened the door for us. And that look he was giving me…"

"He was cute."

"Ah, don't say that."

"No, seriously, he was."

Brisa grinned to herself. "You need to stop saying that."

The mysterious door-opening boy didn't make a reappearance as Ruby and Brisa continued to carry up boxes – not until they made their final trip back up to their room. He materialized on the other side of the glass door, though he was empty handed and alone. "Fancy seeing you here," he said.

"Ha," said Brisa, and blushed deeply.

Ruby and Brisa were trying not to burst into hysterics, or giggles, or something equally girlish, until they reached the safety of the stairwell, when he said, "I'm Avery, by the way."

Brisa turned first, and then Ruby. "Uh I'm Brisa."

"I'm Ruby," said Ruby when he turned to her.

"What floor are you guys on?"

"Four," said Brisa. She was very pink, but her voice remained level. Ruby made note of this: Must learn how to control voice so I don't sound stupid when talking to boys.

Avery nodded to himself. "Well. I'll see you around I guess."

"Yeah," said Brisa.

He gave them a little wave, and let the door fall closed behind him.

Ruby and Brisa turned to stare at each other. Brisa shook her head. "It's nothing."

"Yeah," said Ruby. "Nothing."

"He was just being nice."

"Yeah."

"I mean, we're all new here."

"Yeah."

"So he was just being nice."

"Yeah."

Ruby took in a deep breath. "But he probably wasn't just being nice. And he was cute. So. Yeah."

"Yeah," said Brisa, and sighed.

+ + +

Ruby managed to get back to her dorm by eight. Brisa was laying on her stomach reading when Ruby came in.

"Hey."

Brisa looked up. "Hi."

"Did you see the Door Man again?" Ruby said. Brisa and Ruby had dubbed Avery "the Door Man" after their second encounter with him. "We need, like, some kind of code name for him," Ruby had said.

"Why?"

"Because. That's always what me and my friends back home do when there's some weird but cute guy hanging around."

Brisa started to smile. "What kind of code names did you use?"

"Well, there was French Boy – and then Big Hands. Just to name a couple."

"Big Hands?"

Ruby shrugged.

"So… what should we name Avery?"

Ruby smiled. "I have an idea."

And thus Door Man was born.

"No," said Brisa and narrowed her eyes at Ruby. "But I did get the chance to meet some of our neighbors."

"Oh, shit, I didn't think of that. I wish I could've stayed."

"I wouldn't worry about it. There's two girls to our left – Rene and Libby. Then, directly across from us there's Kieran and Gio, and to their right there's Toby and VJ. There was a couple other girls I talked to too, but I don't remember what their names were or if they were roommates, but yeah. You'll probably meet them later at the party."

Ruby frowned. "What party?"

"There's a party tomorrow night I guess."

"What kind of party?"

Brisa looked up from her book. "What?"

"What kind of –"

"No, I heard you. What does that mean 'What kind of party is it?'"

Ruby shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't know. What kind of party is it?"

"A party-party. You know, with music, dancing, drinking. That kind of thing."

"Right," said Ruby. Ruby did not party. That is, she'd never partied before, and had never considered herself a party person. She had only been even close to drunk one time in her eighteen years, and that had only occurred over the summer before, in an effort to be a little less virginal in one way or another before entering college. But this had been in a decidedly non-party setting (it had only been her, Greer, Paige, and Roanne, and they could only steal so much booze from Greer's parents without their noticing).

Ruby was fine with not partying in high school and this was not necessarily one of her regrets about her lack of participation. In fact, Ruby wasn't too keen on attending this party either. What then was the whole point of thinking up with Goal #1 if she wasn't going to even try to self-reinvent? Was that the kind of person she wanted to 'reinvent' herself into? Just another binge drinking, party-hardy-ing college student?

Ruby tried to ignore the thought, and flopped down onto her new bed.

+ + +

Later that night, after Brisa went to sleep, and the lights turned off, she contented herself with an extremely confusing three-way text conversation between her, Greer, Paige, and Roanne. It had started with a response to a text from Paige, and then she got another text from Greer, so she sent a text to Roanne. These had started off as three very different conversations but they had started to merge at one point and they all wanted to know: what was college like? What was away like?

Ruby stared down at bright little screen of her phone as if it were her three friends that she was actually looking at. What a question.

+ + +

Ruby found herself breaking into a sweat randomly throughout the next day. Well. It wasn't so random. Every time she thought about that night, her palms became clammy and her stomach bottomed out. When she wasn't busy trying to dry her seemingly undriable hands, she jogged her knee, crossed and re-crossed her arms. At one point during lunch with her parents, brother, and grandparents, her mom turned to her and said, "Do you have to go to the bathroom."

Ruby immediately stilled whatever tick she'd been exhibiting. "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Because you look…uncomfortable."

"Yeah – I mean, it's cool – er, no. I'm fine, I mean."

Her mom continued to stare at Ruby for a moment, and then turned back to the conversation.

Ruby was no better when she returned to her dorm after dinner at her aunt and uncles house that night.

Brisa was there, sitting on the edge of her bed, applying mascara with one hand, and holding a compact mirror with the other. She grinned at Ruby, when she entered.

"Hey," she said.

"Good. I mean, hi." Ruby blushed.

Brisa snickered. "You seem a little nervous. May I ask why?"

"I'm not nervous."

"You sure?"

Ruby wiped her palms on her jeans. "Uh. No."

Brisa laughed again. "Are you nervous about the party?"

"Maybe a little."

"Why? It's going to be fun. You're gonna get to meet those snazzy neighbors of ours."

"I know. I'm just – I don't know. I have to make a confession."

"What?"

"I never went to parties, or partied or whatever. In high school, I mean."

Brisa closed her compact with a loud click. "Well, we're about to fix that,aren't we?"

"I guess."

"Are you wearing that to the party?"

Ruby looked down at her plaid shirt, jean cut offs, and Van's. "No."

Brisa ducked her chin, looked up at Ruby from under her lashes coyly and smiled. "Do you need some help picking out an outfit?"

"Yes, please," said Ruby with a laugh.

Brisa was disappointed by Ruby's lack of skirts or dresses, but Ruby did have a shirt that she said, "will work," and a pair of sandals that were "better than your sneakers at least."

And then they were ready, and it was a little too soon for Ruby's comfort. "I look like I'm going to the beach," she said, glaring at Brisa's dress, which was black, short, and tight.

"You look laid back. Like you don't give a fuck. You look cool, trust me."

"I most definitely don't look like any of those things."

"You know, you don't have to go to the party. I think you should, because it'll be fun, and I'm gonna go. But, you seem like you don't want to go."

Ruby didn't answer for a moment, and studied her reflection in the mirror on the back of their door as she brushed her hair. "I want to go. It's just nerves."

"Okay then. We still have enough time to pre-game," Brisa said checking her phone. "Not that we could really be late, but, you know."

"Pre-game?"

"Yeah, for the edge?" Brisa went over to her purse, and extracted what was ridiculously a hip flask. She grinned at Ruby and tossed the flask to her.

Ruby unscrewed the cap and sniffed delicately. The smell burned her nose and throat. "What is this?"

"A little of everything. A little raisilla, a little taquila, a little rum. Whatever's in the liquor cabinet basically."

"That sounds… ill-advised."

"Okay, how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"I don't want to hear you say 'ill-advised' again until you're thirty."

Ruby made a face at Brisa, but took a swig before she let the smell get to her. She gasped, and clutched her chest, as the mystery liquor singed its way down her throat, and settled in her stomach. "Ugh. Here," she said, handing the flask to Brisa, who took a mighty gulp, and smacked her lips. She took another long pull, and then replaced it in her purse.

"Ok, I think we're ready."

They got a ride with one of the girls Brisa had met the day before. She introduced herself as Erica and her roommate Joanna. Ruby took note of the fact that Erica was wearing a mini skirt and Joanna was wearing dress similar to Brisa's only turquoise.

They small-talked on the drive over to wherever the party was being held at. Erica was from Milwaukee, Brisa was from South Chicago, and Joanna was from Grand Rapids.

"What are you doing way the fuck over here, when you're from California?" Erica said, narrowing her eyes at Ruby in the rearview mirror.

"Well, I like it here. I visit Chicago all the time, and I just wanted to stay here for a little while. See what it was like to not have to leave I guess."

"Huh," Erica said. "Well, come winter, you're gonna regret that."

Ruby fell to watching the cityscape slip past the window as the conversation lulled. Skyscrapers reared up into the night, monolithic and glowing. There was throbbing life here - an intrinsic viridity, a wilderness starting to grow over the old, the cloying, the brick. Ruby wasn't nervous now – she felt like she was a part of the wilderness. Her heart was thud-thud-thudding and her head was spin-spin-spinning but she felt so good. She felt vicious and alive. She was ready and she was in this beautiful city.

After what could have been fifteen minutes just as easily as thirty minutes, they arrived at a quiet suburb – save for the pounding music that seemed to be coming from a house further down the street, with a few people mingling out front.

Now Ruby's heart was really chugging. She didn't know if this was such a good mix with the sizable mouthful of alcohol she'd consumed shortly before. It hadn't been so bad before – she'd felt charged and alive. Now she felt sobered, if a little woozy.

"Come on," Brisa said, taking Ruby by the elbow and tugging her toward the house.

Ruby stumbled after them. The skin on her legs felt sticky and she could feel her thighs rubbing together, and she felt like someone could most likely see her bra through this shirt, though she'd been careful to wear one of those nude colored ones, and there was definitely too much cleavage action going on here, why the fuck had she agreed to wear this fucking shirt?

Brisa glanced over her shoulder at Ruby. "Still nervous?"

"A little."

"Don't be."

"Oh, well, if you say so."

"Don't sass me," Brisa said, but smiled all the same. She paused so she could fall into step beside Ruby. "Look. You're just going to go in there, find the booze and get yourself properly drunk and you're good to go."

"Ah ha. Right."

Outside it was warm, but a gentle warm. Inside it was warm, but moist warm. There was a smell hanging in the air that was human and hot and smoky that she could only sum up as debauchery. It smelled like debauchery.

Brisa pulled Ruby by the elbow to the kitchen where there was a group of people playing beer pong at the table. The counter that ran adjacent to the table was crammed with liquor bottles, red Solo cups and a cooler filled with beer cans, where there was an even bigger crowd of people.

Brisa fought her way to the front of the throng, while Ruby hung back. She tried to keep an eye on Brisa, but lost sight of her behind two beefy guys, who stepped aside for her.

When Brisa returned, she came with two cups brimming with spiked Coke. She handed one cup to Ruby, who sniffed it just to verify, and took a sip. "Now what? Do I just stand here and drink until I get wasted?" she said, trying not to betray her disgust for the sharp bitter taste that lingered in her mouth.

"You don't want to mingle while you're sober, so you can remember people and say intelligent things?"

"Honestly? No."

Brisa laughed. "Oh, tonight is going to be very interesting. Salud," she said knocking her cup against Ruby's, and took a gulp.

+ + +

It only took slightly longer than Brisa had anticipated for Ruby to get pretty decently shitfaced. She wasn't so far gone that she was crying or throwing up, or causing any kind of havoc. But carrying a conversation with her was proving to be difficult (Brisa herself maintained a nice buzz, though she'd stopped after her initial beverage and half a beer) but also entertaining.

"I think I'm gonna cut you off there," said Brisa, as Ruby downed a shot.

Ruby reached for the counter, to set down her cup but was not able to locate it. "Why's it keep moving?" she muttered.

"Did you hear me?" Brisa said, taking the cup from Ruby, and putting it down herself. "No more alcohol."

Ruby frowned at Brisa. "How come?"

"You're pretty drunk now – drunker even than you probably should be. You drink anymore, and you'll just be a complete mess."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. She was swaying slightly in a circular motion. "I'm not drunk."

"What are you then?"

"I'm just a little tipsy."

Brisa bit back a laugh. "Okay, Ruby."

"I'm just tipsy."

"I know."

"I'm not a liar, Brisa."

"I didn't call you a liar."

"Then why'd you – why'd you," Ruby said, frowning more deeply, "why'd you say that?"

"Say what?"

"You tell me."

Brisa nearly cracked up, but managed to keep face. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I have to go to the bathroom. You just stay here."

"Okay."

"You got that? Stay here."

"Okay."

Ruby watched Brisa go, and then leaned her hip against the counter. She reached for a beer in the cooler, but her hands felt clumsy, and she couldn't seem to make sense of the pull tab. She tried to set it down on the counter, but it moved every time she tried to focus on it, and finally just let it fall to the floor.

Something wasn't right all of a sudden. Her neck was starting to feel hot, her mouth was all watery, and there was a turning in her stomach. She needed to get out. Now.

She managed to make her way through the living room and front hall, to the front door. Someone had left the door ajar, so she didn't have to fumble with the lock.

No one was outside anymore. She could still hear the pounding of the music, but it was muffled now. Ruby leaned against the garage door for a moment, then slid down it, and let her head rest against the metal. It was nice out here. She wasn't going to vomit. Everything was good.

She heard the front door creak open, and opened one eye then the other. A tall boy walked out, and leaned against the wall next to the garage door and closed his eyes. In the cold glow of the security light he was thrown into black and white.

"Who're you?" Ruby said.

The boy snapped his head in her direction and gasped. "Shit!"

Ruby laughed. "Did I scare you?"

"I didn't see anyone was out here."

"It's cool," Ruby said, not altogether sure of what she was forgiving. He just looked like he needed forgiving. Or like he wanted someone to forgive him. Or maybe she just felt like saying "It's cool," so he'd know she was cool or that she knew what cool was. Or something.

"What're – what're you doing out here?"

"I just needed some air. It's stuffy in there," he said, gesturing to the front door. "You?"

"I'm really drunk right now."

"Ah. That… makes sense."

Ruby's head wobbled. "Well… good. So if I say something really, like really fucking offensive or some – some kind of shit or something, you can't hold me accountable."

The boy laughed at that. "For someone who's really drunk, you're pretty eloquent."

Ruby shrugged. "I'm an English major."

He laughed again.

"Hey. Hey. Why're you laughing at me?"

"Sorry," he said, and tried to straighten his face, but he burst into laughter again.

"Hey, asshole! You can just – you can shut up!" Ruby said. Her face felt hot, and she wasn't leaning against the garage door anymore. She tried to push herself to her feet, but everything was moving and she was so mad why was he laughing and oh god she was going to -

Suddenly everything in her stomach was turning and roiling and was evacuating through her mouth with explosive force.

"Jesus," the boy said, pushing himself off the wall, and came to hover over Ruby's shoulder, "are you okay?"

"No!" Ruby wailed between stomach heaves. Amid the chaos in her stomach, she had begun uncontrollably sobbing, which only further provoked the heaving. "Get Brisa!"

"Who?"

Ruby pulled her hair out of her face as she leaned over to puke again.

"Uh, right, I think I got that," said the boy. She didn't hear him walk off, but she did hear the door slam behind him.

He returned fifteen minutes later, a buzzed but able Brisa at his side. Ruby's nausea had passed, and the boy and Brisa found her curled up on her side, beside a pool of her own vomit.

"Oh, this is just – ugh," said Brisa.

"Yeah, I think she's had one two many."

"Clearly."

Brisa stooped beside Ruby, careful to not step too close to the puke, and said quietly, "How you doing?"

"I threw up," Ruby croaked.

"I can see that. Let me help you up."

"No."

"Ruby, you are lying on the ground in the driveway of some person's house that you don't know, next to a puddle of your own barf."

Ruby moaned and curled in on herself.

Brisa looked up at the boy who was standing over her shoulder. "You can go, I got this."

"You sure? Want me to call a cab?"

Brisa narrowed her eyes at him. He smiled.

"I…guess so. Are you – are you sober?"

"Yep."

Brisa's scowl deepened. "Why?"

He shrugged.

"I know you. You're that guy from across the hall… Kyle."

"Kieran."

"I'm never gonna be able to pronounce that. Tonight, you're Kyle."

He smiled. "Okay then. I'll call the cab."

"You do that, Kyle."

As Kieran disappeared back into the house, Brisa said, "You're going to hate yourself in the morning, Ruby."

Hey there,
I liked this!! It was really nice, very realistic. I just love your description Brisa's character seems to be a little contradictory, or maybe it's just me. Like the way she acts shy when Avery opens the door for her, but she's totally a party girl later on. Otherwise, I didn't find anything wrong with it, except a tiny nitpick:

The pair of them trekked across quad that was still swarming with parents and students, pushing carts and carrying boxes.

trekked across quad?