#36
The party had finally wound down.
Gone were the loud music, the splashing pool games, and the whirlwind of unfamiliar faces.
The laughter and chaos that had once echoed off the brick walls of the backyard now felt like a distant dream. In their place remained only a few small groups of people, including our little circle, scattered around the yard like glowing embers after a fire.
The scent of grilled meat still clung to the air, mingling with the fading notes of cheap cologne, pool chlorine, and sun-warmed alcohol. Rodrigo stood at the barbecue like he was born there—shoulders relaxed, eyes half-lidded, flipping skewers with the same detached precision he used for everything.
He was talking to Mick and Lindon, who nodded along like whatever he said was profound. Although knowing him, it was probably about yoga, gym, seasonal fashion, and famous idols.
Smoke curled upward into the summer orange sky, where clouds floated lazily behind a haze of humidity. String lights, faded gold and buzzing faintly, looped across the fence and cast everyone in a warm, dreamy glow.
The music had long since been shut off, replaced by the soft hum of conversation, the occasional clink of glass, and the distant sound of cicadas.
We’d all spread out. Some sat near the pool’s edge with drinks dangling from fingertips, others stretched out in lawn chairs, staring up at nothing in particular. It was warm, but not stifling —the kind of heat that settled into your skin and refused to leave. A breeze stirred the trees now and then, carrying with it the occasional burst of laughter or murmured teasing.
Ally was beside me, her bare thigh brushing mine every so often, just enough to notice, just enough to wonder if it meant anything.
She held her beer bottle lazily between her fingers, swirling the last inch as she half-listened to the banter around us. Her gaze drifted, smile soft but unreadable.
She didn’t say much. She never did when the night dipped into that twilight space between drunk and dreamlike. But her presence was heavy in the best way—anchoring.
Most of my friends are heavy drinkers.
Not that I can throw stones.
From what I remember, the age threshold for adulthood is pretty much the same here as it was in my old world—eighteen, sometimes nineteen. Until then, you’re technically a minor, and yes, it’s still illegal to drink underage.
But as with all things, when you’re young and bored and think you’ll live forever, laws are just guidelines. Suggestions. Polite warnings that we collectively agree to ignore.
This world isn’t so different from the one I came from. Teenagers still sneak drinks at house parties, still act like they invented rebellion, still think consequences are for someone else. The only real difference is how people respond.
We don’t talk about it publicly. Of course not. That would be stupid. But Aunt Melissa and Aunt Morgana knew. They just didn’t interfere.
Maybe they remembered being young once. Or probably they’d decided long ago that it was better to let us make our own mistakes while we were still soft enough to survive them. Or just maybe they’d given up trying to stop us. Either way, they didn’t say anything, and that silence had become its kind of permission.
Still, if my mother ever found out about this, or worse—if my sister found out I was drinking—there’d be hell to pay. Not for the others. Just for me.
From what I can remember, even in this world, they would not let me drink until I reached the proper age. Though my sisters were drunkards already even before they reached the age, that doesn’t mean I can do the same.
They wouldn’t yell at Rodrigo or Ally or Mick. No, they’d zero in on me like a guided missile. And I might not be able to come to this kind of party or get together again.
Looking around, I could tell Mick and Lindon were already drunk. Their words slurred, gestures exaggerated. Mick laughed too loudly at nothing, head thrown back, one leg dangling in the pool like a kid testing water for the first time. Lindon was sprawled out on a lounger, bottle resting on his chest, mumbling something about the moon looking like a fried egg.
A few of the girls weren’t far behind. The twins I’d met just this afternoon—Naomi and Tasha—were locked in some kind of whispered debate, their tones too loud, their eyes glassy. Every so often, they paused to burst into uncontrollable giggles.
As two of the so-called “beautiful” girls of the group, they’d naturally become a magnet for attention. Three boys hovered nearby, hovering like moths around flickering lanterns, each one trying not to seem too obvious while failing.
Across the pool, Donna kicked her legs in the water, her posture open and carefree. She tossed a flirtatious glance in my direction—bold, amused, challenging. I did what I always did in these situations: pretended not to notice.
Just behind her, half-hidden in the shadows near the back porch, sat a girl with a paper plate balanced on her knees. She munched slowly on a kebab, head ducked, long hair covering half her face.
If I remembered right, her name was Tilly—Donna’s cousin. Big chest, pale skin, soft features. She had that kind of beauty that didn’t jump out at you unless you were paying close attention. Shy girls usually do.
As if catching my gaze, she looked up suddenly. For a moment, our eyes locked—and in the next breath, she looked away with a red face, her hands fidgeting around the plate. Her personality was opposite to her appearance. Though honestly, maybe only I saw her as beautiful.
And then, from beside me, Ally stood.
“I think I’m gonna go for a swim,” she said, casually peeling off her tank top. The black bikini underneath was functional, not flashy. She stepped out of her shorts too, and without pause, kicked off her sandals and walked toward the pool.
“And someone never stops scolding me when I wear the same thing.”
Ally rolled her eyes as she waded in.
“I’m wearing a bikini. And besides, there’s no one else here but us.”
She dove forward and began swimming in slow, practiced strokes, cutting through the water with quiet grace. Then she started swimming faster, and after a few powerful strokes underwater, she broke the surface again and spun around to look back at me.
I watched her for a moment, the curve of her arms, the way the water caught the soft light, how the shadows clung to her skin like ink. I don’t know if it’s because I decided to look at her as a girl now, but she looked more beautiful in my eyes.
“How about you? Are you not coming?”
I blinked.
“Now?”
“It’s still summer,” she said with a smirk, treading water effortlessly. Slowly, she began to scissor her legs, floating onto her back, exposing the front of her upper body to the moonlight and night air.
I ignored the small, almost negligible bulge on her crotch and instead, my eyes were drawn to the small droplets of water that covered her exposed skin, reflecting the moonlight off of them, sparkling brightly on her fair, freckled skin in stark contrast to the deep black water she was floating in.
“…the pool’s warm. You in or not?”
I glanced around. Most of the others were lost in their little orbits—drunk, distracted, or dozing. Or flirting. Donna was with Rodrigo as they started kissing, while I couldn’t see Johnson and Tina.
“Yeah,” I said, standing. I was not one to shy away from a challenge. “Why not?”
I stripped off my shirt and even grabbed the bra on my chest, which shocked Ally, and cannonballed in like a clumsy seal.
Ally couldn’t help but scream and laugh as I surfaced and shook my head, sending water flying everywhere, and she waded towards me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“That wasn’t very nice,” she pretended to chastise as I wrapped my arms around her waist affectionately, “I never told you to come down naked!”
“Well, just as you said, it’s just us~” I smirked.
She rolled her eyes.
But the moment was broken when suddenly we heard a loud clapping sound along with laughter. We both turned our heads in surprise and saw Rodrigo laughing at us.
“Nice One!” he said and proceeded to take his jacket off and even took his bikini off, just like me.
I sigh in relief, thankful that he didn’t see me and Ally hugging. Or maybe he did?
“Whoooo!” Rodrigo cheered as he cannonballed into the pool, making a big splash.
Donna immediately laughed, clearly drunk, and followed after him. She had also taken her bikini and is now swimming naked- and I mean, completely naked.
“You perverts!” Mick saw us and shrieked before tossing a half-empty beer can toward the pool, which landed with a dull splash.
Ally scooped it up and lobbed it back with sniper-like precision. It bounced off his shoulder. He howled dramatically.
“You almost hit us, you idiot!” Ally scowled. Then she looked at me again, rolling her eyes in surrender. “Whatever!” Then she dove again, disappearing under the surface like a fish returning to its element.
Rodrigo and Donna were having fun, laughing and flirting. They chased after one another, hugged, wrestled, and even kissed like kids in puberty who could not get enough of each other.
Looking at them like this, they seem like the happiest and most loving couple as they swam, flirted, and made out without care.
I turned my head to the other people in the pool and found a group of girls chatting and drinking in the corner.
Three were lying on inflatable rafts. Their breasts rose with each relaxed breath; it was almost tempting to just swim there and have a squeeze. One seems to notice my stare and look at me. I smiled, not afraid to get caught.
The girl smiled back and even offered me a beer. But I have my fill for the night, so I refuse.
Suddenly, I noticed someone swimming toward me, and I realized who it was. Donna. She came over to me and gave my groin a playful grab under the water. She was surprised to find me already hard.
She gave me a teasing look, which I completely ignored.
“Hey, buddy, having fun?”
Rodrigo’s head popped up in front of Donna, water cascading down his face as he grinned at me.
He didn’t seem to notice her hand rubbing my cock as she was facing him while her back was to me.
“Yes, thanks for inviting me,” I said, wiping some water from my brow.
“No problem. I’m really glad you came,” he said as he floated over to join me, settling beside me with his usual relaxed charm. “Feels like forever since we chilled like this.”
Donna was between us, her back still to me as she leaned toward him, resting her arms loosely around his neck. She looked over her shoulder, catching my eyes for the briefest moment before speaking.
“You’ve been real quiet tonight. Something on your mind?”
I gave a casual shrug, trying not to let my voice waver.
“Just… soaking it all in. It’s peaceful.”
Rodrigo let out a contented sigh as he leaned back against the edge of the pool. “Told you the night swim was the move. Beats any crowded club. Stars above, no screaming music, and no creeps trying to grind on you.”
“Plus, I don’t have to wear heels,” Donna added with a smirk. “I swear, I’d rather be in a bikini than strapping my toes into medieval torture devices.”
“Not to mention you get to show off,” Rodrigo teased, flicking a little water at her.
“Exactly. Look at these two shirtless guys—” she gestured lazily at both of us. “—wet hair, glistening skin… I’d say I’m winning tonight.”
I laughed, shaking my head.
“You sound like a total perv.”
“I am a total perv,” she said proudly, then gave me a wink. “You know that.”
Rodrigo chuckled. “You know, we’ve come a long way since that camping trip in elementary. Back then, Donna tried to make us sleep in the same tent just to ‘conserve heat.’”
I blinked. I don’t remember that. But I couldn’t let that show.
I forced a smirk and said, “Community service, huh? Pretty sure you groped me in your sleep.”
It was a gamble. A bluff. I watched her carefully for her reaction, and it seemed like I made a good response.
Donna gave a mock-gasp. “How dare you! …I thought you were asleep.” She grinned wickedly. “But in my defense, I’m sure I was dreaming about something… I don’t remember anymore. But that’s not intentional.”
“Of course you were,” I said with a chuckle, splashing water her way.
Rodrigo laughed. “Yeah, figures. She was a menace back then.”
“Still are,” Donna said proudly.
“That’s not something you should be proud of!”
The banter continued, easy and fluid, like the three of us had done this a thousand times before. Maybe, we did. I just could not remember. But from what they were saying, it seems like we three have been friends since elementary. Although I was not that close with Donna, but closer with Rodrigo. Then I met Ally and the others in high school.
I also learned that Rodrigo and Donna were cousins- first, probably second cousins, no wonder their families seemed closer than I imagined.
Donna’s parents are in another country, so Aunt Melissa took the responsibility of taking care of her. They lived together, even sharing one room. No wonder Donna was talking about having a child with Rodrigo. That’s because they’re basically married already, both are already promised and entitled. Although without ceremony yet.
I listened more than I spoke, listening quietly and attentively to the memories we shared, but I could not remember. Some did seem familiar, while a few mirrored memories from my past world.
