Free Beneath Our Faults by Charity Ferrell

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 getting 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