Extra Credit - S01 E23

8 months ago

Extra Credit - S01 E23

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 23

Calista

Harper's black rimmed eyes peered at me from over her red solo cup.

"What's wrong?" The music threatened to drown me out. Even in the kitchen the vibrations managed to rattle my chest.

"These ridiculous fangs are coming loose," she said, slapping her cup down on the countertop. The amber liquid sloshed about, a little drop spilling over the edge.

"Again?"

Harper lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. I could see it in the glossy look on her face. She was way too buzzed to care about the state of her outfit. To be honest, she didn't care much before, but now all regard was definitely out the window. "This is the final time I comply with Ella's scheming."

"C'mon," I said. "You have to admit, the Hex Girls was an awesome idea."

She yanked out one fake fang before fiddling with the other. "In theory."

I grinned over the rim of my drink. "There goes the rest of your costume."

"I managed to stomach that atrocity for a solid forty five minutes," Harper said, flinging the plastic triangles over her shoulder. "I'd say that is a success."

One of the fake canines landed in a cushion of fuzzy clown hair. The corner of my lips twitched and I brought my own cup up to disguise my smile. Harper didn't look distressed in the slightest, waving goodbye as the frazzled clown and his leprechaun friend stumbled by.

"You better hope Ella doesn't notice," I warned, trying to contain a giggle. "You have destroyed her vision."

Harper gathered all of her hair and tossed it over one sleek shoulder. Ella had convinced her to keep it down, and style her natural, curly mane. It was stunning, and I wish she wore it like this more often. Since we were in high school, I had always thought Harper was effortlessly beautiful. Even now, her freckled skin looked flawless under the strobe lights.

"Ella's too far gone to notice if I magically transformed into a toad."

Even in her drunk stupor Harper's precision was that of a katana. She directed my attention through the wispy smoke that enveloped the next room over. The bodies over there were packed together more tightly than a can of sardines. I was sweating just watching them. The open sliding door in the kitchen did nothing to cool down the main floor flooded with college students.

I spotted Ella in the ocean of people, her blonde pigtails bobbing in and out of sight as she danced with a guy she had met within the first five minutes of us arriving.

"I think she's perfectly entertained, don't you?" Harper shouted, nudging me to bring my attention back.

"Yeah," I said, lifting my hair and fanning my neck. Maybe dresses would have been a good idea after all. "You're probably right."

"How about you?" Harper peered at me from her peripheral. "Are you going to go find yourself some entertainment?"

I scoffed. "I could ask you the same question."

Harper and I exchanged glances before we both burst out laughing.

"Yeah, probably not," Harper said, taking a sip. "Boys stink."

"Well," I started, giving my best friend a wiggle of my eyebrows. "No one said anything about getting with a boy."

Harper's cheeks flushed a deep red that rivalled her hair. "I'll consider it."

She pursed her lips as I gave her a mischievous grin. The last remaining gulps of beer tickled on the way down. A nice buzz danced its way onto my temples.