Young, Free and Single Ch. 02

I was a bit annoyed, to be honest. Hanna and myself were supposed to be going to my neighbour's house party that I had been invited to, but she had let me down last minute. Her excuse is valid enough that she was sick, but she could have let me know more than an hour before we were supposed to be going. My options were to go anyway, but not know anyone. Not go and just sit in my room on my own, or, see who else is going out into town and join them. Probably text my brother who had been out since lunchtime and try and meet up with them somewhere.

Going out drinking wasn't really an option as I didn't have the money. I could ask Mum and Dad (who were downstairs) for a loan, but both they and myself knew that the loan was, interest-free and very much never getting paid back. That and my bottle of vodka to take around to the house party had been bought by a previous loan, so getting another was slim to zero chance. My brother wouldn't be willing to pay for my drinks, and although a few of his mates probably would their kindness would very much be expected to be paid back. Not a total disaster, but being a notch on a bed post for a few vodkas was hardly a great deal for me.

Staying in would be boring and a little sad. Plus the fact when Mum and Dad had heard that they were to have the house to themselves they both seemed fairly excited at the prospect. I don't want to think about why, but eww.

So I guess I was going to the party anyway to sit on my own in a corner and drink myself to a stupor. Granted that is hardly a terrible option either. I enjoyed people-watching, but I was shy in large groups, especially when I didn't know anyone. So I would be drunk before I got chatty and when I get drunk I tend to fall asleep.

My outfit was laid on the bed which consisted of a black t-shirt with a glittery pink skull printed on the front of it and a black mid-thigh length skirt that was pleated, floaty, and fairly cute if I do say so myself. For comfort, my footwear would be my Van's trainers For completion sake I would wear some black trainer socks and a pair of bikini panties. Again, probably black, may as well keep the trend going. Bra was still undecided, it depended on how visible my nipples were through the t-shirt. I only have small boobs and nipples, but as it was a house party the tolerance for visible nipples was zero.

I had showered and dried my hair. I was sat at my dressing table doing my make-up. I wasn't wearing anything, but I was wrapped in a towel so I was decent enough. There was a tap at my door. "Yeah?" I said.

I heard my bedroom door open behind me, but I didn't look away from the mirror as I applied my eye make-up. "Oh, sorry love," Dad said when he saw my state of undress.

I glanced at him and he was just leaving my room. "T'is fine, sup?" I asked as I did a quick visual check with a combination of the mirror and a glance down at myself to make sure I was actually decent. I was. Ish. Even with my legs crossed it was a lot of leg on show, but I was angled under my dressing table, so I was fine. I was clearly only wearing a towel, but my ass, boobs and pussy were covered, so decent. Probably in ascending importance order as well. Would I rank bum below boobs in importance? Dunno? Either way, irrelevant.

"Are you still out tonight?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," I nodded as I glanced at him again. His eyes were darting around my room so as not to be looking at me. "About an hour or so," I added. I almost asked him why as a reflex, but I was fairly sure the answer was that they wanted to have sex and as natural as that is it was still my parents and it was still eww. It was also a sad state of affairs that they were getting more than me, not that I know how often they do it, but my last was over a month ago with Hanna's brother.

"Okay," he said, "Just about to order a take-away and was checking you don't want anything as well."

"No ta," I said, "Food is provided. You two not coming then?" I confirmed. They were also invited to the house party next door, but they had made their excuses early.

He shook his head in reply and left my room closing the door behind him. I listened for him going downstairs before standing up and shrugging off the towel. I had fallen foul of that one before. Knocks the first time, leaves forgets he hasn't asked me something and comes back in taking me by surprise just as the towel hits the floor. I was still shaved even though no one has seen it for weeks and weeks. I ran my hands over my legs to make sure I hadn't missed anywhere and started to get dressed.

I put on my panties and was sorting my skirt out when I saw my phone flash. It was Hanna asking if I was still going or not bothering. I dropped my skirt back onto the bed and picked my phone up to reply that I was still going. I wondered if she was going to come anyway, but she wasn't, she was just checking that I wasn't pissed with her. I was, but I said I wasn't because I am female and we do that. She knew I was pissed with her, and I knew that she knew I was pissed with her as if not then she wouldn't have asked. It was nothing serious like a fight or anything, I was just moody because I was anticipating a fun night as at the very least Hanna and myself would have a laugh. My night was now dependent on other people.

I dropped my phone back onto my bed just as I heard my bedroom door handle rattle. "One sec," I said urgently as I simultaneously covered my boobs with my hands. Mum came in anyway. "Errr... knock?" I said sarcastically but relieved it was her and not Dad seeing me in panties and nothing else.

"Oh, sorry love," she said sounding as far from genuine as was possible. "Have you seen the TV remote?" she asked.

"Er.... no..." I said baffled by her random question, "Why would I have?"

"Your Dad can't find it," she said.

"Well he probably had it last," I said, my patience fraying as I was still stood here half-naked. She took a deep breath and looked at me. I looked back at her and wondered what she actually wanted. "Sup?" I asked.

"Embarrassing," she said, "I don't suppose you have any spare... er..." she said.

I looked at her, and she looked at me. My eyes widened as I worked out what she meant, but didn't believe she was asking her daughter for condoms. We were close, really close and we have had all of those talks and the other embarrassing ones as well, but there is a line, or I thought there was anyway. I know that she is off the pill at the moment for girlie reasons and clearly forgot about that small detail that she always reminds me of. Or maybe it is just because I am a student and get them free. "Yeah... I do," I said staring at her, "Can I get dressed though?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she said, "Sorry." I assume the reason for the two apologies was, one for walking in on me naked and the other for asking me for condoms. Ewwwww.

I finished getting dressed, checking and double-checking myself in the mirror. I decided that a bra wasn't required and went downstairs. I collected my vodka and a bottle of diet coke. Our neighbour had said that there would be plenty of soft drinks, but I felt a bit cheeky drinking his. I poked my head into the living room where Mum and Dad were. "Okay, see ya later," I said, "Not sure what time, depends on how shit it is."

"Language," Dad said as he appraised my outfit. I usually got some sort of snide comment on the shortness of the skirt or lowness of the top, but not this time as I was fairly conservatively dressed. The skirt was probably an inch or two shorter than a Dad would approve of, but compared to what I have left the house wearing in the past I was practically wearing body armour.

"But, it might be shit," I said grinning at him. He hates it when I swear and so I do it when I can get away with it just to be childish. "It might even be really f... ooooo..." I began, but I knew dropping the F-bomb would get me a bollocking. It was two weeks to payday and him being pissed with me would not be conducive to my social life.

"Sophie..." Dad warned, but I just grinned at him. A daughter's smile can melt any anger from a father, although it was fun to try and antagonise anyway.

"Soz Dad," I said cheerily. Mum was looking at me the whole time with the 'you have forgotten haven't you?' eyes. "Top bedside draw," I said smiling at her.

"Thanks, owe you," she said as Dad just looked at her confused.

"Top draw... not middle," I warned and she gave a nod of knowing why that was important. Dad continued his impression of utter confusion. "I will stick it out until 10 at the earliest," I said giving them the decency of knowing they had at least three hours before I got back.

I could hear the music coming from next door as soon as I opened our front door. At least it was a decent song that was on I thought to myself as I went next door. The door was clearly open, but I knocked anyway. I knew my neighbour, but only to say hi to, not well enough to just walk into his house. We had only been invited as it was likely to be noisy until late the best way to not annoy the neighbours with late loud music is to invite them to the party. I tapped on the door louder and a second later it opened. "Hey," he said when he saw me and kissed me on the cheek and a hug. "Your Mum and Dad not coming?" he asked.

"Nar, they are old and boring," I replied with a smile.

"Fair enough," he replied, "Come in come in," he said taking my drinks off me. I followed him into the kitchen through a sea of people. I hated crowds.

He poured me a drink and put the vodka on the side. "Brian, Alan, Martin, Debbie, Steph," he said as he pointed at the people who were in the kitchen. I nodded at them all in turn but instantly forgot their names. "This is Sophie. Neighbour," he added.

Five 'hellos' were returned. Debbie and Steph smiled warmly. Brian, Alan and Martin looked a little harder and more intensely as they mentally undressed me. They were all around the same sort of age as my neighbour, which I would guess at being mid 30's to 40's maybe. Young enough to still enjoy a party and be cute, but old enough to be a bit old for me and I don't mean sexually (although for the record here, they were). Conversation topics would likely be out of my interest levels. It was going to be a long night. "Be nice to her," Paul (neighbour) warned them.

"I'll look after her," Alan offered.

"Yeah, I bet you fucking would," Debbie said laughing, "go anywhere near her and I will personally make sure you sign that register for a loooong loooooong time. Pervert."

I just smiled nervously. Hearing adults swear was still alien to me. My parents didn't really swear, and even though I did, it was odd for it to not be from peers. "He is a wrong-un," Steph said smiling at me warmly, "I hear he has a small dick as well."

They proceeded to argue about cock size for a while, which was a subject I wasn't confident enough to join in with. I just smiled and nodded nervously as they discussed the anatomy of both sexes in a very open and direct manner. "Oh, back in a sec," Paul said as the doorbell went again leaving me standing awkwardly in the kitchen.

I was involved in the conversation for a while as they directly asked me questions and were generally nosey. I am not sure why, but I always felt like older people talked to me like I was a kid. I am not sure why and I guess it was just paranoia on my behalf, but it was just the impression that I got. I was gradually excluded from the conversation, not intentionally, but I wasn't participating except for a laugh when appropriate and the very occasional word I said. Debbie did drag me back into the group a few times, but after 20 minutes or so I was standing a bit like a lemon on my own.

I downed my drink for something to do and went to refill it. I did ask if any of the others wanted a refill, but my voice got lost amongst the hustle and bustle and no one heard me. I topped up my drink opting for a glass of vodka with a dash of coke as opposed to the more sensible alternative ratio. Through the open kitchen door, I spotted that a comfortable sofa chair was free and I made a beeline for it. I sat in it, tucked my feet up underneath myself, remembered that I wasn't at my house and sat normally so my shoes weren't on the sofa. I took my phone out and messed with it, but mainly I watched every one.

There were so many people. The house was a regular semi-detached three-bedroom house and there must have been twenty or thirty people with more still arriving every so often. There were no free seats and so I just stayed put as if I moved I would lose it. A girl my age came in with who were I assume, her parents. She disappeared into the kitchen though and didn't come back out again. Around 8 pm the food was served with was the usual party food of Pizza, Chicken, salad, and sandwiches alongside the usual finger food. I was hungry, but teenage insecurity rooted my arse to the sofa and I stayed put. This was where I needed a boyfriend as I could just send him.

Paul spotted me and came over to check if I was okay. I said I was. I was, I was just surrounded by people I didn't know, who were out of my age demographic. He topped my drink up for me, the taste indicated a much more sensible ratio of vodka to diet coke that he poured. He offered me some food but I said that I was okay and after a while, he disappeared into the crowd to mingle.

My sofa buddies cycled as people got up to get something and instantly lost their seats. A few said hello and asked who I was and were polite. Most were just lost in their own conversations though. I earwigged and even chipped in where invited to, but I generally just listened. The girl my age came downstairs and saw me. She smiled and came over. "Oh my God, someone who isn't 700 years old," she said smiling. She was tall, and not just taller than me which wasn't particularly difficult, she was easily 6 feet tall. Long blonde hair cascaded down her back in a ponytail to just above her waist. She was wearing a mint green dress that finished well above her knees. She had black stiletto heels on and a black cardigan that was draped across her shoulders. Large blue eyes accented by really well-done make-up looked at me.

"Hi," I said smiling back at her.

"How did you get a seat?" she asked as she placed her glass down on the table and perched on the arm of the sofa.

"Lucky and haven't moved," I replied.

"Always a good plan," she said warmly, "What are you drinking? Wanna refill?" she offered when she saw me nursing my empty glass.

"I can go," I said feeling a bit guilty that I was just sitting here Lording it up while people run around after me.

"You can save the seat," she said, "What are you drinking?"

"Vodka and diet coke," I said, "The Smirnoff one."

"Okay dokay," she said as she took my glass off me. She held her finger by the glass to indicate vodka level and I nodded at a reasonable measure. "Back in a sec," she said.

She was bubbly and just oozed confidence. I couldn't put my finger on what made her seem confident, but as is the case with confidence it was a combination of many things. She came back and handed me a glass of vodka and coke. "Cheers," I said taking it off her.

"No probs," she said, "Chloe, by the way. Shift up," she said.

"Sophie," I replied as I shifted to the side so she could sit on the sofa with me.

She plonked herself down, clinked her glass against mine and took a drink. "So, who are you?" she asked. "That sounds terrible, but you know what I mean. Waaaay too young to be here," she said.

We chatted and got to know each other. She was really friendly and chatty. The conversation was effortless and what was looking to be a long night quickly turned into an enjoyable one. The sofa we were sitting on was only a single seat so we were very close. Practically sat on each other as even though we were both slim and I was tiny, we were still two adults sitting on a single sofa. We got a couple of predictably raised eyebrows from a couple of the guys. Two girls sitting on a sofa very closely seems to ignite the pervert in them and the girl-on-girl fantasy. Her confidence was effortless and she seemed to know everyone. A suggestive comment from one of them earned them a confident, "Fuck off Dave," from her and a mischievous grin.

We ended up sitting across the sofa with our back against one of the arms, our bum on the seat and our legs draped over the other arm. Neither of us were wearing our shoes that were just on the floor by the sofa. We sat head to toe and just chatting. Taking it in turns to top up the drinks. The crowd started to thin out gradually as the evening wore on. The first people left at around half 10 and by half 11 there were actually a fair few seats free. "Comfortable?" Paul asked when he saw us draped across his sofa.

"Yeah, thanks," Chloe replied with a grin.

"Gonna start the pool and darts if you are interested," he said to us.

"Yeah sure," Chloe said as she untangled herself from the sofa and climbed off it very drunk and clumsily. She had a very short dress on and judging by Paul's reaction and buggy eyes he saw more than he had bargained on. She pulled me to my feet and I managed to maintain my modesty although Paul didn't look away like a gentleman he was very much hoping for a second viewing.

We went down into the basement that I didn't even know existed which also explained where everyone had gone. I did think that it was quiet upstairs as although a lot of people had gone home, it did seem like people were missing. It was a large basement which spanned the full floorplan of the house. There were a few pillars dotted around to support the house, but it was mainly an open plan. It was a man cave in the purest of forms. A large TV with various gaming consoles attached to it. A very expensive-looking music system was pumping out music via a scattering of satellite speakers. There was a full-size pool table, an area for darts, and a scattering of bar-style tables and chairs with a few sofas as well. There was even a full bar along one of the walls. "Wow," I said as I took in the scene.

"Yeah, awesome isn't it," Chloe said, "He defo earns waaaaay too much," she added.

"Defo," I agreed and did wonder what his job was.

Two people were playing pool with several watching, people were playing darts and the rest were sitting at the bar tables. "What is wrong with the sofas?" I asked no one in particular, but only Chloe was in earshot.

"Worst view of the games," she said as she headed towards the free single-seater one and sat down. I went with her and we sat together again. Neither of us were wearing shoes, although I did still have socks on which was interesting on a polished wooden floor. I am going to assume the perceived slipperiness was more to do with my blood alcohol level than the actual floor itself, but either way, sketchy as hell.

It was loud, like bar loud. There were 15 or so people down there, all of them talking, shouting, singing, dancing and generally being quite rowdy. We had a reasonable view of the pool, so it was that which we found ourselves watching. The games were as expected when played by drunk people. Easy shots were missed by miles. Difficult shots were missed entirely. While flukes and deflections went in more often than the intended shot. As people lost it was winner stays on, and the games cycled quite quickly.

An older guy came over and asked Chloe if she wanted a drink. I am going to assume that he was her Dad as he kissed her on the cheek and in the process actually fell on us. He was a little drunk. We managed to push him back to his feet and he disappeared off to refill our drinks. 20 minutes later and no drinks I went to investigate. He had got distracted upstairs and was chatting with

a couple. I plucked the glasses out of his hand and made our own drinks. He smiled at me, apologised and dragged me into the conversation.