First Drink...

A sixteen year old Ethan walks the street, staggering. Drunk for the first time in his life, he makes his way through the crowd, accidentally bumping into his companion.

“Fuck… Watch out!” Charlie shoves him, nearly losing her balance when she does. She’s drunk too, which seems to make her more violent than usual.

“Sorry…” Ethan lies, looking around the busy street. “Fuck, it’s so busy…”

The whole town was out celebrating. A whole fair had been set up around the town square, making it feel like a carnival. Ethan couldn't remember exactly what, but it was the anniversary of somebody doing something for somebody in the town… he thinks. His grandparents were around earlier, but left already. His grandpa had not been feeling well and wanted to rest. That left the young Ethan alone to fend for himself, and fend he did.

Aaron had plundered his mom's liquor cabinet and had been more than willing to share with his friends.

“Where’s my fucking sister…” Charlie looks around, “She said we’d meet up by the goats…”

“I think I see her,” Aaron points just next to Charlie, his finger wavering. “Fuck, she kinda looks like shit compared to-”

Charlie punches Aaron in the shoulder. “Shut the fuck up, asshole. And don’t pretend you’re seeing double.”

Ethan snorts. Truthfully, he’d been kind of seeing double for a while now, but even in his drunken stupor, he wouldn't mistake Charlie and her sister.

“Where the fuck is she!”

“Hey,” Ethan sniffs. “Where's ‘what's his name’?”

“Huh? Bobby?”

“No, no… Wait, where IS Bobby.”

“Babysitting.” Charlie snorts. “We’ve been over this…”

“Whose baby?” Aaron questions, Scratching his head.

“His sister.”

“Sister?” Aaron frowns clearly confused. “Ooooo, ‘sister’. Right, right, right. His sister isn't a baby.”

Ethan looks around. “Why does he have to watch a baby?”

“By doing shit like we’re doing now. He’s fucking at home grounded. And she’s not a fucking baby, she's, like, thirteen or something.” Charlie groans, looking around. “Has anybody seen my fucking sister?!”

Aaron starts to point next to Charlie again, but lowers his finger.

“We should go see Bobby.” Ethan nods, thinking his plan genius one. “And totally…”

“Totally what?” A familiar voice pulls his attention around, meeting a familiar face.

“BOBBY!” Ethan lumbers over slightly, hugging his friend. “I think I’m drunk.”

Patting Ethan on the back, Bobby rolls his eyes. “I can… smell that.”

“I thought you were grounded.” Charlie blinks, staring at Bobby hard. “And have you seen my sister?”

“I am, and no.”

“What?” The question is barely audible, coming from a small voice behind Bobby. “But you said,”

“I know what I said…” Bobby turns to face the smaller figure. “Just shut up and stay close.”

Cranking his neck slightly, Ethan sees a girl standing behind Bobby, long black hair down past her shoulders. Noticing him looking, the girl turns to Ethan, bright blue eyes going wide. “Hi Babe-” Ethan starts to say, the word “Baby” nearly forming, but he cuts it short.

A sober Ethan would have noticed the girl blush, but the drunk one misses it.

“Got any left?” Bobby asks Aaron, not noticing Ethan accidentally call his sister “Babe”.

“Yeah,” Aaron swings off his backpack, rummaging through stolen bottles. “I’ve got… Strawberry schnapps, and t-teqi-tequ-” he frowns. “Mexican stuff.”

“It’s pronounced ‘tequila’,” Charlie groans, looking around. “WHERE THE FUCKS MY SISTER!?”