GB96 s2 - The Party

It’s not quite as bad as you feared. You do know some of these people; you’ve been very socially active since you came back to Gurlberg, although that’s slipped a bit since you and Stef got together.

The house is frigid with the AC on full blast, and the Spacehog booming out of speakers that are almost as big as you are. Empty beer bottles rattle across the hardwood floors and more empties decorate every possible surface. The house is huge, yet still packed.

You spot Lily. She’s in a corner of the dining room, ostensibly watching some dumb guys play beer pong, but her attention is on the petite, dark-haired beauty that she has her arm around. She’s working her game and having gotten to know Lily a little bit, there is zero doubt in your mind that Lily will effortlessly seduce that girl who you would normally consider to be way out of your league.

You and Stef are mature enough not to interfere.

Stef showed some courage, leading the way into this madness, but she needs a little help. Fortunately, there is a fridge full of beer, several coolers, and a keg. With beer, the situation seems more manageable, at least until you get separated from Ellen.

“Shit. Where’d she go?” you ask Stef, who shrugs as she walks back toward the foyer, which is the hub of all the action.

Well, it’s a party. Not a combat zone. Ellen’s eighteen. Maybe she met someone.

“Hi,” a guy says, coming out of nowhere. He’s not unattractive, at least physically, but he is very drunk.

“Hi,” you reply, ducking under the arm that he put out to try to corner you. He’s wasted and has no reflexes. You easily escape and catch up to Stef.

“What, that’s it?” he calls after you. You showed up here with two girls, your haircut speaks for itself, and you’re dressed like the bass player for Garbage. You don’t know how it would be possible to look gayer. You’d probably have slept with him a year ago, but now? No chance.

You slip your arm around Stef only for her to move away at the exact same time. She is purposefully moving through this house.

She really is looking for that girl.

“There she is,” she says, pointing out Ellen to you.

“Oh,” you say, surprised and relieved. Ellen is in the living room. Some guys are playing Goldeneye on a huge screen, and she’s interested. She has one of those game consoles and really likes it. You like it too; you were hanging out with her last weekend and she played this game with you about all these zany characters racing in little cars. It might be nerd shit, but it’s fun.

These guys aren’t racing, they’re shooting each other.

Stef looks back at you ironically. “Our daughter’s OK.”

“Until one of these guys notices there’s a girl around,” you mutter.

“And that she’s got a bigger dick than he does.”

“Hush!” you say, shocked. Being openly gay in Gurlberg is risky enough. Best not to push it. Besides, that’s Ellen’s secret. You can’t be talking about that at parties.

Stef rolls her eyes and the music changes to Pearl Jam. Then she looks up.

“Oh, great. And who the fuck is this guy?”

The sudden shift in her mood has your attention. You join her to see Mary on the landing, looking breathtaking in her little plaid skirt and Rugrats crop top. The light catches on something: no fucking way.

“She pierced her belly button?” you say. You don’t care about the piercing, but it just draws attention to her smooth but soft tummy and her creamy skin. Your heart beats fast.

But Stef isn’t focused on Mary, she’s onto the guy that’s with her. He’s tall—they always are with Mary—but he’s not athletic. He’s on the skinny side, and he’s not dressed right for the party in his khakis and a button-down shirt. He’s not preppy, exactly. More nerdy. Very different from Mary’s usual dates.

He looks nice. They aren’t making out and he’s not touching her. They’re just standing close together, talking.

“I’ll kill him with a baseball bat,” Stef is saying. Then you and Stef both squeal and jump aside as you notice that Ellen has joined you. She’s looking up at Mary, who is oblivious.

Ellen’s not a good actress. She immediately hurries away to the kitchen for more beer.

You and Stef exchange a look. Stef rolls her eyes and lets out a theatrical sigh.

“We should help her,” she says.

You move closer because the music’s so loud. You look worriedly toward the kitchen, then meet Stef’s eyes to make sure that you are hearing her correctly. You are.

You don’t exactly disagree. Ellen… needs to have her V-card punched. It will help.

Stef sighs again. “I guess we just get her drunk and take her back to your place?”

OK, Stef’s very problematic approach aside, you… might’ve misunderstood her.

“You mean we should do it?” you say.

Stef snorts. “Paper scissor rock?”

“No, dumbass,” you say, poking her in the ribs. “Let’s have someone else do it.”

Stef looks surprised, as though she didn’t even think of that.

“We could,” she admits.

Stef… well, her heart is in the right place. She can’t help but be attracted to Mary, but losing her virginity and blowing off some steam has helped her be less bothered by the unobtainable. The same will be true of Ellen.

Do it yourselves?

Or have someone else take Ellen’s virginity?