4. who's most likely to

“Did you guys get invited to the barbeque the Wrights are throwing?” Anna asked. There was a collective reply of yes’.

The six of us were hanging out at the beach, as usual. It was nearing nine in the evening and we were sitting on pieces of driftwood, a few feet away from the water with spiked drinks in our cups. It was oddly chilly tonight with a small breeze that carried the fresh saltwater scent.

Tony had smuggled some alcohol from his parents’ cabinet, declaring that we were all in need of a drink. For what reason, I don’t know, but I went along with it.

“I heard they’re trying to make this the biggest block party yet,” Maggie mused.

I stretched my legs out as they talked about the Wrights’ and how they flaunt their money at every occasion they get. The Wrights’ were probably the most popular family in town. Arthur Wright worked in the oil industry whereas Ariel Wright was a semi-prominent actress. She’s played minor roles in some B-list movies but she spoke about her role like she was the main character, or so my aunt said. The Wrights’ also had a set of twins: Edmund and Emily. Edmund had dropped out of college to go to trade school which had been the talk of the town for a while according to my aunt. There was still a huge stigma regarding people not going to college. Emily, on the other hand, was our age, just graduating high school. From what I’ve heard, she went to school with Roman and his friends.

“Did you bring the games?” Tony asked.

Maggie nodded and grabbed a box from her bag. “I have ‘Who’s Most Likely To.’”

“What are the rules?” Roman asked, placing an arm behind me, our shoulders brushing.

“We’re making this a drinking game,” Tony said with a grin as he refilled our cups to the brim. “Basically, we go around taking a card from the deck. Each card’s gonna have a statement and we have to figure out who fits the description the most. Whoever it is, drinks.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Asher said, “I’ll start.” He grabbed a card from the top of the deck. “Who’s most likely to streak naked in a crowded place?”

“Tony,” everyone said, including Tony himself. With a grin, he took a gulp.

“Who’s most likely to get pregnant from a one-night stand?” Roman asked.

“Maggie!”

“Anna!”

“Me?! No, it’s totally you!”

I watched in amusement as Maggie and Anna argued over who was more likely to get pregnant while the guys chimed in here and there with examples to support their claim. I wrapped my blanket around my shoulders a little tighter as I let them argue it out.

I felt…good. I wasn’t ecstatic and gleeful, just simply good. The past couple of days have been rough, especially since my sleep schedule has been worsening by the day with me falling asleep at five in the morning and getting up at two in the afternoon. It didn’t help that I spent the majority of the time I was awake in the middle of the night on my phone or reading a book. I was starting to run out of things to do. This is why I didn’t particularly enjoy summer vacation. It felt a little too long and I got bored. There was only so much I could do.

I tried keeping in touch with my friends in New York but it was a lot of work. I had nothing against them, but it was hard for me to maintain relationships, especially long-distance ones, when I couldn’t even maintain myself. I felt bad and guilty for it, but I would eventually try.

I was brought back to the conversation when I felt a nudge on my arm. I blushed slightly when I realized everyone was waiting on me to pick a card.

“Who’s most likely to have a threesome?”

“Archer, 100%,” Anna said, laughing when he threw an empty cup at her.

I had to admit, though, that I enjoyed being with them. I’ve started to spend more time with them and I was getting to know each of them a little better. They included me like we’ve been friends for years. A few days ago, Anna and Maggie had showed up at my aunt’s house – since everyone knows everyone in this town – and asked me if I wanted to get ice cream with them. Even when I was doing things on my own, like grocery shopping or going for a walk, I would sometimes end up running into at least one of them.

It was definitely odd. I didn’t come from a small town where people knew each other. I lived in Albany and barely spoke to my neighbors. My friends and I had gone to Catholic school which meant that we lived in different towns. Going out with them was usually planned ahead of time. I did, however, like the sense of community in this town. People, for the most part, were extremely friendly, although sometimes it could be overbearing and annoying.

“You doing okay?” Roman whispered to me.

I looked up at him and nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“You’re really quiet,” he murmured, running his fingers through his hair. Tony, Asher, and him had been swimming while Maggie and Anna were sunbathing before I had got here. I wasn’t planning on hanging out with them but it seemed like anytime one of us were in the same area, we could stick together.

I shrugged. “I’m just taking this all in,” I responded honestly. “I haven’t had a night out like this in months to be honest.”

“I’m glad you came,” Roman said, nudging my shoulder with his.

I didn’t respond.

I had mixed feelings about all of this. It's only been just over a week since I tried to kill myself. A part of me had no idea what to do. I never planned on living past that day. It was like all the courage and strength I had that night was gone and I had to regain it all back in order to try again. I didn't have it in me anymore and that was scary to me.

With a sigh, I leaned forward and grabbed the next card. "Who's most likely to fuck an author?"