In The Past :
Raielle gave herself a quick, one-over in the mirror before spinning to get a better look. She tugged slightly at the short, black pleated skirt she had on. She cocked her head over her shoulder to get a look of the back. She smiled; pleased with the skull and crossbones she had painted on the back herself. She adjusted her fishnets and bent down to tighten the laces on her boots. She laughed at the sight of her corset style top and the way it emphasized her cleavage. `Too bad it's not all mine' she grinned to herself as she pulled the laces in the top a little tighter. She snatched an old Rancid hoodie from her bed and walked out her bedroom door.
"Paulie, I'm going out for a while!" She screamed toward the kitchen as she continued toward the front door, not bothering to wait for his reaction.
"Whoa! Wait a sec Rai..." Paul caught her by the arm. `Dammit! I knew I shoulda just snuck out!' Raielle scolded herself.
"What?!" a very agitated Raielle huffed.
"Rai, listen I am having a little party tonight. There is no way I will be able to come get you later on, and I don't trust any of your friends to bring you home" he spitefully said "Can't you just stay in tonight? Besides, you're always beggin me to take you with me to parties, and you still haven't met the guys, they are dying to meet you!" Paul pleaded.
"What the fuck Paul? It's Friday night, and I wanna go out with MY friends! You're not my fucking mom, lemme go!" Raielle trashed about to get free of her older brother's grip.
"You're right Rai, I'm not mom, she's dead! And right now, I'm all you have left. You're MY responsibility. I'm not the enemy here…just please, please stay in tonight…" He was exhausted with this argument. It was the same one, over and over. Every weekend, she would go out with those people she called friends and do nothing but get into trouble. And every weekend he would come and pick her up, and assure the officers that he would take care of the matter at home. In the nine months since their mother was killed he had taken full custody over his sister. He tried so hard to set a good example for her, had taken a second job to support her, all while pursuing his dreams of being in a band. He worried about his sister so much; there was only a little less than two years difference between them and she still was so immature. She would be eighteen before he knew it and he would have no power over her. And in her stubbornness, and anger at the world, she listened to no one.
"God!" She threw her arms up in frustration and stormed back toward her room. He thought about following to try to calm her down, but figured he'd give her some space. He went back to setting things up for the party.
Raielle sat in her room, loudly blasting music, contemplating whether to sneak out and just how to do it. Usually, she would have bolted long before now, but she had this harsh feeling in her gut. "Damn you guilt" she mumbled. But it was true, she did feel guilty. She could see the look in Paul's eyes as he begged her to stay. It slightly resembled the look in his eyes when he would pick her up from police custody. She knew it killed him to see her act the way she did, especially since she once had so much going for her. But she couldn't help it; she was so pissed off at the world. Raielle's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She slumped off the bed and walked to the door, roughly throwing it open.
"I brought you a drink, figured it would calm your nerves a bit." Paul smirked, extending a glass. She sighed deeply before taking the glass and bringing it to her face. She inhaled deeply and took a sip.
"Cranberry and vodka…my fav! Thanks Paul." She hugged him quickly. She never could stay mad at him, and vice versa. They lived for each other; since no one else in the world mattered to them anymore.
"Anytime, kiddo. I was serious when I said I wanted you to party with us tonight." He could see the skepticism written all over her face. "Think about it, okay? I at least want to introduce you to the guys, they should be here soon." He assured her.
"Yea…we'll see. I just wanna hang alone for a while. Are there a lot of people here yet?"
"Not many…soon though!" He grinned widely.
"We'll see," she smirked and turned to return to her bed.
"Oh Rai.." he called to get her attention. She turned back quickly. "I really like what you did with the skirt. Skull and crossbones, nice touch!" She smiled at his comment and watched him pull the door shut. She sunk back onto her bed and enjoyed the drink Paul had brought her.
* 2 hours and SEVERAL drinks later *
Raielle skipped out of her room in search of Paul. There were people everywhere, most of whom had one too many drinks. Most people didn't notice her entrance, and those who did shot her questioning glances wondering who this new person was. She made her way into the kitchen and found what she was looking for, vodka. She glanced around quickly looking for Paul and saw him standing in the corner talking to some girl. Raielle shrugged her shoulders and made herself a drink. She downed it all in one gulp and quickly poured another. Drink in hand, Raielle made her way back toward her room, avoiding the mass of people at all costs. Then that plan went to hell.
"Asshole!" Raielle huffed.
"I'm so sorr..." the guy before her began.
"Cant you even watch where you're going!" She screamed, still examining the spill on her hoodie.
"I'm really sorry I was…" he tried again to speak.
"Just being a belligerent drunk and not paying any mind to the people around you!" she insulted.
"Listen! I was trying to apologize but you were too busy screaming your fucking head off!" He shouted back. Raielle pulled the beer and vodka soaked hoodie from her body, forgetting about the revealing top she wore underneath. She was quickly reminded as she followed the guy before her's gaze.
"First you dump your drink on me, then you have the audacity to stare at my chest!" she snapped. Before she could continue, he was extending his own hoodie to her.
"Here take mine…like I said, I'm sorry about the drink. Do you want me to get you another?" He offered, his voice substantially softer.
"Keep your hoodie, I have more. And Yea…another drink sounds good…" Raielle weakly smiled. The two walked into the kitchen and got new drinks. They walked out back where there were less people. They spent the night talking and laughing, all while never slowing down on the drink intake. Both were making their way back into the house for yet another drink, leaning heavily on each other for support. Raielle whipped her head around at the feeling of someone's hands on her shoulders.
"Paulie!" She shouted and hugged her brother tightly.
"Uh, hey Rai…having a good time?" he smiled, unsure of his sister's state.
"I'm having a GRRREAT time!" She beamed and leaned against her drinking buddy.
"I'm glad to hear it, I see you've met Benji…" he eyed the two.
"Who?"
"Benji. The guy you're leaning against." Paul explained.
"Me. I'm Benji." Her `wall' spoke up.
"OH! Yep…I've met Benji." She smiled back at Paul.
"Good. Now you've gotta meet the rest of the guys."
"Eh…maybe later…me and Benji have some business to take care of!"
She laughed. Paul shook his head. He knew that he should stop her from drinking, but wanted her to enjoy herself. Besides, handing his sister a strong drink always made up for whatever reason she may have been mad at him for. Raielle took Benji's hand into her own and walked into the large living room. By this point, many of the guess had cleared out, leaving few who passed out and others who were still `living it up'. The intense industrial music was thick with bass, pounding heavy and making the room vibrate. Raielle pulled Benji close to her and coerced him into dancing. She could tell he wasn't much of a dancer, but with her guidance slowly got into the rhythm. She grinded her hips into his, rolling her head back and completely letting go. The things alcohol can make you do. Just hours before she was completely miserable, then blissfully tipsy, then enraged, and now in an utterly drunken state was grinding with someone who enraged her hours ago. Benji leaned his head close to her ear and spoke quite loudly in order to be heard over the music.
"So how do you know Paul?" Benji inquired, still keeping his pace with Raielle.
"He's my brother," she answered nonchalantly.
"What?!? You're Paul's sister? You're Raielle, Paul's sixteen year old little sister?" Benji stepped back from her as he questioned with an almost horrified look on his face.
"Yea…I'm Raielle, and I'm seventeen, not sixteen!" She answered, taken aback by his outburst.
"I can't believe I was grinding with Paul's sister!" he shook his head.
"And you're just now figuring this out?" Her reply dripping in sarcasm.
"Well yea! I had no idea who you were…I gotta…gotta, go…" he sauntered off toward the kitchen.
Raielle stood in the living room shocked by his reaction. She waited a moment, then followed his path into the kitchen, except not in search of him. Not bothering to get a glass, she snatched a new bottle of vodka from the counter and stormed off to her room. With AFI blaring from her room in competition with the music still thumping in the living room, Raielle settled back with her companion for the evening and was content.
Benji had taken much the same actions; taking himself an abundant supply of alcohol, he settled in on the floor in an unoccupied section of the living room.
Both of their thoughts raced back to the other as they drunk themselves into a state of blissful aloneness…