My cousin Michelle and I were only a year apart in age, her being older, so growing up we got along very well. Family gatherings were always fun with the young kids running around playing hide and seek outside, tag, or whatever fun was to be had. Michelle and I would hide together or seek each other out first when playing games.
Fast forward to college. I enrolled at the same in state university that Michelle attended. Michelle and her roommate from the previous year moved into an apartment not far from the dorm I was living in and our path's to school always seemed to cross so we would walk together until we had to split up and go our separate ways to class. One morning as we were walking to class she started talking about how growing up, she and I were always together playing games and how much fun it was to have a cousin as her best friend. I put my arm around her and pulled her in for a sideways hug and told her that I felt the same about her and would always be there for her.
Michelle called me one Saturday morning to inform me that she and her roommate were having a small party at their place and invited me to come and meet some of her friends so that I could get to know a few other people and to get me out of the dorm room hell I had been living. Don't get me wrong, I liked living in the dorm, but the cinder block walls and tile floor gave it the feeling of a jail cell. I accepted the invitation and asked what I could bring besides alcohol because I didn't have a fake i.d. yet because I hadn't met the right people to hook me up with one. She said that she would have some for me and just bring some chips and dip. Luckily, there was a little quick mart along the way to her apartment so I popped in grabbing three different kinds of chips, two of which were flavored and a bag of plain chips and some dip.
As my walk brought me closer to her apartment a flash of lightening streaked across the sky and I thought this could be a long wet walk home if it decides to rain for a while. I reached Michelle's apartment and could already hear that there were a few people already there. I knocked and Michelle answered the door and for the first time I had to do a double take and ask if that was really her. Michelle is a pretty girl without makeup on. Her sandy blonde hair, which she always wore in a ponytail for as long as I can remember was down just barely touching her shoulders. She had made up on though she really didn't need it, she was a natural beauty with a light olive color of her skin. Michelle usually wore very conservative clothing never revealing much, but tonight she had on a short black mini skirt and a plain white shirt that was showing off the color of her black bra covering up her small breasts.
Michelle looked at me said yes, it's me now come in and get something to drink. I walked in and put my chips and dip on the table and walked over to the table that had the drinks on it and poured a jack and coke. I introduced myself to a few people who were standing by the drink table and made small talk for a few minutes. The guys and I were talking about how we thought the football team was going to do this season and whether or not we were going to make it a good bowl game. Michelle walked over with her roommate and she introduced us as I was secretly hoping not as her cousin so I could keep looking over at Michelle without the others thinking I was some sick pervert for ogling my cousin. Michelle said Heather this is Joe, my cousin to which I cringed a little when she said that.
Heather reached her hand out for me to shake so I did and as I looked into her eyes, I could tell that she may have started drinking a little earlier than the rest of us because they were a little glassy looking. Michelle, Heather and I talked for a few minutes while I fixed them something to drink. Michelle wanted a margarita, which luckily someone was smart enough to bring a bottle of the pre made stuff so all you had to do was pour it over ice. Heather asked for the same show as I was pouring their drinks and Michelle was giving her the run down on us growing up. Heather said that it was very cool we were so close and looking a little sad while saying it. Heather barely knows her cousins since they all lived out of state. We finished up our little conversation with Michelle saying come over and meet everyone else when you're done talking sports.
In the few minutes it took to finish talking to the guys and make my way over to meet the rest of Michelle's friends Heather was well on her way to being the giggly drunk. She was talking loud and barely making any sense. Then it happened. In the blink of an eye, but I saw it in slow motion. Heather announced that she had to pee. As she inched her way off the couch to stand she started to lose her balance and fell back onto the couch, arms flailing knocking drink after drink after drink out of the three others hands that were sitting on the couch. Heather giggled and said oops while the others soaked in alcohol cursed at her while making their way to the bathroom to try and clean up. I looked over at Michelle, who now had her head in her hands, shaking it and saying no, no, no. I moved over to her and told her I would stick around and help her clean up after we got Heather cleaned up and into bed.