The house party swelled through the hallways, and pushed against him as he exited the bathroom. He held his arms out and plunged through the masses, digging his way through oblivious drunks and making his way back toward his bedroom.
Some of his parent's guests had slipped into the room already, pushed into the empty space by simple osmosis. They glared at him, like he was the one intruding.
"I'm studying in here," David said.
The adults shuffled out of the room reluctantly, in a flurry of rolled eyes.
He sat back at his desk. Someone had left a drink on it. He had only been gone a minute, and they'd already made a mess. He slipped his headphones back on and went back to his homework.
One by one, he worked his way down the to-do list. Two exams studied for, one paper written, one binder re-organized. Two hours later, he was slipping it all back into his bag, and he noticed the stranger sitting beside him.
David jumped, and pulled the headphones down from his ears. It was a man he vaguely recognized, some college friend of his father's. He had a dark brown mustache, and a blotchy red face from drinking. He had a glass of something dark in his hand, and he re-crossed his legs as he watched the boy.
"Hey," the man said.
David nodded in greeting. "I'm studying," he said. He moved to put the headphones back on, but the stranger only leaned in closer.
"What'cha studying?" the man asked. David leaned aside, letting the man in closer to see. "Oh, I remember this," he whispered. His eyes turned back to the boy again. "So, you've been hiding in here all night? You didn't want to-"
The man jumped as the door behind them burst open again. The noise of the party flooded in around them.
"Bill? What are you doing in here?"
David recognized his father's voice. The man named Bill was already walking away.
"He needed help with his homework," Bill laughed. His father held the door open until the man left.
"You okay?" his father asked. He had an oddly worried expression on his face.
David had his headphones on again before his father had finished talking. He nodded, and waited for him to go.
With his homework done, he flipped off the lights and watched TV until he was bored. The party was still in full swing. He could hear the music swelling, and the voices getting louder as the guests no doubt drank more and more. It was far too loud to try and go to sleep yet. He flopped onto his mattress, eased himself onto his elbows, and played on his phone as the clock slipped past midnight.
A crack of light across the room made him jump again. It was gone a moment later, as Bill shut the door behind him.
"You're missing it out there," he teased. He rolled the ice in his glass around as he stepped closer.
When he reached the edge of the bed, he sat down and looked around the dark room. "Zeppelin," he said, nodding in approval at one of David's old posters. "Did you just come back from school then?"
David shook his head, still playing on his phone. "No, I live here."
"Ah," Bill muttered. If he noticed the boy's disinterest, he didn't seem bothered by it. He sipped at his drink slowly, then leaned back until his head rested against the curve of David's butt. He sighed as he wriggled his head, making himself comfortable.
David glanced over his shoulder, but Bill didn't seem to see his look of disapproval. He was still glancing around the room eagerly, taking it all in. "What's that," he said, pointing forward.
David followed his finger and squinted through the dark. "Soccer trophy. Only second place, though."
His body rocked gently as Bill nodded against him. "Soccer, enh? That explains this generous cushion."
David smirked politely, then went back to his phone.
"So, what are you up to?" Bill asked, turning over suddenly. David felt the man's nose press between his cheeks as Bill rolled himself over onto his belly. Then he climbed over the boy on all fours, and laid down beside him.
David tilted his phone, letting him see the game he was playing.
"Can I try?" Bill asked.
