I went to a party the other night at my mate’s house. Charlie’s parents were out of town, so he decided the time was right to throw a house party.
There’d be alcohol for sure, probably drugs too. Sure enough the word was soon out and there was no doubt it would be legendary!
Throughout high school, I had never given much thought to booze or drugs. OK, that’s not entirely true…
My parents had given me the run down on all things drugs and alcohol. And we’d all had to sit through the health classes at school.
You know the usual warnings about drink spiking, the effects of alcohol and drugs on a young growing brain, how they can lead you into risky or uncomfortable situations, and you can end up doing things you normally wouldn’t.
As far as I could tell, it was pretty true. I mean I’d seen heaps of my friends make some pretty dodgy decisions after a few drinks. Things I’m sure they wouldn’t have done if they’d been sober.
With that in the back of my mind, I’ve never been all that keen to drink.
But with uni on the horizon and more and more of my friends drinking, I’d been thinking why not. So when Charlie texted me about the party, I decided a few drinks wouldn’t hurt.
I arrived at the party a bit late. Hey, nobody ever rocks up on time. And things were already looking a bit crazy!
Everyone was there, including Jo who I’d had a crush on since year 10.
I grabbed a light beer, thinking I’d start slow. A beer or so later I was feeling good and ready to take on the world. Or at least conquer my fears and strike up a conversation with Jo.
I headed over without any hesitancy, and we started talking. Half an hour later and another drink down, we were inseparable.
It’s true what they say; alcohol makes you totally comfortable doing things you wouldn’t normally do.
I say this because the next thing I know, Jo and I were hooking up in Charlie’s parent’s bedroom. Our clothes were still on but who knew for how long. Things were getting very, very heated and happening quite fast.
I had a fleeting thought—condoms!
Of course I didn’t have any. I wasn’t planning on this happening.
For a second, I didn’t care. All I could think about was that this was the moment I’d been dreaming of. But when the clothes started coming off we both seemed to hesitate a bit.
As much as I wanted to, I wasn’t so sure we should continue.
We chatted for a few minutes, and we both decided we were in over our heads. I didn’t realise how wobbly on my feet I was and Jo wasn’t much better off. So I asked for Jo’s number instead, and made plans to grab some food or see a movie real soon.
Jo decided to head home, so we headed downstairs and called an Uber.
An hour or so later I was back in the bedroom, this time alone; I had somehow made it back upstairs and passed out on Charlie’s parent’s bed.
I woke up the next day feeling pretty average. I headed downstairs to grab a glass of water and find something for my hangover. Chatting with Charlie and the others who’d crashed there, I heard some stories about the previous night. Luckily, as far as I could tell, the party had got messy but not out of control.
A few broken glasses and some serious hangovers, but that was it.
It took a while for my night to fully come back to me. I was so glad things hadn’t gone further with Jo. Neither of us was in a state of mind to fully agree to sex, or give consent.
Come to think of it; maybe it’s time for a sexual health check-up. It has been about a year.
So what did I learn from this experience? Lots!
I’m not sure I’ll be drinking for a while. The hangover alone will make think twice about doing it again.
Besides I want to enjoy everything about my date with Jo this weekend with a clear mind!
Related:
Sex & drugs: Tips for partying safely
