#first time drinking

ESFP: ...

INTJ: I clearly underestimated my tolerance level, and next time we drink we must be must more efficient! I had 5 shots of Malibu but I stopped there because I was mixing them in lemonade and all the carbonated beverage was starting to make me feel sick because I ate all the leftover Thai food after you had gone home.

Ash had never thought about drinking alcohol. Laws about it are pretty lax, but there’s a pretty clear understanding among most kids on their journeys that the only young people who drink are those in gang organizations. Team Skull of Alola is particularly well-known for drinking from a young age. This in addition to off-handed comments from Delia throughout his childhood like: “Bad enough to drive a sane person to drink,” made him think very little about alcohol. And when he did, it was never with any interest.

When his friends start getting older and start dabbling in alcohol, he still has no interest. He likes his sodas just fine. Well, actually, he likes them so much, he wonders why anyone would want anything else. Eventually, without even realizing exactly when it happened, everyone around him drinks. Mostly responsibly, but not infrequently.

That being said, when Misty—and more than a little teasing from Gary—convinces Ash that he should give it a try just once, everyone goes nuts. They’ve been waiting for this day more anxiously than they’d been waiting for him to become champion (which is still a work in progress).

They all go to a bar—even Bonnie and Max—and go about deliberating over what Ash should try. Gary wants to give him shots and the bitterest IPA beer on the menu, but everyone kind of pushes him aside. After all, they want Ash to have a good time!

Misty settles on ordering him a hard cherry lemonade. He tastes it and seems to enjoy it. For a second. And then his face sours and he says, “Ugh, how can anyone drink this stuff?”

Dawn, curiously, says, “Really?” takes a sip, and puts it down. With deep concern, she turns to Paul and says, “I don’t taste any alcohol at all! Oh my God, am I an alcoholic?”

Paul very much ignores her and May quickly comforts her.

Meanwhile, everyone else’s drinks come in and Ash agrees to try them if it means that he doesn’t have to finish his own. Gary is disappointed for a second—he’d wanted Ashy-boy to pound a drink—before his eyes glimmer with a better plan.

Pretty much, the more watered down a drink is, the less bad it is in Ash’s opinion. Misty’s drinks—an old fashioned and a beer—are by far the worst. He says the beer tastes like bread and lotion that bubbles and the old fashioned is like motor oil.

Misty says, “Thanks, Ash,” sarcastically before sliding off of the stool next to him. Ash sputters at a few more drinks before Gary sidles up next to him, taking Misty’s spot, and sets a full shot glass down in front of him. The caramel colored liquid threatens to spill over, but is contained in the small cup as everyone turns to Gary.

“Gary, don’t make him,” May says gently.

“C’mon, between all of these puny sips he hasn’t even had have of a full drink. He’s not gonna feel anything. He should have a few shots just so that he knows what alcohol feels like.”

“He doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to,” Brock adds.

Gary rolls his eyes and puts his hand up to quiet all of the bubbling responses around him. “Ash? What do you think?”

Ash looks at the amber liquid for a second. It looks harmless enough. It’s hardly more than those small cups of liquid medicine his mom made him take when he was—oh wait, no, those were disgusting. His eyes begin to cross with consideration before he remembers that thinking things out never goes well for him and so he just reaches for the shot glass and takes it all in one go like he’s watched all his friends do at one point or another.

The second the strong taste of cinnamon hits his tongue he thinks he’s gonna be okay. He likes cinnamon. It reminds him of gingerbread cookies and the holidays and that one good fall soup that Brock…

Oh, shit, no.

In an instant he feels his face turn red as the heat takes over his body, scorching down his throat and bleeding all the way down into his stomach where it stops. He can feel it the whole way down and that’s deeply unsettling. He slams the shot down and everyone is cheering or looking at him expectantly. Or both.

He gasps for a few seconds before he looks up at Gary with an expression that can only be described as wounded disbelief. Disbelief that his friend could have done this to him.

“Well?” Gary asks, barely holding back his smile, which is holding back his laughter. “What did you think?”

Finally, Ash says, “It’s literally like throwing up backwards.”

Some people laugh, some just look at Ash with pity. Dawn, for one, perks up and says, “No need to worry, Ash! Next time we could just try jello shots or something!”

Ash stands up, happy to note that the alcohol doesn’t seem to be affecting his motor skills. Yet.

“No. There won’t be a next time. Ever. I’m never drinking again.”

Ash pushes himself straight through the group of his friends with the full intent to walk home, the whole time wondering to himself why these people were his friends when they had him drink all that disgusting crap when he could have been having jello instead.

Based on a true story: basically my first (and last) experience with alcohol. Fireball is like throwing up backwards.

Just drank for the first time >< Not feeling much yet but we’ll get there!

Yummy

So far I just noticed that my motor skills are worse and I'm a bit tired. According to my mother, Im smiling a lot so I think I'm a happy drunk.

Also I'm like nonverbal big time right now so I think it's safe to assume I don't have to worry about drinking something with people my age.