Pearl City, Northern Continent, Straussix.
In a lavish bubbling jacuzzi, laid a young man with a lady nested on his chest.
They both wore minimal clothing as the man was watching the costly chandelier that hung overhead, his eyes a little reddened.
He could hear distant sounds outside the bathroom, but he felt too lazy to go out and hear them out, just like the mistress on his chest, who was fast asleep.
The man lowered his gaze, looking at the bubbles of jacuzzi.
"Damn, I can see them in slow motion. That shit is not a drug, it's a superpower!" he chuckled to himself as he watched the bubbles for an insane amount of time.
Of course, he was high on weed for the first time.
To celebrate his 18th happy birthday, his friends unfurled a miraculous dried herb that was rolled masterfully into a joint and given to the birthday boy.
At first he was reluctant to take it, but folded soon after hearing some provocations.
*Ring Ring*
The man's cell phone rang on the side as he slowly turned his head towards the phone, feeling too lazy to grab it.
"Ian~ Turn it off~" his chick's muffled sound came and Ian scratched his sweaty hair in frustration.
"Do it yourself. I am tired."
"Please~" she pouted a little and Ian soon had to give up, extending his arm to reach for his phone.
"Dad?" Ian instantly sobered up a little, looking at the incoming facetime.
He quickly moved away his 'friend' from the camera's view and washed his face a little before accepting the call.
"What took so long?" his father's dry voice cut any form of greetings Ian was going to give.
"Bathing. My hands were wet." Ian raised his hand to show the dripping water.
"I didn't buy you a waterproof phone for nothing," his father scoffed before squinting his eyes, "What happened to your eyes? Why are they so red?"
Ian stiffened up, "Nothing, soap went in my eyes."
He could see his father's suspicion in a slow motion, even his words were sounding funny, but Ian tried his best to act normal.
"Is that so? Anyway, happy birthday, son." his father sighed on the other side, "The party's over, come home. We need to talk."
And saying that, he hung up.
Ian sobered up more.
When has something good ever happened after a cursed 'we need to talk'?
"I need to go. Get dressed and go home safe, cya later." Ian spoke to his friend in the jacuzzi before getting up and draping a towel around himself.
He heard a soft 'hmm' behind him as he left the lavish bathroom.
"IAN! Come drink with us, man! It's your party!" One of Ian's school friends called out loudly when he saw Ian coming out, he looked wasted himself.
"Later. I need to go." Ian replied, knowing that guy probably won't even remember about it tomorrow.
"Where?" Chris, one of Ian's childhood and family friends, asked, looking a little more sobered up than the rest.
"Dad just called dude, he sounded very… serious?" Ian said.
"When's he not?" Chris quipped, "Are you even in a condition to drive?"
"Yep." Ian said, but he definitely wasn't.
"Well my dear dad also called me earlier, asking me to come home too. I was just waiting for you so I can tell you I am going." Chris replied back.
"Why? Need your second daddy's permission to go home, son?" Ian laughed.
"Nah, but your daddy needs to see the videos of you smoking joints." Chris scoffed and Ian instantly went silent.
"Coming or not?"
"I'll drive."
Just like that, the two friends had left the party for a reason they both didn't know.
***
After half an hour of driving and buying tons of mouth freshners on the way, Ian was dropped at his house and Chris sped away to his.
By now, he had gotten a little more sober, and his eyes got less redder.
"How was the party, son?"
After entering the house, Ian was greeted by his father's voice, who was sitting on the sofas with another family he didn't quite recognize.
There was a man in his early forties, wearing luxurious clothes, his wife appeared of similar age and a similar taste, while their daughter was on the other couch, sitting alone.
She also appeared to be a teen like Ian himself.
"It was great." Ian replied politely before heading towards the sofa and sitting at the only spot that was left, beside the girl.
"Mister Wheeler and I have decided that you two are old enough now, Ian and Alice." Ian's father said the moment Ian sat beside the girl named Alice
Ian was assaulted by goosebumps, and his reaction was shared by Alice, though maybe hers was a bit more… wild?
"Is that what I think it is, dad?!" she cried out with lack of manners, addressing her father.
"As you can see, Leon." Mister Wheeler ignored his daughter and said to Ian's father, Leon Maxwell.
"Don't worry, mine is similar. He just seems a bit off today." Leon dangerously narrowed his eyes at Ian who shrinked under his father's gaze.
For a moment, it felt like Leon already knew what Ian was doing at the party.
"Ian, Alice, your opinions aren't needed, since marriage is the last thing you need to worry about currently."
Ian's breath returned for a moment.
"As of right now, both of you are being banished from our families for the next 3 years."
And Ian's breath left again.
"What?" he asked slowly.
"Don't think we know what kind of a life you both have lived up till now, enjoying your parents' money without a single care." Leon said strictly.
"You both will be sent to the southern continent, without any contact from our families and friends." Mr Wheeler added, "And don't worry about your friends either, most of them are being told the same thing by their own parents."
"Ian, Alice. You both will attend the Sauff Business School of the southern continent for the next 3 years before returning back here," Leon explained a little more, "Your first year's fees are paid but all your living expenses and the fees of next years will need to be funded by yourself.
How? We don't care."
After a moment, he added.
"Oh, and you two are engaged."
Ian blinked. First banishment. Now engagement.
Is that his birthday present?