I grab Penny’s car keys and hope no one wakes up when I start the engine. I have no idea how I’m going to drag his ass out of there, but I do know that tomorrow I’m going to remind him how much he owes me.
Looks like I’m attending this party after all.
Sweat drips down my neck as I crank the windows of this old car down all the way. I drive as fast as I can, but there are cars lining the street a block away from the party and the heat is making me more agitated than usual. There’s a random open spot, so I parallel park Penny’s car sloppily, knowing damn well this isn’t a legal spot. As I slam the car door shut, I don’t look up at my father’s house across the street.
I don’t need to look to know there’s nothing but rotting white clapboard and a yard that’s never seen a lawn mower.
The absolute shit show comes to life before me as I sweatily jog down the street, pushing my hair back off my forehead, cursing under my breath. Colored lights flicker from every open window of the house like this is a full-on rave. It’s not like I haven’t seen this all before; there’s been rowdy house parties on this street since my dad moved us here.
Pausing at the edge of the yard, I scan the yard for Danny or Tyler, but I don’t see them. A can of beer rolls down the slanted front yard before hitting my foot, and a girl I recognize from school comes running after it, falling to her knees as she grabs it, holding it up like a trophy. Someone cheers from the front porch, and I quickly peel my eyes away, checking my phone for messages, but none have come through.
If Danny’s inside chugging beer, I’m going to beat him up first… then drag his ass home.
Weaving my way through the crowd on the steps, I keep my head down, though it’s hard to be 6’4” and not get noticed.
Everyone looks stoned, barely noticing me, though. Two kegs are tapped in the living room, and someone is guzzling beer straight from the hose.
The music is so loud I can’t hear myself think, the bass rattling the bones in my chest. Some girl falls on me, and I gently nudge her back upright into her friend and keep moving.
Where the hell is Danny?
I see the staircase in the corner of the living room and shove my way through the sea of people reeking of weed and booze.
My pulse quickens as I climb the steps. But at the top, a fight breaks out, and I’m caught in between two guys who were on the varsity football team. It’s a blur of arms and swinging fists, and someone knocks into my chest, hard. I gasp for air, purposely flattening myself along the wall, sliding down the narrow hallway.
They tumble past, thudding down the stairs.
“Oh my god, Jesse!” A girl from school claws at my shirt, and I take her by the shoulder, pivoting around her gently.
That’s it, Danny is so dead when I see him.
And just as I feel a force behind me, and get knocked to the ground, I see him in the room at the end of the hallway.
The bathroom.
Slumped against the yellow tub.
Tyler’s standing there, too. He catches my eyes, fear and relief flooding his ghastly face. “Dude, thank fuck you’re here. I don’t know what happened.”
I stand and rush into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me, locking it. I squat down in the tight space between Tyler and Danny. This bathroom has carpet that looks like mud and smells worse.
“Danny, can you hear me?” I grip his shoulders roughly.
With barely the push of a finger, he leans back against the wall, amber eyes rolling up to mine.
“Jesse…you came…” His speech is slurred, but he’s with it enough to know I’m here.
I glance up at Tyler. His eyes go wide, and he shrugs, twitching his foot back and forth.
“What did he take?” Between the music blaring, people scream-talking in every corner of this house, and my pounding heart, I have to yell to be heard.
“I don’t know.” He rubs the back of his neck. “He rolled a joint when we got here, but I don't think he even drank. Sean and him took a tablet together, maybe powder, I don’t know, man.”
“Where’s Sean?” I stand. I’m going to beat his ass.
“I told you, he passed out in a bedroom like an hour ago. He was more fucked up than Danny.”
Grunting, I pull on my hair, feeling like the peeling walls are closing in on me. I resist the urge to punch a hole in one of them. This is worse than I thought.
