You Saved Me Once Book 1 novel Chapter 23

Thankfully night came fast, and the party was starting soon.

Jake and Emma helped me decorate the house, they still cared about the aesthetics. They’re pretty cute.

We set up pastel lights all around the house. I don’t think it was a fire hazard.

The more lights, the better. We put them everywhere.

Next was locking the rooms that were off limits. Which consist of; my bedroom, Adams room, and the bedroom downstairs.

The bedroom downstairs is off limits for us too, but for different reasons. We don’t talk about it. It’s her room.

The bedrooms unlocked were the guest bedroom, which was our older brother’s Jack’s room, and Jake’s room.

Doing all of this without the help of Rochelle, or Hayes. They were next door doing, whatever.

I didn’t want to think about it.

When the party started up, they made their appearance. Along with a few other faces.

Adam’s girlfriend Lorene, and his college friends showed first. Then came the high school lacrosse team, which meant Jeff was attend-ing. It didn’t take long for the house to fill up.

Once the party started, the awkward silence faded.

I wander around, smile at people I don’t know, which is more fun, than it sounds.

Sometimes, I pull out my camera, or polaroid and take pictures. Or fiddle with the music playlist. This is at any party.

I enjoy parties on Friday nights. That’s when people’s true colors, show.

Hopefully, I can contain myself enough, so my true colors won’t show. Enough, so my secrets won’t spill out. Knowing everything that’s currently happening, I don’t think I’ll stay sober tonight, on any ac-counts.

Which in an about an hour, my true colors begin to show.

~~~~

I had way too many shots, and not enough snacks. I was on a high. A destructive one.

With my camera around my neck I bump into Jeff at the snack table.

“Hey Alex.” He smiles.

He looked cleaner than me. He had a water bottle in his hand.

“Oh hey. Jiff.” I sigh.

He smiles at me.

“Are you having fun?” He asks.

He puts his arm around me. I hug him, my flimsy jacket scratches his black t-shirt. He passes me a water bottle, it’s cold.

“Utter fun Jiff. Utter FUN!” I exhale.

I point to Jake and Emma in the corner of the room, going at it. I cover my mouth and laugh.

“You’re hard to figure out Alex.” He says.

“Me? I’m hard to figure out?” I slur.

“Yep. I kind of hate when people ask the question, that’s being answered.” He says.

He smiles before looking down. For a moment my high is gone, and I see Jeff clearer, both mentally and physically. He was really nice, like all around.

We talk a little, I go for seconds, Jeff stops me.

“You really think I’m cool “shit”?” I ask.

I nudge Jeff, covering my face seconds later at my own cringe.

“Not cool “shit”, but I think you’re fucking cool. No shit, just cool.” He says.

I shake my head at his terrible joke. He looks at me again, he won’t stop. I nudge him.

“Stop that.” I laugh. I make sure to annunciate as well as I can.

“Thank you.” I laugh.

“You’re not just talking to me because you want to have sex? Or be with me, because I’m innocent? I’m not, you know?” I state.

“No, Alex.” Jeff turns to me.

“You’re cool, and I want to get to know you. I want something, re-al.” He says.

The drinks from tonight, starts to spiral me down a destructive road.

“Tired of sleeping with the entire school?” I laugh.

“What?” He asks.

“Come on Jeff, you’re a lacrosse player I see with girls all the time.” I say.

“You’re drunk right now Alex.” He says.

“You’re stoned.” I laugh.

“No, I’m not.” He whispers into my ear.

I lean into him, pushing all of my weight onto him. I wanted some-one to hug me. He plays in my hair.

“Are you mad?” I whisper into his ear.

I’m sure he can smell the strong acidic cold breath of poison caus-ing trouble.

“No.” He laughs. He’s lying.

“Right.” I say.

“What’s going on with you?” He asks.

“Nothing. I can’t feel a thing.” I laugh.

“How many people have you been with?” I ask.

“Not many.” He sighs. I should stop, but I can’t.

“You had sex with Rochelle though, right?” I ask.

“What?” He asks.

“Did you have sex with my best friend?” I slur.

I think this question was not only for Jeff, but for someone else.

“Okay. I’m leaving.” He says.

“Now you don’t want me?” I laugh.

“I’ll see you at school, okay?” He says.

He shakes his head before leaving me stranded at the drinks table.

I pour more to drink, now guiding myself back to the main party. I rest myself against a wall, watching the scene pass me in flashes. The lights, the laughter, the music. Everything was much, it wasn’t helping the overwhelming feeling that sat in my stomach.

I try. I try to be normal, fit into the party scene, play along. This was enough to quiet the butterflies I felt. That feeling meant, tears were coming.

I grab my camera and walk over to the downstairs bedroom that’s off limits. The high, numbed me enough, enough to open the door.

As soon as I do, I see two college kids having sex on the bed.

“What the fuck! Get the fuck out!” I yell, quickly shutting the door behind them.

I make sure they not only leave the room, and my vicinity, but the party as well.

I was very pissed by this, Adam tries to calm me down. When I’m off the wire, Hayes stands by me in silence.

“Alex are you okay?” Rochelle creeps behind me, giving me a hug.

“No! These fuckers somehow got into her fucking room!” I pull away from Rochelle, upset.

My head is spinning. I can’t walk straight. I laugh instead.

“I think you need to slow down Alex.” Hayes says.

I laugh at his comment and ignore them both. They were pretty drunk themselves. This annoyed me.

I go back to the drink table and pour myself an entire cup now.

“Go mingle you two, go at it. I’m just having fun. The music sucks. I think I’ll go and convince the DJ to play some better music.” I laugh.

I start to take off my jacket.