Don't Text Back

Chapter 9

Seeing Rebecca made me nervous, and I didn't know why. What was she doing here? I know it was a party where anyone could have invited her, but why didn't she tell me, she would come.

"No, keep dancing," she smiled while handing me the glass. "You didn't have to stop."

She spoke with a slur in her voice, as if she had already been drinking. Her eyes couldn't seem to focus only on me. She looked at everything and everyone as if eye contact wasn't her thing anymore.

"Hey," I waved. "I didn't think you'd be here?"

"It's a party. Of course, I would be here."

"Are the others with you?"

She shook her head then drank the rest of her champagne, or whatever had been in her glass. "No," she said and took me by my hand. "They're always busy." Using her other hand, she pushed the other glass towards my face.

I pushed it away. "I don't think so."

"Just one drink," she said. "You may like it. One won't kill you."

A guy shouldered me, making some of the alcohol spill on my hand. I looked at it, bubbling inside my cup like boiling water on low. I raised it to my lips. The smell of it didn't please me at all, and it smelled like our neighbor who had always been drunk back at my parent's place. I finally got the guts to drink it and took a few sips. As I expected, the taste of it was horrible. It burned my throat, and I wanted nothing more to do with it.

"Maybe you would like the wine better," she said, taking the glass away from me.

I was hoping someone would toss me a water bottle so I could get this horrible taste out of my mouth. TJ walked up to me then raised his eyebrow at me.

"You okay?" He asked.

I was thrown off by the way he had walked in front of Rebecca like she wasn't  standing there. "I'm all right," I said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Then dance," he spun me around, but I only went half way because of the tight space around us.

Rebecca laughed then followed TJ as he took me to dance with the others. For some reason, I paid more attention to TJ than Rebecca. I was having a lot of fun dancing with him and the random people behind me who were cheering me on and telling me to "shake it" and "move it." I found their statements really funny but boasting. Throughout this whole dance, I saw Rebecca's face more than I should have.

I caught her staring at me from behind her someone, and in that same moment, I felt my head spin. I lost balance for a second then caught myself. There Rebecca was again, and again, and again. Everywhere I looked, she was there. I felt the need to sit down before I passed out.

"What's the matter?" Rebecca shot out of nowhere and took me by the shoulder.

I leaned up against her. "I don't feel so good. Can you take me home?"

"Hey, what's wrong with her?" TJ asked while staring at me.

"The drinks," Rebecca replied. "Maybe too many. I think we should get her home."

I was trying to tell them that I was okay, but I still felt dizzy. One of TJ's friends handed me a water bottle, and I drank from it. I had no clue what was wrong with me. My stomach felt like a fish was swimming around in it and I felt the urge to vomit. TJ and Rebecca carried me out front to the car, and Kyndall followed behind us.

"I'll drive," Kyndall said.

"Didn't you drink?" TJ asked.

"Not really," she replied. Just get in."

I didn't have enough energy to sit up on my own, so I leaned against TJ. He rubbed my arm and was singing beautifully to the music.

"You sing so well," I said while playing with the broken zipper on his jacket.

"Thanks," he laughed.

"She sounds so wasted," Kyndall laughed. "How many drinks did she have?"

"I don't even know," I smiled. "But we had such a good time. Didn't we?" Everyone in the car laughed. Even I had to laugh because I sounded ridiculous. My voice was soft but higher than usual.

TJ nodded his head, still rubbing my arm. "That was fun."

"We have to do that again," I said then fist pumped into the air. "We can party right here. Right now!"

"We're taking you home," Rebecca laughed.

***

The parking spots in front of our house were full, so Kyndall had to park in front of the creepy abandoned house. TJ helped me out, and the first thing I did was look at that house. With the one street light on, I could see clearly. The house swayed back and forth as if it was alive, trying to get out of the ground.

"Guys, look at this place," I said. "Rebecca. Go in there. I dare you."

She held my hand while TJ wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He suddenly stopped then quickly looked at the house. Rebecca and Kyndall stopped too, and all of us looked at the house. Something was ringing, and it was coming from the inside.

"Does someone live inside there?" Kyndall asked. "Am I the only one who hears a cell phone?"

She wasn't. All of us heard the cellphone. The whole world around us was silent except for the ringing of a cell phone. I shook TJ off me and stood up straight. Rebecca still held my hand, smiling at me as we had the same thought.

"I dare you," she said.

"Only if you come with me," I said.

TJ and Kyndall clapped their hands like a bunch of little kids, cheering for us to retrieve the cell phone. Giggling, the two of us ran past the broken gates and followed the sound of the cell phone. It was definitely coming from inside of the house. When we got to the top of the rickety stairs, we found it. A small open flip phone on the mat before the front door.

"Oh my God," Rebecca said then looked at me. "You think someone else was here before us?"

I smirked. "Yeah, and Griselda sent Rodger after them."

The two of us laughed. "Pick it up," I said.

Rebecca turned to me, gripping my hand tight. "No. You pick it up."

Without more to say or do. I picked up the phone, and it stopped ringing. While the others cheered, we ran back towards them. "Look," TJ pointed to the screen of the phone. A small yellow envelope appeared. "It says, dad."

I opened it then read it out loud. "Come downstairs, hun," it said.

Kyndall chuckled. "Alright let's go. Don't text back; you'll end up getting someone in trouble.

"No," I smiled. "Let's text back."

I pressed reply and typed a message. "Can't. I'm with my friends," I said. I tossed the phone into the grass of the property. Everyone cheered again, then we all went home.

As I laid in my bed, I could honestly say that this was the best night of my life. Moving here was going to be the best choice I had ever made...