(In)Dependance

Chapter 1: Party

  The sleet sprinkled down and melted as my best friend Jazalynn and I  walked towards the pumping music that emanated from a large two story house that was hosting the party of the year. Jaz was dressed in a bright pink sweater dress that had black stripes with a pair of bright pink leggings. A pair of black pumps adorned her feet with a silver anklet on her left ankle that sparkled and caught the light as She stepped. She had her curly brown hair pinned up into a flowery-looking bun. She had minimal makeup because She didn't need much to look beautiful, just some bold eyeliner and mascara to show off her hazel eyes. I wore my black, one shoulder kerchief dress that had a white paisley design. Underneath it I wore a pair of black leggings and a pair of black bleach stained Chucks that had seen better days. Various snap and gummy bracelets adorned my right wrist.

  "Come on, Alina!" Jazalynn grabbed my wrist and continued to drag me towards the party. "You're so slow."

  We continued to walk up the paved driveway. We had to park a few hundred feet away because there were so many cars. Since we were a bit late and the party had already started, we were alone in our trek to the house.

  "At least act excited, Alina. This is the-" Jazalynn began as She started up the steps towards the front door.

   "- party of the year, I know. This just isn't really my forte. All the people... and" -I snuffed the air- "is that weed?"

  I scrunched my nose as She opened the door and I was immediately bathed in the the pungent smells that filled the house.  Walking into the door of the house was like running into a brick wall of sound from the speakers that were currently blasting Britney Spears.

  "You're such a wet blanket, Alina. Just let go and enjoy yourself!" With that, Jazalynn bounded off waving at her newest boyfriend, Alex.

  I sighed and bit my bottom lip in frustration. *She brought me to this party, I might as well at least try to find someone I know and actually want to talk to.* putting on a brave face and a smile, I walked in and closed the door. A few people waved and a few people called my name over the pumping music. I waved back half hearted as I grabbed a chip from a bowl on the kitchen counter and continued looking for someone I could actually stand to be around. After I made a circle of the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen, I headed for the stairs and had to step over a guy who was already passed out on said stairs.

  After a very non thorough search for familiar faces, I gave up and walked back to the stairs where I firmly planted my ass on the tip step knowing that all the other seats in the house were occupied by annoying preps. Yeah I'm not exactly popular but I don't really want to be. I know that some people say that and don't really mean it but I genuinely hate being in the spotlight. I hate feeling like everybody is scrutinizing me. The only reason that Jaz and I were so close is because we've been friends since I was 8 and She was 7. We are complete poisons but we just work. I can't really picture my life without her. She's my best friend.

  "Yo, Alina!" Max was waving at me from the bottom of the stairs. Max is the school player, the jock, so I was a bit weary when I waved back. He jogged up the stairs.

  "Hey." I murmured and half hearted wiggled my fingers.

  Max gestured behind him with his thumb towards the living room. "Hey, uh, your friend is..."

  I looked to where he was pointing and nearly pushed him down the stairs when I stood up. Even though I was only a step above him I towered over him. I tend to do that a lot since I'm five feet ten inches tall.

  I headed down the stairs in a full sprint and pushed through the circle that had just formed around Jaz and another girl who's name I didn't know. I had seen the blond Barbie at school in the halls at school and I knew that She was a year or two younger then me.

  "What the he'll is going on?" I growled over the loud music.

  The blond looked at me angrily. "Stay out of this, Goth bitch!" She yelled.

  I raised my eyebrow and walked over to where Jaz stood. She glowered at the girl and looked ready to fight. I grabbed her by her upper arm and begin to tug her away from the circle. There were shouts and awes of protest but still I drug Jaz out the door and onto the driveway. She went without much of a fight.

  I let go of her arm as soon as we were a safe distance from the house. She straitened her dress out and we walked in silence for a few minutes. Or rather, I walked and She hobbled then leaned on my shoulder, too drunk to walk properly. I sighed and helped her to the car.

  "Give me the keys." I said as I walked around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her.

  "Why?" She whined as I pushed her into the seat.

  "You are way to hammered to drive Jazzy, now give them." I laugh at her and hold out my hand.

  "Fine." She pouts and reaches into her cleavage and pulls out her keys.

I scoff and snatch them then headed to the driver side of the car. Quickly I buckled up and made sure that Jaz did so too, then I started the car. Just before I pulled onto the road, I notice that it was sleeting again.

  As I drove, the sleet turned into a light snow, then it turned into a white out. I could barely see in front of me for a few feet but the road was always desolate at this time of night. We lived in Baudette Minnesota for Christ's sake. There are maybe 250 kids who go to Baudette High School and 200 of them were at that party so nobody should be on the roads but us.

  I took it slow and didn't drive over 15 MPH. I kept an eye out and stairs near the middle of the road.

  "It's snowing really hard out there, isn't it?" Jaz asked. She was quiet and the question sounded odd for some reason. It was almost unsettling how She was staring out the windshield. I took a quick glance over at her.  Her eyes were half shut and She was mumbling something incoherent.

  "Truck...I don't wanna...there's a... tr... truck... truck..." Her mumbling got louder as She went.

  "What are you talking about?" I inquired not looking at her because I was busy trying not to slide on the ice.

  Suddenly, She got quiet. I shook my head and wrote it off as drunk talk.

  I drove for a few more minutes and had just driven over a small bridge when I saw a bright yellow light. I didn't have time to scream before I felt the impact of Jazalynn's little Toyota with a much larger Truck.