SUNNYVALE

(29) SHOW (OR PARTY) MUST GO ON

Bringing Abby to the party after her 'satanic episode' (Sam's naming) was probably not the brightest idea, but Tierna and Sam did not know what else to do to cheer the blonde up. Ever since their awkward realisation that they both liked Abby more than like a friend, the two hadn't talked about it - and it probably was for the best.

When Tierna goes to the bar, she comes face to face with Emily Sonnet, who truly has been her best friend in Sunnyvale so far. After a pretty cheerful and loud reunion - long seconds during which Tierna had the impression to have been gone for a full year abroad very, very far away or something - Emily stares at her friend, raising her eyebrows.

After a second, she finally asks:

"Where the hell have you been?" 

Tierna wanted to say: Hi, Emily, look, I've just had a few crazy days fighting shadows and dealing with the fact that a girl I truly care about might as well be Satan's heir according to a deranged old lady. Anyway, how's your week been?

But instead she responds:

"Sorry, I've been pretty caught up with family stuffs..." she lies, feeling bad about it already. As Emily did not seem surprised, she adds: "Besides, I've been assigned to a super history project with Dahlkempbitch, so..."

"Aouch" Emily comments, before ordering two shots at the bar. Tapping on Tierna's shoulder as they drink their glass bottoms up together, Emily swallows and declares: "Well, I'll catch up with you later, gotta get some ladies tonight. See ya!"

"Good luck, Casanova" Tierna mocks her.

As soon as Emily is gone, Tierna looks around her: for a full hour now, she had been busy talking with other people and running places, and now she really wanted to make sure Abby was okay - with everything happening in her life, she wouldn't be surprised the blonde would drink too much and get out of control. Just as she thinks about that, Tierna finally finds Abby in the crowd - well, not exactly in it.

Well, too late, Tierna thinks to herself.

She walks toward the table Abby was dancing one with some of her on-drugs Eastside friends - aka Alanna Kennedy, Kristie Mewis, and a handful of others, including a very alcoholic Shelina Zadorsky. When Abby spots Tierna, her face cracks a big smile, as she gets down from the table, almost falling on her way down. Tierna catches her in extremis, her arm supporting the girl, who was now laughing. 

Suddenly and without warnings of any kinds, the blonde pulls Tierna into a tight hug, during which the brunette had the luxury to sense Abby's quite rose-like smell, that had a tendency to give her butterfly - at least ever since they were sleeping in her bed together. Shivering from head to toes, Tierna awkwardly coughs and trying to get away from Abby's embrace. 

But the blonde didn't seem happy about that.

"Hi, you, where have you been?" she asks in a drunk voice, that Tierna normally would've found quite funny.

Right now, however, she did not find it funny: she was rather worried. 

"Are you okay?" the brunette asks, honestly fearing for Abby's alcohol level.

But the blonde innocently smirks. 

"Relax, Ti-Ti: shadows can't touch alcoholic people, I'm rather sure of it since I'm the one actually able to call 'em !" Abby then says pretty loudly, losing her balance from time to time, supported by Tierna again.

"Shhh" the brunette orders, trying to get Abby to come outside. 

Sam, who had been witnessing the scene with jealousy, gets to the two girls in the crowd, grabbing Abby's vacant arm in order to help Tierna support her.

Simultaneously, the two girls come to an agreement that they should get her out of here for some fresh air, and so they did: they found a quiet place on the cabin's terrace, from which the sounds of the party - music, screams and chants - were lowered. 

After settling Abby on a couch in-between them, Tierna and Sam awkwardly sit in silence, both making sure Abby was okay. 

"You know" Sam finally breaks the silence, quite nervous. As Tierna stares at her, she continues: "I'd find you pretty cool if you weren't interested in the same girl than I am"

That somehow makes Tierna laugh.

"Same, oddly enough." she responds, laughing.

And, as Abby was having the drunk-nap of her life, the two of them would just talk for hours about their lives, their fears, and so much more, developing a connexion that was beyond words - or maybe that was already written somewhere in time...

***

It was about 3 in the morning when the party truly got out of hands: people hooking up everywhere, other people doing more and more drugs, some people passed out on the couches or on the ground... A true teenagers' party*... 

*(A/N: at least where I'm from, lol)

In this chaos, Crystal was trying to find her way outside, tired of all the noise and silly drunk people. Her head was about to explode in pain because of long-lasting headaches that have been going on for hours now. 

As she takes some deep breaths in, she suddenly spots Shelina sitting on one of the chair... or rather on someone, kissing them with passion, mainly thanks to alcohol. When Crystal looks closer, she spots Megan's purple hair, and somehow her soul seems to break a little. 

Shelina briefly turns her head, before taking her attention back on Megan... Until she realises the person she spotted was Crystal. She looks again, while longly staring at Crystal, as if she was trying to send her a message like: you made your point abundantly clear, and now I am moving on 'cause it's too complicated.

Without really knowing why, Crystal feels her heart shatter. 

But Shelina kisses Megan again, knowing very well that Crystal was still watching, burning in jealousy. Pissed off, the dark-haired goes back inside to grab her coat, before leaving the party early, angrily walking on her way home. 

After ten minutes of walking, she hears screams coming from the cabin, and goes back there running, a bad feeling taking over her guts...