Treat You Better

Chapter Seven: The Party.

Chapter Seven: The Party.

About an hour later I was ready to take a break. My tummy was full, I'd done enough 'moving-my-body' to last me a year, and I'd had a few drinks so I was feeling a bit buzzed.

So I took a seat on one of the benches near the fence, swinging my feet back and forth, humming along with the music and watching Annie and Susan dance from where I was seated.

This was nice. I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them slightly, spotted an interesting group over by the DJ stand, two girls and a drunk guy trying to make a song request. All they managed to do was annoy the DJ though and it wasn't until they turned around when he sent them away that I realized the drunk guy was Hale.

"Dammit," I whispered, immediately getting up to leave.

"Oi, Violet!" I heard his voice over the music and wondered if running was the next best thing.

Unfortunately, a solid grip closed around my wrist, immediately causing me to wince in pain.
"Hey, where are you off to? I'm talking to you," he chuckled, turning me by his grip to face him, "we didn't get to dance."

"It's all good, my feet ache anyways, no need to-" my voice cut off when my back hit the wall, his entire drunken weight pinning me down, sending panic climbing up my throat, "Hey, hey, hey-! Wait a minute...!" I attempted, holding myself as far away as possible by his shoulders, it was barely anything- he wouldn't budge!

"Relax, let's pick up where we left off earlier," His voice reached my ears, then his hands were suddenly everywhere, bruising and persistent and invasive.

Panic dulled my vision, making the already lowly lit place look even darker, I couldn't find anyone to help if I tried.
"I mean it Hale, get off of me!" I shoved harder, not enough to push him away but enough to frustrate him into moving himself, he stumbled back on unsteady feet just so he could hold my face in place between his fingers.

"What is... wrong with you?" He slurred, the alcohol on his breath making my eyes water, "How long're you going to be difficult, huh? Can't even touch you now? Acting like- like I'm made of dirt... Just s-stay still, m'not trying to eat you or somthn'."

Then his head fell forward just as I managed to pull my face away in time for a sloppy, cold kiss to slide down my neck.

Disgust sent a chill down my spine so hard the corresponding sound came out my mouth.

"Oh, so that's how you do it?" A familiarly dry voice asked and in a split second, Hale was replaced by a whoosh of welcome, cool air.

"Angelo!" I gasped, holding my strip of a top to myself before it fell apart any more than this.

He let go of the scruff of his cousin's jacket, leaving Hale wobbling on his feet as whatever drinks he'd had were starting to catch up with him.
"I looked away from you for one second." Angelo said to him.

"You're really starting to become one of my... least favorite people." He gurgled.

"The horror of it all." Angelo replied simply and all it took was a small misstep before Hale stumbled back, crashed right down to the grass and stayed.

Angelo uttered an annoyed curse, glancing around at the rest of the party, people were either dancing away obliviously or passed out... obliviously.

"Oh God," I groaned, tiredly running a free hand over my forehead to push back stray hair as I bent down to check on him. Still breathing.
"He fell pretty hard, what if he's...? I can't take him home with a concussion." Franca might as well just kill me.