The Disappearance of Valentina Moreno

Chapter 9 ~ Broken People

                Flames lick the air with tiny sparks floating towards the raven sky where clouds drift just enough to show a half-moon shimmering above the sea. The bottle of ale in my grip is cold as beads of moisture slide down my knuckles. I shouldn’t have come to the bonfire, but Lisa kept texting, insisting I make an appearance. 

Now every part of me regrets it as I stare at her across the sand, doing fire tricks while onlookers cheer her on. Julian is one of them. Except, unlike me, he’s not alone. Four of his guy friends and younger sister are with him. Some of those guys are complete douches. Especially Garrett. He took my v-card in high school and bragged to everyone. Then Julian beat him senselessly when students started teasing me about it. Three guys and a janitor had to pull him off, so I don’t understand why they remain friends, today. 

Music blares as people dance around the fire with glow sticks bouncing on their necks. Everyone is either high or drunk, and some a mixture of both, like the girl who keeps yelling that I’m beautiful. It almost feels accusatory. As if she can’t stand it.

“Just look at you!” She fluffs my curls and slurs. “The hair. The makeup. You’ve got it all going on. You’re gorgeous. Like so freaking beautiful.”

“Thanks…” I repeat for the umpteenth time and pluck her hand from my arm so she can stop stroking it. Her pupils are so dilated I can’t tell what color her irises are. 

“I mean it. You’re a total babe, and it’s not even fair.”

“Right…” I glance around, planning my escape. Hopefully, she doesn’t follow me. Moses texted that he's on his way, but time is dripping like molasses. 

“Do you ever mess with girls?”

“Huh?” 

“I mean, I’m not a lesbian or anything, and it’s like totally fine if you are, but like I’m not, but I wouldn’t be opposed to like making out with you right now.”

“No.” I cringe because who the hell is this woman, and can someone get her out of my face?

“Val, let’s take a walk.”

I shift towards the familiar voice to find Garrett standing there. He takes my elbow and steers me away. Although he’s the last person I want to talk to, I couldn’t be happier to see him at this moment.

“You looked like you needed saving,” he says as we navigate through the crowd.

“Thanks. She was too much.”

We make it to the edge of the dancing crowd, and as soon as we step outside of it, the air shifts. It goes from a humid smokiness to a cool breeze of the salty sea hitting my nostrils. There’s a large piece of driftwood, so Garrett motions to it. 

“Shall we sit?”

“Sure.”

Things have always been weird between us since the day Julian beat him silly and forced him to apologize in front of our classmates. I’d like to think he genuinely feels bad for humiliating me years ago, but despite his friendly gestures, he always reminds me he’s a jerk.

“You’re looking good, Val. Almost didn’t recognize you.” He runs the back of his finger up and down my arm. I roll my eyes.

“Nothing much has changed since the last time you saw me.”

“No, you definitely look hot tonight. It’s this top you’re wearing. It makes your tits look nice.” 

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” I scoff.

“See, this is the problem with you, Val. You’re too uptight.”

“Seriously?” 

“Yeah, seriously. We could have had a real thing, but you’re too rigid.”