Summer Break

I woke up dazed, and slightly confused. I took in the cream-colored walls and the smell of fresh linen. The lamp on the bedside next to me cast a low glow.  

Between my groggy mess and sleepy eyes, I realize that I'd fallen asleep at Niki's house. I let out a low groan as my body fully stretches. It felt as if I just had the best sleep of my life. Niki's mom did good to invest in nice mattresses. I relished in the feeling of the soft, pillow-like, mattress. Paired with that, an even softer duvet. 

I wished I could sleep over here more often. 

However, when I'd fully woken up, I see that I hadn't even had a full nights sleep. It was just turning midnight. And when I reach for my phone, I see what exactly had woken me up. I grit my teeth in annoyance at the massive wave of spam texts. From none other than Niko. 

The first couple were, very obviously, drunken texts full of gibberish. 

CHARLIHSIWH ASIJLB NEDA TYOU CAOME 

I roll my eyes at it. The thousands of other texts weren't any different. He'd called me multiple times, and made sure to leave a voice mail as well. I didn't even want to listen to them. I ignored all of them and quickly text him. 

Niko, are you okay?

it doesn't take but thirty seconds until I feel the buzz. My heart beats nervously as I pick my phone back up and look at the text. Except I don't even get the chance to fully read it before he's calling me. 

I answer as soon as I see it. 

"Niko?" I breathe out. I hear him breathing heavily, but nothing else. A small shifting noise in the back tells me he's there, but wasn't he answering. 

"Niko?" I say once more. That makes him groan lazily into the speaker and mumble something. I roll my eyes at him and shout even louder into the microphone. "Niko!" 

That gets him up long enough for him to mutter 'bonfire' into the mic. That sends me into an aggravated frenzy. This boy was trying to get my ass killed. If not by Niki, then by his parents. 

I grabbed my keys from the couch and I left, heading towards the bonfire 'get-together'. I now knew for sure that It was definitely not just a hangout, and was an actual party. I grumble in annoyance and tap my knuckles on the steering wheel. 

I was going to drag this boy's ass out of there. Whether he liked it or not. 

And that I did. I'd spent an, almost forty-five minute drive, seething. I was tired and the last thing I wanted to do tonight was go to this party. Yet it seemed as if the universe hadn't agreed with me. Not one bit. 

When I pulled up to the quiet neighborhood, I kept my eyes peeled. I was looking for signs of a party: A large gathering of cars, the bonfire, Music. Except, I'd already made a full lap around the small neighborhood. I was right next to the lake, right across from it. I was almost a hundred percent sure that Dylan had said it was at a house, but who's. 

I was getting tired of driving around and I knew that either the dumbs had tricked me or I was in the wrong place. Still, I take one more lap, looking at all the cracks and crevices of the houses. I sigh out, it felt as if I wasn't going to find this dumb party. The clock on the radio said it was nearing two in the morning. 

When I neared the mouth of the neighborhood, I parked in a small patch of grass on the side to pull out my phone. Absolutely no notifications. I growled out a quick curse, looking around to see if I could possibly see anything. 

I sigh out again, pulling my hoodie off and shoving it back into the car. I don't pay attention to where it lands because as my eyes scan the area, it catches a faint light across the road--The Bonfire. It was across the road and quite literally at the lake, not at a house.