Escape ~ S.Harrington

6} Pre-Party Sike Out

Jenna cruised through the rest of her day at school before sneaking out to her car so she wouldn't have the chance of running into anyone. If she was being honest with herself, she really wished she hadn't said yes to going to Steve's party for a multitude of reasons. She was still mad at him, Tommy and Carol loved to pick on her, and she really just wasn't in the mood for human interaction. Her social battery was burnt out from her overstimulating band practice and having to put on a fake smile all day despite being upset with her best friend and internally freaking out about Will. On top of that, she had to lie to her brother about where she was heading because if there's one thing she knows about her brother, it's that he hates Steve and especially hates when she ditches him to hang out with Steve. That along with everything happening with Will, she figured it'd be a recipe for disaster.
Think, Jenna. How are we gonna get ourself out of this mess?

Once to her car, she started it up and cranked her radio, still with Jon's mixtape loaded in. Super Freak by Rick James flooded her car and her ears as she drove out of the school. Since it'd released, she claimed it as her song. It was the first piece of music that helped her feel confident about being a freak. It also had a killer saxophone part which she loved playing on her own horn. Everything about it was complete and utter perfection that embraced her with open arms. She ignored how much of the song was about sex and made it her own because that's what music is for. Though the ride was short, it helped her to unwind and relax before the overthinking that she knew was bound to happen before the party. Music was her favorite form of escapism. It gave her room to just let go of everything in her mind and embrace the words being sung to her. She had plenty of other hobbies like reading and watching movies, but nothing hit quite as hard as blasting a song as loud as she could while singing her heart out. Drinking also took the edge off when she needed more than just a distraction.
The volume isn't loud enough unless you can feel it in your soul... or you get a noise complaint.

Jenna's bubble of tranquility popped as soon as she arrived back home. Once inside, she gave Mews a quick kiss, threw her shoes in the corner, and went to her room where she plopped her backpack down to get ready for homework. She fell back into her spinning desk chair and got out all of her work for the night. Luckily, it was only a couple chapters of reading for English and finishing some physics work that she didn't get done in class. Jenna had always been a smart, hardworking student, but was also a procrastination pro at the same time. Whether it was fidgeting with a pen or having a conversation aloud with herself, work was a struggle to get done. Unlike most days, though, she was on a time crunch and had just enough motivation to wrap everything up in an hour. All she was left to do was just lie to her brother. Jenna creaked open her door and looked into the kitchen to find that Dustin wasn't even home. She found a note quickly scribbled out on the counter from him.
To whom it may concern,
I will be at the Wheeler's tonight. I don't know how long, but don't count on me being home for dinner. If anyone asks... I'm doing top-secret spy work. Shhhhhh...
Love, Dusty
Phew, that was a close one.

Jenna walked down the hall to her mom's bedroom where her mother was folding some laundry and sitting with Mews.
"Hey mom. Is it alright if I go over to Steve's tonight? He's having a small thing and it'd be weird if I didn't go."
"Sure, Honey. Just be home by 12, you know that's your curfew."
"Thank you so much mom!"
"No problem. Just remember, don't get pregnant."
"What the hell, Mom!? So uncalled for," Jenna cringed.
"What!? I don't know what boys might be there and you never know what could happen. Always use protection."
"I didn't come in here for that kind of talk. The only boys that will be there are Tommy and Steve and there's no way I'd touch either of them with a 50-foot pole. Yuck... oh, and could you please not tell Dustin about this? It'd hurt his feelings and he's a bitch to deal with when he's cranky."
"Hey, language! But, I won't tell him. I'm well aware of how he gets with anything involving Steve."
Jenna smiled at her mom, grateful that she was so understanding and way less strict than most other parents that she knew, "Thank you," She kissed her mom's cheek, "I'll be home before midnight. Love you."
"Love you, too, Jenna."