Safe Town

- Jones -

"I'll walk you home if you like," I offer.

"I'm alright, Jones-y," she says as she breaks apart from me.

"You sure?"

Her eyes are swollen and glassy. Fly-away strands of hair around her pale face. She doesn't look alright.

"Yeah," Silvia reassures me, but her voice cracks a bit.

I nod my head. I don't know what to do except give her some space. All I know is she and some guy were talking and he said something that set her off.

Silvia waves goodbye and starts walking off, to go home I suppose. I watch her walk, until she's out of my range of vision.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a different girl coming, or better yet stumbling, towards me. Courtney, my forever tipsy or hungover cousin.

"H-hey! Where did Silvia go to?"

She's at my eye level only because she's wearing gold, glittery pumps. Courtney is drunk, but not wasted. So a normal conversation is possible at this point.

"She went home," it sounds even more sad when I say it aloud.

Courtney tilts her head to the side like a desperate puppy, "Why?"

"Some dude said something that made her upset."

Her eyes widen and she grips her wine glass tighter, "Was his name Preston?"

I sighed, "Think so."

She just face-palms and starts muttering incoherently.

"That's her ex-boyfriend. They were together for two years."

Oh. I feel a little stab in my chest and I don't know why. Maybe he was trying to ask her out again?

"She needs some time I think," Courtney waves her hand as if it was a small matter, "There's someone you should meet."

This doesn't sound good.

Before I can say anything she drags me back to the living room to a corner with a group of giggling girls. A blonde girl steps forward as if she was expecting us.

"Crystal this is Jones. Jones, this is Crystal," She pushes us towards each other so that we actually touch.

"Wanna go outside?" Crystal says in a smoky voice.

I nod and we go.

We talk about the only things you can talk about to a stranger: what college they want to attend, the weather, how their summer has been.

Crystal is nice, I guess. She's pretty. Sparking white teeth, brown eyes, unnaturally busty. 

So I do what you're expected to do when you're with a pretty girl at a party.

I kiss her.

It's nice, but not magical. Crystal kisses me on the cheek when we're done.

"See you around," and she walks off to talk to some other guy.