RUN!

12. Secrets II

Song: Secrets by The Weeknd

Declan saunters his way towards me, Jessica next to him. The Jones'are not my friends but we have mutual respect. Declan is influential in school but I'm just as influential, maybe even more since my word actually has an effect on the administration. That stunt he pulled with Damien yesterday? He'd think twice before doing that to me. Not just because of the status, Declan has also seen me when I'm not...composed, putting it nicely. Like I said, mutual respect. Except that I don't respect him, not in the real sense.

"Surprised to find you here, didn't know you could party," he says this as a greeting. Jessica gives me a quick smile before walking past us and towards the pool.

"I wasn't supposed to be here, tagging along so I can drive some friends back."

"Oh yeah? So what? No drinks?"

"I'm saving that for this weekend," I tell him even though I've already had a glass.

"You know the vibes! Got everything set for the party, and the other activities. Nothing like a good game of truth or dare to set the pace."

"Would have been more fun if some people were around," I click my tongue.

"Yeah I guess. Who were you talking to when I came in? He literally just vanished." He scans the room for Blondie but it's pointless.

"I honestly don't know, never got to ask for his name. It's cool though. Wanna go to the pool?" I offer. According to Blondie, Declan's familiar with this place and so is Avery. Obviously the two must have bumped into each other once, or twice.

"Have you met Landon?" Declan asks me as we emerge out of the passage. The pool is large and probably more packed than the living room. At every corner there's a couple sticking their tongues into each other's faces. Thankfully, Declan's pointing to the one place where there's no deliberate plan to do anything like that, plus, Lee's already there.

"A.D," Lee practically bawls once he spots me. To the others, he's just calling my name but I know from his expression that he's thanking all the powers above that I came here. How Lee got himself in a conversation with these people will forever be a mystery.

"Wassup." Several hands cross each other as we shake each other, cool and collected, like we've been friends from the get go. There are 3 other guys minus Lee so we're a complete circle of six now and they've shifted to create space for Declan and I.

"Sick party you've got here!" Declan yells over the music. As if to prove a point, one of the guys whistle at a girl that passes by.

"I know right? Hasn't even hit 9:50 but everyone's already wasted," Landon agrees, all smug. My gaze zeroes on him. Landon is smaller than I imagined, in fact, he's the shortest among us. But he makes up for his height with his pretty blonde hair and shiny blue eyes, I guess.

"A.D, whatcha think of my party?" Landon asks me. I want to ask him why he didn't go through the motions of asking me basic questions about myself but I guess that's bland.

"It's cool, nice place you've got," I say curtly. I don't yell over the music like Declan does and it's deliberate, it makes them strain their ears to hear me. At first, it may make me seem shy or timid but later it's going to shift the tables. Make them always lean forward when I speak, waiting so they don't miss anything. It's a tactic I learnt from Student Union.

"Want something to smoke?" One of the other guys ask me and I shake my head softly. Jessica comes from behind and wraps her hand around Landon's waist. My eyes cut to Declan immediately, expecting to see him boiling but he's cool. So...Jessica and Landon. Wow.

"You guys should go play," she says to everyone of us. Landon practically forgets that he's standing in front of her brother and places his hands below her ass. The guys do as she says, they go play, some with extra glasses of beer and some with something I'd bet 1000k is weed. I just step back, averting my gaze from the scene I'm pretty sure is borderline violation in front of me and widening my view. This place, wild and raving, filled with girls as drunk as death and guys as high as heaven. Filled with people doing and not thinking. This was where Avery felt free. If that isn't concerning, then I don't know what is.

||

"How was the party?" Reyna asks us casually as she climbs Lee's Jeep. I fight the feeling of annoyance I'm growing towards her. From the moment we stepped in, Reyna disappeared into the kitchen. It was hard to think she'd actually stayed in the kitchen all through. Heck the longer I stayed at that party, surrounded by druggies, the more convinced I was that she was partying instead of helping us. But that thought quickly flies out as I turn around to examine her. Her hair is damp like she'd just gone 4 hours straight at the gym and she looks pretty exhausted...and sober. She looks like someone who's just got back from work and not a party.

"It was disgusting." Lee gags the same time I say it was cool. I'm a people person and it makes it hard for people to pin point who exactly my type of people are, so I can blend in wherever I'm at. Lee however. He's allergic to bodies. I know for a fact that I'm going to have make this one up to him.

"Did you meet anyone who could be helpful?" Reyna asks, ignoring Lee's whine. The Blondie comes to my mind.

"Sort of, I guess. But I don't know his name."

"Describe him."

"He's tall, a bit taller than I am. And he's thin, dry blonde hair."

It takes a moment for the description to register.

"Nick." It's not a question. I'm happy she recognizes him by my description but I'm not happy that she has that look on her face.

"I'm guessing Nick is not nice?" Lee raises a brow. We're both looking at Reyna now.

"No. That's not it. It's just that...Nick- Nick sells drugs. What could he possibly know about Avery?"

"He sells drugs?" Lee's mouth goes slack.

"And some other...stuff."

"He called her Ave, when he spoke about her."

Reyna frowns. It's an irritated frown, like he'd dirtied her name somehow. Then her face changes from irritation to recognition.

"Ave? Shit. Avery's laptop. Where is it?" She demands.

"My place," Lee tells her.

"It's 10:55. I hope your parents wouldn't mind late visitors."

"No, no they wouldn't."

"Well great, cause I don't give a fuck anyways. Make it quick."

I can tell that Lee doesn't like being spoken to like that but he puckers his lips and turns around. Reyna knows something, and we're both eager to find out.