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Chapter 17-6

Audrey

  Just a mere half hour ago Audrey was Excited to exchange gifts and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate. It was 8:45 on christmas eve and instead of holiday cheer, there was an uncomfortable atmosphere as she and friends helped Natalie clear the house. Natalies house was completely empty minus the Writing Club around 9.

  "Maybe it would've have been quicker if we called the cops," Adrian said. He dropped himself and his backpack on the couch in the living room.

  "Could you imagine what Nat's parents would say if they found out the cops were here?" Jacob entertained. He leaned over the back of the couch next to Adrian. Natalie sat on the first couple of stairs, staring at the group in the living room. Audrey knew more than nan yone that she wasn't really seeing them. She looked past them, Into herself. What was going on in her mind?

  Audrey sat next to her. "Are you okay?" It was a dumb question to ask but she felt it was the best thing to ask at the moment. Her answer came in the form of Natalie getting up and leaving to her room. The slam of the door silenced what little talk there was among the few.

  After a moment Danielle was the first to speak. "What now?" She asked. A good question. The night was over, their beautiful picnic ruined by a storm.

  "It's obvious," Jacob said. He moved his head in various directions of the house, silently urging the others to follow his sight. "We need to get this house clean."

  Audrey couldn't imagine anyone being too enthusiastic about cleaning but they all agreed. Maybe like her, they all felt like they owed it to Natalie.

  Nine turned to ten and then 10:30. There was quite the clean up for a party that lasted about an hour. Near the end of it, Jacob took that small cooler with leftover bottles of beer to nats room. "I wouldn't want her parents to see this. I'm going to check up on her," he said.

  While Jacob was gone, Danielle left and soon followed Sam and Sebastian. About an hour later and it was Adrian's turn to leave but he seemed hesitant to go. Audrey didn't want him to leave either.

  "Sorry about tonight Audrey," he said.

  "It wasn't your fault silly."

  "I know I guess I just—It just sucks that this happened."

  "Yeah." Audrey walked with him to Liv's car. They hid their disappointment from her so she wouldn't worry. It was adrians idea to act like the night wasn't ruined. Audrey agreed it was probably better to let parents believe that. They hugged each other.

  "Merry christmas Audrey," he said and Audrey wished him the same.

  Despite two other poeple being in the house Audrey felt completely and utterly alone. She stood in the spacious living room, taking in the details. Despite it being filled with christmas decorations it felt empty still. There was no christmas music playing or laughter of a family or the smell of food beside cold pizza. It was an eerie feeling very unlike what christmas was supposed to feel like.
I'll just make some hot cocoa.

  It only took her a couple of minutes to make it and the smell mustve have alerted jacob and Nat. their footsteps could be heard coming downstairs.

  Audrey served three small mugs and carefully carried them back to the living room. Her focus remained steadily on the mugs as she inched closer to the hallway that connected the Kitchen to the livingroom.

  Suddenly she bumped into jacob and dropped one of the mugs. Why was she so stupid? Who carries three hot mugs at a time? The glass shattered and spilled cocoa all over the white marbled tile.