Invisible String

Chapter 4

The lounge chair loudly scrapes the ground as I quickly jump off of it, I grab my purse and turn to exit this entire situation. What am I even doing here? This was a big mistake. My turn was abrupt and I bumped into a girl who was in the middle of drinking a wine cooler, the collision causing her to spill the strawberry flavored drink onto her baby pink blouse.

"I'm so sorry!" I shriek with embarrassment and desperation. "Please let me get you a towel." I beg

The girl looks at me with disgust and starts screaming at me to get away from her, adding on a few not so pleasant names.

I quickly flee the scene and go back into the house searching for Nevaeh. The amount of people inside has to be a fire hazard of some sort, I could not move without being bumped by someone, or squeezing in between others. I'm scanning the room in a panic wanting so badly to see my friend. Nothing. I make it to the other side of the living room and enter the kitchen, I see a lot of people, most are crowded around the large island in the center of the room taking shots, the others sitting on the counters making out with their partners, but no Nevaeh in sight. I turn around and make my way up the stairs, making my way around the people passed out, or crying on random steps. I reach the second floor and head towards Dawsons room, but realizing I might not want to walk in on something so I stop and pull out my phone.

"I need you." I text Nevaeh

I wait for a few moments, but my patience is nonexistent right now.

"NOW" I text again. Nothing. I decide this can't wait so I approach his bedroom door, I knock with eagerness and desperation. "GO AWAY!" I hear Dawson yell, but it wasn't a 'we're in the middle of sex' yell, but more of an angry yell.

I ignore him and knock again. The door swings open and im met by Dawsons drunken angry face, before he realizes it's me and looks more concerned than mad. "What's wrong?" he asks

"I need Nevaeh, now." I say

He moves to the side and gestures for me to come in so I enter and look towards his bed. She's sitting up, crying with her makeup running all down her face.

"What's wrong?" I ask now more worried about her than myself.

"We got into an argument." Dawson answers for her standing beside me now.

"Nev what's wrong"

She looks up at me and is obviously very drunk, she continues to cry and reaches her arms out for a hug. I climb into bed and hold her for a minute. I look up at Dawson who has sobered up a little and ask him, "who invited him?"

"Invited who?" He says and looks confused.

"Bryce is here."

"What?" Nevaeh says as she pops her head off of my shoulder. "Bryce is here?" she asks, angrily.

We both look up at Dawson, but he innocently says, "I didn't invite him, I had no idea he was coming." I believe him.

"I want to leave." I say looking at Nevaeh now.

She nods and asks me for a minute to get herself together, I tell her 'of course' and leave the room. I sit down against the wall and stare straight ahead. Dissociation is a bad habit of mine, not that I can control it, but it happens more than I'd say is normal. It feels like I've been sitting here for hours, but Nevaeh still hasn't come out. I continue to sit in silence when I hear a door open, I look and am disappointed when I see it's the bathroom door. I go back to staring straight ahead not paying attention to who may have just walked out. All of a sudden someone joins me in sitting against the wall, but I don't look to see who it is, I'm too scared that when I look over I'll see Bryce.